Pineridge Grouse Camp

[Brian H]

I was fortunate to buy the Pineridge grouse hunt at the annual meeting auction. I had limited grouse experience and never previously hunted woodcock, so this hunt was perfect! Jerry Havel, the owner ensured every detail of my stay was perfect including loaning me his personal 20 ga Remington era Parker skeet gun. The gun featured a single selective trigger, 26" barrel, beaver tail forearm, straight grip stock and checkered butt. When Jerry told me to just show up, he meant it as he even provided me with the shells to use.

For the hunt, woodcock were not a problem. Although the flight had not started yet, I shot 7 total. I was 2 short of my limit on day one, since we focused on grouse cover that day and stopped hunting a bit early due to high temperatures (ticks were plentiful). When you found the timber doodles, limiting happened fast, as they were in groups.

Grouse were very tough!
Day 1, I shot 3 with some luck, out of only 5 seen, due to some great dog work. 2 were shot on the second point and flush.
Day 2, the birds would not hold. The dogs were ranging a bit, bumping birds, with around 10 birds seen. I had 1 legit chance at a wild foot flush and missed. The cover we hunted this day was extremely thick.
Day 3, was a repeat to day 2 mostly. 10 birds seen with 1 legit chance at a wild foot flush and a miss. The dogs pointed 1 bird that held, the rest of the flushes were wild.

Leaf cover was still a bit thick. I averaged 10 miles during 5 - 6 1/2 hunting hours per day through extremely thick cover. Jerry's guides are passionate hunters and worked very hard to present opportunities for grouse. They even cooked us a mid-day lunch over a Coleman stove....what more can I say!

The camp itself is fantastic with more comfort than I have ever experienced while hunting. All meals were perfect and adult beverages were in ample supply. A real treat was the camp musician, Kevin who played guitar, harmonica and performed blues one might expect to hear in a Memphis night club.

Pineridge is an experience, not a place!!