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View Full Version : Grouse hunting south Island.



Marc
09-21-2009, 09:33 PM
Well Field Marshall and I headed out again yesterday morning to try our luck again at some ditch chickens. We did fairly good for the first part of the day. Surprisingly all birds where shot off the mainlines and none where seen on the spurs and we covered a lot and I mean lot of spurs.

The first bird for Marshall to retrieve was a blue grouse, surprisingly it was in low elevation and the only blue we got that day. He had a friend with him but we couldn't coax him out.

We then came across another single ruffie, and Marshall again made the retrieve.

We then came around a corner where 3 grouse where in a huddle and broke before we got a chance at them on the road. We pushed one bird that I missed on the first shot and it landed on a branch out in front of me. He didn't evade the second shot. Well here is where we came into a situation. The bird fell and the dog ran into the bushes towards it then I heard rocks rolling and crashing to the bottom of a a ravine where there was a small creek running. I peered down the side and slid my way down to where the bird was sitting in the tree but still couldn't see where the grouse had landed. Marshall a little more steady on all four scurried down to the waters edge and eventually found the bird. It's amazing the incline a dog can climb down and up. It had to be a good 75 degree angle and a good 50 yards down. I was a bit nervous as he went down as once in a while he'd push a rock or two over the edge. I was a bit nervous that he wouldn't be able to get back up but he scaled the side with the bird in his chops and came up faster then he went down. A sigh of relief and a pat on the head for getting the bird.

The next bird we came across was a statue not 25 yards in front of the truck. He just stood there with his neck stuck out making it easier to keep the pellets out of the body. This was a young chick and soon as we moved maybe 10 yards we noticed two more running the ditch and we managed to get one of the two.

That's where I made the mistake of making the comment that if things keep going like they have we'll have our limit in no time. It was 10:30am and that was the last grouse we saw all day.

We covered a lot of spurs but no birds to be seen. We saw a small fawn around 4:00pm and then nothing until around 7:30pm when we went high to try and catch some sun to take a picture . Well sure enough Field Marshall spots a fork buck at the top of the slash we were in. Only problem is all I had was a 30-30 in the truck and we figure the deer was 275 yards away so no shots where fired. Still nice to see a legal animal.

Here is the picture of our success.

Marshall is really catching on to the grouse game, he's really starting to use his nose and knows when birds have been around and roots them out.

We had the camera on a timer and tried to get Marshall to sit for the picture but this is the farthest he got, this was the better of the 3 we managed to snap off.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/take_3.jpg

LeverActionJunkie
09-22-2009, 02:31 PM
Good work Marc. Sounds like Marshal is really coming into his own these days. I bet you were relieved and very proud after he made that tricky retrieve. Congratulations.

Sasquatch
09-22-2009, 04:00 PM
Great stuff Marc, that dog just seems to get better and better as a hunting partner.

I know the feeling of anxiety watching your dog make a retrieve from somewhere you don't really want him to be - until he makes it back safely, and you can breathe again.

Salty
09-24-2009, 01:09 PM
Not a bad day at all Marc :cool: Yep, Marshall is really comming in to his own. He looks in real good shape, and on the ball. He looks a lot like the first dog in my life, Rusty - about a 110 lb Chessy. ..

bogtrotter
09-25-2009, 08:38 PM
Looks like you guys had a great time ! I'm looking forward to next weekend in Osoyoos - pheasants, quail and maybe some grouse. My old dog ( 12 year old Springer) will do his best - not sure if he can do many 75 degree slopes any more. We'll stay in the river valley for the most part.

Cheers,

Bogtrotter

Marc
09-25-2009, 08:52 PM
Not a bad day at all Marc :cool: Yep, Marshall is really comming in to his own. He looks in real good shape, and on the ball. He looks a lot like the first dog in my life, Rusty - about a 110 lb Chessy. ..

He just turned two on the 16th and I've cut his food back this summer to 2 lbs of raw. He was getting about 4 lbs per day this past spring. He's toned down since then and has lost about 5-10 lbs. I can feel his ribs but not to the point where he's bony. Should be a great fall as he's really starting to use his nose compared to last season.

Marc
09-25-2009, 09:01 PM
Here is a few pictures leading up to the one I finally put up. I had to laugh when I got home and saw the sequence as we were trying to take a picture on the timer and I was trying to get the dog to play along and get ready for the shot.:mrgreen: The dog looks chunky because he's in a half sitting position.

http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/vv191/huntingbc/take1.jpg

http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/vv191/huntingbc/take2.jpg

http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/vv191/huntingbc/take3.jpg

Chuck
09-25-2009, 09:06 PM
Thanks for that! Good picture too................

Salty
09-26-2009, 12:12 PM
Well whatever your doing Marc keep it up

http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/vv191/huntingbc/take1.jpg

That's about perfect condition for him ^^, I wouldn't want him any thinner. You're right about watching his food tho, like any water dog Chesapeakes can become plump grocery hounds. lol

dakotawinters
10-22-2009, 04:21 PM
Nice pictures. Where did you end up hunting the birds? I'm looking for a secret spot. ;-)

field marshal
10-22-2009, 09:58 PM
dakotawinters---
Blues will be close to mature timber this time of year.
Willows will still be in alder and willow bottoms as well as second growth fir.
Renfrew, Caycuse, Nitinat, Gordon River all hold birds, but of course them
that looks FINDS????? Good luck!
Cheers , Field Marshal.

kyleklassen
10-22-2009, 10:30 PM
took the bike out nan. lakes way today and saw an ass load of grouse. willows down low and blues up high. saw a couple of doe's too up around "p" country. bucks soon too follow in nov.