Fall Colors & Grouse

[sixshot]

Made about a 15 mile loop on the 4 wheeler yesterday afternoon to check out one of my old grouse hunting spots. This area doesn't have much water in it but most years there are Ruff Grouse, Blues & Forest Grouse but the last couple of years we've had a bad hatch because of a wet spring & not many chicks have survived.
Some friends told me they have been seeing some birds this year so I thought a little trip would be worth it, even if it was just to see some of the fall colors.
This ride has quite a change in elevation, probably something like 5700 ft up to about 7,000 ft or close to it. Near the top is usually where you find the big Blue Grouse. Anyway, I got a few nice photo's but only saw one Grouse & one shot with my much used 32 maggie 7 & my favorite load of 3 grs of WST with the 100 gr SWC.
On the way out I passed this sheep camp, most of these guys are from Peru, although some are Basque. I stopped & took a photo of his camp & a quarter mile away was a water tanker for the sheep. As I was pulling away I looked up on the ridge 300 yds away & 2 of those huge Great Pyrenees guard dogs were bearing down on me & running hard.
I sped up a bit but these things are fast for their size, one of them almost cut me off & I had to really hit the throttle to pull away from them. I don't know if he would have bit me or if he was just curious, I didn't want to stop & find out! This is the second time in 3-4 years I've been chased by one of these big dogs, they are huge! No time for photo's, I was in a hurry!
Notice the excellent Ferminator front sight!







Dick

[jfs]

Boy `O boy Dick.... you sure had a better day then me....

[45MAN]

COOL THAT THERE ARE STILL PLACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I MADE IT OUTDOORS TOO INTO THE 100 DEGREE SOUTH TEXAS HEAT AT A DEER LEASE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS. WE SWITCHED FROM FREE CHOICE DEER PROTEIN FEEDERS TO SPIN CORN FEEDERS AND SET UP GAME CAMERAS AT 11 FEEDING STATIONS FOR THE GAME SURVEY.

[jsh]

No dog pictures,lol.
I have been around a few of those Great Pyrenees and never saw them be aggressive towards people.
Was going to holler at ya, got my big iron skillet out, rendered off some bacon trimmings and added some more bacon grease. Sliced up an onion, then added a head of cabbage. Fried cabbage for supper tonight.

Got an old time style grocery I go to. They get fifty pound boxes of bacon trimmings. Then repackage to 10 pound boxes, usually about $12-15 for 10 pounds. I sort through it and keep all the good bacon out and use the rest for seasoning. Have no idea who's bacon it is but I have never found any in the stores that will match its smoke and cure.

Ya know ya have had a good meal when you can feel your arteries slam shut :-).
Jeff

[bushog]

Good shootin' Dick!

I don't trust any dog when it's chasing me......

[bigbrowndog]

Dick, I’m hoping to take some grouse myself in a couple weeks with my 500 and some shot. I’ll be headed up to Missoula to visit relatives.

Trapr

[bula]

The pics, grouse, description of terrain etc., remind me of the S.E. portion of the Bob . Thanks for posting. How did ya cook up that bird ?

[sixshot]

Still in the fridge, I've been in Utah all day & very glad to get home! When I cook that bird I'll take the breasts out of some salt water, pat them dry, season with some salt pepper, garlic powder & Johnny's seasoning & roll in flour & cook slow in one of my small dutch oven with a little oil. Cook it slow.

Dick

[bula]

Thank you . At camp,the first ruffed grouse of the season gets gutted, plucked, parted out. As in any part with enough meat, gets a wipe thru some flour and dropped into the cast iron skillet that had just hosted a bacon party. Salt pepper, and if my wife is there, yes,the garlic powder. That first bird gets passed around,shared. A stream n bush meal of grouse and brook trout, don't get no better. A bottle of Clarion River Red or Yuengling Lager..mmm.