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Wingshooting

Ten Tips for Becoming A Better Grouse Hunter

Have an Uncle Who’s Part Indian.  I am not being cute or clever.  My heritage is part Sioux Indian and there is something to be learned from our Native Americans when it comes to forest craft, it's not just all folk-lore.  While Indians have a legendary reputation for being quieter and more stealthy in the woods, it's for good reason, but we could argue whether that is due to nature or nurture.  Whatever the reason and if you weren't born with it, see what you can learn from someone skilled in this manner of stealthy stalking and it doesn’t matter if it is applied on big game or upland birds, it’s better than the alternative of bashing through the woods scaring every grouse out of the other end of it before you even step foot in the beginning of the other end of the woods.  Better yet, adopt an "uncle" born or skilled in these crafts. Learn to shoot a shotgun and learn to shoot it well.  We attended Buz Fawcett’s Wingshooting Workshop many times now, in efforts to become Master Shotgunners.  If you hit what you can see and learn to shoot instinctively, you will be a better grouse hunter. Bring a picnic on the grouse moor.  You never know when you will need fortitude from the elements or simply from your own psyche, if it's a less than stellar day.  We always bring a French picnic, complete with some red wine, pate’ from birds gone by, cheese course, salad and other treats. Stuff enough shells in your bag, but not too many to begin to think you you have enough to afford to miss.  My friend, Paul, grew up in rural Nebraska and his father was a professional assassin for coyotes and other predators, working for the National

By |October 8th, 2011|Categories: Cuisine, Picnic, Recipes, Travel, Wingshooting|Comments Off on Ten Tips for Becoming A Better Grouse Hunter
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Blue Grouse Hippies

Jeff and I started hunting together for blue grouse over twenty years ago.  We met as young lawyers starting out in the same courtrooms together.  I saw Jeff sitting in front of the bar, waiting for his case to be called, and he was trying to hide an issue of Shooting Sportsman inside of his client's file.  We starting talking and I found out his father, Roger Hill, wrote one of my favorite books, Fly Fishing the South Platte. Jeff went on to say this was a blessing and a curse, as his father was a retired nuclear physicist and that he never got to enjoy soccer and things like that on the weekends, as his father simply left every weekend day saying, "I am going fishing [or shooting] , do you want to come along?"  There being no alternative except staying home alone, Jeff obliged and became a serious fly-tier, angler, and shooter of his own.  We immediately started hunting together, a journey down the sporting road which lasted many years and which I hope will continue when he finds time away from his new family.  His dog at the time was a hard-headed English Setter pup, which matched well in the field with my Britanny of field-trial lines who was on his first year afield. After many years of driving dirt roads and discovering dead ends on maps, we discovered the promised land of blue grouse together and promised to never divulge its location to any outsiders, or any other grouse covert we discovered together, for that matter, under threat of death or sending sultry clients to deal with such indiscretions.  After one of our first days on the mountain in the shadows

By |October 3rd, 2011|Categories: Colorado, Cuisine, Dog Training, Recipes, Wingshooting|Comments Off on Blue Grouse Hippies
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Epanuel Breton

I was worried that in recent years America's friendship the people of France had waned in light of U.S.'s war with Iraq.  This caused the boycott of French fries in France or the re-naming of them as "Freedom Fries," among other headlines.  But, my experiences in France, and even recent ones, have been evidence to the contrary.  My French friends are lasting allies and even the passing stranger remains happy to help an American tourist, especially in the countryside where we like to spend most of our time. In addition to the French fries, which aren't really French, the French also gave us the Statue of Liberty and the French Brittany, the Epagnuel Breton, or Epanuel Breton.  My friend, Andy Wayment writes, "Before the French Revolution, France was an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges in the aristocracy. Under this regime, land in France was owned mainly by a privileged few. This meant that hunting and fishing could only be enjoyed by the noblemen and their fortunate guests. Generally, the common man was not allowed to enjoy these sports.  Legend has it that the Brittany was developed by the French peasants as the ideal poaching dog. As so aptly described by Michael McIntosh in A Feisty Little Pointing Dog, the Brittany was bred to be 'compact andbidable, close-working and quiet, the perfect accomplice for clandestine sport and the companion of choice among those whose favorite game was someone else's.' The landed nobles, with their big running pointers and setters, did not recognize these shaggy, tailless mongrels for what they were, bona fide hunting machines. Of course, this was all part of the ruse. Brittanys are pointers with the natural instinct to retrieve. Because of its noble history, the French Brittany was destined to arrive

