Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: uncoolperson on September 28, 2008, 06:52:57 PM

Title: My first
Post by: uncoolperson on September 28, 2008, 06:52:57 PM: aside from this all i've done was grouse with a 22 in alaska

freakin blast. 4 hours in the field, one now tired dog, 4 chances, 3 misses. Meh, had fun, really sore.

about an hour in we see the dog going crazy about 20 feet out, and i catch a glimpse of some grass moving (I even saw the head), but remembered somewhere someone saying something about only shooting when the bird is in the air...

so i wait for the dog to find the bird, seemed like it took forever! finally up she goes, and I pop! pop! and she flies across the field into a thick patch of raspberries. The first shot i knew connected, saw some feathers fly and my buddy said he saw a leg drop. My buddy said the bird was a lost cause, but i couldn't stand the idea of not wasting atleast an hour to find this bird that I'd hit.

After walking around the patch for awhile the dogs (one can hunt the other two play) go crazy and jump right in, so my buddy says "stand here and wait for a bird". After 5-10 minutes of that he glances down inside and sees one of the dogs walking out with my bird.

All i found on cleaning it was one pellet to the leg. I was way too spooked and excited to hit anything (used to be pretty good 80% with clay 2 years back). But I got me one.
Title: Re: My first
Post by: Red Dawg on September 28, 2008, 07:00:00 PM: there is no shame in ground sloosing grouse. :EAT:
Title: Re: My first
Post by: uncoolperson on September 28, 2008, 07:22:13 PM: pheasant... sorry, guess the picture doesn't really show it and i didn't state it.
Title: Re: My first
Post by: EastWaViking on September 28, 2008, 07:27:49 PM: pheasant? .....Hmmmm is there a seaon for hens I don't know about?

Glad you stuck with it and found the bird!
Title: Re: My first
Post by: uncoolperson on September 28, 2008, 07:31:08 PM: westside (lake terrell) regs say 2 either sex daily sep 27-nov 30

wow, scared me some with that... i knew i glanced at the regs and tried to understand what i could, but you certainly scared me.

If i misread, and was lied to by my friend, please let me know... NOT SAYING THIS IN A HAHA I'M RIGHT WAY, BUT IN A IF I SCREWED UP I NEED TO KNOW.
Title: Re: My first
Post by: jackelope on September 28, 2008, 09:52:58 PM: you're good.
Title: Re: My first
Post by: uncoolperson on September 28, 2008, 09:55:15 PM: whew... I mean i thought i was good, but to have even the smallest doubt kinda worried me.

I'm fairly big on following the rules, there for reasons and all that.
Title: Re: My first
Post by: jackelope on September 28, 2008, 09:56:35 PM: in e-wa on the wild birds you can't shoot hens...in western wa with the fake pheasants, you can shoot hens.
did you get shot out there at all?
Title: Re: My first
Post by: M_ray on September 28, 2008, 10:00:49 PM: Nice job! :tup:
Title: Re: My first
Post by: uncoolperson on September 28, 2008, 10:01:39 PM: yeah I realize they are released birds... but it made me happy, and will be a nice light dinner tomorrow.
Title: Re: My first
Post by: hard hunter on September 28, 2008, 11:07:21 PM: Congrats on the bird. Were there a lot of hunters? I held off this year because I have found it to be a had house everywhere except Fort Lewis when I lived up north.
Title: Re: My first
Post by: EastWaViking on September 29, 2008, 12:27:30 PM: Cool! Yes I'm on the east side. Never knew you could shoot either on the west.

Nice Job!
Title: Re: My first
Post by: uncoolperson on September 29, 2008, 03:47:21 PM: thanks, there were a lot of people... and for someone that takes playing with guns pretty seriously, it was kinda scary having people shooting guns all over the place in my general direction.