Grouse Season in Montana - Day 5

We went up Bull River to hit some creek bottoms. We put Happy on the ground first. He is 12 1/2 yrs. old now and in great shape. We walked a logging road and "Hap" was working the brush. He got a little far out and I called him in. No response. He was doing his "Deaf Dog" routine so I knew something is up. We turned in his direction and his beeper went to point mode. He was at the edge of a thicket and Steve worked in behind him. "Happy" broke point and circled behind the brush and things just went crazy. The first bird to flush nearly took Steve's hat off. One blew out over my left shoulder and I spun around and knocked down my 6th grouse in 6 shots. Steve took the next one and the others went into the trees and cover upstream. As we skirted the brush a big bird flushed and I was carrying my gun open so I didn't get a shot. But I know where he lives! We moved a few miles and I dropped Steve off at the uphill end of a road and he hunted "Jack" while I followed behind in the van. I heard shots up ahead and moved up to see the birds Steve had taken. More birds flushed and Steve blew some holes in the ozone layer. I watched him miss 2 birds and he turned to me and said" I lifted my head to see the bird". I saw it too. He raised his cheek from the stock. God gave us a cheek bone to rest on a shotgun stock! That's the only reason I can think of to have one. After lunch I brushed out "Happy" and Steve got some grouse ready for the BBQ. We took the afternoon off are kickin' back this evening content to flush 16 grouse and add 2 to the grill. DWT