Two days to go

[Silvers]

Thanks all. Yes it was one shell. Both barrels were loaded with Remington Gun Clubs, 7/8 ounce of 7.5's. Ralph, interesting that you mentioned J C Higgins. My first shotgun was an Eastern Arms single barrel bought by my Dad at Sears when he was a young man. Gun had a lot of drop and I missed my share of game before Uncle John clued me in, to cover the game with the barrel when shooting. So it was .....

[Mike of the Mountain]

Trust me, having held this gun in my own hands, it is prettier than the pictures give it credit for!!! That is a Fox that any of us would love to own. Knock 'em down Frank!!

[bbman3]

Frank that is a fine looking XE and I like the grip and checkering a lot. Bobby

[Silvers]

Just a short update on the PA grouse scene. So far I’ve hunted on three days, one with a friend who was out for turkeys and we split up to hunt. I’ve spent about 15 hours with a Fox loaded and during that time I flushed 7 grouse that I could see. I don’t count “sound flushes”. That’s about one decent flush per 2.1 hours and is way less than my recent years' average of about 1.6. I have a NY license too but haven't been in state as yet.

I don’t hunt grouse with a dog but have a method confided to me when I was a young and it works pretty well to help keep birds tight before the flush. Temp has been pretty warm on the past two hunts - 72 on both days - and I’m hunting in a T shirt with light fluorescent vest over it. The bird numbers seem to be down and all the birds I flushed were singles. I haven't found a concentration of food anywhere I’ve been and birds are foraging wide. So far I’ve taken three of the seven birds flushed, two of them with the New Britain XE 20 shown here earlier, and one today with a pet 20 bore Sterly Brush Ejector that's factory choked IC and Mod as per card. Three birds with three shots, a good start to the season. I didn't fire at the other four birds I saw but were too chancy. Weather is supposed to turn colder after this weekend.

Cell pic of the bird I took today:

[ROMAC]

Was it a little wet the day you used the Sterly?

The new Fox may have created a "rainy day" gun out of it!

[Silvers]

Naah, I'm not one to reserve any hunting gun for fair weather. It's no different to me than keeping a new SUV in the garage when it snows because there's cinders, fine gravel and rock salt on the roads and (heaven forbid) it will get dirty, dinged and corroded. When I opened the safe the Sterly kept staring at me, like it's her turn, and that's what did it.

[setterspell]

Very nice photo Frank. Sure wish we could get the bird count up around North central WV. Carmel and I have moved a few and I managed to miss one in early season, too many leaves. Had to work a project in GA last week but we'll be right back at'em Monday.PS- Any more pics of that pretty Sterly?

[vaturkey]

Also been a tough year in Va. I've gotten two shots this year. One clean miss and one where I thought I feathered the bird, but the pup couldn't find it if it was indeed feathered. Been out 4 times and have one spot that yields a few flushes, but with a young pointing dog unless they are handled correctly I don't shoot. Interesting thing is I don't believe she has bumped any birds, but rather the birds are flushing way before she gets near them. I'd say the few birds we have are flushing are either out of trees or they are flushing when she is still at least 50 yards away. Anyway, the two she pointed sure didn't hold long after being pointed and she was staunch. I'd say 5 seconds after she locked up they were in the air. I think I'm the one who put them up as she on both occasions was working on scent very close to me. Hunting will improve once the food sources get a bit scarce. Right now there is a ton of soft mast out there.

[Silvers]

Mountain Mike and I were out yesterday with his setters, up in the mountains nearby the cabin. We hunted 7 covers over about 5 hours. All smaller ones and close to the roads. We raised only two grouse and both flushed wild but in sight, well before the dogs even got close. Also saw two grouse jet across the road while driving here and there but both were booking it and it was senseless to get the guns uncased and let Deacon and Ghillie out to try hunting them up. Both birds went into heavy mountain laurel areas. Also spotted a nice ringneck pecking at apples in the yard of a cabin, an escapee from a "stocking" in a nearby reverting strip mine area. Another treat was seeing a good 6 pointer stand and watch me while I flanked Mike and the pups along a road. As previously reported the bird numbers seem to be down; I'm hoping they're just scattered now for random food. Deacon also got into a porky in one of the covers and we had to pull about 25 or so quills from her lower lip. Lesson learned when he came across another porky later in the day. Net, lots of exercise but nothing brought to bag yesterday. That's why they call it hunting.

Here's a shot of the Stoatman keeping the faith with a 16 Sterly and his brace of setters. Ghillie up front.

[vaturkey]

Frank, I've heard from some of my friends up in North Central Pa that the birds are in very short supply this year. Don't know if the hatch was bad, predators causing a problem or what, but folks with some really nice well trained dogs are having a tough go of it. I hope this is just a blip on the radar and not something far worse.

FWIW, a few years ago I drove to north central Pa and the birds were in great shape. Flushed many and actually killed a few. My buddy just spent two days up there and the only thing he said he saw in abundance was Porky's. Said they were everywhere. He did run into a few Woodcock, but not grouse.

[Mike of the Mountain]

The dogs and I had a great time hunting with Frank!! Looking forward to heading out with him again. Beautiful weather, nice terrain, good exercise. Did I ever say I HATE porkys!!!!!!!

[vaturkey]

The dogs and I had a great time hunting with Frank!! Looking forward to heading out with him again. Beautiful weather, nice terrain, good exercise. Did I ever say I HATE porkys!!!!!!!

My buddy's Springer tried to eat a Porky last week. Like some dogs once she got hit she got really PO'd and kept on attacking the porky. Over 400 quills removed at the vets office. Was an ugly encounter. My Golden got hit big time as a pup in Maine. Over 400 quills that day also. She learned though. Three weeks ago in Maine she ran into one and just went into a barking fit. I came in an liquidated the Porky. My lew pointed two in Maine that same week. I think she doesn't know what to think of them and that's fine by me. In ten days up there I dispatched four of them and found two more in the woods that other folks had dispatched. In the case of all 4 of mine, the porky's were spitting distance from my dogs and things were about to get real ugly. Glad I was able to avoid big vet bills this time.

[hayslope]

Beautiful XE20 Frank. Congrats on the bird success so far.

[simcgunner]

That is one Fabulous gun Frank. I have returned home after a week in the Appalachian national forest area. Averaged a little less than 1 flush or point an hour. It was hot and rainy the first couple of days hunted in a t-shirt. The wood cock that were there in the early part of the week seemed to be gone by Tuesday where I was. Found a strange amount of Pheasants in the woods?? The state must have stocked them to an area near by.

[Silvers]

Got a large bird yesterday out in the mountains close to where I took another big one a week ago. That's it for the cover this year. Both grouse are now in the freezer for mounting. Yesterday I had a 16 A Grade, straight gripper choked IC and Mod. I like hunting with vintage papers when I can find newer ones made right before plastics came in. That red fired one is Peters Victor. Sure fire and crackly as the day it was made!

Cell phone pic, not the best but could have been taken 50 years ago!