Fall days afield 17/18

[snapt]

What kind of grouse snapt?

I have not been out after forest grouse at all this year. I've been out 3 times since the season opened on the 1st chasing Sharptails. Even though I've gotten my 2 bird limit each day it's been tough hunting. Up until yesterday every sharpie I shot were just singles. I finally saw a covey of 9 birds yesterday. Use to see coveys of 20 and 30 birds. For the last 10 years or so it seems their numbers just keep declining. On a brighter note seems to be a good Hun year. Besides my 2 sharpies I got yesterday I shot a limit of Huns. I haven't shot a limit of Huns in years.

Edit: Ahh forest grouse, just saw your guys other posts.

Yep forest grouse. Great season. Sharpies seem down for sure, still finding them but it's been tougher. Over this way their numbers were really good the last few years with milder winters and wet summers.

Huns seem to be really thriving, F&G guys told me the deep snow isn't an issue to them like it is Chukar.

Will probably make a trip down south to look for Roosters at some point. Let me know if you want to link up.

[Grange]

Nice one Funky! Looks like a great adventure. Some of the most memorable hunts are the unsuccessful ones.

You guys packed in a Dutch Oven but not a tent, you're hard core.

Wolves are cagey??? Wait!! But I've been told by treehugging bunny humpers that you can just go out in the woods and start blasting wolves at will. You're telling me that's not true?

Actually I hear that way more from supposed outdoorsmen who are out hunting all the time. The common comment is that their brother or buddy or cousin or somebody either lost their dog or almost lost their dog to wolves who have no fear of humans.

[flyandski365]

Three days, three tags, three speed goats down. STOKED.

There was a lot of this:


And this:


And then this:


And this:


This was mine and my brother's first pronghorn hunt and I have to say this was some of the most fun I've had hunting. Just really fun out in the open with little to no cover and using the terrain. For an eastern boy used to tree stands and sitting around in the woods this was a whole new thing.

Glad to see others getting it done! Cheers!

Edit: No idea why my photos are sideways... but you get the idea.

[2FUNKY]

I love antelope hunting. Way to go!

[flyandski365]

I love antelope hunting. Way to go!

Thanks, I'm hooked!

[thebirdhunter]

Will probably make a trip down south to look for Roosters at some point. Let me know if you want to link up.

That would be good. I don't know when I'll have time except toward the end of the season. I haven't hunted big game in a few years so I'm getting after it this year. I have an elk hunt in Idaho that starts next week and a 3rd season deer tag in Colorado that starts Nov 4th. I'm hoping to get after the roosters after that. I'll let you know.

[pepperdawg]

I like backstrap. How does Antelope compare taste-wise to whitetail?

[2FUNKY]

They're are really similar in all the antelope and white tail I've killed. Delicious!

[flyandski365]

I seared some of the sinewy stuff I trimmed off and it was definitely a little gamey, which I don't mind too much. Those trim pieces weren't as thoroughly cleaned of fascia so that may have had something to do with it. My rustyness at cleaning big game may also be a factor as it was longer than I would have liked from shot to cooler. Gonna eat it all and chalk any gamey flavor up to lessons learned.

Sent from my LG-M150 using TGR Forums mobile app

[yeahman]

Gonna eat it all and chalk any gamey flavor up to lessons learned.

Try mixing the thawed meat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and let it sit in the fridge overnight before cooking. Helps minimize gaminess.

[Phall]

Finally got it done with the bow last night. Doe came to 30 yards, flinched the shot, was farther back than it should be, but she was spraying blood and went 20 yards and piled up. Excited to shoot my first ever deer and first big game animal with a bow. A big weight off my shoulders after 35 days of hunting so far this season. Time to take a break, ride my bike, shoot some ducks, and try to locate some elk, then head to VT for a family holiday and the late archery season in December.

[2FUNKY]

Nice work man. Headed out this weekend to try and put my tag on an Elk. Not being picking, taking the first legal bull I see.

[hatchgreenchile]

Nice work Phall - way to get it done with the bow.
Go enjoy some seared backstrap!

[flyandski365]

Nice work! Putting one down with the bow is a project for next year for sure.

[yeahman]

Way to go Phall!

[Grange]

Just got home from spending a week at the cottage bird hunting and cutting wood. We cut three pick-up loads of hardwood for the cottage and home during the rain and hunted the rest of the time. Grouse numbers are down quite a bit in WI, which is a disappointment considering the drumming counts were up this spring. Multiple theories going around, but talking with the wildlife biologist in my office we figure the wet weather this year is part of the reason.

Even though grouse numbers were down we were able to get plenty of dog work with the woodcock flight coming through this week. For the entire week we probably saw less than 20 grouse, but at least triple that with woodcock. Here is a typical video of what we saw this week. It's my setter pointing a flight (migrating) woodcock. I don't care to eat woodcock so I don't shoot them.

[snapt]

Good looking dog!

We're still enjoying a solid bird season, despite a slower start sharptail are suddenly everywhere. Still whacking ruff's as well.

[MakersTeleMark]

Nice Phall.

2 words, game bags.

[flyandski365]

Good looking dog!

We're still enjoying a solid bird season, despite a slower start sharptail are suddenly everywhere. Still whacking ruff's as well.

Beautiful. I need a bird hunting mentor.

[Phall]

Nice Phall.

2 words, game bags.

Had the quarters in game bags till I got home, but got two of the quarters a little dirty (first game animal quartered solo). I cleaned the quarters right when I got home and figured that they would be worse off back in the game bags so threw them into the clean cooler overnight until I could process.

[BCMtnHound]

Took a long weekend and went to visit my father in the Kootenays, taking my 5yr old daughter and the hound. Helped out around the property a bit, noticed a little spike whitetail bedded down. Went back to the house, borrowed a rifle from dad, and filled the tag. The little one was a bit put off by the shot, but no issues with the rest of the business. Glad to have had the opportunity as I'm not sure that I'll have much time to find another nice whitetail around the N.Thompson or Adams Rivers this season. Snow in the valley bottoms this weekend however...

[snapt]

Beautiful. I need a bird hunting mentor.

Happy to help as much as I can, I'm only a few seasons deep into it but getting it pretty well figured out.

[flyandski365]

Happy to help as much as I can, I'm only a few seasons deep into it but getting it pretty well figured out.

Thanks man!

Where you at? "Behind the potato curtain"... Idaho?

[stompinlines]

Found orange feet on Saturday.

[Phall]

Been chasing ducks since my deer. A friend works for Flycraft, and let me take a demo boat to figure out effective uses for duck hunting and work on prototyping a blind. I need to track down a motor.