38 Years of Minnesota Grouse

[Garry L Gordon]

We are about to end our first week of hunting in Northern Minnesota, our 38th if my count is correct. So many familiar sites, but also some new additions to this wonderful country.

Bird numbers seem down, although daily conditions -- especially weather -- contribute much to the flush count. Our first day was a good one with 15 flushes and three birds taken, two over our puppy Rill. We were joined on our second day by PGCA member Dean Weber and his big, burly lab, Oz, a wonderfully dispositioned addition to the hunt. Try as we might, we could not produce the right mix of conditions to provide Dean with the retrieve he wanted for his boy, but hunting with Dean, and the wonderful conversations at evening dinners, has been a highlight of our trip.

Another highlight was a dinner one evening at the cabin of Bruce Day and his wife, Katie. Joe Weidle, another PGCA member, prepared us a wonderful dinner and Elaine and I enjoyed learning more about the backgrounds of these fine people over wine and seafood gumbo. I marvel over the stories that Bruce, Joe, Katie, and Dean shared with us of their personal histories. What a wonderful time we had. Of course we did some Parker show and tell, and I fell hard for Bruce's beautiful small bore DH with 24 inch barrels, a checkered butt, round knob grip, and some of the most beautiful wood I've seen on that grade. I swear I dreamt of that little gun for two nights after handling it.

Dean brought guns to blood (and I hope he brings them back next year), and among them the big brother to a newly acquired BHE 20 of mine. His 16 gauge BHE was breathtaking, with some of the finest condition I've ever had the chance to see on a 1904 gun. Shouldering his 16 bore Purdey was another highlight of the trip for me.

We look forward to the next week, and I'll see if I can't blood a new gun, and get my go-to grouse gun of years ago back into action.

This trip has reminded me of how much I love the Northwoods, and how fortunate I am to be associated with such fine people as I meet in the PGCA.

Photos:

1 & 2: We've not had lots of chances, and bird numbers seem lower that the last two years, but taking birds over Rill's points has been a bright spot in our hunt. We'll have have to work on retrieving, but finding, pointing and holding grouse is an accomplishment as I see it.

3, 4, & 5: A trip highlight has been hunting with Dean Weber. Dean is an engaging personality, a guy who loves fine doubles and hunting, and, what endeared him to Elaine and me, his love of dogs.

6, 7, & 8: I can't resist including photos of the landscape. This country, and this time of year, recalls past years, past dogs, and the younger version of yours truly. I am older now, and showing my age, but I still love the beauty of this wonderful North country.

9. Little Rill gets a toweling after a wet morning hunt. She has flashes of promise and is wonderfully biddable. She's a joy to hunt over.

10. Fall color is breathtaking, and even though we are in the late stages of the color, it still makes us stop and appreciate the show that Nature puts on.

11. We took two beautifully colored young birds on our morning hunt on this warm day. Rill pointed both. The gun for the week was what I call "Reggie's Gun," a uniquely appointed 1918 CHE 20 (Craig, the little brother to the 1918 DHE you recently posted) that fits me like a glove. We've flushed 12-15 birds a day on our hunt, with many wild flushes. Locals talk about the Spring rains that obviously took their toll on grouse broods. Still, a bad day in Minnesota is a good day in many other places.

[Reggie Bishop]

Outstanding as always! Elaine handles her camera about as well as you handle that CHE 20!

[Brian Hornacek]

Outstanding

[Stan Hillis]

Picture no. 6 was a big surprise for me, very unlike anything I could have ever imagined being so far north. Although I'm sure the pine species are different from ours in
GA the cover looks almost exactly like a good bobwhite quail course here!

Thanks for posting them all, and for the excellent narrative.

[Garry L Gordon]

Picture no. 6 was a big surprise for me, very unlike anything I could have ever imagined being so far north. Although I'm sure the pine species are different from ours in
GA the cover looks almost exactly like a good bobwhite quail course here!

Thanks for posting them all, and for the excellent narrative.

Stan, this area was once covered almost entirely by pine, mostly white and red. There are now lots of stands of pines planted by both the state and feds. The stand in the photo is such a planting, probably 60-plus years old, and thinned multiple times over the years.

