The most wonderful time of the year

[Brett Hoop]

I was able to get away for a week or so with my 13 month old Setter pup Buzzy. Just he and I headed to Wisconsin mid October. I guess I could be more proud of Buzzy, but I don't know how. Ann Jandernoa's Scout N Hunt mobile maps made it possible. The weather was nice and cool, snow flurries couple of days and we only lost part of one day when it was snowing too hard and I couldn't see my Wood's Dalmatian on point when the Alpha 100 said he was 22' away and I couldn't see him.

[Rich Anderson]

Brett you had much better weather than I did in the U.P. I spend the month of October at my place in Channing and we had 18 consecutive days of measurable precipitation either rain or snow:eek: There were at least four days of snow and I bet the average temperature didn't hit 40 for the entire month. Last year it was in the high 80's low 90's so much better.

You could see Ike improve each day. He started out a little rangy and in a howling snowstorm near Amasa I had the perfect storm of failures. My hearing aid batteries died and so did the E collar. One minute he was right there the next he was gone. I called and called and blew the whistle but with the wind I don't think he could hear me and I definitely couldn't hear his bell. This is big country and there are wolves so at a time like this all sorts of things go through your mind and none are any good. After about two horrible hours he comes running down the trail as if to say "where have you guys been?".

I took him to a preserve for some clean up work on pheasants. A friend has a young Brittany and wanted to get her on birds so he bought some and planted them for her and just walked her into them, no hunt really just schooling. After that we took Ike out to see what he could find. This time I didn't use the bell as I could keep pretty good track of him and he handled and worked beautifully.

I'm looking forward to taking him to Georgia for quail in January.

[Brett Hoop]

Rich
I can imagine the thoughts you where having. Buzzy and I got to do a couple of about faces when we came upon fresh wolf dung. I seemed like the right thing to do, but I kept wishing I could tell which way the wolf was headed. Haven’t figured that out yet, only that I thought they weren’t behind us. Lots of water as that area got 8” of rain the week before. Some of the swampy areas between cuts I couldn’t get across. And boy was I glad I had Muck boots, as I wore them everyday. Definitely better than last years heat wave.
Glad to hear you got Ike out on some pheasants. I have taken my old pal Finn out a few times by himself because he has not got enough time with working the pup all summer. He is a pheasants worst nightmare. We start Buck season Monday, so there will be a little break, and then we can get out a few time around Christmas. Hopefully some of the cover will be laid down enough that I can keep an eye on the pup then and work him on a few bird’s.

[Brett Hoop]

Finn got to go with a couple of my friends. I’l never be able to put into words what these “My Boys” mean to me. This Springer now in his 6 th season has played a large part in bringing me back to the Parker guns of my youth. Nothing feels as dynamic in my hands as a Parker.

[Reggie Bishop]

Beautiful country. Beautiful setter! What Parker were you carrying?

[Brett Hoop]

Reggie

My current favorite grouse and cock Parker is a mutt. My dear to me Scotch Yankee friend calls it a hodgepodge, but then kindly adds that he would like to have it. It started out as a VH 28" 28 ga. Before I found it someone had long ago restocked it with Bishop replacement wood. I guess that was lucky for me or I may not have been able to afford it. Couple of years back I found a Parker 0 frame take off with a skeleton butt that most seem to think of grade 4 but the checkering pattern is not exactly typical C in that there is a little tail to the pattern. There is a Parker SN in the lower tang section, but it's among the missing records. The fore end is from an 0 frame grade 5 fully checked. On much of this hunt the gun was used with a set of 20 ga barrels that had been cut to 26 3/4" retaining .010/.005. They snap right on the gun, and have mid and front ivory. The leather slip on is just to protect the checkered skeleton butt. It is all Parker, but only the frame and 28ga barrels are original. I like it a lot, and appreciate it even more in the aspen cuts where it gets most of it's chances.

[Garry L Gordon]

Brett,

Gorgeous heads on both your "Boys." When the looks are right and meet your fancy, and the purpose of all is fulfilled, there's magic among dog, gun, and hunter.

Thanks for posting those photos. I always enjoy seeing hunting pictures -- especially of dogs that "their people" obviously love.

[Jeff Christie]

Please tell us more about the e-maps. I have never heard of what you're referring to. Thanks. Jeff

[Brett Hoop]

Gary
I am pretty clumsy when it comes to IT. My IT team shows up at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I do try to let them inside the house before attacking, but it is much like the commercial where the old folks greet the kids with the laptop on the porch. So I had help. The kids with a bunch of initials added to their names finally got it beat into my head, maybe. Obviously, I still don't know how to flip them right side up.:banghead:

[Brett Hoop]

Please tell us more about the e-maps. I have never heard of what you're referring to. Thanks. Jeff

Jeff
Ann Jandernoa the breeder of my Setter pup is who produces Scout N Hunt.

Scout N Hunt is a statewide mobile map that you can put on your computer, phone, or tablet. It doesn't require cell service or internet connection to function.
The mapping highlights Prime Aspen the 9-16 year old cuts. Marginal Aspen those slightly older. Along with lowlands, conifers,northern hardwoods. Also trails,public lands and roads. It is all color coded, so you can see the make up of the habitat and how to get there. It's built by grouse hunters for grouse hunters.
Put it on your phone, and when your in a cut with one touch it will zoom into your location. Never having been in these covers before, that was nice to have info. I made the leather holder for my IPad to use in the truck, so I could get from one cover to another without having to look at my phone.

I am a grouse loonie, but I live a long way from the better grouse areas of the upper mid west. It's hard to make enough scouting trips, although we did go up to WI this summer for a week in an attempt to get my bearings, I only walked into one cover we ended up hunting come October.

It comes from Northwind Enterprises, www.northwnd.com and or a search for Scout N Hunt should find it. I am very much elementary about computers and Ann was able to get me started with it very quickly.

I am sort of a proof of the pudding is in the eating kind of guy, in short the pup had I think 87 productives. Those are points only counting both grouse and woodcock. But not counting grouse he bumped, there were at least 5 or 6 of those. He struggled with a few that thought they were road runners.
I know I shot 51 shells::cool:
I talked with Ann one night and she mentioned 1 and only 1cover, but we had already hunted it that same day. She was not directing us to coverts. I would have welcomed that, but we just used the map. That is why I think so highly of it. They offer it in a number of states but I don't recall all of them she produces.

[Garry L Gordon]

Please tell us more about the e-maps. I have never heard of what you're referring to. Thanks. Jeff

Hey, Jeff,

We have these maps and they are helpful. Elaine (the IT person in our family), can show you if we meet again in the Northwoods.