earlier this week I planned on getting out into some my favorite grouse coverts. My gun of choice would have ben either my 16 gauge SIACE hammer gun or my old 12 gauge William Read Belgian Guild gun. Unfortunately that ain't happening.

Thursday a two long burn small forest fires on my mountain went from a hundred or two acres to now something near 100,000 acres. They have evacuated communities just to our east and we are under a pre evacuation order. We're packed and ready to load the dogs and get out of dodge if need be but honestly looking at the forecast I don't think we are likely to have to leave.

The worst part is due to a number of fires this summer and now this fire most of my close by coverts have been scorched. Plus we're staying close to home if we need to button up and go.

Maybe we can get out next weekend. Oh, well it is way to hot anyway. October and November are really the months to hunt grouse here in Utah.

http://a4.pbase.com/o10/10/209910/1/...nnpheasant.jpg

http://a4.pbase.com/o9/10/209910/1/1....Siace16ga.jpg

I took this yesterday. We live just at the base of the ridge on the right of the frame

http://a4.pbase.com/o10/10/209910/1/...the_canyon.jpg

From the back porch

http://a4.pbase.com/o10/10/209910/1/...y_mtn_9_15.jpg

I hope you and your family remain safe and out of the path of the fire. If there is a positive note fire regenerates growth and your coverts may come back better than before.

well I love it HOW MUCH Dean.:bigbye:

Stop by the Fox booth at the Vintagers next weekend and we will 'heathen' you right the hell up!!

Just say'n you Parker only guys should consider Fox small bores---a couple of 20ga CE's

Sssssh Craig, you know there are'nt enough Fox smallbores to go around. They seem happy with their Parkers.:nono:

I'm the onlty Parker guy I knoiw who doesn't shoot anthing else unless it is from London. Those Fox 20 bores look wonderful, But after all is said and done, they are not Parkers. I have a stgrong bias for Parkersn since I grew up with them. When I was only ten, my grandfather took one of his DHE's out in the yard and let me shoot it. It kicked me like hell but I would never admit it. Fox small bores are great, no doubt about it, But I would feel dirty if I took one into my grouse coverts. :)

I think I'll stay away from the Fox booth at the Vintagers. It would break my heart to see Kevin there and not at a Parker booth. He was a mainstay at Parker booths for many years. Seeing him at that booth is akin to General Washington seeing Benedict Arnold wearing a British uniform.

Well, after more than two decades sitting in the safe, I will be taking my little 20 gauge Trojan up into the Idaho grouse trails this fall.
Over the past 20 years or so of taking grouse up there, I have carried a Winchester M-97, a Model 21, and an H&H Royal SLE.
This year, there will be a couple of M-21s in camp, as well as a very nice Underlifter. I feel pretty strongly that the Trojan needs to be there.
If we could get National Geographic to send a photographer along, there might even be a Parker Pages moment.

Those little 20 gauge Trojans are jewels! What length are the barrels, 26" or 28"?





.

My grouse season began in February when I made a long straight through run up to northern Wisconsin to pick up Buzzy. Buzzy being a first generation merica born to English Setter immigrants. We formulated a plan on the 16 hour voyage home, the pup somehow made the white outs a little less tense. St. Pat's day John Nagel and I trolled the aisle of Baltimore where a Scotch Yankee had a long barreled DHE 20 ga. Gee ya think I can swing this thing in the Aspen John? Spring training started at Hunting Hills with the Ole Grouser himself Harold Pickens, and moved south to Drakes with Anderson, Eis, Smith &Co. Where I was out shot by a girl, Sara LaFever, that made me move over to Deep Creek and just look at guns for two days before Uncle Bob and his buddy Tom lured me back onto the course . A few weeks latter and the not to be missed Ribfest in the Endless Mountain's at Ernie's was the backdrop for more grouse gun practice. Here I did better. I couldn't say it was Ernie's scotch as some suggested, because that came latter honest. But Uncle Bob was chilled out on something because I witnessed him run a 47 all on camera because we had Paul Fuller filming and shooting with us. Humbled again I had nothing to loose and grabbed the speed gun a Parker GH Damascus in the process as we say, with Brian Dudley. Rough shaped and no trigger guard it was sure to illicit comment. Rich you really were missed, and missed a wonderful opportunity. Ohio SxS and I took it to the pattern board, where the drops proved out wonderfully and then I splattered my glasses with paint when repainting the board and couldn't get all of the paint off. The group of Edgar, Chuck, Allan and Longbarrel 28 Daryl and .410 Smitty were kind about my gun, I feel certain it was the first time they had shot with someone spotted with whitewash. And I shot a good for me number, where were you then Sara?
All my shooting was done with what my current view of what a grouse gun needs to be. All 0 frames, 28, 20,16 VH, GH and a DHE and all Parker Bros. made in Meriden.
It'll be me and Buzzy heading back up to Wisconsin mid October, to take another long gone man's Parker for a walk. Wishing everyone good luck in the King's court!