December Grouse

[James L. Martin]

Took a break from deer hunting and went bird hunting today. Used a 30" 20ga VHE.

[Harold Pickens]

What a nice looking gun! Any more pictures of it? I have a VH20 and a VHE 20 that I use on grouse, but both are 26" guns.
I would trade all my Parkers for a Mossberg pump if that would bring back the grouse to my area of Ohio and Wva.

[James L. Martin]

There is just something about 20ga Parkers that I really like. I have 4 of them ,a 26" VH , 28" VH , 28" Trojan and this 30" VHE. All feel great and shoot good but there is somthing about small bores and long barrels that's special. As to Grouse, they are hard to come by here in New York's Catskills ,like you I wish they would come back , also a tough year for Woodcock.

[Reggie B]

Nice Parker and grouse James. I love the 20s as well.

[Gary Laudermilch]

I love my 20 ga repro. Grouse are again at record lows but there are a few birds around. Just enough to give the dogs some work. I passed up every shot I had this year. Just cannot bring myself to shoot the only bird in a cover. I carried the Parker every hunt though because I feel naked without it.

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Harold Lee Pickens

What a nice looking gun! Any more pictures of it? I have a VH20 and a VHE 20 that I use on grouse, but both are 26" guns.
I would trade all my Parkers for a Mossberg pump if that would bring back the grouse to my area of Ohio and Wva.

I know for a fact the sitting governor of West Virginia is a die hard grouse hunter. He has some reserved ground by some of his land holdings that he dedicates to grouse management and has done well there. He is worried about jobs and industry but he would probably do back flips to help grouse populations if he could.

[Southpaw]

Part of my family is from the hills of Eastern Kentucky and we still have the family farm up there from late 1800's. All it is timber property right now. My dad loves to grouse hunt and remembered when I was 12 wearing my butt out walking up and down amongst those hills and hollars working our Brittany. Still remember the first wild grouse I ever saw. Had an H&R single shot 20 gauge with a hammer. It was cold with a dusting of snow and sun was breaking thru the clouds. We came down a finger to work the creek bottom and cut the corner high on a knoll. The sun was shining on this spot was open hardwoods, it was out of the wind and had thick leaves on the ground. Was just standing their with my Grandpa walking behind me about 10 paces behind and we stopped and looked down at my dad working the bottom with the dog and staying a breast of him as he swung on hip of the knoll.

It was perfect place to warm up in the sun and look at the pretty but very steep and rugged country. Stood there about 5 minutes and then took about two steps and no more than 5 yards behind me this huge bird just busts loose and sounded like a covey of quail breaking all at once. Scared me to death. I spun around and saw this huge bird flying and did not even have time to cock the gun before it zipped out of sight. I yelled Turkey? Heck in those days I had never seen either one of those in wild yet. All I had ever hunted was quail. My grandpa just laughed. I knew that this was not going to go well back at the home front with all my uncles. For years when we go hunting they would yell Turkey if anything flushed... rabbit, squirrel, tweety bird. Pretty rough. That is what I thought Rough Grouse hunting was until I finally killed one.

[Hixie]

Originally Posted by James L. Martin

As to Grouse, they are hard to come by here in New York's Catskills ,like you I wish they would come back , also a tough year for Woodcock.

I found the same north of you in the Adirondacks. I put easily 30 miles of hunting in to get the three of each I got this Fall. The hot and humid weather did not make it any easier. Tough hunting for sure this year.

[C.O.B.]

A bird hunter can never have to many 20 gauges.