a covey of grouse

[Ed Norman]

When I was in my early 20's I hunted behind a wire haired pointer that a friend had. The dog went on point, 4 or 5 grouse flushed, I took a shot and 2 birds fell. My buddy and his wife were there, she said he got 2 birds!! Fast forward 40 plus years later. We have had our brittany for 3 hunting seasons now. My first hunt with him 3 years ago he pointed 8 grouse and a woodcock on opening day, 5 of those were in a covey and those birds flushed one right after the other. I never took a shot, I thought they were to far away for a shot. Two days ago, I went out for an hour hunt, cash pointed 3 woodcock that held, I missed every bird I shot at. I went to another area that was what I call a mid growth woods with a lot of poplar trees, ferns, some crabapple trees etc. He went on point, as I walked in a grouse flew right between us and behind me, a very hard shot, but it was the most open shot I have had this year. I missed that one too, we went to where I saw the grouse fly and hunted that whole area to make sure I didn't kill that bird. (I did the same for the woodcock I missed earlier) I was in an area of this woods I have not hunted yet, I saw about 5 acres of ferns going down into a small valley, not many trees, a perfect spot for woodcock. My brittany cash went on point, I walked towards him thinking I might actually get a shot in here. A grouse flushed to my right, I pulled up and 2 more flushed I swung on those two (thinking double) and pulled the trigger, then I pulled the rear trigger, I realized I did not take the safety off. I was dropping the gun, cash was still on point another grouse flew, I pulled up on that one, then another one flushed, gun still won't fire, the 6th bird flushed and flew right up into a tree about 20 feet away and 20 feet high and just looked down at me. I opened my gun, shut it, pushed the safety on and off and figured out I must of had a bad case of buck fever, or my thumb just slid off the safety and didn't move the safety lever forward. On the way home, I stopped by my brittanies breeder and he said "buck fever" was the cause. Yesterday I hunted for 30 minutes before work. Cash goes on point, woodcock flushed everything worked fine. I am kind of glad I had buck fever, I will have a smile on my face the rest of my life thinking about that moment with my brittany cash.

[mobirdhunter]

Sadly, there are lots of folks who will never experience the exhilaration of points and flushes...and the wonderful befuddlement they sometimes bring. Ed, I think we all have had our share of excitement-induced "safety" issues, I know I have. It's also interesting that I remember those as often as I do the times when I shoot well.

Glad to read you're getting out and having good action. I'm sure Cash is OK with finding so many birds.

[Dean Romig]

The stuff memories are made from. And I have lots of those stored away.





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[Bob K]

Buck fever is a common affliction! My first year with a hunting license (1958) I pulled up on a nice buck with my model 94 and ejected three live rounds and never pulled the trigger. In my mind I must have been saying bang, bang, bang!

[Brett Hoop]

You harvested some wonderful memories, all said and done that’s what we are hunting.

[Jeff S.]

Nice to hear that you and Cash are seeing some birds.

[Ed Norman]

thanks guys, that first time I got two birds with one shot never made that much of an impact on me until now. The forty year lay off has really helped me put things in perspective. I just started laughing after all those flushes, my dog never moved until the last one flushed and the scent started dispersing. I was more proud of him than ever. Today I hunted with one of the guys that work at a large high end gun shop. He has a young brittany, and cash was extraordinary today too. I think we had 3 woodcock points and 2 of those held, and 7 grouse, 3 grouse held, and we had a couple of shots. My hunting partner couldn't believe how well cash held a point. Jeff S. the flight birds should be coming soon, but we have a lot of woodcock around here anyways it seems this year, and the leaves are starting to come off the poplar slashings. You are welcome to come up again. I have had some rough hunts too, with none or only one or two points. Most of my buddies are are doing well overall, a lot of woodcock, but they also have some tough days too. I still cannot believe how lucky we are to live in this area where there are so many birds....

[stumpstalker]

Ed:

Are you sure it was all buck fever?

This is what I believe happened with me, and it seems reminiscent of what led up to your ecstatic moments of hesitancy:

1) In the morning I had missed every bird.

2) Apparently spent powder residue or foreign matter was accumulating in the action, or breech and barrel faces, leading to a threshold point later in the day, so that when I thought my gun was closed, it was NOT fully-closed; thus, the safety would not move.

3) I was not aware of the developing condition in the gun, nor what I was doing wrong with my manipulations at critical moments when birds were going up. I was not pulling the trigger, did not know why, and just attributed it to a late-afternoon climaxing of vague ineptitude, Buck Fever.

4) The problem with the gun was remedied when I recognized that I had to snap the gun closed after reloading, and not close it gently, as I would on an empty-chambered gun.

Does that sound possible in your case? Has anyone else had the same experience?

The top lever not being centered should have been a give-away that the gun was not closed, but I don’t know where it had stopped-short. My eyes were elsewhere, with a bird about to go.

It is still a strain of Buck Fever, as I analyze it, but with a mechanical assist.

[Ed Norman]

Russell,
I am so glad you posted this!!! I have had one other time when my gun did this, and I believe I had a small twig or pine needle stopping the gun from fully closing. I had taken 2 shots at 1 woodcock earlier that hunt, and one other shot at another woodcock. In the heat of the moment things were not making sense. If it was a "mechanical assist" version of buck fever I am ok with that too. I will tell you that I will admit buck fever every time I ever get in that situation again, if I am ever lucky enough to have that situation happen again. I am sure that 40 year lay off has something to do with how excited I am getting. I ask a lot of questions in here and with my buddies because of my lack of knowledge/experience hunting. I will take more time now making sure that gun is closed properly. I am glad you posted this. Thanks, Ed

[Woodcock survey]

This is a good thing i think. This year marks 60 years i have been able to hunt on my own and I still get the same feeling of excitement when a bird rises.
Every year that first bird of the year leaves me flummoxed , shaking, confused and asking what just happened. By the end of the day, yesterday, I have come back to my hoped for state of mediocrity.
If it ever changes i will give it up but that excitement is why we do it.