Michigan Bird hunt report

Use this forum to post pictures of hunting with your Fox.
Post Reply
vaturkey
Posts: 3608
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:33 pm
Location: Hamilton, VA
Has thanked: 1049 times
Been thanked: 1482 times

Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by vaturkey »

Just returned from my somewhat annual bird hunt in Michigan LP. Bird numbers were probably a bit better then what they were the last time I went two years ago. Hunted 6 days although the weather 2 of those days was god awful (high winds and rain). Hunting in rain gear pretty much sucks, so in those two days we only hunted about 4 hours in total. The other 4 days the weather gods were happy indeed. Cool weather and light winds which made it great for the hunters and even better for the dogs. Brought Sophie my 4 year old Llew and my buddies Berg Brothers 2.5 year old setter. Dog work was good, not perfect, but solid for the most part. Never lost a bird we knocked out of the sky and that's always a good thing. I kept fairly accurate post hunt records and we moved 99 Woodcock and 16 Grouse total for the week. 4 Grouse were taken in total (2 eaten while at camp) and we also dined on fresh Woodcock medallions (cooked rare in butter) one night.

Only 2 pics attached, as I had forgotten my little camera and thus had to use my cell phone and I frankly left it back at the truck each time as I didn't want to loose it in the woods.

Not a huge fan of the tailgate shot, but am always willing to take one when dogs are included in the picture. Sophie is the pup on the left and my Buddies Setter is on the right. This was as we were leaving the last cover and heading back to camp and those dogs were whipped.

Took one photo of my Dan Rossiter tweaked 20 gauge Sterlingworth ejector along with a boomer grouse Sophie pointed at 10 yards that I was lucky enough to knock down. Little Sterly weighs 5 lb 13 oz and is choked .004 and .014. In addition to being restocked in English Walnut to fit me (with an ebony foreend tip), she was also engraved by Dan Rossiters brother Chris as a second Generation A grade and then recase hardened by John Gillette. She is without a doubt my meat gun and I carry her 99 percent of the time. Dan was able to fix a broken guide pin for me while I was at the Vintager event last month and hand her back to me that same weekend. That was great, because I'd be lost in the woods without her.

Image

Image
User avatar
Jeff S
Site Admin
Posts: 3827
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 10:59 am
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Has thanked: 2886 times
Been thanked: 1797 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by Jeff S »

Wow! I know you hunted a long time, but I'm impressed that you flushed 99 woodcock. I didn't know that we had that many. The Sterly looks great and I'm glad that you enjoyed the great state of Michigan. Did the guys at Fieldsport tempt you with any guns?
Shoot vintage firearms, relax, and have fun.
vaturkey
Posts: 3608
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:33 pm
Location: Hamilton, VA
Has thanked: 1049 times
Been thanked: 1482 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by vaturkey »

Jeff S wrote:Wow! I know you hunted a long time, but I'm impressed that you flushed 99 woodcock. I didn't know that we had that many. The Sterly looks great and I'm glad that you enjoyed the great state of Michigan. Did the guys at Fieldsport tempt you with any guns?

They did indeed. Had some really nice Foxes including a CSMC small bore to die for. However as they say, I'd need to have sold my 4Runner to pay for it. :) Enjoyed your great state. We dumped a fair amount of money into the local economy for sure.

PS. We had two decent dogs and figured in 6 day of hunting they logged about 26 hours on the ground. They were beat up when we left. Sophie is still on her dog bed resting from the ordeal.
User avatar
Jeff S
Site Admin
Posts: 3827
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 10:59 am
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Has thanked: 2886 times
Been thanked: 1797 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by Jeff S »

Tom, I've handled that little CSMC at Fieldsport, and it is a dandy, but I have no business even thinking about it. The dogs look pooped. I'll bet they had fun.
Shoot vintage firearms, relax, and have fun.
Stan Hillis
Posts: 2826
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 8:31 pm
Location: Jawja
Has thanked: 880 times
Been thanked: 1002 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by Stan Hillis »

Tom, have you ever posted close-ups of that gun on here, that I could go back to and look for some better detail on the case-hardening that Gillette did?

Thanks, SRH
vaturkey
Posts: 3608
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:33 pm
Location: Hamilton, VA
Has thanked: 1049 times
Been thanked: 1482 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by vaturkey »

Stan Hillis wrote:Tom, have you ever posted close-ups of that gun on here, that I could go back to and look for some better detail on the case-hardening that Gillette did?

Thanks, SRH
Stan, Here are some of the various guns I have that John did for me:

Image

Image

Image

PS. The second pic with the pheasants is the Sterlingworth I was shooting. I did enhance that photo by increasing the color to better show the pheasants color. The guns case colors are not that intense. The other two photos were not enhanced. Hope this helps. Regards Tom
Stan Hillis
Posts: 2826
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 8:31 pm
Location: Jawja
Has thanked: 880 times
Been thanked: 1002 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by Stan Hillis »

It does help, Tom. Thank you. They really look nice.

SRH
Jim Cloninger
Posts: 1570
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:14 pm
Location: West
Has thanked: 794 times
Been thanked: 74 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by Jim Cloninger »

Tom, all in all, it sounds like a pretty good hunt. Are you going to hunt Ruffed Grouse in New England this year?
Jim
PS - You have some very nice guns. Are all your Foxes smallbores?
Goodbye Mandy, once in a life time hunting dog. I miss you every day.
User avatar
Foxnut
Posts: 2320
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:53 pm
Location: Western, MI
Has thanked: 1522 times
Been thanked: 1601 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by Foxnut »

Tom, looks like a great trip!!!
Regards - Foxnut
vaturkey
Posts: 3608
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:33 pm
Location: Hamilton, VA
Has thanked: 1049 times
Been thanked: 1482 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by vaturkey »

Jim Cloninger wrote:Tom, all in all, it sounds like a pretty good hunt. Are you going to hunt Ruffed Grouse in New England this year?
Jim
PS - You have some very nice guns. Are all your Foxes smallbores?
Jim, that's probably my only trip out of the area this year. Could change as I'm hoping for a late season trip out to the Midwest to chase Mr. Bobwhite if the weather and the health gods permit such. Will be a lot of weather watching next month to see if there is a nice weather window presents itself.

PS. Not all of my Foxes are Small Bores. Have a nice straight gripped Super and the Abby Gun (which is a 12 and shown above with a turkey). Also have 12 Gauge Sterlingworth Brush Gun Deluxe Ejector. Most of those spend more time in the safe then in the field as I'm partial to chasing little brown birds behind Sophie and like the small bores because there is normally a lotta walking for sure. Hunted Pa SGL's on Friday and I did 6 miles of walking and Sophie did 20 miles per the GPS. We were both tired and had nothing to show for it. Damn, the Pa Roosters can run. :).
Jim Cloninger
Posts: 1570
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:14 pm
Location: West
Has thanked: 794 times
Been thanked: 74 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by Jim Cloninger »

That is a nice battery of 12's, Tom. I hope you can get into some quail this season.
Goodbye Mandy, once in a life time hunting dog. I miss you every day.
MIGrouse
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat May 05, 2018 5:16 pm
Location: South Lyon, Michigan
Been thanked: 19 times

Re: Michigan Bird hunt report

Post by MIGrouse »

You did better than I did this year in my home state.

Sounds like you hit the Woodcock flight.
Post Reply