It's interesting now that you bring it up, but in many ways there are similarities between the Northwoods and some parts of the South (not that familiar with your state, but I grew up in coastal Virginia). There are vast stretches of sand, not unlike areas of Virginia where they grow peanuts. Of course Virginia does not have the potholes and bogs, nor the frigid winters, but if you have ever been to the Dismal Swamp in Virginia, there are at least superficial similarities. Very little farming here, and it must take tons of lime to sweeten this sour soil. You should visit some day...and bring that big duck gun of yours (and maybe a .410 to see if a grouse in the popple is as tough a target as a dove over the peanut field).

[Ken Hill]

Garry,

Looks like you are starting out well. Hopefully, next week brings you more memories.

Ken

[Garry L Gordon]

Garry,

Looks like you are starting out well. Hopefully, next week brings you more memories.

Ken

Hey, Ken,

You know exactly what I’m hunting—memories. After 38 years, every covert has some.

When do you get your red and black tandem out after pheasants?

[Ken Hill]

Garry,

Funny you ask. I’m heading to SD on Thursday for a 5 day hunt and then to KS for the 9 Nov opening weekend. I always want go back to SD for an early Dec hunt, but the last 2 years they had a lot of snowy weather (not safe for driving).

Unfortunately, Belle (the Gordon) started limping on her front right foot this weekend. She won’t make the SD trip.

Ken

[Garry L Gordon]

Garry,

Funny you ask. I’m heading to SD on Thursday for a 5 day hunt and then to KS for the 9 Nov opening weekend. I always want go back to SD for an early Dec hunt, but the last 2 years they had a lot of snowy weather (not safe for driving).

Unfortunately, Belle (the Gordon) started limping on her front right foot this weekend. She won’t make the SD trip.

Ken

Sorry to hear about Belle. Good luck on your hunts. Any small gauge Dickson round action guns going with you?:)

[Andrew Sacco]

Kudos to you and Elaine, wonderful!

[Garry L Gordon]

Say what you will, but when the weather takes away time afield, I call that a climate crisis:rotf: After sitting out yesterday when the temperature hit 78 degrees, we set out this morning with high hopes for an all day affair. When we got about two miles from the truck, the heavens opened up and by the time we got back to the truck I was wet in places I didn't even know I had. And now...I have a rain gun:banghead:

I thought I'd post a few more pictures from our trip as I sit here in the rained pattered cabin with a couple of Gordon setters that do not like taking time off. The Good Wife is just okay with the break, and hopes her hunting coat dries out by tomorrow. Snow showers expected tonight -- never a dull moment.

Photos:

1. Aspen gave me my one chance today before rain set in. Unfortunately, just after, the rains came...and came...and came...

2. Rill had a bad day where she ran over birds, and then something clicked and she had two nice finds -- this being one of them -- and she hunted like a pro. Such is the saga of a two year old pup.

3. After a trip to Grand Rapids for groceries, we got back in time to sit on the dock and enjoy the lake view. It was 78 degrees, and our sit was curtailed by mosquitoes(!) Snow showers predicted for tonight. I hope they put down the ticks and mosquitoes.

4 & 5. Rill and Aspen are not good rain day dogs, but like sitting on the couch...until they decide that wrestling is in order. Then one goes to the kennel, and the other (Rill in this case) gets to point juncos from the window. For us this gets old quickly, but for Rill she is intense for however long the birds are there.

6. We are the only people here at the resort, but they still have their Halloween decor up and ready for the party. The dogs can't figure all this out.

[Kevin McCormack]

Great report and pictures, Garry! The wide temp swings lately have also affected us here in MD and VA - for some unknown climate-related reason, we came under a gnat attack while shooting at our local club a couple of days ago; something we had not experienced in 2-3 weeks. I immediately deployed my standard repellent, a fine imported cigar, which gave us significant relief. As an extended Druid-influenced effort in both repelling pests and finding birds for the remainder of your trip, given the close proximity to Halloween, I would recommend hunting with a primitive Celtic-influenced mask (NOT Michael Myers!), taking care to extend the eye hole radius to ensure head-down and follow-thru functions. (In order to not make Elaine feel left out, she could fashion a facsimile mask of Rhiannon, the mythical Welsh queen). It may sound frivolous or crazy, but you must remember, it is the "Season of the Witch"!

