Okay, technically it was September last week too, but with the holiday and all, and some kids not in school yet, it didn’t really feel like it. But it’s already bird season in some states, and if you just…can’t…take it, you and maybe your favorite mutt can get out there, fill yourself with brambles and/or […]
The following bird forecasts are from Paul Fuller’s Bird Dogs Afield periodic emails (sign up here). A bit of explanation from Paul, and then edited versions of the forecasts: > Our bird forecasts are fresh and typically obtained within the past week [from wildlife biologists and] several folks…that are not biologists but are in the […]
A forester, landowner and tree-farmer in CT named Jim Gillespie recently wrote in to the Litchfield County (CT) Times newspaper about what many grouse and woodcock hunters – including the Ruffed Grouse Society – have been saying for years: Cut trees! It’s all good! Some choice excerpts from the piece, titled In Defense of Clear-Cutting:
Well, blimey: Last Friday the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denied a petition that asked it to ban the production and sale of lead ammunition and fishing tackle. So round 1 of this battle – you are nuts if you think there won’t be a round 2, 3, etc.! – goes to us Neanderthals. Steve Owens, […]
TV host, trick shooter and deep-voiced Benelli user Tom Knapp was recently interviewed by Dennis Anderson of the Minneapolis Star Tribune – which we are gradually becoming convinced has the best bird-hunting articles of any newspaper – and offered the following tips and tidbits for upland shooters. Here goes:
It’s not every state or every species yet, but some info is trickling out. Here’s the skinny on three big bird states.
If you’ve shot Winchester AA shells, we don’t need to explain how good they are. If you haven’t shot them before, or much, run out to a Cabela’s – call and check first! – and buy a case for $84.99, send in the $20 mail-in rebate and thus get the case for just $64.99! That’s […]
We’re monitoring all things Minnesota these days in anticipation of our trip to that state – aka “the aspen homeland” – in mid-October. A stat on just one state forest: 80+% aspens! Anyhow, we ran across a somewhat sobering piece in the Duluth News Tribune, which states that: Minnesota grouse hunters harvested just 358,000 birds […]
Don’t have a dog? No problem. Hunt ruffed grouse. We put up and shoot at plenty of those wily forest chickens just by walking them up, as detailed in our book. (Of course, good dogs can make grouse hunting better, just like bad dogs can make it worse.) But no dog and pheasants? Nope – […]
Lots of people, even if they’re not conscious of it, would like more quail. They’d like to hear them, see them if they’re lucky, just know they’re there. The steps to do that include less development (not happening) and more habitat management (not happening enough – yet – but some good folks are working on […]
This is a big deal, folks. A couple of “want to change the world” green groups are seeking to change a national law, put control of ammunition under a federal department rather than Congress and get rid of ALL lead ammo in one shot. In less than 90 days and counting. Hunters and anglers are […]
We stumbled across an article by NC writer Dick Jones that told of an experience he had, or witnessed, at the Northeast Side-by-Side Classic – where, in case it’s not obvious enough (!), people only shoot SxSs. A champion shooter named JD was having a tough day with an old gun. For the rest of […]
Hopefully you have been reading about the greenies (environmental groups) walking into the White House with an agenda and walking out with policies that are geared to hinder or stop hunting and fishing. The latest front to open up in this war – it is a war – is lead ammunition. All lead ammunition, everywhere […]
The new sign-up for the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will help replace some pheasant- and quail-friendly habitat that has been lost to agriculture, but not all of it, according to an article in the Omaha, NE World-Herald. The CRP pays landowners to retire marginal cropland from production and plant it with grasses and flowering […]
Here’s part 2 of a post on a bird we bet most upland hunters have never heard of, the Himalayan snowcock – several of which are running around high-altitude Nevada right now! We begin with another electrifying quote from an account of Himalayan snowcock hunting that appeared in Sports Illustrated in November 1992, believe it […]
Part 1 First of all, be reassured that Himalayan snowcock is not something one gets…you know, privately…when spending time at super-high altitudes. Or rather, it is, but only if you’re lucky and a great shot. In an effort to track down whether any Japanese yamadori have been stocked in the U.S. (or North America), we […]
Jay recently commented on a thread on the shotgunworld.com forums about a guy (username Pumpster) who was wondering whether it’s wise to agree to inviting a third person on a ruffed grouse/woodcock hunt in Maine. He doesn’t know this third person, but his friend does.
