The Hunting Thread...

[cover2]

With a couple of cool mornings, I find my thoughts drifting toward hunting season. c2 Jr. is the deer hunter in the group and when he takes one, we try to get a good deal of the meat processed into sausage (jalapeno and cheese is our favorite). My hunting starts when deer season ends. I grew up quail hunting and it is still my favorite (though I do turkey hunt afterwards).

Most of what we hunt these days are pen-raised birds, so it isn't quite like hunting the wild birds of my youth, but it is the next best thing. I'm fortunate to go with a friend from Cairo, GA who has some great dogs and a beautiful lease. Both of my kids go and we'll make a day of it. We'll put out about 40 birds in "coveys" of 5 or so, hunt them in the morning and then clean up the singles after lunch. I'll usually cook some burgers or maybe have some barbeque and make sandwiches. The best is when I bring the fish cooker and we have some catfish. Seeing the dogs work and the fellowship is as good as pulling the trigger.

An important part of the hunt for me is that I continue to use my granddaddy's Browning A-5 "Sweet Sixteen." It's kind of like having him along side again. He got me started years ago. Bought both of the kids a Browning Citori (20 ga), but the old man still gives lessons with his 60 year-old gun, bad eyes and all! Seriously, I'm looking forward to this season since I will have both eyes cleaned up. Having the kids with me is also a big part of the enjoyment. If I can figure out how to post some of my photos on here, I will do so, as I have some good ones from the hunts and will have more. My missus comes along for a hunt or two and is the official photographer.

I have really enjoyed the fishing thread and hope some of you guys will contribute with some stories and photos. I'm always interested to hear about the hunting and fishing exploits of others.

 

[cover2]

Figured out how to upload some photos. Will Post a couple more...

 

[g8tr72]

Love to hunt. Don't have the time anymore.

I did see a small covey of quail the other day, the first in a while.

 

[cover2]

c2 Jr. Starting to understand that there is more to this business than simply taking game.

 

[cover2]

Good dogs are what makes the hunting that much more enjoyable. This old liver is a good one!

 

[cover2]

At the season's end, we'll gather the family and friends and have a big supper. We'll usually fry most of the birds and grill a few. Good fellowship is a by-product.

 

[cover2]

Love to hunt. Don't have the time anymore.

I did see a small covey of quail the other day, the first in a while.

I was like that for a while, blamed coaching on it, but I make the time nowadays. It costs a little, but is well worth it on many levels. I'm also seeing a few wild coveys again. Hope they can make a comeback in my lifetime.

 

[g8tr72]

I was like that for a while, blamed coaching on it, but I make the time nowadays. It costs a little, but is well worth it on many levels. I'm also seeing a few wild coveys again. Hope they can make a comeback in my lifetime.

Love the outdoors. Enjoy it for me.

 

[NavetG8r]

Browning A-5 "Sweet Sixteen."

I've got my dad's. It'll be my son's some day, even if he never fires a gun in his life.

 

[stephenPE]

Hunting days are gone for me. Loved bird hunting. Loved eating them. Back in 85 I had lots of quail behind my school. I was sitting in a chair and called 3 to fly right up to me. Horny little guys looking for love. The old watermelon packer showed me how to call quail back in the early 70s.

 

[cover2]

Hunting days are gone for me. Loved bird hunting. Loved eating them. Back in 85 I had lots of quail behind my school. I was sitting in a chair and called 3 to fly right up to me. Horny little guys looking for love. The old watermelon packer showed me how to call quail back in the early 70s.

Coincidentally, '85 was my last good year of hunting wild birds. The agricultural practices up here were drastically changing with tomatoes replacing the row crops (corn, soy beans, etc.) and the small farms with the fence rows were being swallowed up or just weren't productive anymore. Predators and fire ants were on the rise and the wild birds were just about wiped out for about the next 25 years or so.

But some of the farming practices that provided food and cover are working their way back around and timber management has moved to the forefront and as a result we are seeing an increase in the wild birds. The number of predators seems to be decreasing also. We've now got 3-4 coveys on the farm we live on. It's good to see again. It's also fun to sit on the porch in the mornings with the missus and hear them call. I never really called them up, but could get them to answer when we busted a covey, so we knew which direction to head the dogs.

I was fortunate to grow up with my granddaddy. He was the best outdoorsman I ever knew and I learned to fish and hunt early on. My parents split up when I was four and I haven't seen my father since, so my granddaddy took on the job of raising me. I learned more from him about life and responsibility on a boat seat with him or following the bird dogs through the brush than I could have anywhere else. I'm glad to be able to do some of the same for my kids and every hunt is better than Christmas from that standpoint.

 

[stephenPE]

Great story, cover. I dont hear the quail anymore but Lord there are turkeys everywhere around my little town. I have seen groups of 50 or more. I used to bike ride every morning to this undeveloped neighborhood just out of the city limits. The birds would come in to feed and at first ran but as the days went by the finally ignored me and I could get pretty close. This was about 3 years ago. Your grandfather was probably the best thing that could happen to you. Some men are better at being a dad than others. I was lucky.

 

[bradgator2]

Because of this thread.... I just ordered a pizza with grilled quail and jalapeños at the Padre Island Brewing.

Growing up, I shot and ate many, many doves. We were not allowed to shoot the quail because they were disappearing.

Holy sh!t is it good

 

[cover2]

Because of this thread.... I just ordered a pizza with grilled quail and jalapeños at the Padre Island Brewing.

Growing up, I shot and ate many, many doves. We were not allowed to shoot the quail because they were disappearing.

Holy sh!t is it good

Sure looks good, Brad. Glad you got some inspiration! I grew up shooting doves as well. Back in that time (late '60s up to early '80s) it seems like we had a shoot to go to every Saturday of each phase. Now, you just about have to be a member of a club as the pay shoots are about all that's left. It sure was a lot of fun and we loved to eat them. Granddaddy always like to smother fry 'em in gravy and have them with rice or biscuits. Toward the end of the good hunts, I started cooking 'em in the oven. I'd salt and pepper them, wrap with bacon, cover with onions, put about a sick of butter throughout, cover with foil and let them go for about an hour at 350. Very tasty, very tender. Hope to find a shoot soon and recreate this little culinary adventure. Thanks for sharing!

 

[NavetG8r]

I used to dove hunt. Then I found out it was a lot cheaper to just buy some food from the grocery store. Shooting up 3.5 boxes of shells to kill 12 birds just isn't economically logical.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

I gon assume you date mary palm for much the same reason

 

[cover2]

This is a big part of what the hunting is all about.

 

[g8tr72]

Yes it is. Togetherness. Teaching the kids about enjoying and preserving our beautiful creation and its creatures.

I rarely get to go much, but when I do, my two boys are always with me. Love it.

 

[cover2]

One more. Kids have a great time each trip. Little Miss c2 is also appropriately dressed!

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

I used to dove hunt. Then I found out it was a lot cheaper to just buy some food from the grocery store. Shooting up 3.5 boxes of shells to kill 12 birds just isn't economically logical.

Maybe you should try aiming....