Opening day FLOP

[CJ]

WOW, with all the good bird forecasts.... I didn't see ONE bird yesterday!
I heard a flush, but not sure it was a grouse or not. Very discouraging sights all around too. TONS or berries still on the bushs (from valley floor to mountain top). Worst yet, all the deer/elk tracks that were there for the last few years in my favorite and very productive covert were not to be seen, but replaced by wolf scat. Gotta love those dear little wolves (which are perfectly within their right to eat out hunting dogs and stay safe because you can't shoot them unless they have a few teeth in your own hide). Ah well, Chukar, huns,and quail are right around the corner! Better luck in two weeks.

[Bernie's mom]

I can't reply, our season doesn't start until the 17th!

[Jacksbuddy]

A crappy day in the field is still ten times better than a good day at work.
I think you are just rubbing it in , I have to wait until the middle of October.

[Karen_P]

Yeah really! I go on my first pheasant hunt ever on 10/22! I don't get to hunt over my own dogs (this is a hunt sponsored by the Outdoor Women's League and includes guides and dogs at the preserve), but I'm really looking forward to it!

The preserves did open here on 9/1, but at $125 for a 1/2 day weekday hunt, and gas prices sooooo high, and Blaze still at training, it's a bit too expensive for me, so I guess if I enjoy 10/22, I'll be waiting for the released birds in mid-December.

Oh well, it gives me time to get Zachie steadied back up. The more birds he sees, the crazier he gets! He found the bird pen at the club last weekend and tried to scale the fence into it (twice!), then busted birds everywhere he could find them after that. Well, at least he had a really good time, and we all got a good laugh out of it!

Blaze's trainer said he'd help me steady him back up, so there's hope.

[rons]

Our Quail hunting season doesn't open until Nov.1st. Hunting preserves opened Sept.1st. I called this week and going to the preserve this weekend. They only had Quail avaialble. In our state pheasant aren't native and the DNR won't let the birds loose in our state, we have to go to preserves for pheasants and chukars. I'm taking BUDDY for the first time this year. BUDDY was adopted last November fom ABR. He's been at hunting boot camp for the past 2 months and I'm anxious to see him work.

[Jacksbuddy]

Have fun with Buddy this weekend. I am taking Jack to the preserve Sat. morning to see if he still remembers what a bird smells like .
Grouse season doesn't start for another three weeks.

[Dave]

Our Pheasant season started this past weekend and I got one ...with my van I was driving to my elk hunting area and several guys were hunting a field along the edge of the highway and a Golden Retriever flushed some pheasants right up in front of me while I was driving about 70 . I said Oh @#*&! and tried swerving . One bounced off the top of my windshield and cracked it and two more glanced off my front grill . I just got my limit and didn't fire a shot I should have had my dogs and shotgun instead of my bows and camo When I got home today Levi was sure checking out my van . At least I know where to go Bird hunting , I saw over 20 in two miles running along the barrow pit and across the highway . Dave

[Jacksbuddy]

Good way to save ammo, a little hard on the van though. I have to admit I got a deer with my bumper before, I prefer using more traditional methods though.

[Barb Wright]

Has anybody else noticed how Jack's eyes will follow you if you move your head Super cool shot....love those goldy eyes

P.S. Dogs are not fussy or reluctant about dining on road-kill....make the accident count for some good

[Jacksbuddy]

Opening day for grouse was yesterday. Had one on the ground right away b after barely getting out of the truck. Wanting to be a good sport and all I got Jack out and tried to position him to where he would pick up the bird. All that did was allow it to get into cover and fly away without me being able to see it.
That was the only bird of the morning.
Later in the day I went for a walk in the game lands to see what was going on there. Jack flushed five pheasants out of two corn strips, so things are looking up for next Sat. pheasant opener.

[Jacksbuddy]

Super cool shot..

Thanks Barb, Actually that is cropped from a picture that I used as a sig. pic when I first logged onto this site. That picture was also cropped, I don't think I ever posted the whole picture.

After reading over that I think I need to take some new pictures.

[Greg Z]

Jenny did real good at hunting this weekend. Opening morning We got out of the truck, loaded the guns, let her out and she went 15 feet and went on point. Too bad it was a hen. I had the e coller on her but only had to use it twice all weekend. We had our limit by 11:00, only 2 hours of hunting but it was hard to get her to get back in the truck, she just wanted to keep going. just about the same the next two days, lots of birds, missed some, let some go that headed over the swamp, if they go down in there it's pretty hard to find them, even a dog. We've had so much rain this year the swamps are all full. Jenny had a real blast, every time I said " in the truck" she gave me one of them looks of " are you nuts? Lets hunt!!

[JimC]

Jenny did real good at hunting this weekend. Opening morning We got out of the truck, loaded the guns, let her out and she went 15 feet and went on point. Too bad it was a hen. I had the e coller on her but only had to use it twice all weekend. We had our limit by 11:00, only 2 hours of hunting but it was hard to get her to get back in the truck, she just wanted to keep going. just about the same the next two days, lots of birds, missed some, let some go that headed over the swamp, if they go down in there it's pretty hard to find them, even a dog. We've had so much rain this year the swamps are all full. Jenny had a real blast, every time I said " in the truck" she gave me one of them looks of " are you nuts? Lets hunt!!

Where and what were you hunting? I hunted in Park Falls on Sunday and struck out. Only saw one woodcook that flushed about thirty yards ahead of the dogs.

I'm not looking to hunt your coverts, just wondering in general where you were finding birds and what you were hunting. You can PM if you'd like.

Thanks.

Jim

[Jacksbuddy]

Can I do the poll again?
Pheasant opener was yesterday and inspite of the steady rain I got my two bird limit in less than an hour and fifteen minutes. The birds weren't sitting at all so they were all flushes, Jack performed really well, actually showed some poise and restraint. Thanks CJ the advice you gave me back in March seemed to really help. Had fourteen flushes in the first corn and alfalfa strip,
of the sixteen shells I carried in I came out with twelve empties
. I am blaming that on rain getting in my eyes.
Later in the morning I met up with a friend who had his 14 yo niece along, Jack had six more flushes. My friend got his two birds, the girl well I don't think she ever got her gun to her shoulder. That didn't matter though she still had fun in spite of the bad weather.

[jwmkem]

Hi all! Opening day for grouse season in Va was Monday and I went for about 4 hours--NOTHING! Didn't hear or see a grouse.........But, I got some good exercise walking in the mountains and the leaves changing were beautiful to look at. Grouse season the last few years haven't been very productive but I still enjoy getting out. The dogs were so excited and happy to be out hunting.