The best therapy there is!! Beautiful dogs. Enjoy! Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful dogs and a 16 ga Parker. Nothing could be better

Garry, so sorry to hear about the cancer treatments, had no idea. Been wondering how you were doing in Minnesota. That fall air is good for the body and soul. Been looking forward to Elaine's photos.
Perspective from the UP:
grouse numbers do seem down from last year, but are still good.
Birds are running on more points than not, often hearing them run off and seeing them run. The dogs dont break hard, but just cat walk, or walking on eggs, but that is often enough to make the birds fly.
Been hunting 12 days now and have worn the edge off. Still have 10 more days if the body holds up. Been finding alot of new productive covers.
Stay strong

I'm not sure I've seen the birds as consistently skittish as we've encountered this year. The dog will indicate scent and the bird gets up 20-30 yards away. We did have better luck on Monday with 17 flushes...and of course, I missed my only shot:crying: It has been windy with a couple of days of all day rain. Almost all leaves are down. In past years the 3rd week still has some leaves and color. Not this year. All years are individuals, just like people...and pups.

Harold, you are in such great shape to be able to go so long and so hard. Elaine would divorce me...IF I could do that. We've had several 10 mile-plus days, and boy, do I feel it the next day.

I'm just glad to be here, or as my old boss would say (he had cancer, too), "I'm just glad to be anywhere!"

Be safe, Harold, and give those pups of yours a hug from me and Elaine.

(A photo of Aspen pointing a swan. No, I did not shoot it for him:nono:)

"We've had several 10 mile-plus days, and boy, do I feel it the next day."

Just for the record, a ten mile day following bird dogs after grouse and woodcock is NOT like a ten mile day walking inside an office building or city park. I know you all know this but most folks couldn't mentally handle stepping, crawling and ducking their way through old alders that lay over tired with age. I think of it like crawling through a massive metal jungle gym (for those of you who are old enough to know what that is) while wearing a back pack full of ammo and carrying a Parker you don't want to ding up. Meanwhile, your dog is beginning to tremble trying to hold a precarious point on an itchy grouse and thinking to themselves, "Hurry the heck up boss! Can't hold this point all day!!!"

Who in their right mind wouldn't enjoy such pleasures? Especially while living with some significant infirmaties!

My oh my! Those are two beautiful setters. (Nice gun too.)

-Victor

Best Laid Plans
 

Sitting in the Cabin on a rainy Halloween second guessing myself as I always do. We took the morning off yesterday to replenish supplies in town, intending to hunt the late afternoon in some coverts we've been saving. Alas, the rain set in during the afternoon yesterday.

We did have one gloriously beautiful weather day, the kind you don't want to end, no matter how tired you are or how many miles you've walked. We got up birds -- nothing to write home about -- but just being out was a pleasure. The day was made extra special by Rill providing me a chance to blood a new gun. Even more special because three birds flushed, and I thought I missed my two shots only to have Rill find the left barrel bird dead for me.

Photos:

1. A rare point along the trail, but the bird walked off and flushed about 30 yards out -- pretty common this year. It does get the heart pounding, whatever the outcome.

2. The locals say the area is in drought, but we apparently brought the rain. The day after and all day "blow" resulted in one of those rare jewels that make it a pleasure to be out.

3&4. We got a few grouse, but the revisiting of old coverts was part of the joy of the hunt. Some of grown out and been re-cut a couple of times...which reminds me how long we've been coming here.

5&6. The end of a near perfect weather day. We ooo'd and ahhh'd our way through the afternoon, Elaine taking photos and Aspen irritated that we were moving too slow. The day also gifted me a grouse with the first shots from a new gun.

7. I take the dogs out each morning early to a local gravel pit where they can run to their hearts' content. There's always something to see, like this day's sunrise. How many people get this privilege?

8. Happy Halloween!

I look forward to your Minnesota trip each year! Thanks for sharing with us. The new gun looks very interesting!

Garry, I spent today visiting old covers I haven't been into for 15+ years. Was pleased to find good grouse numbers in those old covers. Rain blew in but then ended, allowing me to hunt one last cover. Willie has been laid up for two days limping on his right front foot, but put him out for this last evening hunt and he was knocking them dead, but birds were flushing too far out to shoot . Finally managed to knock down a big gray phase cock bird with the 28. Have one more week up here.

Good luck, and be safe, Harold. We were rained on most of the day yesterday, but got out for an end-of-day short hunt with Rill. She again pointed on our way back and three grouse and a woodcock got up. I managed to down two grouse...but not a true double. Needless to say, that was the highlight of the day. The place we were exploring was an area we used to hunt often back in the day (1990s). Maybe we should visit old coverts more often, eh?