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<  16ga. General Discussion  ~  Grouse Hunters - Opening day plans?
Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:04 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Northern Illinois

Pine Creek/Dave wrote:
Chicago,
Pine Creek/Dave
http://jpgmag.com/photos/3862672


Opening day here in Pa is the weekend of Oct 15th each year. My buddy Ken owner of the Shooting Star Gun Shop will be here for the 1st week. I have no plans to due any dog training and we will have a nice time with our 16 Gauge double guns. I acquired a nice J.P.Sauer 16 that I want to shoot a few Grouse with. Should be a great opening day.

Two years ago I drove to a little town maybe 45 to 60 miles north of Pittsburgh to pick up my friends pup. I had not been in PA in a long time and the countryside around his place was gorgeous. He hunts north of there in the foothills of the Alleghenies, or I think I have that right.

Good Hunting,
Mike
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:08 pm  Reply with quote
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Montana16 wrote:
Opening day was the 1st here in Oregon. In southern Oregon we can expect temperatures in the 100s this weekend with really bad smoke. The wildfires across the west are really hurting air quality. Looking forward to rain and cooler temps.


I haven’t been following the fires out there and I didn’t know the temps got that high in Oregon. Hope the fires die out and the temps come around for you folks.

I avoid the heat for grouse hunting. This will be the first year in probably a decade I am heading north this early. But it has already frosted in the area I hunt and the temps have remained cool, with highs in the low 60’s and overnight lows in the 30’s or 40’s. So, I go early and then scout for new cover.

Good Hunting,
Mike
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:13 pm  Reply with quote
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kgb wrote:
Here in the Midwest grouse season opened yesterday. Had several points, hunting partner collected a chicken on a fine, relatively long shot. The opening day Browning 16 was shot just once, at a passing dove, and Gene knocked that one down with his 12ga. We then each committed 20ga on doves the rest of the day.

We walked in on the first point and as the birds went up we just stood there and watched them. Don't know if it's not wanting to disturb the quiet, letting the other guy shoot first (we each had birds clearly on our respective sides), or something else I can't conceive, but this has happened before on the first birds of opening day.


I haven’t hunted chickens since the early 80’s in South Dakota. When I first heard people talking about chickens I was totally lost, because they were sharptails, not prairie chickens. Then I realized if it wasn’t a pheasant they were all chickens. The first chickens I shot were a double of sharptails and I was young and wanted to get them mounted. So one guys lab retrieves one chicken and the fellow happened to be close and he gave me my bird. Then out of nowhere comes another lab and he grabs the other chicken, chomped down maybe twice and swallowed the bird whole.

Good Hunting,
Mike
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:17 pm  Reply with quote
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PatrickB wrote:
After a 40 year opening day tradition I shifted last year to holding off until the first weekend of October. The plan is to wait again this year before heading into the woods. It's less about the heavy tree and ground cover and more about the warm temps. We never had much success and the time on the ground was limited as dogs struggled with the heat. Only situation which might get me out there sooner is a cool weather day.


I don’t blame you for waiting, but I figure I am retired, the weather is staying cool and worst case the dogs do some swimming in gorgeous lakes and I scout. My buddy wanted to rent for the whole season and that is the plan this year. I am looking forward to it, but if it gets warm I will stay a few days and come home and wait for it to cool off.

Good Hunting,
Mike
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:21 pm  Reply with quote
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mtbirder wrote:
My wife and I and our girl Josie went out this AM in the smoke filled mountains of SW Montana. Two young Blue grouse ended up in our vests. Josie got a snootful of young grouse feathers in her mug - a very happy girl.
Looking forward to another Montana autumn and the bird hunting memories yet to be made again this year.
I must admit, used the 20 gauge this AM Embarassed
The 16 double is going out tomorrow Very Happy
Good luck to all this fall.........


Montana, Wyoming and Idaho are just about my favorite spots in the world. If it were not for the grand kids I would have either moved back to the U.P. (maybe Traverse City) or out in that neck of the woods. I will be back in Idaho this Spring to pick up another pup and I plan on spending some time in Montana, before heading down to Yellowstone and the Tetons.

Glad you had some luck.

Good Hunting,
Mike
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mtbirder
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:23 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 05 Nov 2016
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Location: Montana

Half a million acres have burned in MT this summer, haven't seen it this smoky since early 2000's. Almost as bad as the summer of 1988. I am currently looking at a blood red sun setting in the western haze. Up at 7700 feet today, couldn't see the bottom of the canyon due to smoke.
Tomorrow morning our eyes will be burning, but with our old girl leading the way to a 8000 foot ridge where she's nailed many blue grouse over her ten years, the burning eyes won't matter much. As a bonus, probably be bulls bugling down in the canyon.
Supposed to be 90 tomorrow. Be done hunting by 0930, as B-girl's tongue will be hanging..... But she'll get to swim the river as soon as she's done hunting.
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:23 pm  Reply with quote
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Dave Erickson wrote:
I'll wait. Mid-September is still summer around here and my dogs and I are cold weather machines.

