First day in the Norther Lower in Michigan

[vaturkey]

Got here late and even though it was a tad toasty I found a couple of places to turn Sophie loose. First place eaten up with 4Wheelers which were a total safety hazard as they roared by on two tracks. That said, put her down and she pointed one and as I was headed it it busted off at least 60 yards away. Relocated on the other side of the 2track and she hit a Grouse and pointed, and then as I was 40 plus yards away, she relocated on her own and went another 20 yards and pointed again. This happened a 3rd time and that time she was really screwed into the ground solid. As I was walking in 3 4 wheelers came roaring up on a small trail not 15 yards from her at top speed. She didn't budge. I wasn't sure he hadn't flushed with all the noise, but up he came and I missed a helluva easy shot at it shot up thru an opening as he was banking right. As I mentioned before on other posts, I had shoulder surgery in June and wasn't quite sure what would happen when I touched off a round, but in reality I just missed. Bottom line is the shoulder seemed fine.

Moved to another spot near a little creek hoping to avoid 4wheelers. Got out of the 4Runner and within 10 seconds as she was flying thru some tall ferns, a Grouse got up. No shot since it was pointed and I believe the wind was wrong and she just ran over it. Went another 75 yards and she locked up and I went in and a Woodcock came up and I dropped him clean. Lousy retrieve from her, but I'm working on it as they say. Went another couple of 100 yards and she locked up again and another Woodcock, but he came out the backdoor on the flush and I never got a shot.

Was just about to call it an afternoon as it was hot and she was tired and we will be here all week, when she locked up again. Relocated on that bird 3 times until she had it pinned. I went in and it came up about 10 yards and I was ready. One shot and down he came. Red Phase which is a bit unusual up here or so I'm told. Big bird so certainly not this years hatch I'm thinking.

Oh, about the gun. Savage made Fox, 20 gauge Sterly ejector deluxe that I had restocked to fit me in English Walnut and then engraved as a second generation A grade. It has factory 2 3/4" chambers but I still shoot relatively light loads out of it even though Dan Rossiter rejoined it for me. Have had two ejector pins break on me already, so I no longer shoot any clays with it. It is strictly my hunting little brown birds gun. I shoot it really well, and its about all I ever carry any more. I had it redone about 4 years ago and I've worn off most of the case colors on the bottom of the frame. That's a good thing. Hopefully more to follow as the week goes on. Sophie is a 5 year old Llew. Stubborn little PIA for sure. Crappy house dog, but she can hunt.

[fox-admin]

Nice Tom. Looks like a perfect fall day.

[Stan Hoover]

Very Nice,
Thanks for the pictures and the great read,
Stan

[Jeff S]

Great pictures Tom, and it sure seems like your getting a lot of action. I'm pleased to hear the you're finding so much game in Michigan. Let's see some more. Jeff

[Jim Cloninger]

Thanks for the pictures, Tom. You and your setter are doing well. I hope you can get away from the 4-wheelers. I hate them.
Jim

[DarylC]

Not a bad start to a weeks hunting adventure. Keep the pics coming.
BTW: What's the limit on 4 wheelers?

[vaturkey]

Shooting reality set in today. I went to a new cover that was brutal. Never found thorns in Michigan until today and by god I found them in mass. Hunted one 75 acre cut and it certainly held birds. Put up 3 Grouse and 4 Woodcock in 90 painful minutes. It was honestly like shooting in a phone booth with a pissed off Bobcat trying to eat my face and hands. I think I threw up 10 shots and the only blood drawn was my own. Sophie has a few battle scars also. Called it a day when I found a pretty good gash below her right eye. Back at the cabin now and washed out the wound with Antiseptic wash and covered with Muricin. As folks with bird dogs know, battle scars are part of the game and you have to plan for it.

PS. We will be back at it tomorrow, but I'll probably find something a tad easier on her and I.

[Jeff S]

Patrick McManus wrote a book about hunting, fishing and camping titled “A Fine and Pleasant Misery”.

[OH Osthaus]

Patrick McManus wrote a book about hunting, fishing and camping titled “A Fine and Pleasant Misery”.

also among his several books was one entitled

"Into the Twilight, Endlessly Grousing"

[Foxnut]

Tom, glad you made it to God’s Grouse Coverts aka known as Michigan. Glad your finding new cover. As much as I hunt North of where you are I rarely run into thorns! Hopefully they don’t spread North!! The ATV’s/UTV’s can be crazy on the weekends. Hopefully they’ll be thinner for the rest of the week!

