16ga.com ~ View topic - Traditional fair chase Grouse hunting here in Pa

Lloyd3,

I can understand your thinking, fortunately I was born in Potter County, Pa where we have Grouse and Trout in plenty. When I got out of the military I could have chosen just about any where to live, I came home to our mountains and have my log cabin where we have Grouse, Turkey, Deer, Black Bear, and even some Elk along with more predator birds, and animals than you can count. I really do not have to travel very far at all to hunt and Fly Fish, Pine Creek is right out the front door less than 30 yards away, and the the Grouse, Turkey and Bear are right in the from yard, we get the Elk usually in January on our property, as they move back and forth to the Pa Grand Canyon just up the mountain. Some of us get to live in Gods Country and we love it very much. Lloyd3 find a similar place out west and be happy.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

My brothers home in Pa, wild Turkey on the Back Deck.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1310 Location: Western WA

Great pictures guys, fabulous settings. We’ve lived across the Midwest and the PNW. Hunting & fishing is great EVERYWHERE in this wonderful country, but it takes perseverance and more than a little effort to discover it.

MI - trout and morels for breakfast in the spring, and in the brilliant fall woods, grouse, deer, and hungry fat trout.

MO - wide rivers brimming with fish, and the Ozarks (“them hills ain’t that tall but them hollars shore are deep”) with turkey, quail, and deer.

ND - who here doesn’t know about that legendary hunting ground?

MT - Pheasant, grouse, deer, elk, & antelope in the same day?

WA - Big mountains, big timber, big fish, and big game and small.

But there is a lesson here: The newcomer must accept his adopted grounds and learn to love them, or be disappointed. The secret is meeting new friends among the natives who know the ropes and following their ways. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

And then there are the independents, like my MI neighbor who moved to the Deep South and announced “The best hunting and fishing in the world is in LOUISIANA!”

V/R
B.

Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 196

How true Brewster11,grew up in MO. And floated a lot of those Ozarks streams than moved to north NM. And thought I moved to a third world country but have had it really grow on me and really enjoy the native Americans and Spanish culture plus the food and weather is great.Dave that’s a nice beard on that turkey.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

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Dave: those darn turkeys are here too now.

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and trout streams here are a little bigger.

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But it's all an adventure, and that's what it should be. As long as I can, I'll be out there trying it on for size.

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Dem wallies eat darn good too.

Joined: 07 Jun 2020 Posts: 228

What constitutes fair chase in hunting is subjective. Like most I was raised with respecting rules like only firing on the wing and never ground sluicing anything.

We hunted for sport and food in the hand was a nice side effect, which was appreciated.

Those customs evolve through both community agreement, and often embodied in game laws.

That said several generations back the family poached and found ways to put food on the table. In that day it made sense, today we are blest and are not driven to those lengths.

As for brush pants, I like filson, their overalls have become my favorite, though they are ridiculously priced.

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 444 Location: WI

"Fair chase" to me means means how you behave towards the game, yourself, and others while hunting.

I would not look down upon another for using an autoloader to pursue grouse and woodcock simply for the style of firearm they use.

Personally, I prefer a double barrel, either a SxS or O/U for reasons that are entirely my own, and that is these reasons -

1. It is fast and easy to ensure it is safe and barrels are unobstructed.
2. It is instantly and easily obvious to others that when the gun is open that it is safe and cannot accidentally go off.
3. That it is simple and easy to open, load, and unload when crossing a fence or other obstruction.
4. I have the option to select the barrel, and thus a different choke without using tools (sometimes, not always depending on the gun)
5. That I have rarely, very rarely, had more than two shot opportunities at a single grouse or woodcock.
6. And for the most part, I find they are better balanced for me, and I tend to make better shots with them.

I use a 16 gauge exclusively for everything except for trap league and waterfowl, but that does not make me a better or worse person than anybody else, as it is nothing more than my choice, and my preference.

AND for Walleye, I use a bait casting reel and a canoe

Shocked

Caught 60 miles from Amarillo, Texas

When I was a kid I really had no mentor to give me a start. My father was no outdoorsman nor wanted anything to do with it. My mother thought boys should fish so she took us to small streams in Vermont where I grew up.

My grandfather brought us gun catalogs when he visited. We poured through those catalogs dreaming and wishing for this and that.

I got a Daisy 1894 BB gun and a Marksman metal electric target trap with moving ducks and spinning wheels for my 6th Christmas. My mom let me shoot it in the kitchen for the winter. I became a pretty good shot with that target trap. In the spring I had to walk to the local quarry to shoot the gun at targets.

I got a Marlin bolt .22LR for my eighth Christmas. I could only shoot that when my grand dad visited.

I was given my great grand dad's Winchester Model 12 16ga with 2 9/16" chamber when I was 12 because I wanted to hunt ducks. It was for all intents and purpose a single shot after I used up the one box of paper shells provided with it.

I have made my own traditions. I shoot sxs guns both 16ga and 12ga for upland birds (except Chukars, the Devil Bird).

When I hunt ducks if a bird lands in my decoys he gets a free pass to fly away after enjoying my nice decoys. I don't shoot hen mallards.

It's nice to hear of Dave's old school family traditions.

I personally don't care what other guys shoot for guns. Shoot what you enjoy or shoot best.

Interesting thread Smile

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1310 Location: Western WA

We like to train our boys young out here. Bait casting reels and heavy rods.

B.

Brewster11,

Great picture buddy!

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man