The year of the picture below was an exception. The morning temp was 30 degrees I took member Black Belt and dear old Jazz and we had a wonderful hunt on that unseasonably crisp day.

[URL=https://imageshack.com/i/povrCESdj] [/URL]


Nice looking pup and a grand day to pick up three grouse. It’s been in the low 60’s down where I am and I know in Marquette they have had a frost, so I am hoping that weather holds. If not, I scout and let the dogs swim.

Good Hunting,
Mike
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:47 pm  Reply with quote
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3birddogs wrote:
Good luck on opening day Mike. Wont get up to the Up until around Oct 20th. My contacts tell me this should be another good year. I picked up a beautiful little Parker O frame 16 ga hammer gun this summer. It might have to make the trip


That Parker will need to make the trip.

I will need more than luck with the amount of leaves up that time of year. But, it should still be fun, especially if the weather holds. I will put the dogs down early if these overnight lows stay in the 30’s and 40’s, then take them swimming, have some lunch while they swim and then spend the afternoon scouting. Probably down by Sagola Razz

Good Hunting,
Mike
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:49 pm  Reply with quote
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ithaca1 wrote:
Not opening day, but I'm spending Oct 10th thru the 21st in Pittsburg NH! Can hardly contain myself! Either going to take the Ory and Duquenne 16ga. or a 20ga damascus Flues. Like stepping back in time!


Enjoy the Northeast. Is the color still up that time of year?

Good Hunting,
Mike
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:54 pm  Reply with quote
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mtbirder wrote:
Half a million acres have burned in MT this summer, haven't seen it this smoky since early 2000's. Almost as bad as the summer of 1988. I am currently looking at a blood red sun setting in the western haze. Up at 7700 feet today, couldn't see the bottom of the canyon due to smoke.
Tomorrow morning our eyes will be burning, but with our old girl leading the way to a 8000 foot ridge where she's nailed many blue grouse over her ten years, the burning eyes won't matter much. As a bonus, probably be bulls bugling down in the canyon.
Supposed to be 90 tomorrow. Be done hunting by 0930, as B-girl's tongue will be hanging..... But she'll get to swim the river as soon as she's done hunting.


I am going to get on the internet to see where all these fires are. I read the fires help in the long run, but it is a tough thing to see land you treasure go up in smoke. Enjoy the hunt and I am stunned it is still 90 in Montana this late in the year. Is this a normal year for that type of heat this late in the summer?

Good Hunting,
Mike
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mtbirder
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 8:01 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 05 Nov 2016
Posts: 189
Location: Montana

Although 90's is a bit warm for September, the last 10 years or so I have had to hunt early mornings and usually be done by 10am. Pre 2000 +/-, we used to head out mid day to chase blues in the high country. That may be a thing of the past - between the ever increasing human population (read - more bird hunters) and warmer fall temps, we usually get up at 0430 just to get out and shoot a few mountain grouse.
It is what it is - the 16 doesn't care about temperatures or crowds...........
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kgb
PostPosted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 9:01 pm  Reply with quote
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Chicago wrote:


I haven’t hunted chickens since the early 80’s in South Dakota. When I first heard people talking about chickens I was totally lost, because they were sharptails, not prairie chickens. Then I realized if it wasn’t a pheasant they were all chickens. The first chickens I shot were a double of sharptails and I was young and wanted to get them mounted. So one guys lab retrieves one chicken and the fellow happened to be close and he gave me my bird. Then out of nowhere comes another lab and he grabs the other chicken, chomped down maybe twice and swallowed the bird whole.

Good Hunting,
Mike


Dang, Mike, that had to be a surprise! Saved some taxidermy bucks, but those would have been good ones to spend. A friend knocked down a sharptail in North Dakota on my first trip there and it looked unmarked. Big, too. He wanted to have it mounted but when he picked it up it flew off. I handed him back his gun and he missed it the second time. Fun stuff.

Best of the seasons to you.

_________________
Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern
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Chicago
PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 3:45 pm  Reply with quote
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Well, here is the drought map at the end of August. Sure hope you folks get some rain.

Good Hunting,
Mike
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tramroad28
PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 4:18 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were

----------------


Last edited by tramroad28 on Mon Sep 04, 2017 4:05 am; edited 1 time in total
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mtbirder
PostPosted: Sun Sep 03, 2017 6:24 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 05 Nov 2016
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Location: Montana

I'm in a "moderate" drought area.
93f today with humidity around 18%. Stream flows in this area are at about 80% exceedance. Air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Ash allover my pickup this morning. At 8000 ft at 0630 this morning already was 63f - my dog's tongue was hanging to the ground after a short bit of zig zagging up and down the mountain.
Those of you who have any plans to hunt eastern MT (any time soon), which makes where I live look like an Irish Spring, better call ahead - ranchers and farmers may not be letting folks on.
Heard northern MN/WI ruffy country is cold and wet - enjoy it.
Snow can't come soon enough out here in the west.
And it ain't supposed to anytime soon.................
That's news on the "opener" here in MT.
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