Still Birdless

[Russ Jackson]

Well ,we have had one of the nicest snows this past week a Grouse hunter could ask for ,and in previous years ,this is one of my best spots when we get a good deep snow ,it seems to bring the birds off the top of the mountain and out of the laurels we have so much of in this part of Pa.. The birds come down from their ground feeding and feast on the berries and enjoy the heavy cover of these dense greenbriar , they are a hunters night mare to get through and after two days of this stuff ,and haven't moved a bird yet I am thinking I should stay home and to what my old partner does ,well we will try again tomorrow on a different area ,maybe we will have a little better luck !I woke her with the flash ,I think I aggravated her a little !:)

[Dave Suponski]

Russ,Better luck tomorrow. My my... she's a pretty little girl !

[Russ Jackson]

Thanks Dave ; She sure is part of the family ,I'll tell you when people claim you can't have a good hunting dog and a good family pet ,out of the same dog ,I am here to tell you that is nothing but " bunk " ,Old Maggie here is fourteen years old and has had literally hundreds of birds shot over her and has spent every night in our or our daughters bed ,since she has been house broke ,she doesn't get up on the beds anymore unless we are watching her ,she can't get down by herself without falling .

[Rich Anderson]

Russ in our house your Maggie is exemplified by Gunner,Tara, Willie and Daisy. I had to buy another chair so I would have a place to sit to watch TV:corn:

I have hunted excellent looking cover all year long without much success. This is my year of "Hunting" not shooting.

[Russ Jackson]

Rich; I have two more also ,my only regret is they started out kennel dogs and I never house broke them ,they live a good enough life I suppose ,nice concrete floor ,insulated homes etc. but it is just not the same and I don't think you ever bond with them as well . My Grouse hunting has been poor for many seasons ,and there are days I really have to push myself to " go for a walk " Always good exercise ,but what I wouldn't give for even one day a year ,like it was just about every day thirty or so years ago !!!!!!!!!

[Ben Yarian]

Russ, I am in western Pa, hunt a little east of me. What part of Pa are you in?

Ben

[Russ Jackson]

Ben; Check your PM's . Russ

[Mike Poindexter]

Russ, Is it just me, or does Maggie in the second photo bear an uncanny resemblance to Jack Benny in his classic pose? Beautiful girl.

[Dean Romig]

Well! :violin:

[Russ Jackson]

Mike ;You just might be on to something there ! And Dean ; Where did you find that little fiddler ,I like that !

[Dean Romig]

Click "Go Advanced" see emoticons at the right, then click on "more"

The "little fiddler" is doing something we rarely ever saw Mr. Benny do . . . actually play the thing.

Oh Rochester... ?

Yassuh! Mistah Benny!

[Russ Jackson]

Dean ;I posted just the other night ,I never get on this site ,I don't learn something ,and here we go again !!!!!!!!:bowdown:

[Rich Anderson]

Dean's little fidler was...are you ready?...on the roof:duck: Sorry I just couldn't resist.

[Dave Suponski]

:clap:

[Bill Bolyard]

:cheers:

[Russ Jackson]

Well, to bring you guys up to date ,A good friend and myself ,took off early this morning to a covert we hunted a year ago ,Last year we moved a half dozen birds around after a good snow ,we thought maybe this would be a good place to try,this year we didn't have any luck at all ,lots of feed and the cover hadn't changed any ,at least there are no homes or shopping malls there ! We did have a Bear moving ahead of us ,we didn't see it but came across old tracks and found where he has been holed up ,up against a steep blow down and had fresh tracks going away ,so we figured we pushed him this morning ,then on the way back out the tram road we drove in on from the truck window ,we cut his tracks again crossing the road .When we got out to the hard road there was a small flock of turkey, we could see 10 birds crossing in front of us heading into the grape vine thicket on the left side of the cover we hunted earlier, you could plainly see two long beards in the group ,beautiful in the deep snow and the bright sunlight of the late morning ! But as I started this thread " Still Birdless " at least till next time !

[Trigg Davis]

Russ,

I wish you the best with your hunt. I do a lot of walking for the few birds I get in the winter. I often say I am basically going for a walk but taking a shotgun along just in case. Our forest is too mature in general and we have a lot of steep ground where most people just won't venture. I take ny walks up hill and down and we get a few.

My part of Alaska is not known for good Ruffed Grouse hunting in fact thay just started getting established here strating 19 years ago. Our limit is two whereas in the northern part of the state limits can be as high as 15.

Last year I think that we got three birds dutring the whole winter. This year is off to a great start with five birds located and shot over the last five weekends in five different areas.

