#9 Shot Grouse

[Tom Flanigan]

I was looking through some pictures and came across this one. Birds on the back porch were taken by me with #9 shot and my grandfather’s VH 20 bore. I’ve often wondered just how many grouse that gun has taken for me and my grandfather. He used to say that you could fill the back porch with all the grouse he has taken. I believe him.
I had a string of woodcock hanging also but I had already picked all but one when I took this picture. There were a lot of resident woodcock but when the flight birds came in things got crazy. Its funny, but the flight birds were found mostly in the same section of covert year after year. When the flights started coming in, I knew where they would be.

[Michael Meeks]

Tom,

Would you tell us a little more about your Grandfather's VH 20? Just curious how it's choked, etc.

Thanks,
Mike

[Tom Flanigan]

Thanks for asking. The little 20 bore VH has 28” barrels and unusual high dimensions 1 3/8 DAC with a LOP of 14. It is bored IC and modified. In my unenlightened youth, I had a silvers pad installed to increase the LOP. I wish I hadn’t done this.

I’ve mentioned this before, but the gun has an interesting history. It was owned by an old market hunter named Dee Slocum. He got it in trade for some of his furs. As far as I know he never hunted with the gun. He called it a “toy” and sold it to my grandfather for $50 in 1916. My grandfather liked the gun and used it for all of his grouse and woodcock hunting for many years. My grandfather was proud of all the grouse I took with his little Parker. He saw me and his Parkers as his legacy.

I’ve forgotten the name of the fur trader but he stopped by every few weeks or so to buy Dee’s furs. Barter was part of the process, which is how Dee came into position of the VH. In his market hunting days, Dee used a sawed off ten bore hammer gun with #10 shot. I don’t know the make.

After market hunting was outlawed, he shot a Colt hammerless double for his table grouse. My grandfather always regretting not getting this gun after Dee died. He wanted the gun as a reminder of his friend and fellow grouse partner.

In later years, I recut the checkering which was nearly worn off, blued the barrels and restored the stock finish. The gun was well used but never abused. My grandfather made sure that I fed my bird dog (a two year old finished Brittany that he bought for me) and wiped down the gun down and oiled the bores before I was allowed to sit down to dinner.

The gun is still my go to grouse gun. I play with a 28 bore Holland from time to time but when I want birds for the freezer, the little Parker gets the nod.

[Rich Anderson]

What a great legacy to pass on to the next generation. I wouldn't choose #9's for grouse however.

I think most of us have our "go to gun". Mine is a straight grip DHE 20 with 26 inch barrels choked cyl/cyl. I call it "The meat gun". I think I've shot more grouse with that gun than anything else in the safe.

[Michael Meeks]

That's a great story and picture, Tom! Thanks for sharing.

I understand your regret over the silvers pad, but that could be reversed and it was an act that gives your gun a story to tell. That character is the reason why I walk past the new guns and gravitate toward the used gun rack. To hunt with a family gun and know that you'll someday pass it to the next generation to add to the story is a special thing.

My Grandfather is the reason I bird hunt. I fondly remember helping him brush out and feed the setters and wipe down the guns before we sat down to a meal too. Important lessons for the young hunter to learn.

[Tom Flanigan]

That DHE of yours sounds like the ideal grouse gun. My grandfather had a couple of DHE's but never bought a higher grade although he could have afforded it. I always asked him why he didn't buy more Parkers and higher grades. He response was "I had all I neede

Pretty good response. He ordered his DHE's through a bicycle shop in Poughkeepsie. I can't even begin to imagine being able to order any Parker I wanted. Those old boys had it pretty good. A new Parker whenever they wanted one and incredible grouse numbers.

He bought the DHE's for pheasant hunting and duck hunting in Tivoli, NY which is on the Hudson River. I've hunted his Tivoli spot and there still are a lot of ducks there but nowhere near the numbers he talked about.

[charlie cleveland]

great stories by all...charlie

[Gerald McPherson]

Tom; If someone told me your picture was my late second cousin I would not know the difference. Amazing.

