If grouse, woodcock and trout are your life...

[Mike McKinney]

I have lived in Western NC all my life, the far west for 13 years. I got my first Brittany in 1987 and we taught each other. Killed 3 grouse that first year. The next year we knew more about hunting, the habitat to look for, shot a little better, and my dog made a lot of progress. As Harold said, hunting and finding grouse was good. We hunted nearly always on NFS land and I’ve said myself before that three were as many grouse here as the UP, but I couldn’t wait to get there. My first trip was 1989 and my brother and myself planned to go every year, and did until 2000. I’ve been a couple of times since but it wasn’t the same without my brother.
We began to see less birds here in the late ‘90’s to the point it was hard to go regularly as it became just a hike. We always blamed it on habitat as the forest service just didn’t and haven’t cut much timber as it didn’t suit the tree huggers.
I used to think about going where the game was, but I think I’ve figured out I’m just a hillbilly, so I guess the next time we move will be when one of the girls need us to be closer.
There are lots of creeks and rivers to fish in, several lakes, good opportunities to be outside. Lot’s of folks have discovered our area and they want to be here, but they want it to be just like where they left.........but it’s still home to me.

[Reggie B]

Originally Posted by Mike McKinney

I have lived in Western NC all my life, the far west for 13 years. I got my first Brittany in 1987 and we taught each other. Killed 3 grouse that first year. The next year we knew more about hunting, the habitat to look for, shot a little better, and my dog made a lot of progress. As Harold said, hunting and finding grouse was good. We hunted nearly always on NFS land and I’ve said myself before that three were as many grouse here as the UP, but I couldn’t wait to get there. My first trip was 1989 and my brother and myself planned to go every year, and did until 2000. I’ve been a couple of times since but it wasn’t the same without my brother.
We began to see less birds here in the late ‘90’s to the point it was hard to go regularly as it became just a hike. We always blamed it on habitat as the forest service just didn’t and haven’t cut much timber as it didn’t suit the tree huggers.
I used to think about going where the game was, but I think I’ve figured out I’m just a hillbilly, so I guess the next time we move will be when one of the girls need us to be closer.
There are lots of creeks and rivers to fish in, several lakes, good opportunities to be outside. Lot’s of folks have discovered our area and they want to be here, but they want it to be just like where they left.........but it’s still home to me.

Which almost mirrors East Tennessee Mike!

[Andy]

Harold, I really love your reply and thoughts and am envious of the time you've had in the field. I feel like I'm too old at 56 to just start discovering these wonderful guns, but heck, gotta start sometime. I graduated optometry school in 1990 and did a residency and then decided I wanted my own practice. It just turned 30 years old and I look back and have done well but missed a hell of a lot of time in the woods and waters. I'm trying to change it. 8 years ago I reached a point of total burnout and headed out with two guns, one dog, and drove to Minnesota alone and rented a cabin in the woods. My wife was MAD. But I got birds, bad shooting and all, and I got back to the grindstone. I am going to just cancel a few days and go to Maine this fall, alone or with someone, as I need it after this COVID year! I keep telling myself "there's always tomorrow" to hunt and fish and I have to start just making it happen. I hope to shake your hand this year Harold and I appreciate your thoughts on this stressful topic.

[Harold Pickens]

We will have to disagree on that Stan. Dove shooting, is well, just shooting. No hunting involved--and yes I have done it to pass the time before real hunting starts. Maybe because it just wasnt tradition where I grew up.I will usually go once a year. Honestly, not trying to dis doves, just not my thing.

[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Harold Lee Pickens

We will have to disagree on that Stan. Dove shooting, is well, just shooting. No hunting involved--and yes I have done it to pass the time before real hunting starts. Maybe because it just wasnt tradition where I grew up.I will usually go once a year. Honestly, not trying to dis doves, just not my thing.

I understand where Harold is coming from. I grew up in NY and doves were considered song birds and no hunting was allowed. I shot them when I lived in Maryland but I never really got into it based on my NY upbringing.

But I also understand the long tradition of dove hunting in the South. It is a big deal there with families often participating. It’s a tradition passed down through the generations, just as my grouse hunting is a tradition passed down to me.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Tom Flanigan

I understand where Harold is coming from. I grew up in NY and doves were considered song birds and no hunting was allowed. I shot them when I lived in Maryland but I never really got into it based on my NY upbringing.

But I also understand the long tradition of dove hunting in the South. It is a big deal there with families often participating. It’s a tradition passed down through the generations, just as my grouse hunting is a tradition passed down to me.

Those traditions are strong -- and distinctive -- for many of us.

And the way Stan describes his dove hunting,, involving scouting, blinds, and, I'm sure, strategic positioning, it's very similar to hunting from a well placed deer stand, or finding the right spot to pass shoot a prairie chicken coming into a bean field to eat in the afternoon. It's much more than just shooting.

[Reggie B]

If dove shooting isn’t hunting what is deer hunting? You sit in a tree and wait for one to walk by. Dove hunting involves knowing their feeding habits, watering and roosting and being there to shoot them? I have only deer hunted once in my life and was bored to death sitting in a tree freezing my butt off! Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

[Harold Pickens]

My humble apologies to the dove shooters, as soon as I hit the submit button, I thought, shouldnt have said that. Didn't really mean any disrespect .There was no dove season in Ohio until the mid 1990's, so just wasnt something we did, no tradition. I know its a big deal elsewhere.
Im not a big deer hunter either, but cant hunt birds during gun season in Ohio. I need to walk with a bird dog out front to be happy.

[Stan Hillis]

The folks who never have had to scout doves to plan a dove shoot are usually the ones who think of it as only shooting. The man who did the leg work and put in the hours of work determining if there were enough birds feeding there to invite a dozen or more people is definitely a hunter. Most dove hunters I know have paid their dues and done their time scouting. I spend many more hours scouting than i do shooting.

No problem, Harold. It's not always easy to understand what goes into a hunt until you're on the other side of it.

SRH

[Brett Hoop]

Interesting topic. Knowing what you want seems to be almost as hard as affording it. About the only thing I want more of is October. And I’ll be spending those in the north woods talking mostly with a Setter and occasionally cussing at myself.

When the kids were growing up they liked the beach and we would hit that for a week. I usually I would hitch a ride on a Big game boat and we’d run 80 miles out to the canyons and fish for tuna or white marlin. That was fun, but couldn’t do it often the beach is biggest part of 8 hours away. Had to compromise and settle for a Great Lake beach and walleye and steelhead fishing. The boat at 25’ hard top is half the size of fishing vessels but still plenty of adventure. And just 2 1/2 hours from home. The sunsets are just as epic as any ocean. World class steelhead stream fishing, no it isn’t bending cane floating drys at Henry’s Fork and the waters are never as emerald as the Shoshone coming out of the gorge. But the lake run bows will rival their relatives from the Cinder River on the Alaskan peninsula.
All of that is in NE Ohio, and yes it features winter as a season, but can be very beach like 5 months of the year. Grouse aren’t there but you can be at the Mighty Mac in about 7 hours and you’ll have driven past a few grouse already.