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HUNT 1998!

Hot Rod Remington in a decidedly un-Hot Rod moment, 5/98.

After a morning tune-up hunt at Rip's. Very tough conditions for the dogs to hunt, it hit 90F by mid-afternoon.

Remy and Manfred proudly show off the afternoon's take. Remy handled one of these roosters perfectly, holding point until I arrived, then, when released, he picked up the rooster's foot trail, then circled downwind to relocate the bird. When he pointed I approached the bird. He decided to run instead of fly. I chased him down, he launched, and I nailed it with some 6's. Remy marked him down perfectly and the bird was in the bag.

Opening day of the pheasant season. We hunted several locations in Michigan's thumb, and didn't see a bird. Neither did any of the other hunters we ran into. However, at our last stop, I decided to check out a section of state land that topographically looked promising. I parked the Sub, and we headed down a trail to a 100 acre field of tallgrass. On the trail, Remy got birdy, and suddenly pointed under a large spruce. Nose and forepaws near the ground, tail and butt straight up in the air, I wished I had my camera. I released him, and he ran behind the tree, flushing the bird out to me. The grouse came out of the brush, saw me and flared away. New shotgun, new manual of arms, and the safety never got off before he got into the trees. A load of 6s from the little 20 was way too late to have any effect. The boys kicked three more birds out of that tangle, and I got a shot at one, two flushed wild while reloading. Well, I should practice now, shouldn't I?

Late October in Northern Michigan, me and the boys.

Manfred on the Prairie, 4" fell in 6 hours. Then Mrs. Shorthair went out and killed the buck shown below.

A beautiful 10 point, 180 lb., 3 1/2 year old Michigan whitetail. 5:20 pm, Monday, November 16, 1998. He came in to the bait along a path just inside the treeline of the Cedar Swamp, where a couple of does were munching carrots. He stopped to grab a carrot, and she let loose with a 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip handload from her Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08. A perfect shoulder/heart shot, he went about 30 yds and slid dead down a hillside in the snow.

Yeah, I got one too, though it pales in comparison. On Opening Day, November 15 at about 5:25 pm, he ran across the field in front of me at about 60 yds. I knew he wouldn't hang out long, and wanting to get meat in the freezer, as soon as I saw he was legal I nailed him behind the elbow. It was a nice running shot, but I was disappointed he was only a spike. I had passed on a lot of bigger bucks during bow season, and we have a six point standard on the Prairie. So while I was miffed I had taken a spike, I was somewhat relieved to discover he had already been shot in the leg by another hunter. He may not have survived the winter, and I'm glad the resource wasn't wasted.

The Pine Ridge Prairie Buckpole, November 17, 1998.

This little (@*#$^$#! came across the field the Opening Day morning. It was around 10 am, and I was getting hungry. No deer had been seen since 8, so I figured I'd take care of some Compound business before I went in. I hit him in the shoulders with the .45 from about 15 yds, rolled him, and put one behind the ear to finish it. Chalk one up for the birddogs and the timber.

MORE WILL FOLLOW....

Send mail to the Shorthair Compound at:

shrthair@sprynet.com

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