Pennsylvania Game News - October 2008 - 20

enough I sent Dan up another ten yards and we turned to our right and started to cross the side of the hill. I was glad not to be climbing anymore, but the greenbrier that was now dicing away at my hands was starting to take its toll when the grouse drummed again. The greenbrier that was now dicing away at my hands was starting to take its toll when the grouse drummed again. Now I have seen stocked pheasants do some pretty dumb things, but to experience a completely wild grouse drumming with a hunter standing no more than ten yards away made me wonder if reality TV was having its devastating effect on non-human species. At this point the bird still had a chance. I had been taken by surprise so much that I was not able to really figure out where exactly the bird was. Then it drummed again! This time I caught a glimpse of his wings as they whipped back and forth. Following feather after feather down from the wing tips I eventually made out the entire bird. I could have shot him on that log, but I wanted my dog in on the action. Worrying that the whistle might flush the bird, I whispered for Jake, who took the cues perfectly and started bounding toward me. I turned back around to locate the bird again, but in the second it had taken me to get Jake’s attention, the bird had done what birds on the ground do, disappeared. A wise hunter would have thought, no problem, that’s what the dog is for. Did I think that? Nope. I began to panic and franticly look for the bird. Meanwhile, Jake, who had been heading straight towards me, suddenly turned and began to run out behind me. There is no way that bird got around me this fast, I thought. He must be running a deer. I thought about blowing the whistle, but never got a chance. The only thing blown that day was my opportunity to shoot a grouse. It was the best flush I had ever seen. It was almost as if Jake kicked the bird straight up into the air with his paw. I got only a glimpse of the bird, though, before it flew behind the biggest oak tree in the woods. As I tried to get around the tree to perhaps get a parting shot, a gun sounded. There was no drama involved; the grouse hit the ground dead. I looked up the hill and saw Dan smiling such a big smile that I am sure it passed his ears and met on center at the back of his head. We stood on the side of that mountain and gave rather loud shouts of glee. The dog brought the bird to my hand and then began to do a victory dance of his own. Now we had three birds in the bag and four spent shells in our pockets and a little extra for the table. COVER PAINTING BY MARIE GIRIO BRUMMETT THE SCENE depicted on this month’s cover shows autumn in all its splendor. What could be more down to the fundamentals of hunting than an archer with traditional equipment matching wits with a mature whitetail buck? It’s truly hunting at its finest and about as hard a challenge as you’ll find in Penn’s Woods. What a great way to carry on the hunting heritage. 20 GAME NEWS

Pennsylvania Game News - October 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - October 2008