What's your quarry?

[BRDHNTR]

Grouse

[mobirdhunter]

Whatever my dogs point on any given day is my "best bird." As I live in (formerly decent) quail country, it is more often than not "Scoundrel Bob" (I cannot call him a Gentleman any longer as he has developed some dastardly tricks to outwit us -- still, we love him). For over 30 years we have hunted grouse and woodcock from a cabin in the Minnesota north woods. Our 2-week October trip is the highlight of my hunting year. I tell folks, there's October in the grouse woods, and then there's waiting for October in the grouse woods. Not original, but its serves its purpose.

I guess I'm fickle, but I can say there's nothing quite like a good day afield with the wife and dogs with a brace of wild Bobs to show for it. Using a special gun just makes it all better.

[Timothy Salgado]

Pheasants are my number one, they've fascinated me ever since I was a young boy walking to the school bus stop and seeing them in the nearby fields and listening to their cackling. Here's a photo my son with the last bird of the year and another of a rooster and my Labrador after a November hunt.

[Harold Pickens]

Growing up in eastern Ohio on a dairy farm, we had pheasants, quail, and the woods were thick with grouse. WE grew all our own corn, wheat, oats, etc. I remember chasing quail around with my BB gun (never got one), and my father mounted a gun holder on the tractor so they could shoot at pheasants while harvesting the corn. Sadly, the pheasants can only thrive in the glaciated areas of Ohio-we were in the foothills of the Appalachians, and the blizzards of 77-78 decimated the quail. Grouse are almost mythical at this point--kind of like hunting for unicorns or ivory billed woodpeckers. Thus I throw myself into 2 weeks in the UP, hunting from early to late, wearing both my dogs and myself out.
I comiserate with all you southern gentlemen, who grew up with the bobwhite quail, and now find yourself having to travel long distances or pay big bucks just to keep your birddogs happy.

[SXS OHIO]

As a very young boy I lived to hunt birds. I learned from my older brother how to make a real good home made sling shot from a perfect Y sapling, a pack of rubber bands and a soft peace of leather. I was deadly with it and could get real close stocking my pray! The rich kids had BB guns. I started driving when I was 16 and that sealed my fate! I lost a big block of years when I learned how nice the gals could be! That started in 1971 and lasted way to long! By the time I regained any senses the days of wild Quail and pheasants were all but over in Ohio. I think I shot my last hunted Rooster in 1976 with a pump 20gauge. I shot it well. Later I kept beagles for rabbits and always enjoyed the chase. I was working pretty good back in 1995 I liked looking at the GUN LIST and saw a big add for Parker Reproductions close outs by three big dealers. I got on the phone to Jaqua's who was one of the dealers, they were about 4 hours from Cleveland Ohio. That restarted a love for SXS guns. I don't have the two barrel set that I financed to buy, I later sold it to buy one with two triggers...(-: best thing I ever did! My beagle puppy passed on about 15 years and 4 months and few rabbits could be found due to the influx of eastern coyotes. Through a new friend who is a grouse hunter I learned about setters and how sweet they are. I took a liking to Penny a small frame Gordon setter dog and decided to get me a puppy....Her name is Ruby, she will be 7 February 5th. She has come into her own now and is a real serous grouse, woodcock, quail and rooster dog! She finds them , points them and re-finds them if needed. She is a dog who loves life! My favorite hunt of the year is our 9 day trip to Kansas for wild roosters and quail...then Grouse and doodles in the big north woods.