I've hunted grouse for over 50 years in 9 different states and I don't think I ever had to walk 12 miles in a day. But then, I do not walk roads and trails very often. Good grouse dogs and ability to read cover will kill birds without walking your butt off.

bob:

I suspect that The Pandemic, social distancing and all, may have put the kibosh on a weekly custom they have at Grant’s: Gun Night.

Preannounced, on one night of each week during bird season, the camp guests bring to the dining hall at least one gun that they have brought to hunt with. The guns are laid out on tables for show and tell.

It's a good inducement to not hide one’s lamp under a bushel. Ordinarily you have no idea what other hunting parties have brought for weapons.

I think Chukar hunters must. There's that saying I love- "My you have big thighs and a small head, you must be a Chukar hunter..."

One of the fellows I've hunted with in SD is a commercial fishing game warden from Maine. I need to talk to him about the upland scene there.

My buddy has an app on his phone, he thinks humans walk about 1/3 of what it shows the dog is running on my garmin. 12 miles for dog equals 4 miles for us humans. 12 miles walking for a human=I take my hat off to you sir:)

Stumpwalker
Yes they still have the gun night however it was before we got there. I was told it was quite well received. It would have been fun to part take in. I had brought my favorite Parker 12 DHE on the light frame in the 172xxx serial range, in addition to the 28 repro.

One of the guides was very interested in the older Parker’s and double guns in general, however he used a French gun of which I cannot remember the name.

It seemed that there was a mix of very new hunters and much more experienced hunters. I think all the groups had a guide and some brought there own dogs as well. It took me a year to get something lined up.

This year was an exceptional year for grouse, lots of birds.

As for us it was the first time I had gone grouse and woodcock hunting in almost 20 years with trained dogs. The guide used 3 dogs, 2 setters and 1 Brittany. We hunted each one for about 1 to 2 hours and covered a lot of coverts in a day.

This was my first trip to Grants, we lined up the guide first and he hunted out of Grants.

Bob

My brother goes to Grants Camp yearly with his wife , hires a guide who has a Britany that finds a lot of birds and actually points most of them. He got about 10 this year and uses a lite SKB 20 gauge SxS. He loves it there, and lives in Kennebunk.

This was my first time at Grants but would go back.