[Garry L Gordon]

Great report and pictures, Garry! The wide temp swings lately have also affected us here in MD and VA - for some unknown climate-related reason, we came under a gnat attack while shooting at our local club a couple of days ago; something we had not experienced in 2-3 weeks. I immediately deployed my standard repellent, a fine imported cigar, which gave us significant relief. As an extended Druid-influenced effort in both repelling pests and finding birds for the remainder of your trip, given the close proximity to Halloween, I would recommend hunting with a primitive Celtic-influenced mask (NOT Michael Myers!), taking care to extend the eye hole radius to ensure head-down and follow-thru functions. (In order to not make Elaine feel left out, she could fashion a facsimile mask of Rhiannon, the mythical Welsh queen). It may sound frivolous or crazy, but you must remember, it is the "Season of the Witch"!

:rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf:

Elaine brought her emergency sewing kit. She's giving me the evil eye as I read her your suggestion.

Pictures at 11:00!

[CraigThompson]

15-20 flushes a day ! I dare say hunting the mountains of Virginia now 15-20 flushes would most likely be a good YEAR now !

[Garry L Gordon]

Walked back in on a forest road, way back in the timber and found this collection about 7 or 8 feet above the ground.

Any theories?

[Reggie Bishop]

Symbol of habitat being destroyed is my guess. Tree huggers.

[Garry L Gordon]

Symbol of habitat being destroyed is my guess. Tree huggers.

I like your theory better than Elaine's. She said it reminded her of the Blair Witch Project movie.:shock:

[Garry L Gordon]

We are putting in the miles and seeing birds, although the flush count is noticeably down from last year. The woods are now devoid of leaves, and the ground cover has been singed by frosts, It's the ground cover that gives the birds a sense of security (in my probably half baked theory), so we are seeing more birds run and flush well beyond the dog's point. We get very few shots. For example, yesterday we put in 10-plus miles, had 18 flushes, 8 points, and only one poor chance. Still, it was a beautiful day.

We hunted a place we call the Ohio Ridge Road because it reminds us of our years of hunting in SE Ohio back when there were grouse. The birds were there, and Aspen was excellent. Just no chances...but in a way, a walk through memories.

Rill hunts very hard and she was one tired puppy last night (as were her people!). She got to point several times and is making good progress in spite of lower bird numbers. Such is grouse hunting!

[Jim McKee]

We used to have that in Ohio, but sadly much has disappeared here.

[Garry L Gordon]

The Good Lord was generous yesterday -- he let me hunt another day in a place that I love.

[Bruce Day]

Good to see you in the big north woods . Pheasant this coming weekend , then quail in Oklahoma , then fishing in northern Ontario soon after ice out.

[Garry L Gordon]

Great catching up with you, too, Bruce (and Katie and Joe). Good luck on your upcoming hunts.
(I hope it's okay that I put that nice pointer of yours right way up.:))

[Garry L Gordon]

Today is our last day of hunting in Minnesota. The number of other hunters we see has dwindled to almost none, and the birds we find are obviously "educated" to the ways of dog, gun, and humans. Still, I'll take the somber colors of the frost seared Minnesota Northwoods.

Yesterday we logged almost 10 miles and only flushed 8 birds, but on our "last hour" hunt where we flushed 5, Rill pointed 4 of them, and I managed to take another bird with a new gun that I really wanted to blood over Rill -- mission accomplished(!). This was an especially satisfying bird. I took the shot in thick cover and could not see the bird go down. Feeling i was on the bird, I took Rill into the thick stuff and she finally found our trophy after a diligent search. Among a hunter's pleasures is taking a bird fairly over a dog you trained yourself -- and with a new gun. We did that only twice yesterday, but I was completely satisfied. No bag limits are as sweet to me.

[Stan Hoover]

Thanks for sharing your hunt with us Gary, enjoy it vey much!

Those are some beautiful pictures of some special times!

[Reggie Bishop]

Garry sure lives up to being a professor. He teaches how to honor and respect the sport, the dogs, fine double guns and our days afield! Thanks for the lessons Garry!