First grouse hunt

[Silvers]

Yesterday was the first grouse hunt of the season by two of us with not a single bird seen and only two wild flushes heard in the trees and leaves. It was windy (not good) and my partner and I split up looking for mast, berries and birds. I walked two old woods timber RR beds on the lee side of the mountain. No dice. Here are some pics of one old bed along with my 28" Sterly 20b with a "thick wrist" straight grip/long tang conversion. I found her as seen and don't know who did its superb stocking that looks to have been done a while back. My partner was carrying a really nice L C Smith Featherweight Field gun, also a 20, but I don't have any pics of it.

Well anyway we did have a good day afield and a bonus for me with some aches and pains gone away this morning. More woods exercise to come.

frank

pics can be expanded by double clicking

[Jeff S]

That's a beautiful trail and a nice piece of wood on that Sterly. I'm sure that you'll find the birds next time.

[glassman48]

Thanks for sharing such nice photographs. We had quite a few points today with running birds, or just flushes out of range. Better luck next hunt.

[Jim Cloninger]

Frank, has the Penn. wildlife department concluded from their study that West Niles disease is the main reason Ruffed Grouse are declining in the Northeast? Any proof that West Niles is a problem with Woodcock also?
Jim

[Silvers]

Jim, you'll have to contact the PA Game Commission to get its current propaganda around the WNV. Personally I'm not buying WNV as the primary culprit for the grouse decline over the last few years. Sure it's a mortality factor in laboratory settings where grouse chicks are inoculated with WNV. Jays and crows are also susceptible to WNV in the wild and I'm in the woods a lot and haven't seen a decline in either specie.

The PGC is getting cash heavy now with gas royalties from drilling on the northeast game lands as it (previously) said they never would do. It would be well for the Commission to use some of that cash and be aggressive at studying grouse chick mortality caused by wild turkey predation, perhaps lengthening the turkey seasons, and also to consider pushing back on the total protection of avian predators. Drive the highways and you can't go for a mile without seeing a hawk in a tree looking for its next meal. Same with the RGS pushing back on the PGC instead of blindly accepting WNV as the grouse decline culprit. This is all I'm going to write on the topic here; as you and readers can tell this is a sore subject with me.

PS: Six hours in the woods yesterday in two favorite and usually productive coverts and not a single grouse seen or even heard. Though I did run into two big flocks of turkeys to include some large birds. Turkey season isn't open yet. Also jumped two bunches of mallards while hunting alongside a backwoods dam-swamp. I keep a few bismuth shells in my vest loops but our first split on ducks ended last Saturday. Ha! Nonetheless a good day in the woods with a Fox.

frank

EDIT and added on November 1
We have two bird feeders outside the family room, elevated to keep bears from grabbing them. The birds are messy and seed/nuts fall to the ground. Seven, count 'em, seven blue jays picking on the lawn under the feeders this morning. So much for the PGC grouse decline explanation re: the WNV. Must be, the WNV mutated here in northeast PA and now it only affects grouse.

[Fin2Feather]

Great pics; thanks!

[Jim Cloninger]

Thanks, Frank. Didn't mean to touch a nerve. You are right about the turkeys.
Jim

[jimmartin]

Frank same story in the Catskills, I believe the reasons for the most part are hawks, owls and turkeys . I also don't buy west nile virus.