Season finale in Va

Gary Kephart · 01-21-2025, 06:38 PM

We ended the season with a BANG! This little 26” Parker VH 20 with RST 9 shot is the perfect woodcock gun. I hunt them a lot with and have used my other SXS’s and over and unders but none shoot for me like this one !

Kevin McCormack · 01-21-2025, 07:51 PM

Where in God's name did you find these babies?? We here in NOVA are butt-deep in snow with the mercury now holding at 18 degrees at dusk! VH 20s are sweet; I shot a lot of them with mine and not a few ruffed grouse to boot. BTW, outstanding dog gallery!!

Harold Pickens · 01-21-2025, 08:18 PM

Love my VH&VHE 20 with 26" barrels, my favorite grouse guns

Gary Kephart · 01-21-2025, 08:59 PM

Drove until there was no snow

Chris Pope · 01-21-2025, 09:04 PM

My VH 20 is new to me this year and I took several woodcock with it. It may become my "go to".

Could we get an intro to those awesome pups? Hunt them together? One at a time? Names, ages?

Gary Kephart · 01-22-2025, 07:13 PM

what is your favorite load for grouse ?

James Brad Rhodenizer · 01-23-2025, 09:04 AM

Beautiful dogs, they look very happy and proud. My side of Va. is done for the year, snow and ice will be really hard on the birds.

Bill Murphy · 01-23-2025, 09:23 AM

My wish for the future, a trio of Ugly Dogs. Great picture.

Kevin McCormack · 01-23-2025, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Kephart

what is your favorite load for grouse ?

I always loaded #7 1/2s in the right barrel, #6s in the left in both my 20 and 28 gauges. Most of the areas we hunted in NYS were very thick cover, and we had a tendency to go earlier rather than later (viz., first or second week of the season opener in October) when the leaf canopy was still relatively thick. I always liked #6s for punching through a leafy overhang if I missed my first shot, and remember killing at least 3 grouse in that manner.

Gary Kephart · 01-26-2025, 10:06 PM

Sage is 8 , Libby is 4 and her pup Natty is 18 months old. I typically put them on the ground 2 at a time but when the parking lot is empty and there are no other people in the area i get adventurous and drop all 3 on the ground at the same time. There is not much that gets by them when all 3 are on the ground - it gets tricky when all 3 bells stop at once in all different directions - i try to go to the pup first....