went up to camp yesterday to check on the progress of the fireplace and roof. the masons were finishing up the stone facing and the roofer was putting up the "cricket", this thing that keeps snow and rain water from leaking down the chimney. everything looked good so Stink (my dog) and i headed out with the .410 handi in search of the elusive ruffed grouse.
i had some hand loads that used about 14 grains of H110 and a 1/2oz of #6's in the pocket. we started out around 10:30am. stink and i worked out this scheme were we walk for a bunch of steps, stop for a few seconds, then do it again. an elder wingshooter told me that this drives grouse nuts, they can't take the noise, then silence.
about a 1/2 hour into our walk, we had a flush from a fallen tree and i had no shot. the bird flew real low about 10 yards into a thicket and then must have run. we scoured the thicket, nothing. no low shots for me with the dog around.
20 or so minutes later we made it through the woods to what the locals' call the "Lead Mines Road", the cartographers show it as the Rossie - Redwood Trail and it runs through some old dutch settlements and farms from the town of redwood to a farm on the edge of the rossie township. the road was heavily used back in WWII to provide access to the lead mines that still dot the area but have long been sealed up to prevent hapless explorers from meeting their early demise.
Stink got a bit ahead of me on the trail and lunged head first into the small ditch on the southern side of the trail. a nice fat grouse launched and headed for the woods, no ground cover, just barren trees. i managed to get one shot off and the bird folded up like an accordian.
Stink is not a hunting dog, nor will he retrieve, nor will he point, etc., etc. he is a house pet, the only he hunts for is an easier way of life. but he did run in the general direction of the bird after it flushed. the bird landed 48 good sized paces off the road from where i shot. Stink had to be 15 yards ahead of me when the bird flushed and i basically had a skeet shot from the 4th station low house.
i'll tell you, i usually use 7 1/2 shot or 8's on grouse, but that 1/2 ounce of #6's folded that bird up clean. it was dead, not a flutter. i may keep a few of those #6 loads close by and handy just for those long hail mary shots !
so for dinner, Stink and i had some really good grouse soup. it was a simple recipe, breast out and bbq the bird then chop it up, 2 cans chicken stock, carrots, celery, homemade motza balls, a 1/2 handful of chopped cilantro, a pinch of basil, a loaf of seriously crusted bread, some butter, and chow down !
sg