I encourage you to keep walking; like us you may not get many but hopefuylly you will get some. In my case the dogs love it and each bird is a unique and essentailly rare expereince. I will think of you the next time I am out.

My young dog Shinne is doing well which is a pleasure for me. Shine got his first Ruffed Grouse in Alberta Canada in the last few days of September and I just saw today that Bob Brown just posted a picture of it in photo Friday. It was pleasure for me. I did not know there was a picture of that dog's first wild bird experience. It was a short bird hunt; I had gone to look for Grouse with Bob's friend Brett while Bob picked Rich Flanders up at the airport. It was late and we got to hunt less than 30 minutes and had the great good fortune to find and harvest my dog's first Ruffed Grouse.

Again I wish you the best finding birds. I may get out and look for some myself this weekend by exploring a new area. Probably it will be just a walk, but I will carry a nice light gun and one can always hope to find oner more elusived Ruffed Grouse.

All the birds I do get have the meat go to the table but the crop and various other parts go to the local unvirsities and a project to ascertain what these birds are eating, where there located, etc. This is sponsered in part by our local Ruffed Grouse Society.

Trigg

Trigg

[Russ Jackson]

Trigg; Great to hear from you and I am glad for you to have Shines first Grouse on film ,Years ago ,our area was great for Grouse and 15 to 20 flushes a day more frequent than not ,any more ,a bird or two a season tickles me ,80 miles north or so some of my buddies have hunting camps and they don't bother with the birds but they say they flush quite a few during bear and deer seasons ,I am always welcomed to hunt birds up there ,its just tough to find the time to hunt and throw in a 160 to 200 mile round trip with it ! Oh believe me I will keep walking ,I look at these birds as each one being a special " Trophy " I have a half day hunt already planned for Sat. morning ,we will see what happens there !

[Dean Romig]

Russ, this is my driveway this morning. Twenty yards into the edge of the woods a bruiser buck strolled by last week . . . I mean a real bruiser!

[Dean Romig]

Don't know why this didn't load before...

[Jack Cronkhite]

I'll tell you when people claim you can't have a good hunting dog and a good family pet ,out of the same dog ,I am here to tell you that is nothing but " bunk ".

Bunk - with a capital B !! I look at it that there are 365 days/year and if I'm really lucky 15 or so are hunting days. So, over the course of a dogs life (approx 4000 days) there may be a couple hundred hunting days, so what to do with all the rest of the time?? All our dogs have been pets first. Some have been great hunters, some not so great but forgiven and enjoyed for who they are. Here's a couple shots of a departed good friend and good hunter who also had his share of forgiveness in the field. That I look at as giving me the chance to be out a little longer- no point in getting a limit too early in the day.
Cheers,
Jack

"TAZ" enjoying the hunt
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/normal_20061219_IMG_9999_8S.JPG

"TAZ" enjoying Mom's chair
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/normal_20061216_IMG_9999_1s.JPG

[Russ Jackson]

Great Pictures Jack , Looks like a good friend !! Sure looks pleased with himself in that first picture !

[Russ Jackson]

Hey Dean ,Don't they look nice in the snow !,And by the way ,if you don't have anything to do between now and next season ,maybe you ought to stay on that track !!

[Dean Romig]

I saw him in October '08 from my kitchen window. Probably 250 - 275 live weight with a heavy, long-tined 8-point rack in the 150 - 160 range but I haven't seen him at all this year. Just knowing he is still there is nice.

[Ben Yarian]

"Just knowing he is still there is nice. "

And passing on those genes.

Ben

[Robert Rambler]

Dean, Did he look anything like this hoss? Others have probably seen this before. Was sent to me in an email. Supposedly a 400 pounder taken in Maine.:shock:

[Richard Flanders]

Jeez! That hawg looks like he has a thyroid problem!

[John Dallas]

It's the resident cynic chiming in. Looks like a photoshop job to me

[Jack Cronkhite]

Here's some info on weights of large white tail deer. Over 400 pounds is rare but not unknown. If photoshopped, someone did a decent job.

http://books.google.com/books?id=ni6Hbqm04vIC&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=Carl.+J+Lenander+deer&source=bl&ots=7mqDYVKgDH&sig=y4jDETBGB8h4ADOzYfrE2jJ1JDA

Here's a bit on just Maine from a taxidermist

http://www.grignonstaxidermy.com/Museum_Pages/Gameheads1.htm

[E Robert Fabian]

I don't know where Mr Grignon hunts in ME but it sounds great.