Keeping up with what's going on

This hunting offseason was great.  Summer saw some fishing, camping, hiking, and an awesome trip to the Adirondacks.

When we returned from New York, I got Rocko out and about to practice on some woodcock.  I was pleased when he pointed three in a 10 minute span.  Here is the video of the September training.

Youtube Video

This would be the first of many we'd get into this fall.

George Bird Evans

I've been doing some research on George Bird Evans and he has some incredible quotes.  I had to post my favorite:

“I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better.  They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death.  Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying.”

-J.J.

Hunting 2013 in Pictures (continued)

Probably the best day afield I returned home with nothing.  We hit the Allegheny National Forest for a day in early November.  The woodcock had already migrated through.  We put up 5 grouse.  I got a shot at one, missed it twice.  What a beautiful, damp day.  Good scenting conditions.

I love how lone pine trees stand out on the landscape.  Usually there are buck rubs on them.

Similar.

Wow, the habitat around this dam is awesome.  Gotta get up here in late October.

We had some issues with thorns in paws.

Shrubby cover everywhere.

More shrubby cover.

Rocko pointed a grouse off the right side of this trail.  I walked over, kicked it up, and it flew out onto this trail away for me.  Offered me two clear shots and I shot over it twice!  Frustrating but fun!

Getting tired.

Tired.

Then we did some more pheasant hunting towards home.  We bagged a good bit of birds this year.  I spend a lot of time learning different ways to cook them.  They dry out to easy.  Thanks to Honest Food for some great tips!

Rocko pointing a pheasant.  He's getting good enough where I was actually able to get my phone out, snap a picture, then walk in and flush the bird.  If someone told me that could happen 2 years ago, I'd have called them a liar!

Rocko in all his glory.  No, he's not wearing a hat.

This was the first bird I ever hung before plucking.  Plucking can be somewhat excruciating, but well worth it when it comes to tablefare.

My daughter and I spent the afternoon preparing the bird with some stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  She said they were better than chicken nuggets.

In stand for the first day of Rifle season.  Saw three doe.

The only picture I took the first Saturday of rifle season.  I took a doe that day but for some reason didn't get any pictures.

Now it's February.  January stunk.  So cold and when it snows, it puts a layer of ice on top.  I wasn't about to take the dog out in sub 0 temperatures with icy snow.  We've been watching the junco's, titmice, chickadees, red bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers attack our homemade suet recipe.

Now that the season is over I started to get depressed thinking I have to wait until next October, but -- not true.  Mid-march should bring a woodcock flight through where Rocko can train.  Early May brings spring gobbler.

Regards!

-Jeremy

Hunting 2013 in Pictures

This blog was supposed to be an update about EVERY occurrence of fishing, hunting, outdoors, etc that I've done.  On that front, I've failed.  Miserably.  Doing many other things is a lot more important than updating a web blog, so I figure when I can get to it, I get to it.  Here is my 2013 hunting wrap up.

What a great year!  Got a spring gobbler, took a doe on a shot that ruined almost no meat, and had a ton of fun bird hunting with Rocko.

Took this beauty of a bird on the first day of the spring season.  Can't believe two things: I was done turkey hunting and it wasn't even May yet, and my daughter was excited to see and learn about the bird.

I used to do all my preseason scouting by myself but now I have a buddy that likes to tag-along on cool, late summer mornings.  (Also, go Bucs!)

This is where we hiked to.  A highpoint of Beaver County overlooking the county seat.  Cool spot.  Also, I never tried the panoramic option on my phone.  I like it.

Oliver's eyes are always peeled when we're out.

My new O/U Mossberg Silver Reserve II 20 gauge I got this year.  Really like it, and congrats to Mossberg on making a fine, affordable gun.

First day of grouse (thick cover)

First day of grouse (Beaver pond)

I proclaimed this day as the "Day Rocko Graduated from Pheasant School".  The way he worked birds, went downwind to come upwind to point, set, and let me shoot was unreal.

Perfect conditions were had on a perfect Friday about 5 miles from the Appalachian Front.

"Git on da backadat pickup 'n get a picture with'at fine bird'n dog...what kind'a pigeons ya got there?"

::Post continued to be continued::

First 3 Saturdays

Location:  All over Western PA

Temp/Wind/Weather:  Varied.

I was able to get out for the first three Saturday's of bird season.  Grouse and woodcock opened up and I was only able to get out for 2 hours at a local gamelands.  Rocko flushed one woodcock, a low flyer, where a spring seep meets a swamp meets early successional habitat meets an old farmstead.....I guess I should have been ready.

