# Redemption



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

It has been an opener of both tough weather and hunting. The good old days that we remember are going in the closet for awhile. Last weekend had high temps in the 90's with fog in the morning, freezing temps by mid-week, rain all day Saturday, and unrelenting wind many of the last nine days. Add in lowwwwwwwwww bird numbers. I made it out six of those days. The dogs and I were up in the coteau. My hunting buddy was along twice. Some of the windy days the birds were flushing wild. At least half of them are carry over singles from the previous year. Covies that we saw are small in number.

We found nothing in the hills and bushes where normally it would be good in hot weather.









Moved down into reconditioned CRP and found some birds there. This ground had been cut with a disc mower to control weeds and it seemed to have what they wanted to eat and also the right height of cover.









The grouse crops we opened had sow thistle buds, rose hips, alfalfa leaves, other greens, hoppers, and a lot of inch long caterpillers.









I was using the 20 ga earlier in the week and couldn't get the rhythm of it even though I've shot that gun for years. Swithched over to the Browning 12 with 7 1/2 shot yesterday and went 5 for 5 the last 2 days. Sam is slowing down a bit at 7 years. Duke is getting better on his second season but still wants to creep the point sometimes. :eyeroll: Sam is pretty tired here, about ready for a nap.









An adult male sharpie. 









As slow as the grouse season may be this year, it may be the best of the upland if you hunt eastern ND. I have yet to see a pheasant anywhere. Zero, zip, none.


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## Sask hunter (Sep 11, 2008)

nice hunt and pics. We have some late hun hatches up here for some reason. How can you tell it's a male sharpie?


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Great pics... I LOVE sharpies. They have the most understated elegance of all gamebirds.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Good to see you've had some luck, at least! Minnesota's ruff opener was nearly a bust for us. Moved two birds and shot one after nearly nine hours of hunting.


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## schlag (Jan 25, 2006)

Because of the heat we found them in thinner cover than I ever remember. We found them in 6 inch pasture grass. They were also waayyyy on top of the tallest hills we have ever hunted. Lots of young birds. We shot 24 in 4 days for 2 people huting and not one of them was an adult bird. We never even flushed an adult bird that we could be sure of. Found one young brood that were the same sizes as huns. Trust me when I say they look bigger when they are flying!


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Sask hunter said:


> nice hunt and pics. We have some late hun hatches up here for some reason. How can you tell it's a male sharpie?


Look at the 2 central tail feathers. A male has white and gray-brown coloring with white along the central shaft. A female has more of the brown-tannish color with no white along the central shaft. Think white for sperm-male and tan for egg yolk-female.

It's the wet spring that did in the chicks. I'm seeing huns with 1 and 2 chicks and they are no bigger than a turkey egg right now. Going to be a hard pull for them this winter.

Still, it's good to get out. September is a grand month. Like Britman said below be thankfull for every day in the field. Some of these old grouse are plenty wise and they give the dog a merry chase just like pheasants. And don't forget NDGF needs wing samples from around the state. Only takes a minute.


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## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

Nicely done Dick! :beer:


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

You are getting really good at these PE's, enjoyed them all.

thanks


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