# Public Hunting For Grouse



## ChardonRob (Apr 7, 2005)

Amazing!!! I got out grousing for the first time of the year today. I got a late start, the rain was coming down and instead of heading to my original destination I headed for Hamden Orchard right up the road from me because I figured it was just a wasted day and at least Hamden was close to me.

This is probably my GSP's last year to hunt so I was just going to give her a good run. No more than 50 feet out of the parking lot she goes on point. I'm thinking okay, someone dressed out a bird and threw the remains away. Nope, I actually saw the grouse sitting there. Safety off, walk a few steps and up it goes. It went straight up and I popped it five feet off the ground. Woohoo, I actually hit something! The dog had feathers in her mouth so life was good.

We continued on and about 1/2 hour later she goes on point in some really thick stuff. I start walking in and I keep waiting but nothing happens. My dog breaks off her point but continues pushing this area hard. Still nothing. We continue on around this arm of brushland and start back down the other side. We get back to where she had gone on point and she locks up again. I start walking in and a woodcock goes up. I popped off two shots at it but missed. We contiued to hunt this area for a little while and a few hundred feet away she's on point again. Again, I walk in but nothing went up. This time it was just a false point but I'm sure a bird had been there recently.

We walked out of that area and headed down another brushy run with a little creek flowing through it headed towards the swamp. Right as we are getting to the swamp the dog is in knee deep water and she goes on point again. I'm thinking with the exception of pointing a duck it has to be another woodcock and it was even too swampy for them. I walk around her and a grouse blows up right in my face. I fired once and feathers flew. Another one in the pouch. This bird had been sitting in 10 inches of water??? It was obviously retarded so I did it a favor by shooting it.

Another hour or so goes by then another point. A woodcock goes up and another two wasted shot shells hit the ground. Another 1/2 hour, another point, another woodcock goes skyward. I didn't even bother shooting at this one. There was just no chance.

We hunted a total of six hours. She pointed eight times and I got two grouse for the effort. I cannot recall having this good of a day when we had access to prime private land down Salt Fork way. I'm in shock for two reasons. 1. We jumped a whole bunch of birds on public land a couple miles from my house. 2. I actually shot a couple of them. When the pneumonia sets in from being soaked all day it will still have been worth it. Darn, I might have to go buy shotgun shells for the first time in ten years.


----------



## lv2fish (Jun 23, 2005)

Wow, thanks for the post, what a good time. I have not had a hunt like that in a long time. Good bird action on public ground is a rare thing. These are the times you will always remember.


----------



## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

Wow. We must have gotten a flight of woodcock down with this weather. I think my buddy was going there on Sunday with his Springer. Since we got back from Minnesota last week we both have grouse withdrawal symptoms.


----------



## ChardonRob (Apr 7, 2005)

Just a quick afterthought here. I parked in the area off of Sisson RD. and hunted the boarders of the big overgrown fields. After going all the way around both of the big fields I moved down the little brush filled draws to the swamp. I guess that would be west? Then I'd move north to the next little creek then head back up it east back to the path. I hunted this area a few times last year and only saw one woodcock in three hunts but it was later into the season. Best of luck guys. I'm still pumped!

It was about three or four years ago that a good bunch of woodcock (that sounds just wrong) came into the area. There was about two weeks of five or six points and flushes a day. Again, this happened early in the season. The south parking area on SR-608 was the hot spot then all the way in the back by the rocky little creek.


----------



## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

Nice day. Tip on the wood cocks. Try not to shoot them when they first come up. They will usually fly almost strait up then level off and out of there they go. I always try and get them when they are topping off.


----------



## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

sounds like a freakin awesome day! congrats


----------



## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

sounded like a blast. Congrats!

flash----------------------out


----------



## ChardonRob (Apr 7, 2005)

Thanks guys, it was the best day of hunting I've had in years

Thanks for the tip Walter but if the truth be known I'm not really trying all that hard when I jump a woodcock. I pop off a couple of rounds in the general direction of the bird just so my dog thinks that she is doing a good job. I tried eating one several years ago and I'm convinced that I would be happier eating baked leg of skunk. The few that I have more or less accidently shot over the last couple of years were painstakingly sauteed, marinated and cooked to gourmet perfection. Then I walked over and got the dog bowls... The point and flush is about all I'm looking for from woodcock. Grouse on the other hand ranks right up there with the best freakin things I've ever tasted. Hence my large stomach and appetite ensures that my shot flys much straighter and my poor dogs only get some scraps. Something tells me that by doing this I'm slowly training my pointer to try much harder for woodcock.


----------

