Lower N MI Grouse and Woodcock Hunt

[Foxnut]

I spent last Friday, Saturday and half of Sunday hunting the Lower N. Of Michigan. Was bone dry up there and Friday was warm, w/about 50% of leaf cover still up. We quit after four coverts on Friday as dogs were whipped. We moved 5 grouse and 8 woodcock Friday. Saturday we moved 13 grouse and 3 woodcock and Sunday we moved 10 grouse. As many grouse flushes as points. Considering how dry and warm it was dogs did good. I was hunting w/my S-I-L and his three Y/O setter, his Dad and my grandson. Saturday and Sunday was much cooler but never got rain until the drive home on Sunday afternoon. I managed to get two grouse and two woodcock over the 2 1/2 days. Two other grouse were taken as well. Due to the dry, warmer than usual conditions we rotated the dogs between hunts to keep them fresh as possible. Rosey is 6 and is really in her prime. She worked running grouse well and made two retrieves on birds that we weren’t sure were hit or not. A dog is invaluable on a dead or cripple bird in that thick grouse cover!

[Foxnut]

I was using my 16 gauge A Grade two barrel set gun. I’ve owned this gun for 16 or 17 years and love it. The second set of barrels were added during the Savage era and are 28” IC/M barrels that I use the majority of time. When I bought the gun it was in well used but not abused condition.

A friend of mine and member of Fox Nation stripped and cleaned the gun, rust blued both barrel sets, refinished the wood, and the frame and forend metal were re-case colored by Ohio Case Color Company before it closed due to his retirement. A NOS Hawkins pad replaced the old hard as a brick pad as well. The gun just works for me!

[Foxnut]

Best part of the trip is getting to spend it w/Family. My S-I-L and Grandson along with his Dad and B-I-L. This is our annual grouse camp and while only three days we manage to pack it in. The day before we met up My S-I-L and grandson were up in the Eastern UP for the MI Sharptail opener and drove back down to meet us that evening. My grandson is 10 and this is his second year of carrying a gun. Last year he carried a single shot .410 and this year is using a Browning BPS 20 gauge. We were able to get him in position several times for shots but is still waiting to make his first connect on a shot. He has been shooting skeet and trap for practice. I’m sure it will come soon!

[Silvers]

Thanks Brett for posting the details and pic collage. Nice Fox in some good looking cover. I love to see youngsters being initiated to chasing grouse. Persistence along with times of disappointments and success. Sets them and us up for life. frank

[Jeff S]

Great pictures Brett. Looks like you have a nice family tradition going. Pretty amazing how hot and dry it is right now. Water levels are down everywhere.

[Foxnut]

Great pictures Brett. Looks like you have a nice family tradition going. Pretty amazing how hot and dry it is right now. Water levels are down everywhere.

Jeff, in the 28 years I’ve hunted this area I have never seen it so dry. Any of the local woodcock aren’t in the usual coverts, they’ve dropped into the river/creek edges and bogs and the warm weather has held up the flight birds. Hopefully we’ll get rain this week and temps will continue to drop.

[44whiskey]

thanks for report and pics