By |September 24th, 2011|Categories: Dog Training, Wingshooting|Comments Off on Epanuel Breton
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Garbi Shotguns

For our method of instinctive shooting, we'll use a side-by-side shotgun, straight stocked with splinter forend.  While a boxlock is surely the simplest of the side-by-side Best Guns of London, an Anson & Deeley Action (boxlock), a sidelock Best Gun is surely the prettiest.  As my father-in-law used to say, "Get the best guy you can afford my boy and learn how to use it."  I went for the Garbi, once I had sufficient income in which to upgrade from Ugartecheas and Parkers.  Armas Garbi guns are manufactured in Eibar, in the Basque gun making region in the north of Spain. Garbi is a Basque word, which means, “clean” and is an acronym formed from the initials of the names of the firm’s founders. “G” is for Guerrena Barrena, in charge of scale adjustments. “A” is for Alday, head of the engravers. “R” is for R. Churruca, who is in charge of assembly and final finish. “B” is for Barrenechea, the general manager of the company. “I” is for Irondo, an expert in adjustments and finishing of stocks. William Larkin Moore & Co. has been importing the fine line of Garbi shotguns since 1975 and we have had excellent success with them. Garbi guilds a traditional English style gun based on the Holland & Holland type sidelock action. These guns feature chopper lump barrels, automatic ejectors, hand detachable locks and articulated front triggers. Most instinctive shooters will be sporting about ¼ inch of cast-off, 1 ½ inch of drop at the comb and about 4 degrees of pitch.  These become the magic wands with which Buz Fawcett creates Master Gunners. Confidence is the key to Master Gunning.  You are a 100% shooter.  You should be hitting 24/25 skeet shots within a year.  You can hit

By |September 24th, 2011|Categories: Wingshooting|Comments Off on Garbi Shotguns
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Ugartechea

For our method of instinctive shooting, we'll use a side-by-side shotgun, straight stocked with splinter forend.  While a boxlock is surely the prettiest of the side-by-side Best Guns of London, an Anson & Deeley Action (boxlock) will not shoot any different than a sidelock Best Gun.  Most instinctive shooters in our instinctive shooting tradition will be sporting about ¼ inch of cast-off, 1 ½ inch of drop at the comb and about 4 degrees of pitch.  These become the magic wands with which he creates Master Gunners. Confidence is the key to Master Gunning.  You are a 100% shooter.  You should be hitting 24/25 skeet shots within a year.  You can hit at 65-80 yards, which we practice at the Tower in the school, although it would not be fair to a bird.  I hit 95% during the school. . While it may vary, I am 5’10” and 175 pounds and have a 13 5/8” or 13 3/4” length of pull, with 2 1/8” or 2 1/4” drop at heel, with 3/8” cast off and 1 ½” at 16” down pitch without a pad or 0-1/2” at 26” with a pad.  Forcing cones are reduced to 2 ½”, with everything polished to final dimensions. Pattern any gun by taking 10 shots, averaging the results by overlapping the shot spray) at 16 yards on a single sheet of paper.  For each 1” correction on paper, move the stock 1/16 inch in each direction. 12 gauges fits most men’s hands best and with the light loads, it’s effectively a 20 gauge being shot. 20 gauges fits most women best and with the light loads it’s a .28 gauge.  Gun weight in a 20 gauge is ideal at 5 pounds 4 ounces, and a 6

By |September 24th, 2011|Categories: Wingshooting|Comments Off on Ugartechea
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Check Cords

Check cords should be made of 3/8" nylon and 20' in length with a bowline knot and a brass snap. They used to be available from only one gun dog supplier in the south and now this is the closest you will find to the correct stiffness from Cabella's. Gary Ruppel demonstrates his famous half-hitch, which is a trick used to acquaint foals with saddling, and it works great on bird dogs to change the point of contact from the collar to the flank.  Gary uses it frequently in teaching heel, whoa, and other commands.  I am always surprised at its effectiveness and the simple fact that few other trainers have learned this technique.

By |July 16th, 2011|Categories: Dog Training, Wingshooting|Comments Off on Check Cords
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Basics of Bird Dog Training by Bill Tarrant

Bill Tarrant has been a correspondent, bureau chief and editor for Reuters in Asia for the past 22 years.  He wrote extensively on bird dogs and was an interesting character who I was grateful to have met a couple of time with Gary Ruppel and Mike. Basics of Bird Dog Training article by Bill Tarrant Part I and Part II.

By |July 16th, 2011|Categories: Book Reviews, Wingshooting|Comments Off on Basics of Bird Dog Training by Bill Tarrant
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