A few days ago I rounded up 2 of the grandson's & took them bow hunting, when we got to the area we started seeing quite a few chickens (grouse) I shot one with the OM 357 maggie but didn't want to shoot anymore & scare the game away. I decided I'd go back in a few days & take care of business.
Today I rounded up Callshot & we took the 4 wheelers & launched an all out assualt on the grouse population. We saw Blue grouse, Ruff grouse & Forest grouse, these are also called pine chickens or fool hens. They are pretty easy to get, the Ruffs & the Blues are a little different bird.
My load is 3 grs of WST with a 100 gr cast slug, these are running about 960 fps out of my gun. Callshot has the same gun & shoots the same load.
We had just entered the pines where the shadows had already covered the road & started seeing chickens, this is a perfect time to catch them graveling & taking a dust bath in the dirt road.
Two Ruffs were eyeballing me at 30 yds, I tried a headshot & missed, its pretty hard to shoot a 30 caliber bullet at a 40 caliber head at that distance. I had to start body shooting them but these little cast slugs slip through they like a hot knife in butter, one shot & it turns their lights out.
Great, great evening hunt, we saw 14 birds, got shots at half of them & ended up with 4 fat chickens. We never did run out of chickens, just ran out of daylight.
Just as I was getting out into a little meadow I spotted 2 pine hens dusting in the road, I stopped & waited, and waited, and waited for Callshot, I wanted him to get another one. Finally I decided to offer them some lead poisoning & moved in for the kill, here comes Callshot, he had stopped to cut a couple of walking sticks, how many guys need 2 walkng sticks when they're riding a 4 wheeler! I know one!
He raced over to me, jumped off his wheeler & drew his gun & cocked the hammer, before he could move I told him to put his thumb between the frame & hammer, he did & took one step & fell flat on his tulips (2 lips) he rolled his ankle but the gun didn't go off, it very easily could have with the gun in his right hand, ready to go. Maybe he does need 2 walking sticks! Any time I get in close to an animal this is how I carry my gun, its already cocked but my left thumb is between the frame & hammer & I have a very good/safe grip on the gun, I don't want to cock the hammer when I'm really close, I do it before & sneak in.
He got a couple of shots but the chickens slipped into the brush & we called it a night, great time, I got 3 of them but got more shooting than Steve, next time he'll get most of the shooting & I'll video.
There is some really rough country here, deer, elk, bears, lions, moose & chickens call it home.
Callshot with his nice plump grouse. He's becoming a very fine shot.
Here's me with the 3 I got with the 32 maggie.
Fall is in the air boys, I love it!
Me, holding all 4 birds, some fine eating there!
Callshot does need to learn to take more ammo!!
Dick