The next weekend was the opening of pheasant season...so time to hit the grouse woods.  I was back home where you're more likely to stumble upon grouse.  Plus opening day of pheasant season is similar looking to Walmart's parking lot with people everywhere.  Lin accompanied me and we went out for two hours.  It was windy.  One bird flushed wildly 25 yards in a different direction than expected.  No shot.  We were walking through a blackberry patch and just about stepped on a bedded down buck.  A small buck -- maybe a 4 point.  I tracked a bear through this same area 3 years ago and was thinking about it when it jumped up from the brush about 10 yards away.  Needless to say it put me on edge for the millisecond before I saw what it was.

Finally, today, we put up another bird.  A pheasant wildly flushed from some good thick habitat.  I took a shot at about 25 yards.  Rocko ran to the bird.  It was a female pheasant.  My first bird with my new 20 GA over/under.  I'm 1/1 with hit; shooting 100%.  Maybe I oughta quit while I'm ahead.  Maybe not.

Some pictures from today.

Rocko rubbing ticks onto me.  Maybe vice-versa

Victory shot

Wish it was a grouse, but pheasants are fun too!

Rocko after the hunt/bath/tick removal.  A tired Brit is a good Brit.

Name that poop.  Actually serious, not sure what it is.  Berries in it and quite large.

Summertime

Well it's summertime.  Too hot to be in the woods so we've been hitting Dunning Creek.

My daughter telling us which crayfish to use.

Charlotte's first fish!  She tagged it 'Lucy".

Right before we took this picture we saw a hummingbird chasing away two Baltimore orioles from it's nest.

Where's the Bucco hat?  --Caught this nice smallie all while Oliver was along for the ride and Rocko chasing my 3" Yamamota Senko.

Happy 3rd Birthday Rocko...poor guy.

3/17/2013 - Spring Training

Location: Somewhere, Beaver County PA

Temp: 38 degrees,
Wind: none
Weather: Cold, no wind.  Perfect if dressed appropriately for walking

I haven't post in a coon's age.  Apparently a coon's age is...6 months?

I wanted to take Rocko out to see if we could come across any migrating woodcock.  Woodcock are a migratory game bird that head south for the winter and make their way back through this area in the spring.  They're funny looking (do a google image search of them) and are just slightly bigger than a robin.

Speaking of robins, if you see them in your yard then that is a sign that the ::ahem:: 'cock might be on their way as well.  Something that I find interesting about the bird is not even the bird itself.  It's the fact then when I bring it up in conversation with a non-hunter, I first get a laugh at the name of the bird and then a puzzled look as in "what-the-heck-is-it"?  There is so much going on in the world of wildlife outside of our yards and this is one of those things.  You'll never see one walking around your front yard or sitting on your clothesline, so you have to set out to see 'em.

I have a brushy spot about 1 mile from my house where we've flushed them before last spring (unfortunately not in the Fall though).  So we set out to see if we could flush some.

Here is a picture of the habitat we're hitting:

After 3 minutes, Rocko went on point.  His collar went off and then he started to creep.  I yelled "Stop!" to him and he did.  I started to approach and one burst up from the brush, flew 10 feet into the air, hit plane, and buzzed off between the small trees in the photo above.  I say buzzed, because when they fly their wings make a strange buzz/'peet' sound from air whistling between them.  Similar to a dove I guess.

Then as we walked further, another bird flushed and flew right over my head.  Rocko came running towards me, proud.  I'm not really sure what happened but I know it wasn't pointed.  Maybe he ran it over, maybe it was anxious and flushed when it saw the dog...who knows.  I patted him on the head regardless.

I saw the general location where the bird landed so we headed that direction.  Rocko went on a solid point:

It's cool when this happens.  The scent will hit is nostrils, he'll stop in his tracks, and do a loud 'breath-out'.  This picture I caught him in the middle of his exhale.  Of course, you gotta have the right-foot up to get the 1950's-era Field & Stream artwork look.

Surprisingly, this bird held fairly well for being a second flush.  I actually had to walk around the brush and flush the bird.  Rocko didn't hold point for all that long and came along with me.  I wish I had a better photo because I might be able to pick out the bird from the brush.

We flushed one more bird and then called it a day.  Three birds in total were moved.  Rocko did a great job.  I don't know why we can't point and flush like this during hunting season.

I had trouble getting Rocko out of the brush.  Here's a picture of him taking a break, looking into the habitat. Pretty thick/jaggery stuff:

Fun St. Patrick's Day.  Unfortunately, it's March 24th now and we're expecting 7 inches of snow tonight!  Something tell's me we're going to have no spring.  Straight from 30 degree temps straight to the 80's.  Time will tell.