Broken
It's the end of the line for the grouse hunting season for my pack and I, but to reinforce the point, it's also the end for my 20 gauge shotgun. You can never tell if there's ice under that snow ...
We received a couple inches of snow Tuesday night, just enough to make the footing a challenge on the logging roads, where the ice was easy to see and avoid in our previous trips. Now on Wednesday, it was under there, lurking under a blanket of white, just waiting to trip me up, and it did - twice. The first time was the worst, as the Ruger flew from my hands, landing hard on the ice. After picking myself up, it was then that I discovered that the fall had rendered the gun unusable. So, I unloaded and proceeded to undertake the long slog back to the truck, gingerly, might I add. For good measure, I slipped one more time as I took the final turn to get back to the truck, adding insult to my injury.
We received a couple inches of snow Tuesday night, just enough to make the footing a challenge on the logging roads, where the ice was easy to see and avoid in our previous trips. Now on Wednesday, it was under there, lurking under a blanket of white, just waiting to trip me up, and it did - twice. The first time was the worst, as the Ruger flew from my hands, landing hard on the ice. After picking myself up, it was then that I discovered that the fall had rendered the gun unusable. So, I unloaded and proceeded to undertake the long slog back to the truck, gingerly, might I add. For good measure, I slipped one more time as I took the final turn to get back to the truck, adding insult to my injury.
With what could be a sizable winter storm ("It's the storm of the century!", "Run for your lives!" - I love how our current media blows these things out of proportion) coming in on Friday, we ventured in to the Vermont backcountry yesterday afternoon, hoping to get in to birds one more time. I just couldn't end my season with the memory of a broken shotgun ...
Rosie got the run yesterday, and she did well. While we didn't move many birds - four in total, two of which came out of trees above us, she did have a nice point on a grouse that couldn't wait for me to wade over to it before flushing. We were hunting an area with large, mature spruces, but with plenty of undergrowth to impede my advancement through the cover, so the bird got out of there prior to my arrival.
We also saw lots of snowshoe hare tracks and even a couple of moose, enjoying the early winter woods before it turns truly wintery today. There was approximately 3-4" of snow in the woods there, not the worst, but plenty of slipping and sliding over rocks and branches that couldn't be seen. Thankfully I didn't have any wipeouts like the day before.
Rosie got the run yesterday, and she did well. While we didn't move many birds - four in total, two of which came out of trees above us, she did have a nice point on a grouse that couldn't wait for me to wade over to it before flushing. We were hunting an area with large, mature spruces, but with plenty of undergrowth to impede my advancement through the cover, so the bird got out of there prior to my arrival.
We also saw lots of snowshoe hare tracks and even a couple of moose, enjoying the early winter woods before it turns truly wintery today. There was approximately 3-4" of snow in the woods there, not the worst, but plenty of slipping and sliding over rocks and branches that couldn't be seen. Thankfully I didn't have any wipeouts like the day before.
Rosie hunted hard on what will likely be our final grouse hunt this season. It was a beautiful afternoon to enjoy the woods.
Above: Big, mature spruces dominated the northern Vermont cover we were in yesterday
Below: Evidence of a recently departed ruffed grouse. The bird had been on alert and running - note the long strides.
One thing from yesterday's hunt that some of you may find amusing was my choice of a shotgun. After all, the Ruger was out of commission, so I had to choose another firearm for the last hunt of 2022. The 28 gauge that I often use was next in the lineup, but I was nearly out of ammo, so I journeyed to our local sporting goods store for reinforcements ... to no avail. They were fresh out of 28 gauge shells, so my backup to the backup plan was to get out my single shot .410 bore.
Yes, a single shot .410, my first shotgun when I was starting out bird hunting forty years ago. It's an old Harrington & Richardson whose short list of credits include one ruffed grouse, shot on the ground in 1982 (my first bird - sorry folks, I wish it was on the wing too, but that's the sad truth). The last time I used this gun was around fifteen years ago, when Rudy was a puppy. I took him woodcock hunting in Vermont, and was hoping to bag a doodle or two for him, without scaring him in the process. I shot at a few and missed all of them (with a FULL choke it has a tight pattern), unfortunately for Rudy.
To say that I didn't have a lot of confidence with this gun is an understatement, but somehow it felt like I would make it happen, in case the occasion would arise. Well, the occasion never did arise. Birds that come out of trees unannounced are nearly impossible to pick up on and hit, for me at least, so the two that flushed from trees did so without a shot. The last bird of the day flushed out of a spruce thicket ahead of Rosie and I - no visual, no shot. The only bird that offered anything resembling an opportunity was the one Rosie pointed, but it got up before I could get close enough for a shot.
It was fun carrying that gun again, even though I knew what the likely outcome of a shot would be. I couldn't help but think back to those times in the early 80's when I carried that gun around in the hopes of keeping up with my brothers as they scratched down a bird or two.
I also noticed confirmation of a couple of other upland bird hunters (trucks parked at gates, tire tracks and boot tracks) out there yesterday, undoubtedly watching the weather and choosing to take advantage before winter truly hits. Snow predictions here in the north country seem to be anywhere from 4 - 16" out of this two day storm, so we'll see what happens. The season might be over for me, but it's been a good one - challenging in some respects, but one in which we explored a lot of new future grouse coverts.
Yes, a single shot .410, my first shotgun when I was starting out bird hunting forty years ago. It's an old Harrington & Richardson whose short list of credits include one ruffed grouse, shot on the ground in 1982 (my first bird - sorry folks, I wish it was on the wing too, but that's the sad truth). The last time I used this gun was around fifteen years ago, when Rudy was a puppy. I took him woodcock hunting in Vermont, and was hoping to bag a doodle or two for him, without scaring him in the process. I shot at a few and missed all of them (with a FULL choke it has a tight pattern), unfortunately for Rudy.
To say that I didn't have a lot of confidence with this gun is an understatement, but somehow it felt like I would make it happen, in case the occasion would arise. Well, the occasion never did arise. Birds that come out of trees unannounced are nearly impossible to pick up on and hit, for me at least, so the two that flushed from trees did so without a shot. The last bird of the day flushed out of a spruce thicket ahead of Rosie and I - no visual, no shot. The only bird that offered anything resembling an opportunity was the one Rosie pointed, but it got up before I could get close enough for a shot.
It was fun carrying that gun again, even though I knew what the likely outcome of a shot would be. I couldn't help but think back to those times in the early 80's when I carried that gun around in the hopes of keeping up with my brothers as they scratched down a bird or two.
I also noticed confirmation of a couple of other upland bird hunters (trucks parked at gates, tire tracks and boot tracks) out there yesterday, undoubtedly watching the weather and choosing to take advantage before winter truly hits. Snow predictions here in the north country seem to be anywhere from 4 - 16" out of this two day storm, so we'll see what happens. The season might be over for me, but it's been a good one - challenging in some respects, but one in which we explored a lot of new future grouse coverts.