Lucky for France, there are other things to like about that country than its World Cup team. Take, for example, the above Darne shotgun. Wow. Never seen nor heard of these guns recently, but definitely unique-looking.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently issued its population status report for the American woodcock and it’s not great. Except for woody hatchlings in the central flyway, the data aren’t terrible compared to 2009 – though it’s definitely not a good picture over time, no surprise since it seems like almost everyone is against […]
Today we saw that the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is now a member of the Georgia Bobwhite Technical Team, marking the first time the NWTF “has officially signed on to benefit bobwhite quail in Georgia.” That’s all well and good, potentially, but the key part of the release is this language (our emphasis in […]
Just read this article on hunting ruffies in MN this year. So much of it, while well-intentioned, is wrong. Here goes: > The good news is, counts were up 34 percent this spring in parts of northern Minnesota. Counts remained stable in southern Minnesota. This COULD mean that there’s more easy birds (young ones) early […]
Lessons from 2012 Maine-NH Hunt
Don’t know if we’ve fully recovered yet from our not-quite-a-week of hunting Maine and New Hampshire for ruffies and woodies. We all actually bailed 2 days early, having put in 5 consecutive days instead of our usual 7. Felt like wimps about it, but hey, we were BEAT…from 5 days of the most brutal hunting […]
No Grouse Comeback in SW Penn?
Sounds like ruffed grouse will never be as much a part of the landscape of southern Pennsylvania as they once will. “Never” sounds ominous. Permanent. But that’s the conclusion of an article by Bob Frye in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Why should you care if you don’t live or hunt in PA? Reasons: > Pennsylvania is […]
Hey: All Ruffies Drum Differently!
Did you know that? Not until now…. This info won’t help us hunting, but it’s interesting – and makes sense. Here’s more, from newscientist.com: Male ruffed grouse are the first animals known to make unique non-vocal sounds. Humans and many other animals, particularly birds, can be identified by their voices. But no one had looked […]
Ran across this quote from an article about Iowa’s pheasant count: > “I haven’t even gone pheasant hunting the last couple of years because the birds just weren’t there,†said Tim Wolf, a 61-year-old bank president who lives in Waukee. YES THEY WERE! They most definitely were there. Maybe not like this… > “But I’ve […]
Top 10 Reasons To Go to Phez Fest
Pheasants/Quail Forever’s Pheasant Fest/Quail Classic is coming up soon at KC, MO (see info in right column), and just in case you’re thinking it’s too far or whatever, here are the Top 10 – really just 10 of many – reasons to go. We’re doing it Letterman-style, 10 to 1. 10. What else are you […]
Across the Pond Bird Follies, Vids
Ah the UK, the land that gave the world 17 pieces of silverware on the table, animal rights and other questionable stuff. Okay, it wasn’t all bad – that’s where our bird hunting came from too. But it’s different here…or there, depending on your perspective. Here’s some recent bird news plus some interesting vids. Katie […]
Do Congress, Tea Party Hate Pheasants?
We make it a point to try not to get suckered by political hoo-ha, so that’s not what this is about. We ran across a blog post on the Discovery-owned treehugger.com titled “Why Does Congress Hate Pheasants?” and a related one, “Do Tea Party, Heritage Foundation Oppose Hunting?” Interesting stuff, written by the same gent, […]
Quail, the most beleaguered of our beloved gamebirds, is getting a helping hand in Kansas. Or rather, a bigger helping hand. The state just announced that it’s “launching a new quail restoration initiative aimed at making a difference in declining bobwhite quail populations at a landscape level.” Here’s more: > Includes the designation of two […]
Worms and Birds: What Else Don’t We Know?
Believe we’ve talked about this at least once, but a recent Wall Street Journal article on the plight of Texas quail got us thinking about it again. Here’s the applicable stuff: …Rolling Hills Quail Research Ranch, a 4,700-acre spread an hour west of Abilene. Last month, researchers there found that the levels of parasitic worms […]
Top 10 Reasons To Go to Phez Fest
Pheasants/Quail Forever’s Pheasant Fest/Quail Classic is coming up soon at KC, MO (see info in right column), and just in case you’re thinking it’s too far or whatever, here are the Top 10 – really just 10 of many – reasons to go. We’re doing it Letterman-style, 10 to 1. 10. What else are you […]
Lone Star Outdoor news recently carried an article on a speech given by Dr. Dale Rollins of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch near Rotan, Texas. Seems that a major threat to quail, at least in the Lone Star state, may be an eyeball worm. News to us! Highlights: > Especially mysterious were the continued […]
