September 7, 2003
Jackson Peak
Made a 70-mile drive on Sunday afternoon to Jackson Peak lookout. The area looks great for blue grouse. I made a couple short hunts and didn’t see anything. I’m sure the birds were skittish since it was the end of the weekend. There were numerous wings in the Idaho Fish and Game wing barrel at the turn off of Hwy 21.
September 10, 2003
Jackson Peak
After my last short scouting trip to Jackson Peak last weekend I had to return. I took the day off from work and buzzed up there Wednesday morning. I left my house at 8:30 and pulled up to the Lookout parking area at 10:30, 68 miles from the Hwy 21 Bridge to the lookout. Hunting was entertaining, mostly because my shooting for the day was laughable! I started hunting just below the Peak to the SW and moved down a ridgeline between the open meadow and pine trees. Now here is where the bad shooting starts…with the 1st bird and the 2nd! and the 3rd! All of them very doable flushing shots, much like a pheasant coming out of a field: a warning of wings beating and call, a slow rise away, and a big target! I figured out the problem by with the 3rd bird…I was thinking! God I hate it when I think while shooting…lead the bird…follow through…yada yada…SHUT THE HELL UP AND SHOOT! I followed the ridge down to a small road and had two birds by then.
Then I walked south 2-3 miles along another ridge and back, side-hilling halfway down the hillside on the way back without seeing a bird. I returned to where I ended my first hunt and continued down the original ridge; I walked another 2-3 miles without seeing a bird. Well, wouldn’t you know it as I returned toward the truck I got a bird 50 yards from my truck and then another 100 yards the other side of the truck! From now on I’m just going to sit on top of my truck and wait for the birds. By 2:00 had my limit of blue grouse, 4 birds. Talk about a great feeling, having enough game in your hunting vest to make the damn thing heavy! After I got my last bird I let Z and Maysa out of the truck and they cruised the area again. It was great fun watching them both work back and forth chasing up another 8-10 birds. They were having a blast!
I made a quick run down to the N.F. Boise about 8 miles upstream of Barber Flats Guard Station. I cleaned the birds and played with the dogs in the river. I’m bringing a pole next trip! What a day.
September 12-14, 2003
Doves, a return visit to Jackson Peak, and 2 firsts for Justin
My legs are burning! Tonight is going to be a cold beer, soft couch, and a movie I may not stay awake for. I made the mistake this weekend of trying to keep up with Justin and we did some major hiking (for an old man like me). We spent Friday night hunting doves in the Boise foothills and then went to Jackson Peak lookout Saturday to say hi to our friends Kevin and Sonny, and then chase some blue grouse. We brought home 11 doves on Friday and 5 blues for the rest of the weekend.
I got to watch as Justin flushed a group of dove and get his first double! For those non-hunters a double is shooting 2 birds in a row out of a group that flushes together…not an easy task. It was fun to watch the whole thing…as he crested the ridge I could see the birds start up, Justin swing his gun up, shooting and missing the first shot, by now the birds are getting out a ways but two quick shots and the first bird hits the ground as the second bird crumpled and started falling. NICE JOB!
Once again the blue grouse left me sulking back to the truck wondering if I’m aiming straight up in the air when I shoot at them. Justin cleaned up with 4 of the 5 birds we got and these were his first blues, taste good don’t they Justin! But I can proudly say I was quite the bird dog and flushed a few of those to him. If I can’t shoot them I might as well do the other job. We hunted Saturday afternoon and then Sunday morning. Kevin was counting hawks at the lookout and hopefully all the shooting made him a little jealous. No worries Kevin it was not THAT much fun…yeah right.
The dogs all had a great time. Justin’s pup Pasco (aka Chewbacca) really latched on to the grouse, literally, he was having fun. We got to take Kevin’s 6 month old puppy Sonny (aka Humper) hunting with us, and he very proudly retrieved my grouse to me. I do not think Zealot was impressed with Sonny’s fine move, as her preferred retrieve with other dogs around at this point is to pick up the bird and try to find a hiding place! All three dogs worked well together covering lots of ground. It was fun to watch them.