[Tom Flanigan]

OMG.....there is two of me out there.

[Jay Gardner]

First couple of years I shot #9 out of the first barrel and #8 out of the second. Way too many cripples and broken wings with #9 but most birds I ended having to kill by hand. #9's ok for Woodcock but not enough for grouse. Today I use #7 almost exclusively.

It's hard to beat a 20 g V-grade for an all around gun. Like the stories and photos, the gun is truly priceless. No money can ever replace them.

JDG

[Tom Flanigan]

I respect your opinion and experience although my experience has taken me in a different direction with respect to #9. But I have to admit that I've never killed grouse with 7 1/2. So I can't speak to if the larger shot means less birds that have to be killed by hand. Something I hate to do. I always grasped the bird firmly and whacked the head hard on a tree. Kills instantly. I couldn't bear to wring one's neck.

I did kill some in Saskatchewan in the woods surrounding my sharptail and hun areas with my #6 loads. But not enough to draw any conclusions.

[Dean Romig]

Tom, cradle the bird gently and with compassion while you squeeze off the windpipe with your thumb and forefinger. It takes 2 minutes at the most.





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[Rich Anderson]

Here in Michigan there are still leaves and thick foliage well into October. I like small bores for my upland hunting and prefer 7's or 71/2 shot until the leaves drop then 8's in the right barrel. I believe the heavier shot combined with the smaller amount found in a 20 or 28 will penetrate both the cover and the bird better.

[Rich Anderson]

Grasp the bird with your thumb and forefinger and give a quick and decisive flick of the wrist. It's neck is broken and it takes about 5 seconds.

[Dean Romig]

That's just too violent..... after shooting and wounding a grouse, now you want me to violently break it's neck? You brute you.





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[Tom Flanigan]

Tom, cradle the bird gently and with compassion while you squeeze off the windpipe with your thumb and forefinger. It takes 2 minutes at the most.





.t

I can't do your method Dean. In effect you are strangling the bird and cutting off its air supply. My method sounds brutal but it really isn't. It is quick and the bird is dead instantly and I don't have to see its eyes when I kill it.

[Dean Romig]

Tomayto - Tomahto....





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[Bob Hayes]

Any wounded birds I have to deal with anymore are grasped in hand with breast to palm.I'm right handed so bird is in right hand gun is in left and made safe.Hold gun perpendicular to body with butt to the right.Smack the bird in the back the head on stock with a snap of the wrist.Skull is thin and usually one sharp crack is all it needs.Never damaged a stock since break is on opposite side.Occasionally you'll get a drop of blood but that whips off.
Clean and quick roll gun over up right and insert two shells and back to work.
Works with all birds except turkeys and the occasional wet duck(big ducks).

[Tom Flanigan]

I guess so Dean. The bird is dead either way.

[Todd Poer]

On grouse, quail or dove just carefully feel along the neck until you feel a joint and just firmly pinch and slightly roll fingers and pop that joint. Bird generally succumbs very quickly and humanely this way.

On ducks have never had any luck whacking their head, they are just dang to tough or I just don't have heart to beat em that way. The best way I found was taught to me by our vet that also was a duck hunter. He said grab duck by breast facing up and take your thumb or both thumbs on side of bird and find the that pit right under where it meets the breast and squeeze very firmly. Your essentially compressing the heart and the animal will succumb in about 20 to 30 seconds once you learn how to do it. Keep squeezing for about another 20 to 30 seconds to just be sure.

[Daryl Corona]

Or you could carry one of these;

http://trapman.co.uk/bird-dispatcher.html

[Rich Anderson]

That's just too violent..... after shooting and wounding a grouse, now you want me to violently break it's neck? You brute you.





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Jeez you have shot and wounded the bird and it's in pain so a quick and humane death is required. You shot the bird and thats violent so lets not get squeamish about it's final demise. If we shot them in the head we wouldn't have to deal with this:whistle:

[Dean Romig]

You knew I had said that 'tongue in cheek' right?

I know you did.





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[Rich Anderson]

Of course. I just couldn't resist the reply:)