Ruffs up north

[Bruce Day]

Two weeks in way north Minnesota. We had Joe Weidle from PA who is becoming a Parker guy and now shoots a Sterlingworth and an RBL. Then Dick Dow and Tony Florentino from SoCal and yours truly.

Last year was warm but it’s a lot colder and wetter this year up here. We are finding birds and you betcha we are introducing the Californians to walleye and fried cheese curds. We’ve been watching the news and I think I’d rather spend another January along the Canadian border than be in Washington with all those screeching women. How about we move the capitol to Bismarck ND or some such place where people act decent?

We are winding up in Beltrami and moving south to the sunny climes of Itasca. We may see our buddy Jerry Havel down in Cass County.

More to follow. Some snow here last night.

1. Joe with a nice long tail male gray phase bird.

2. Me with a first year brown phase. My 14 month Lewellin is in her second season on birds and this is her first solo grouse.

[Southpaw]

Nice. Thanks for sharing your trip reports. I understand it is suppose to be a better year forecasted. Hope your getting into plenty of flushes.

[Bruce Day]

Originally Posted by Todd Poer

Nice. Thanks for sharing your trip reports. I understand it is suppose to be a better year forecasted. Hope your getting into plenty of flushes.

Yes with only 2 to 3 hunters a day we are running 10-20 grouse up per day. I was 1 for 3 yesterday. Todd you seem to seem to enjoy the forum and Parker guns. How about you join the PGCA and learn the secret handshake ?

[Dean Romig]

Not only will he learn the secret handshake, he’ll also reap the many benefits only available to PGCA Members rather than simply accessing only some of our website open to Forum Associates. It’s only $40 annually - heck, you spend more than that for dinner and a couple of beverages.





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[Reggie B]

Bruce as always, your posts of your adventures are a pleasure to read and view!

[mobirdhunter]

Bruce,

Thanks for the report! We are heading to Northern Minnesota for our annual 2-week trip at the end of next week. I'm glad to learn the numbers are decent. This will be our 37th consecutive year hunting Northern MN, mostly staying at the same cabin, and, I'm sure like you, we have lots of coverts that we know like old friends.

I get daily weather reports for the area we hunt -- mostly Northern Itasca and Koochiching Counties, so I think we are a bit north of your haunts. We used to go the first and second weeks of October, then tried the 2nd and third, and recently have settled on the 3rd and 4th weeks, mostly because it was too warm and there were too many leaves. I've seen the conditions have been much cooler, and today snow showers were reported. Glad to read your confirmation of good conditions. Our flush rates last year were very poor, so I'm encouraged to learn of your good luck.

Maybe one of these days we'll run into you. I enjoy your posts, and can tell you are a "hunter-collector," enjoying using your guns for what they were made to do. Each bird and each place its hunted has its own charm. Northern Minnesota in October is about as special as it gets.

Post more pictures when you can, please.

[mobirdhunter]

Hey, my wife just got off the phone with the cabin owners. They reported 2 inches of snow on the ground near Wirt, MN!

[Brett Hoop]

Congratulations on the first solo with your pup!

[Donald McQuade]

Bruce, is that the pup you had at Pine Ridge last October? She sure turned into a fine looking dog. Thanks for the report.

[Bruce Day]

Yes she is. And Seth Irvin was there too and is with us up here in Itasca County right now before going to Pine Ridge in a few days.

I had my pointer Bert there also and he is of course with me. The setter has a ways to go before matching Bert.

October Fest in northern Minnesota and folks singing Beer Barrel Polka at the bar and buying drinks in celebration of today.