My first thought was a grouse dropping from a tree. I can only remember one good shot on those and it was with a Winchester 12 trap gun at the end of walking many miles jump shooting. I was very surprised at the flush and just re-acted. If I had been fresh at the beginning of the day and put any thought into the shot I am sure i would have missed. Since the dropping grouse has been mentioned I will throw in one more. A grouse someone has flushed a ways away that is crossing full speed through the trees. The longer I see it coming the more likely the miss! Several years back I was on an all day trek through a large chunk of woods. Had a new to me Francotte double 12 with 26 inch barrels and beavertail forend. Choked IC and modified. It was still the first few days of the season. I shot my first grouse at 6:30. Took a nice picture of the grouse and shotgun on a stump and thought to myself you are 6 for 6 on grouse with this gun so far this year. I was feeling quite accomplished. The rest of the day was a banner day for flushes. I put up 31 birds and saw almost all of them. Well that accomplished feeling went away. 31 flushes since the first bird and I still had only one bird when I called it a day! Every shot after I figured my averages was the hardest shot!
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