NH Opening Day 10/1/2009

[Pete Lester]

New Hampshire opening day found Bob Fabian (12ga VHE), Bill Janelle (12ga PHE) and myself (20ga Trojan) hunting stocked pheasants. By 7:30AM all three of us had limited.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj57/nhshotgunner/100_0562.jpg

[Dean Romig]

Good shooting guys!

I'll be making my first foray of the season to the 'wilds' of Vermont this weekend for grouse and woodcock and the weather report calls for "nice weather for ducks" :crying:

[Pete Lester]

Good shooting guys!

Bill and Bob did some good shooting, fortunately for me birds were plentiful :)

Unfortunately Scott is sidelined for the next two months due to injury. Good luck in VT!

[Dean Romig]

Unfortunately Scott is sidelined for the next two months due to injury. Good luck in VT!

What has Scott gone and done to himself now, shoot himself in the foot?

[Pete Lester]

What has Scott gone and done to himself now, shoot himself in the foot?

That would be a more manly injury.

He tried skydiving off the stairs of his deck without a chute. Poor guy had the whole month of October off for hunting. I am sure he will be along shortly although he might have a hard time typing. Torn ligament and cartilage in right shoulder from what I understand.

[Dean Romig]

Scott . . . sheeesh - ya gotta be more careful :rolleyes: (from the dummy who ran his finger through the table-saw :banghead:)

[Dave Suponski]

Good shooting boys! Hey Scott get better soon you,re wastin time! :duck:

[John Dunkle]

Very nice!!! I was out today as well in NH... No pics - just some wonderful memories hunting over my dog.. Ran into a guy with a Parker 12 GA VH in hand.. Said "Nice Parker"... He looked at me and said "Thanks". I said - "A VH?".. He says - "I don't know - how can I tell"... I said "Doesn't matter - how does she shoot?".. He says - "It's what I shoot and have shot when I bought it about 20 years ago. It just fits me...". I said "That's what it's all about...".

We both walked on... I had a smile. He had a pheasant and his gun that shot well.

Yea - that's opening day....

John

[Tony Ballay]

Nice picture Pete. Congrats.

[Dean Romig]

Yeah John, you nailed it - That's what it's all about. :cheers:

[Pete Lester]

John nailed it??????? In the past when he came across a Parker owner who didn't know what they had he offered them a modest amount of money for it. :rotf:

[Dave Suponski]

Pete...I like that word you used..."modest"....but when I think of that frugal yankee Dunkle another word comes to mind....:duck:

[Dean Romig]

And he has done well at it too! Why, Dunkle has about the nicest sawed-off C-grade I've ever seen :cool:

[John Dunkle]

This is how the morning went for me on the second day in the NH Season... The afternoon?? Dang.. ;) To Peter, Bob & Scott - we should try to hook up??

Scott - feel better soon!!!

(Also - this was Briahana's first point on a pheasant - after I hit it - yes - she fetched it to hand.).

(Notice how I am NOT replying about the frugal innuendos about me made by Peter, Dean and Dave..?? ;) )

John

[Dean Romig]

John, is that a 20 ga. ?

[John Dunkle]

Yep... ;) The CC didn't come out too well in the pics, I guess?

[John Dunkle]

And I should add - in that 20 GA, I was shooting some low pressure #6 loads hand-loaded by a fellow Parker Member. They are simply amazing - and crumpled a rooster this afternoon as well as the hen you see in the picture above (I'd post his name, but I'm not sure he wants me to?)...

John

[E Robert Fabian]

Nice job John, with your dog and the 20 ga.

We should try and get out next week if you can find a day, my schedule open in the mornings next week. Maybe the afternoons too:cool:

I hunted in Pittsfield today and really like the area, not many hunters, old apple trees overgrown fields and mowed fields. The best part was Cooper put up a Grouse, five feet away, which I managed to miss and squared a apple tree.

And yes John, sometimes it's best to just bite your tongue.

[John Dunkle]

Aww - my thanks! As well - I'll PM you my cell phone number in a minute - and you bet!! It would be great to meet up!! As well.....

About Cooper and your Grouse... Damn - I know exactly how you feel... Brie (it's what I call her) - pointed another hen pheasant later in the day (before the final rooster) - and I flushed it from about 7 feet. I was so surprised it went up - I absolutely MISSED. That hen was bigger in my sights than a full moon on the horizon on the cusp of the equinox. And I missed it....

Brie - still on point just looks at me with "HUH?????", because in 4/5 foot high grass & puckerbrush if you are about 18" off the ground (which she is) - she has to "work" to find a bird...

Tonight as she sits next to me - I'm still apologizing for the missed bird she worked her butt off to find... But - sometimes - it just happens....

Bet'cha you know "that look" from Cooper, too..???. ;)

John

[E Robert Fabian]

George and I got a late start this morning which was a good thing as every thing was still very wet and the birds weren't moving. I managed a rooster after missing one twice. The finally was on our way out, spying a grouse from my truck about forty yards into the woods sunning himself at the edge of a clearing. We where on a class six road so I got out let the dogs out and hurrying over a stone wall as dogs are dashing into woods, grouse puts pine tree between us and holds just fine, dogs can smell bird and are comping back and forth, bird goes up with pine tree centerd between us and makes it half way across clearing just showing himself long enough for two clean misses.:banghead:

[John Dunkle]

ARRRRGGGHH!!!!!! I was reading your story - and expected a different outcome!!! :) GREAT POST & PIC, BOB!!!

