Seen while grouse hunting

[Silvers]

Our PA grouse season began on Saturday, no bird hunting on Sundays, and I was able to get out yesterday. Temp about 55 at noontime with heavy cloud cover almost all day and a light rain started about 2 pm. A friend had to work and I was out by myself in familar covers on two mountains near the cabin.

First two pics were taken along an access road where a gent was selling bluebird houses for $5.00 each ..... honor system, put your money in the jar. I stopped and chatted and he told me the wood came from his own land. I bought two and ordered six more for pickup next time I'm out there. Check out the advertising sign.

Next one shows the big creek that drains these mountains. We've had a rain shortfall for many months now. Plenty of leaves still on the trees.

Spotted while driving between covers. I told my wife I need one of these half tracks. Maybe Mike will let me use it for a shooting cart at his Rock Mtn club? I'll be able to carry the whole gang.

I hunted 3 covers over about 5 hours. Turkeys were everywhere; I saw about 40-50 birds in total. Turkey season doesn't open there until October 31. Also spotted a few deer. Flushed 3 grouse heard but couldn't see, along with 1 visable but a really long shot = pass. Here's the bird that met up with a 1-ounce Remington Game Load from a 16 bore AE Fox.

[hihaven]

Congrats! on the grouse.

[grouse_fan]

Nice, pics! Sounds like a good hunt.

[Stan Hillis]

You're the man, Frank. Whatever that secret method of walk-up hunting is that was passed along to you, it's effective! I don't blame you for keeping it to yourself.

Great pics, thanks again. I want to see the Bubble-Up again sometime this year, and hopefully a grouse taken nearby, in a pic.

Best, SRH

[Jeff S]

Congratulations Frank! That’s a beautiful bird. 5 hours is a long time to tip toe around the grouse cover, but I’m sure that you relished every minute of it.

[Fox20obsessed]

Awesome job and great pics Frank! Hopefully there are more grouse pics to come as the season progresses!
-Matt

[DarylC]

Thanks for the play by play on your day in the grouse woods. That play on words re: BLM is great. The best I've seen is someone took a sharpie and put an O in front of Lives on a graffiti BLM which in turn made it Black Olives Matter.

Nice bird and nice AE Fox to share. Thanks
I'd be willing to chip in on that half-track to deflect attacks by the LC clan.

[Mike of the Mountain]

The official “Half-track” of Rock Mountain!!! Endorsed by Dr. Evil himself!!

[Fin2Feather]

Love the bird house guy's sign!

[Jim Cloninger]

Thanks for the pictures, Frank. I love hunting and love seeing hunting pictures while I have to be at home. Duck season opens Saturday here. The weather is hot, 90 degrees today. Way too hot to go duck hunting. I worry about my Black Lab, Mazie, getting over heated in this kind of weather. Oh, to be young again and be able to go Ruffed Grouse hunting. I grew up grouse hunting and a Ruffed Grouse was the 1st game bird I shot. Thanks again, Frank.
Jim
PS - I remember previous pictures of the river you posted with water in it.

[bbman3]

Frank looks like you had a great hunt and beautiful country wish we had grouse near where i live.Have not shot one since late 70s. Bobby

[jimmartin]

Nice bird Frank, all the streams I hunt near in the Catskills are either dry or close too it. Good deal on the bird houses.

[Mike of the Mountain]

Frank, we need that 1/2- track to put the quad-.50 on top for a driven woodchuck hunt!!

[Sporrns]

Great report Frank, particularly the "Backwoodsiana" component (BLM jar and weapons carrier). Your comments on how dry its been there jibe with my post a few days ago re our grouse hunt in NY State opening week (Oct 7-12). Our usual shallow streams we forded most hunts looked like cobblestone driveways, and most all the local farm ponds and small park lakes were feet down in water levels. Plenty of food for the birds, but the drought effects were dramatic - flushed one, heard 2 flushes & 2 drumming in 2 hard days of hunting. If they get a little snow before Thanksgiving I may go back up. Kevin

[Silvers]

Thanks all for your comments. More grouse hunting with that 16 bore AE today and I missed the only ruffie I saw over 4 hours in three places. A fairly easy narrow quartering shot but the bird cut hard left just as I fired. One cover is sided by an old strip mine swamp and I jumped 2 mallards and 1 unknown but wasn't loaded with non-tox. Yep I have the Fed stamp and PA migratory license, and I had four bismuth 5's in my shell loops. A good day nonetheless. It was kind of warm with the afternoon high in the 70's and wind gusts up on top (not good) where I'd planned to check out and "hunt the food". Also took some time out at a turn of the century coal mine red ash dump to check my Krag's sighting before the deer season comes in. I have plenty of modern scoped rifles but it's a nostalgia trip when I hunt with that old Krag. There's quite a story on how it came to me. Saw more turkeys and deer, and stopped by the blue bird gent to pick up more houses for our kids and a neighbor. He told me I'm now a "preferred customer".

Kevin commented on the northeast drought and I too am very surprised at how low and/or dry the cricks are.

frank