caddisguy
09-22-2019, 02:50 PM
Bit of a blooper weekend. Figured I'd share it and open myself up to some jabs LOL
Definitely not the funniest bloopers, but the most fresh for sure.
I drove out after work on Thursday. Woke up Friday morning first light and hear a thump.
I look outside and there's 3 grouse messing around.
My shotgun is in the case, tucked away under some other gear. I wasn't planning on bird hunting until the drive out the next day.
Sooo, I sip my red bull a bit watching these grouse contemplating on whether or not to bother. On one hand I figure all the hassle getting the shotgun out, they'll probably be gone anyway... and do I want to be blasting a shot gun around first light before I head into my blind? On the other hand, I wasn't sure I brought enough food for the trip, so this kinda of seems meant to be. I mean how often does this actually happen in Region 2?
I manage to get at the shotgun case, take the shotgun out, find the trigger lock key in my pack, a couple shells in the center console. Looks like I'm all set. One of the birds seems onto me now. I open door, get out of the jeep, pop a shell in the chamber and one in the tube... clack-clack... grouse is already doing the "tall skinny stance" so I figure time is a factor. Line it up, BOOOM.... grouse pauses a second or two and flies away. I jack another one in as the second grouse flies... third one still sitting there.... BOOOM... grouse flies away. Seriously? I just missed two still targets with a 12 gauge / modified choke at just under 20 yards... probably scared every deer in the area away and nothing to show for it.
I pack up the shotgun, grab the rifle and start hiking to my blind. On the way out of camp I notice a bunch of TP right on the deactivated trail and think of the poop thread. Next time walking through the neck high vegetation feeling defeated. Obviously I'm not going to see anything, then HUFF, thump thump... this WT doe is huffing at me, running around making a scene and getting all cranky with me. I'm waiting for her to move along so I can get by with out further commotion.
Well this is an odd chain of events. Can't get any weirder right? I pop out one of the SD cards from my cam (got a couple cams right by the blind) and what do you know, there's a 1.5 year old antlerless buck laying the pipe in a doe from a few hours earlier right up close in front of the cam. Starting to think these deer are just messing with me.
I thumb through the rest of the vids and start losing all hope for this "blacktail" spot. A young WT doe, a WT doe with twins, another WT doe with triplets, a blacktail doe with twins, and a BT/muley hybrid looking two with twins. No bucks since middle of August (up until then there a couple 5x5's, a couple 4x4's, 4x3, couple forkies and a spike) ... all long gone now it seems.
Should be a nice and quiet in the valley bottom though... maybe there will be something moving. The serenity was short lived. Turns out they are working up the mountain on one side of the valley... bunch of heavy equipment and blasting. Then some trigger happy folks show up on the other side of the valley... must have heard a few hundred rounds from at least a half dozen different guns in a couple hours. I guess they really like to shoot LOL. I try to cling onto hope... maybe all the commotion around me will push something my way. I'd be happy just filming a doe from the blind at this point, coming to terms with the fact I can't find a buck in this region if my life depended on it.
I sit in the blind as long as I can bear (not sure how I feel about this style of hunting.... I get pretty bored and enthusiasm gets low) thinking about those stupid grouse. How does someone miss grouse at less than 20 yards with a 12 gauge? I'll admit it's not the first time but this one definitely got to me the most.
Definitely not the funniest bloopers, but the most fresh for sure.
I drove out after work on Thursday. Woke up Friday morning first light and hear a thump.
I look outside and there's 3 grouse messing around.
My shotgun is in the case, tucked away under some other gear. I wasn't planning on bird hunting until the drive out the next day.
Sooo, I sip my red bull a bit watching these grouse contemplating on whether or not to bother. On one hand I figure all the hassle getting the shotgun out, they'll probably be gone anyway... and do I want to be blasting a shot gun around first light before I head into my blind? On the other hand, I wasn't sure I brought enough food for the trip, so this kinda of seems meant to be. I mean how often does this actually happen in Region 2?
I manage to get at the shotgun case, take the shotgun out, find the trigger lock key in my pack, a couple shells in the center console. Looks like I'm all set. One of the birds seems onto me now. I open door, get out of the jeep, pop a shell in the chamber and one in the tube... clack-clack... grouse is already doing the "tall skinny stance" so I figure time is a factor. Line it up, BOOOM.... grouse pauses a second or two and flies away. I jack another one in as the second grouse flies... third one still sitting there.... BOOOM... grouse flies away. Seriously? I just missed two still targets with a 12 gauge / modified choke at just under 20 yards... probably scared every deer in the area away and nothing to show for it.
I pack up the shotgun, grab the rifle and start hiking to my blind. On the way out of camp I notice a bunch of TP right on the deactivated trail and think of the poop thread. Next time walking through the neck high vegetation feeling defeated. Obviously I'm not going to see anything, then HUFF, thump thump... this WT doe is huffing at me, running around making a scene and getting all cranky with me. I'm waiting for her to move along so I can get by with out further commotion.
Well this is an odd chain of events. Can't get any weirder right? I pop out one of the SD cards from my cam (got a couple cams right by the blind) and what do you know, there's a 1.5 year old antlerless buck laying the pipe in a doe from a few hours earlier right up close in front of the cam. Starting to think these deer are just messing with me.
I thumb through the rest of the vids and start losing all hope for this "blacktail" spot. A young WT doe, a WT doe with twins, another WT doe with triplets, a blacktail doe with twins, and a BT/muley hybrid looking two with twins. No bucks since middle of August (up until then there a couple 5x5's, a couple 4x4's, 4x3, couple forkies and a spike) ... all long gone now it seems.
Should be a nice and quiet in the valley bottom though... maybe there will be something moving. The serenity was short lived. Turns out they are working up the mountain on one side of the valley... bunch of heavy equipment and blasting. Then some trigger happy folks show up on the other side of the valley... must have heard a few hundred rounds from at least a half dozen different guns in a couple hours. I guess they really like to shoot LOL. I try to cling onto hope... maybe all the commotion around me will push something my way. I'd be happy just filming a doe from the blind at this point, coming to terms with the fact I can't find a buck in this region if my life depended on it.
I sit in the blind as long as I can bear (not sure how I feel about this style of hunting.... I get pretty bored and enthusiasm gets low) thinking about those stupid grouse. How does someone miss grouse at less than 20 yards with a 12 gauge? I'll admit it's not the first time but this one definitely got to me the most.