[Silvers]

.... Oh, about the gun. Savage made Fox, 20 gauge Sterly ejector deluxe that I had restocked to fit me in English Walnut and then engraved as a second generation A grade. It has factory 2 3/4" chambers but I still shoot relatively light loads out of it even though Dan Rossiter rejoined it for me. Have had two ejector pins break on me already, so I no longer shoot any clays with it. It is strictly my hunting little brown birds gun. I shoot it really well, and its about all I ever carry any more. I had it redone about 4 years ago and I've worn off most of the case colors on the bottom of the frame. That's a good thing. Hopefully more to follow as the week goes on.

Yo Tom, thanks so much for taking the time to post. It's always nice to read and kind of come along on a hunt via a chronicle. Just wondering, did you hunt this custom Fox on Monday in that big thorn thicket? If so that should take the pressure off during future hunts. Reminds me of when a good friend Ed, now passed, once told me the best thing with a new hunting gun is to take a ball peen hammer and put a ding in its stock. Ha! His rationale was that the stock will inevitably get damaged and it's better to concentrate on the hunting than trying to keep it from getting scratched, gouged or dinged.

Also, methinks the Fox/Russell patent ejector system is an excellent design and way better than inferred in your post. If you're breaking replacement guide pins it"s possible the 'smith didn't have them aligned with their pilot holes, or he's used the wrong material or doesn't have them well attached. That can also happen with oversize/tight fitting shells. JME, replacement guide pins should be good to go for decades of regular use at clays and hunting.

frank

[vaturkey]

Frank, I did indeed have that gun out yesterday. That gun is my version of meat and potatoes. Might as well have a gun made to fit you instead of fitting yourself to the gun. I actually bought the gun in its original form about 9 years ago in a gas station parking lot outside of Gettysburg. Got it cheap because the fellow couldn't figure out what that funny looking round thing was on the bottom of the forearm. Yes, guides pins have been fixed twice on the gun. Both times by Dan Rossiter and a different pin each time. Both times happened while running multiple shells thru 5 stand when the barrels got so hot you couldn't touch them. Kevin M. also had a similar fix done to his XE 12 gauge also while shooting 5 stand. Who knows. PS. I've come to the conclusion most guns I shoot from now on will just have extractors. Hate leaving empties, but sometimes in a hot flight of Woodcock you forget to pick them up. PS. A bit better today. Still shooting inside a telephone booth with an angry bobcat, but this time two of those little worm eaters got a ride home in the truck. I've also come to the conclusion that going in a point gives the flushing hunter a pretty crappy shot as compared to the guy who is standing 5 yards away in an opening and waiting for a bird to get up. 3 more days. Hoping my dog power holds out.

[Jeff S]

Tom, just keep reminding yourself that you're doing this for fun.

[vaturkey]

Quick update on this. Had some dog related issues where my buddy lost his Setter overnight and I went down to help him look. Good news was after one ultra long and ultra wet night, the dog was found the next morning by me while hunting in the area. The dog heard Sophies beeper and came into me and Sophie when I was knocking down a Woodcock (and missing a few more). Anyway, back to hunting. The lost dog and Sophie teamed up today this morning for a few hours and the results were 14 Woodcock moved and 7 Grouse. I knocked down two Woodcock over Sophie points and my buddy knocked down one Woodcock and missed a couple layups on Grouse (it happens). I'll hit it again tomorrow morning and then I'm done. Sophie looks like hell as she is really beat up by some of the thorns up here. I need more teeth as they say, but I'm a one dog household for now as my other dog is too old to hunt. PS. The total number of 21 was birds moved, not necessarily pointed. It was really Windy today and we had some skittish birds who would flush as we were making our way to points thru the woods. Had a few other birds we stepped on which were given a pass. Still a really good day overall and a even better week as we recovered a lost dog in the middle of nowhere.

[Jeff S]

Great update Tom. I‘m officially jealous and I’m. truly glad that you’re seeing that many birds. Go get a few more tomorrow.