grouse hunting in N.Y.

[come-hunt]

I've a trip coming up the First week of Oct. to NYC. I am planning on going north ( I guess its north) from there for a couple days of foliage viewing in the Appalachians. Do any of you NY guys know any tips for grouse hunting with no dogs. Season dates? , location? , Outfitters? Thanks for your time.
Don

[Unreal_tk]

If the grouse are the same as here, look along gravel roads that follow a creek bottom for ruff grouse. Springs are a good thing as well, walk the brush and you'll find them. If they have blue grouse, find a high ridge road and walk it out... if they fly into a draw you'll need some luck finding them usually!

[Emily]

My neighborhood is filthy with grouse. You're welcome to hunt on public land here and we can fix you up with a neighbor's bird dog if you like.
There's a big time bird dog trainer who uses the same vet I do. Not sure whether he sidelines as an outfitter, but I'll get a brochure from him and send it along to you.

[come-hunt]

[Mike Leonard]

come-hunt you lucky dog!!!!!!


You better post photos when you get back so the rest of us bird doggin scatter guners can drool a little over them. Remember on brush pheasants as we call them or patridge as the locals do ,use and open choke and remember they are faster than the look.


I have a vintage Fox Sterlingworth 16 gauge side by side that I use with 2 1/2" Vintager shells from Polywad Inc. 7-1/2 shot is fine. When the old Fox barks you can almost smell the grouse breast sizzling in the pan. UMMMM UMMM good stuff!


Good luck and good shooting!!!!

[come-hunt]

[Unreal_tk]

I always smoke the ole brush pheasant with a 12 gauge with 7 1/2 shot with a full choke (only do head shots) or a .22 rimfire when its legal here (changes every few years).

[slowandeasy]

[come-hunt]

One of the main reasons I'm going is the Foliage. I've hunted grouse in Canada so I know a little more than I've let on. I know 3 seconds in the open is a long time for a grouse, with 1 to 1-1/2 more of the norm. My hearing is my main concern as I've lost most of it over the years of repeated concussion blasts. I'll probably use an old Charles Daly 20 gauge bored skeet and skeet with 8 shot as they (grouse ) hurt pretty easy. The parker is 107 years old and I would just as soon retain ownership by not airlining it.
I'll be sure and post some pictures when I get home. I've never been any where except in the Army where I didn't have fun and that wasn't all bad , just most of it. LOL

[Mike Leonard]

http://www.lcsupply.com/Polywad-Spred-R ... fo/PSPRED/


Try these loads in your old Parker and you may be surprized how effective it can be even on close flushing birds. You can run one of these at them with the left barrel and it will imitate and Improved cylindar pattern and then keep the regular load in the full on the left to hack them down at long range if you miss.
I have a lovely Parker 12 built in 1906. It throws modified and improved modified patterns with modern shot cup loads. I have carried this gun from the Dakota Prairies for sharp tail and pheasants thru Nebraska cornfields, down to deep south Texas busting 20 plus coverys of bobs a day and it has walked the steeps along the Snake River in Idaho for chuckar with me it is truely a special friend. Last time on the trap range I broke 98 and choked during the last 10 birds and should have went clean. The steel on the old Parkers was so good that one has to be carefeul when closing it on the trap range for the pitches it emits with that tight steel on steel fit will set the trap off. When you carry on of these you can truely understand the statement( They don't make em like they use too).

Nash Buckingham truely an American Iconic wingshooter and writer is one of my favorites. I love to read about those great ducking days of yore with Nash and his famous old Fox magnum ( Bo Whoop) as they hunted the great old clubs of the southland.

[come-hunt]

We must have went to different schools together. I too, have shot the old Parker all over the Upland covers of the USA. It is a truly good old gun . I've hunted alongside guys shooting the English best ( pun intended) guns and killed birds right along with them and at times maybe at greater distance. This old Parker will kill a chicken plumb dead at sixty yards but you gotta put it where they are and not where they were.
Mike: I have had some bad experiences with the Spread.R's. " too many flyers " . I had a dog shot in the eye with the 410 Spread R load, I was standing right there and witnessed the accident. The bird being shot at was at least 15 feet straight above one on the better setters I ever owned . The gunner killed the quail so I know where he was shooting , anyway a flyer hit Tom in the eye dead center and he was one eyed the rest of his life. Another time in Montana, a fellow was shooting a wounded Sage Grouse in a plowed field at about 40 yds. He potted the bird and those damn flyers hit all over the field.I saw the dirt fly and thought WOW!! I won't let clients shoot Spread "R's " over my dogs. Great loads on Sporting Clays and Skeet courses but not over dogs or on release birds where the dog handler has to be out front Stomping up the birds.LOL
You read some good books

[Mike Leonard]

Excellent info on spreader koads and I will heed caution. I usually just choke for the situation. My late late season wild pheasant gun is a primo 1897 Winchester pump with 32" barrel and choked full. With a full load of number 5"s it will knock a rooster rolling at 60 yards. Love them old guns!

[come-hunt]

Good old '97 , I've a picture some where of a duck hunt in the early forties , showing four shooters and a bunch of ducks. Two gunners were using 1897's,one a model 11 Rem, one a double of some sort. At one shooting ( I'm sure they were loaded to the last coil on the spring ) they had killed 46 ducks and one of the shooters (my Dad) told me, cripples were still falling out as they flew out of sight. Prairie chickens were another hunt and they killed wagon boxes full of them to ship to market all shot with the old 97. Myself ,I'm a Model 12 advocate, I have one of the special 3 inch steel models that most folks don't know Winchester even made such.You can't wear 'em out if you use reasonable care.
Received an update last night from NY. Grouse are running rampart in the Catskill's. LOL

[Mike Leonard]

Good news the grouse!
Yes hav aphoto of my Da and one of his huning buddies beside a 0s model pickup both packing 97's and a ton of ducks and pheasant nd sharptils hanging off the side. I grew up in wetern North Dakot right on the Montana line and it was a wingshooters paridize as a kid. My Dad got where he despised model 97's becasue he had nd old man nearly shoot his leg off as they were snealing up on pot hold ducks one day and the old fella slipped and the 97 went off half cocked. Dad shot a Remington 48 Sportman the rest of his wing shooting life and killed his last bag of grouse and pheasant without a miss wearing a skull helmet from a recent brin surgury.He could shoot! I started off with a model 37 Ithaca 20 and I hated that gun! It was bored like a rifle and it really was hard on my confidence as a young shooter. An old Sheriff took pity in me and have me his Model 12 16 gauge with polychoke and slighly shortened stock to use. Man what a gun! I mean I would open her up a bit and I was shooting with the big boys, and by the way I still have that gun today and it still shoots great. I have had tons of model 12's and have had severl of the 3" Super X models you spoke of. In fact I had the first 3" Medel 12 that was ever used at the Hollywood Gun Club. Side by sides are my passion however becasue a good one seems like it has a life of it's own in between your hands. Fun stuff!