What's your quarry?

[C.O.B.]

While Grouse are a favorite I can warm up to any bird that can be pointed and shot at with a small bore SXS. In just over three weeks it's Quail in south Georgia and hopefully some warmer weather.

Good friends, good guns and good bird dogs make bird hunting, loose one of the three and it's just not the same.

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

While Grouse are a favorite I can warm up to any bird that can be pointed and shot at with a small bore SXS. In just over three weeks it's Quail in south Georgia and hopefully some warmer weather.

Good friends, good guns and good bird dogs make bird hunting, loose one of the three and it's just not the same.

Hope you enjoy your South Jawja Romp. It will probably be nice by then. Btw if its in the 50's or better consider some sort of snake protection. Those rascals will come out and sun themselves. Its pretty rare and I used to never even think about wearing snake boots when quail hunting since the area I used to hunt did not have many bad snakes and it was always cold enough, never a thought. South Georgia and Florida its almost anytime when weather is 50+. Once in early February hunting in South Georgia dogs were on point and shooters walked in to flush. Thick bramble cover about waist high and hard to see where your feet were going, though walking in at the ready was not looking at the ground but looking for shooting lanes and anticipating the flush. Covey breaks as I am still on the move and I get a pair, actually was hunting with Parker and one of few times I ever doubled with it. Guide looks at me and says he missed. I said no way I got both birds, and he said he lost track and he was looking down at the ground and when he let me know "lucky for you that fellow right there on the ground missed you".

I look down at just the right time to see rattles of a big snake slinking back down into a hole under an old pine stump. It freaked me and the guide out since neither of us even thought about snake boots. Guide knew the area and even assumed it was too cold and did not wear snake protection, that changed his mind since it was sunny and low 50's out. Seems, according to guide that caught the action out corner of his eye, as I walked, hesitated, then took another step forward to shoot the snake whiffed right as I moved my step forward.

I am not afraid of snakes but respect the hell out of them. Odds are greatly in your favor to never get bit much less die from a bite and more likely to be killed by a lightening strike, but I try and avoid getting struck by lightening and snakes more so now then I ever did. My rule is that in deep south if its high 40's and know its warming then snake gear comes out. I have some heavy Orvis leather snake boots and wearing them and walking alot is a work out but I guess worth it. Just read were someone got knicked in florida this fall by rattler and about $100k later and pretty long hospital stay they were in the clear.

BTW I like the cache of your trilogy and it has a little more air of prestige but it reminds me of some of the same components for a successful weekend based on the Redneck Trilogy.

1. Burning Gas
2. Shooting Guns
3. Drinking Beer

Hopefully it safely goes off in that order, but more times than not, the order gets reversed some. However, as a rule of thumb shooting guns is always in the middle.

[Opening Day]

Originally Posted by Todd Poer

Hope you enjoy your South Jawja Romp. It will probably be nice by then. Btw if its in the 50's or better consider some sort of snake protection. Those rascals will come out and sun themselves. Its pretty rare and I used to never even think about wearing snake boots when quail hunting since the area I used to hunt did not have many bad snakes and it was always cold enough, never a thought. South Georgia and Florida its almost anytime when weather is 50+. Once in early February hunting in South Georgia dogs were on point and shooters walked in to flush. Thick bramble cover about waist high and hard to see where your feet were going, though walking in at the ready was not looking at the ground but looking for shooting lanes and anticipating the flush. Covey breaks as I am still on the move and I get a pair, actually was hunting with Parker and one of few times I ever doubled with it. Guide looks at me and says he missed. I said no way I got both birds, and he said he lost track and he was looking down at the ground and when he let me know "lucky for you that fellow right there on the ground missed you".

I look down at just the right time to see rattles of a big snake slinking back down into a hole under an old pine stump. It freaked me and the guide out since neither of us even thought about snake boots. Guide knew the area and even assumed it was too cold and did not wear snake protection, that changed his mind since it was sunny and low 50's out. Seems, according to guide that caught the action out corner of his eye, as I walked, hesitated, then took another step forward to shoot the snake whiffed right as I moved my step forward.

I am not afraid of snakes but respect the hell out of them. Odds are greatly in your favor to never get bit much less die from a bite and more likely to be killed by a lightening strike, but I try and avoid getting struck by lightening and snakes more so now then I ever did. My rule is that in deep south if its high 40's and know its warming then snake gear comes out. I have some heavy Orvis leather snake boots and wearing them and walking alot is a work out but I guess worth it. Just read were someone got knicked in florida this fall by rattler and about $100k later and pretty long hospital stay they were in the clear.

BTW I like the cache of your trilogy and it has a little more air of prestige but it reminds me of some of the same components for a successful weekend based on the Redneck Trilogy.

1. Burning Gas
2. Shooting Guns
3. Drinking Beer

Hopefully it safely goes off in that order, but more times than not, the order gets reversed some. However, as a rule of thumb shooting guns is always in the middle.

You know Rich, you laughed at me last year with me wearing my Filson chaps (after being told they killed to over four foot rattlers in the previous two weeks) so this year I think I may wear them again.............

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Eric Eis

You know Rich, you laughed at me last year with me wearing my Filson chaps (after being told they killed to over four foot rattlers in the previous two weeks) so this year I think I may wear them again.............

Btw not trying to get too much off topic but I was wearing Filson chaps at the time of my near miss. Have hunted up north plenty of times and you can get by sometimes without brush pants or chaps if you pick your way. I know me though and will not hesitate to bust brush when I hunt so strongly prefer extra cover on the legs, no matter where I hunt. I used to think Filson Single Tin chaps were good enough just over a pair of jeans for snake protection, but I have had a few thorn stabs even through that combination and that is what gave me the most pause thinking if a hot snake strike would make it through as well. Is it maybe good enough, maybe not, probably better than not having anything but........

For me that was last straw an needed no more convincing. I have had enough close calls that I decided to stick with stuff that says snakeproof or snake resistant. Before my rattlesnake incident was duck hunting in Houma, La years before when in college. All I had was cheap thin rubber hip waders. Had them pulled down since it was so warm and while walking around an old trappers cabin stepped on a cottonmouth that was laid out in a flat area that was a thick clover patch, not even thinking there would be a snake there. Felt something squishy and squirmy under foot and looked down to see that hummer whipping around. Its head hit the side of the boot folded down like a flap and it bounced off and I don't think he even got a fang into the wader. Since standing on it snake could not square up, but it did not matter at the time since I pretty much jumped out of that boot and was about 20 feet away from that sucker in 1.5 steps. I thought that would probably be about my last close call with snakes to last a lifetime but if you hunt in deep south enough I figure why chance it. I got lucky twice but why risk a third swing I figure.

You boys be careful chasing them Bob's and good gracious granny stay away from our sneaky snakes.