ChardonRob
10-24-2005, 03:59 PM
Amazing!!! I got out grousing for the first time of the year today. I got a late start, the rain was coming down and instead of heading to my original destination I headed for Hamden Orchard right up the road from me because I figured it was just a wasted day and at least Hamden was close to me.
This is probably my GSP's last year to hunt so I was just going to give her a good run. No more than 50 feet out of the parking lot she goes on point. I'm thinking okay, someone dressed out a bird and threw the remains away. Nope, I actually saw the grouse sitting there. Safety off, walk a few steps and up it goes. It went straight up and I popped it five feet off the ground. Woohoo, I actually hit something! The dog had feathers in her mouth so life was good.
We continued on and about 1/2 hour later she goes on point in some really thick stuff. I start walking in and I keep waiting but nothing happens. My dog breaks off her point but continues pushing this area hard. Still nothing. We continue on around this arm of brushland and start back down the other side. We get back to where she had gone on point and she locks up again. I start walking in and a woodcock goes up. I popped off two shots at it but missed. We contiued to hunt this area for a little while and a few hundred feet away she's on point again. Again, I walk in but nothing went up. This time it was just a false point but I'm sure a bird had been there recently.
We walked out of that area and headed down another brushy run with a little creek flowing through it headed towards the swamp. Right as we are getting to the swamp the dog is in knee deep water and she goes on point again. I'm thinking with the exception of pointing a duck it has to be another woodcock and it was even too swampy for them. I walk around her and a grouse blows up right in my face. I fired once and feathers flew. Another one in the pouch. This bird had been sitting in 10 inches of water??? It was obviously retarded so I did it a favor by shooting it.
Another hour or so goes by then another point. A woodcock goes up and another two wasted shot shells hit the ground. Another 1/2 hour, another point, another woodcock goes skyward. I didn't even bother shooting at this one. There was just no chance.
We hunted a total of six hours. She pointed eight times and I got two grouse for the effort. I cannot recall having this good of a day when we had access to prime private land down Salt Fork way. I'm in shock for two reasons. 1. We jumped a whole bunch of birds on public land a couple miles from my house. 2. I actually shot a couple of them. When the pneumonia sets in from being soaked all day it will still have been worth it. Darn, I might have to go buy shotgun shells for the first time in ten years.
This is probably my GSP's last year to hunt so I was just going to give her a good run. No more than 50 feet out of the parking lot she goes on point. I'm thinking okay, someone dressed out a bird and threw the remains away. Nope, I actually saw the grouse sitting there. Safety off, walk a few steps and up it goes. It went straight up and I popped it five feet off the ground. Woohoo, I actually hit something! The dog had feathers in her mouth so life was good.
We continued on and about 1/2 hour later she goes on point in some really thick stuff. I start walking in and I keep waiting but nothing happens. My dog breaks off her point but continues pushing this area hard. Still nothing. We continue on around this arm of brushland and start back down the other side. We get back to where she had gone on point and she locks up again. I start walking in and a woodcock goes up. I popped off two shots at it but missed. We contiued to hunt this area for a little while and a few hundred feet away she's on point again. Again, I walk in but nothing went up. This time it was just a false point but I'm sure a bird had been there recently.
We walked out of that area and headed down another brushy run with a little creek flowing through it headed towards the swamp. Right as we are getting to the swamp the dog is in knee deep water and she goes on point again. I'm thinking with the exception of pointing a duck it has to be another woodcock and it was even too swampy for them. I walk around her and a grouse blows up right in my face. I fired once and feathers flew. Another one in the pouch. This bird had been sitting in 10 inches of water??? It was obviously retarded so I did it a favor by shooting it.
Another hour or so goes by then another point. A woodcock goes up and another two wasted shot shells hit the ground. Another 1/2 hour, another point, another woodcock goes skyward. I didn't even bother shooting at this one. There was just no chance.
We hunted a total of six hours. She pointed eight times and I got two grouse for the effort. I cannot recall having this good of a day when we had access to prime private land down Salt Fork way. I'm in shock for two reasons. 1. We jumped a whole bunch of birds on public land a couple miles from my house. 2. I actually shot a couple of them. When the pneumonia sets in from being soaked all day it will still have been worth it. Darn, I might have to go buy shotgun shells for the first time in ten years.