Two Fox smallbores and one big grouse
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:55 pm
A friend and I hunted the mountains today; first time out for birds since before deer season. Temp was at 19-degrees almost all day, a little brisk, and then some snow squalls blew through to add to the fun. 
We decided to hunt the hemlocks and laurels; there were no beech nuts this year and very few acorns. But wintergreen berries are everywhere. I haven’t found any wild grapes on the vines but at least one bird knew where they were. All together we raised three birds and heard two others buzz off that we didn’t see. Shot at two and got one. This grouse was another oven stuffer, almost a mate to the largest one I took last month. Fan on this one is 15-1/4" across on my drying board.
Going in. Lots of water in the crick from snowmelt and rains last week.
This is the “Bubble Up” where we stopped for water. There’s a well at the cabin but the water system is drained for the winter.
Off to our first hunt at a place I call the “Number 3 Mine”. This is walk up hunting in thick cover while on the old woods roads and mine rail beds.
Right barrel on my 16-gauge A Grade did the trick. RST papers with 7/8 ounce of 7-1/2 shot. Bird was quartering away at about 30 yards. Crop was just about full of dried grapes.
Two Foxes and one big grouse. The upper gun is a 20-gauge Sterly with 28-inch tubes, choked Mod & Full. Friend was loading a RST spreader in one barrel.
We decided to hunt the hemlocks and laurels; there were no beech nuts this year and very few acorns. But wintergreen berries are everywhere. I haven’t found any wild grapes on the vines but at least one bird knew where they were. All together we raised three birds and heard two others buzz off that we didn’t see. Shot at two and got one. This grouse was another oven stuffer, almost a mate to the largest one I took last month. Fan on this one is 15-1/4" across on my drying board.Going in. Lots of water in the crick from snowmelt and rains last week.
This is the “Bubble Up” where we stopped for water. There’s a well at the cabin but the water system is drained for the winter.
Off to our first hunt at a place I call the “Number 3 Mine”. This is walk up hunting in thick cover while on the old woods roads and mine rail beds.
Right barrel on my 16-gauge A Grade did the trick. RST papers with 7/8 ounce of 7-1/2 shot. Bird was quartering away at about 30 yards. Crop was just about full of dried grapes.
Two Foxes and one big grouse. The upper gun is a 20-gauge Sterly with 28-inch tubes, choked Mod & Full. Friend was loading a RST spreader in one barrel.
