Grouse....I let the Woodcock fly as there are too few around and takes a lot of them to make a meal. I have good grouse country out the back door but I find myself heading north for day trips to find new covers. Finding good covers is more thrilling to me than shooting grouse. I have found many over the years but find myself always searching for the next and rarely going back to the already found. Hunting has to be an adventure to me. In my travels I have found many beaver ponds and marshes with good populations of ducks. I will renew my jump shooting of ducks this year. I was at a huge beaver pond way back in the mountains this year. Must be a half mile long and had 5 beaver houses although not all were active. There were many different types of ducks and some I did not recognize. Standing beside the pond and the slashing sounds of duck wings overhead really fired up the duck hunting fever. Lacie our border collie often accompanies me. She is good at jumping grouse but extremely gun shy. I never shoot when she is along and somehow it is more fun than when I can shoot. All in all though deer hunting is the main passion...rabbit hunting behind dogs with a 22 pistol is a close second though...oh the sound of a beagles voice turning and coming back your way!
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