Sept. 1, 2009, Grouse hunting, Lenado.
Barney and I went hunting in Lenado. (Few things for the audience – I am a much newer person to the ol’ hunting game than my husband. When I started I told his friends to treat me as though I was their 13 year old younger sister, tagging along, now that I am much more accomplished (ha!), I might be 16 if I’m lucky.) Also you should note, that since we are “food” hunters and not “sport” hunters, we shoot grouse that are on the ground and in trees – and still miss sometimes, but the point being that I get REALLY excited if I shoot them in the air! I sometimes actually jump up and down.
Back to Lenado…. My husband Barney and I were road hunting (we do this intermittently with walking hunts) we spotted a couple of grouse heads bobbing along in a field. We park and walk into the field without the dog. We see that there are a group of at least 3 grouse. I shoot at one on the ground – miss. Spook them, they fly. Barney misses. I miss (Yes there is a whole lot of missing going on). And then to my amazement I get a second shot off – thus being 16 and not 13 anymore, I sometimes get a 2nd shot off! – and I drop it from about 40 yards! Barney says, “Well that wasn’t very impressive”. I say, “What do you mean? I got one!!!” He says, “What? WELL GO AFTER IT!” – birds tend to run when not hit well enough! Not this one though, I found it lying where I shot.
Birds: Annie – 1, Barney – 0 (First time for everything)
So we are on our merry way. We stop for a walking hunt. A funny thing about hunting, you are walking, looking for birds/animals, so why is it every time you see one or flush one you are spooked and startled? Well this was the case as usual when our dog, Max, flushed our next group of grouse. They started going up in all directions and we were shootin’ up a storm. It was over and Barney said, “Well that wasn’t very impressive.” I said, shockingly “I got one!” He said, “NO WAY! WELL GO GET IT!” Max did the job for me and found my bird.
Birds: Annie – 2, Barney – 0 (Should I even comment? I RULE!)
End of story, Barney shot one, blah blah blah. It was my first ever getting more than him and 2 in the air!!!!! Something I did figure out that day. I started using high brass #6 loads as my shotgun shells. I use a twenty gauge, yes I am a girly wimp and the 12 gauge gets a little cumbersome for me. Barney had me using quail loads – #7.5. I think he was trying to sabotage my game! Well needless to say I smartened up and showed him. The End.