Yea - sometimes it just happens like that.. But you know what? The fun is in the hunt (don't tell your dogs I said that though :eek: ) I didn't do well today either - so you are not alone....

Best to ya'!

John

[E Robert Fabian]

John, I expected a different outcome!

[E Robert Fabian]

The Parker boys playing hooky.
John's dog does hunt. He should be very proud of his new hunting pal.
Had a great time everyone.

[E Robert Fabian]

Couple more.
Cooper with a remarkable recovery after he hurt his front leg running one down.

[John Dunkle]

Hey Bob, Pete, Scott, George and Bill (Bill I hope to have join this forum in a bit - he's a wonderful guy and hunts with a Parker.. Need I say more?? ;) )

I just gave Briahana an extra measure of food for dinner and cleaned the birds. What a wonderful day!!! Great weather, good friends, lots of dogs and lots of birds...

To all of you - my thanks..!! We really need to do this more often...

John (and Briahana - who is FINALLY SACKED OUT at my feet...)

[scott kittredge]

FYI the 2 guns are left Bill janelle's PHE 28 in (parker steel barels)1 frame 12 ga. and pete lester's GHE skeet gun 12 ga.26 in. and bill's brit, and Bob is shooting a DH 30 in ic/mod str. grip nice gun Bob!

[Pete Lester]

Bill Janelle, PHE 1 frame, Parker Steel 12ga, and Scott Kittredge Audubon photographer.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj57/nhshotgunner/100_0565.jpg

(Edited by John for the image to show... - Thanks Pete, great caption and pic!!! ;))

[Pete Lester]

Our esteemed :bowdown: Moderator John Dunkle his Stevens 311 :)

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj57/nhshotgunner/100_0566.jpg

[John Dunkle]

Our esteemed Moderator John Dunkle and his Stevens 311 :-).
And MY WHAT?????????????

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

No really:
:rotf:
____________ :rotf:
__________________________ :rotf:

JD

[Pete Lester]

Sorry it's a J.C. Higgins right? Actually it's a VH 20ga with a BTFE that points nicely.

[John Dunkle]

Sorry it's a J.C. Higgins.. It's an Iver Johnson... So there.. ;) :)

[Dave Suponski]

Good work boys! Thats what this Parker stuff is all about...Good friends and Parker guns.:)

Oh and by the way...Nice Higgins John :rolleyes:

[Dean Romig]

Looks like a great time was had by all!

Where'd you buy the pheasants?? :rotf:

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Don't you be talking down a 20 gauge JC Higgins. I know a certain old man in Southern Illinois who's killed more quail and doves with one than all you boys lifetime grouse, woodcock, and pheasants put together. That certain old man might carry the same first name as I do middle name and maybe we share the same last name too.

Here he is at 90 years old with a few doves and the gun in question:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b398/MarketHunter/2-26-2009-24.jpg

[John Dallas]

4:06 AM? When do you sleep?

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Sleep? What is this thing you call sleep?

[Harry Collins]

"Ah sleep, the most precious gift bestowed upon man. Except for drink, of course". WC Fields

[John Dunkle]

A few of you have met or watched Briahana hunt/retrieve - well - today was "opening day" for our other Brit ("Scup") - who is just over 2 years old. Jen (my wife) has worked really hard at getting him trained up on birds, so today - while she handled him - I shot over him for the first time.. Jen was as proud as a "Mom" could ever be - and well deserved... She has done a terrific job with him - as the three birds in the photo below shows... He pointed and fetched easily... And - if he had opposing thumbs - probably would have taken the little Parker 28 out of my hands to do the shooting ;)

John

[Dave Suponski]

Congratulations John! :)

[E Robert Fabian]

You are going to have hunt two dogs know, twice as much shooting John.

[Dean Romig]

John, Scup looks so smart my money's on he dictated that while you typed it ;)

[Pete Lester]

I was just checking back on this thread and I must say I like the pic of Destry's dad. Man that looks like fun no matter what your age, sitting back in a Lazybale recliner, in the shade of a tree, cooler within reach and gun in lap. Could it possibly get any better? Contrast this picture with some of Destry ducking on the icy waters of the upper midwest he has posted. Looks like a fella would be more comfortable hunting with his dad!

John, Scup looks great and you are obviously proud and should be. The 410 VHE Skeet is magnificant. However, from the look on your face it would appear you want to stab someone :rotf: What's up with that?

[Destry L. Hoffard]

That's actually my Grandpa, Dad is just short of 70 these days.

And you're right, Grandpa never did duck hunt much because he doesn't like sitting still in the cold. In younger days he and Dad ran a string of bird dogs and would quail hunt in all weathers but just sitting wasn't his thing.

He's 91 this year and missed opening day of dove season for the first time in many years. Dad and I really tried to get him to come along but he said he just didn't feel up to it.

Maybe next year......


DLH