RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

We hunted saturday and got three grouse two blues and a ruffed ,then again monday we got two more ruffed . We were hunting in the cascades up around the 4500' level . Doesn't seem to be any quail up high and no grouse down low . BigLead ,Are you been out any this week ,thought I might try R. Howard tomorrow.
Congrats on the chukars John L

RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

I have been out trying to help a buddy find a buck for his Muzzleloader tag. I am free tommorow afternoon to go bird hunting if you would like to. Call me in the morning and we will set it up. I did see a blue grouse yesterday afternoon. It flushed into some dark timber, and never gave me a clear shot.

Use a Big Lead to shoot them
were they aint.

RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

Went out today and saw a couple of coveys of quail and 3 ruffed grouse. I missed a couple of quail and never was given a clear shot on the grouse. I ran into some old aqaintences that new my dad and grandpa. They were all from North Carolina at one time. All three were
loggers. They were up running Bobcats with hounds. The dogs treed a
Bobcat in the deepest roadless canyon in the Cascades. I offered to go down and leash the dogs for them. I went down with one of the fellows to the tree and pulled the dogs off of the Bobcat. We are in the pursuit season right now so we could not harvest the cat. We took a few pictures and hiked back out of the canyon. It was one of the steepest longest hikes I have ever been on. The old timer I was hunting with said it was the hardest race he had ran in a long time. I got lots of excercise and got to see a whoppin big Cat. I started out
to hunt birds today, but had a good time on the other adventure. Hopefully I get an invite to go when we can actually take a cat. I asked them how many cats they usually shoot per year, and how many the tree. He says they treed 20 cats last year and only shot 2 of them. They are in it for the race not the kill. I also got some digital pics of the turkey I got last week if any of you all want to check it out.

Use a Big Lead to shoot them
were they aint.

RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

Went out Sunday and got 2 mountain quail. Today I harvested 2 Blue grouse. I had a family friend along who had never watched birdogs work. He was impressed with there ability to find the cripple bird I shot way up on a steep bank. It looks like I am going Chuckar hunting this weekend. I will let you know how I do.

Use a Big Lead to shoot them
were they aint.

RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

Got back late last night from the eastern Oregon Hunt. Kind of a dissapointment. We jumped one covey of quail on a wildlife area, and a buddy of mine got one rooster on a wildlife refuge. We jumped around 15 hens before we flushed the one rooster. It was late in the season so that explains a lot of why it was such tough hunting. I will go back next year early on and probably do better. This week I will return to what I know, which is bird hunting around here.

Use a Big Lead to shoot them
were they aint.

RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

Got back Thurs. night from a hunt in Eastern Oregon. I got 3 valley quail and 2 Chuckars. I missed some gimmee shots on the chuckars, so I should have done better. I may get another chance or two at them before season is over. We had one interesting retrieve from my lab. My friend shot a valley quail that was flying over top some thick willows. We kept sending the dogs in to retrieve the bird. They kept coming back out empty mouthed. I went in a little and my Lab was showing some interest in a thick patch of willows. She kept trying to crawl up into them from the ground. After wathching her a minute I started looking up in the limbs of the willow, and sure enough there was a nice little rooster quail laying 3 o 4 feet up in the limbs. She finally found a way to get it out of there and brought it to me. I guess I will have to remember that next time I hunt those thick willows.

Use a Big Lead to shoot them
were they aint.

RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

MERRY CHRISTMAS BL Looks as though you got lost again . I'm going to
try it one more time before the season closes will let you know how we did . Dave

RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

My daughter and myself with our GSP are finaly going to get out for some grouse action in the am. Not many hunters around anymore and it makes it a little nicer and the dog will still find plenty of birds.

February 2003 = tired and Re-tired cop

RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

I just have not had much news lately. I did go back to Wisconsin and Minnesota to pick up some hunting dogs. I stopped in North Dakota and got in a couple of days of pheasant hunting. I managed to get a couple of roosters. I took my Springer along and she flushed and retrieved the three roosters we got. We saw quite a few more, but did not have enough manpower to put the pinch on them. I am going out goose hunting in the morning. If I have some success you all will hear about it. My father took my Lab goose Hunting today and she retrieved a goose for a fellow hunter.

Use a Big Lead to shoot them
were they aint.

RE: So it begins, (Upland bird Hunting)
 

Grouse numbers were good and we got a few. The dog worked great and life was good

February 2003 = tired and Re-tired cop