# 2022 Hunting Photos



## cwk33041 (Dec 30, 2013)

Post your photos here!

Got out today for the first time and hunted for about an hour. Pretty windy but nice and cool out. Flushed one grouse and bagged one woodcock. I'll be out in the morning.


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## selectcut (Dec 19, 2007)

1st wild bird for my pup. Flushed 5 got 1.


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## homemadespud (Jan 19, 2014)

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## nick brown (Mar 6, 2012)

Bear dog. He is 2 years old and is amazing on pheasants but he hasn’t had a lot of grouse contacts. He is starting to figure it out. We are having fun. Looks like a good year for grouse but not finding near as many woodcock as usual.


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## Point Blank Kennels (Nov 15, 2015)

First woodcock for my son on Saturday


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## bark river (Jan 7, 2012)




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## waterfowlhunter83 (Aug 10, 2005)

Not a bad weekend, got the pups first wild bird! He had a couple of points on woodcock on Sunday.


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## Bradley Barber (Mar 20, 2018)

Still trying to get the grouse pinned consistently but we’re doing well with the woodcock. This forum is helpful for a first time dog handler and Southern transplant to Michigan.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Bradley Barber said:


> Still trying to get the grouse pinned consistently but we’re doing well with the woodcock. This forum is helpful for a first time dog handler and Southern transplant to Michigan.
> View attachment 856187


There used to be a saying "it takes 500 grouse to make a grouse dog"
I still hear it on occasion.
Contacts and repetition is the key.
Woodcock allow dogs to get closer.
Grouse prefer more space typically .


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## Lucky Dog (Jul 4, 2004)

birdhntr said:


> There used to be a saying "it takes 500 grouse to make a grouse dog"
> I still hear it on occasion.
> Contacts and repetition is the key.
> Woodcock allow dogs to get closer.
> Grouse prefer more space typically .


I've always heard this also. 
Personally, I keep my young dogs off woodcock, I believe it makes for bad bird manners. The last few dogs I've brought up have been pretty good grouse dogs, and I've never killed a woodcock over them.


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## Sharkey (Oct 29, 2010)

Woodcock are great for teaching young dogs steadiness in my opinion. I’m observing more and more woodcock running every year it seems. This only helps with grouse handling progression. 


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## cwk33041 (Dec 30, 2013)

Sharkey said:


> Woodcock are great for teaching young dogs steadiness in my opinion. I’m observing more and more woodcock running every year it seems. This only helps with grouse handling progression.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


I would agree with this from my experience. Every woodcock I flush holds tight. I swear you almost have to step on them to get them to flush sometimes.


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## Bradley Barber (Mar 20, 2018)

My Drahthaar is nearly 3.5 years old. First year hunting was only with gps collar and added bell part way into season last year. Bell has helped me a lot in learning when he’s getting into a bird. The thread on types of collars to use has been educational. Definitely have had a few woodcock that are moving away from the dog. Majority do hold tight. I understand that grouse are harder to get pointed but we are both having fun with the woodcock and he seems to be adjusting to the situation so hopefully it isn’t impacting his learning how to deal with grouse too much.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Bradley Barber said:


> My Drahthaar is nearly 3.5 years old. First year hunting was only with gps collar and added bell part way into season last year. Bell has helped me a lot in learning when he’s getting into a bird. The thread on types of collars to use has been educational. Definitely have had a few woodcock that are moving away from the dog. Majority do hold tight. I understand that grouse are harder to get pointed but we are both having fun with the woodcock and he seems to be adjusting to the situation so hopefully it isn’t impacting his learning how to deal with grouse too much.


I hunt one section of woods that is phenomenal for woodcock. Everyone else hunts it too. I see as many as 3-4 groups a day hit it on a weekend. The past two years I have noticed a few woodcock running from dogs and not holding at that location. 

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## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

Had many running WC last weekend.


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## UPaquariest (May 13, 2010)

BillBuster said:


> Had many running WC last weekend.


Same here.


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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

I am so blessed to own Asher. He is a very good boy and has given me many days and moments I will never forget. Thank the Lord for good bird numbers, a good dog, and some halfway decent shooting!


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## METRO1 (Oct 8, 2009)

Finally made it up to hunt this weekend . Had a blast




























with Marsha , my kids and new pup. We hunted 2 hours sat and 4 Sunday . We had 42 total flushes and this year is first that the majority of them were grouse. With real tough shooting we did pretty good. 3 grouse and 5woodcock. Very small shooting windows with chest high ferns and leaves.


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## Gnoyes (Jan 23, 2013)

Getting on some birds with the new pocket rocket.


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## jtivat (Oct 24, 2009)

Parker on point.


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

birdhntr said:


> There used to be a saying "it takes 500 grouse to make a grouse dog"
> I still hear it on occasion.
> Contacts and repetition is the key.
> Woodcock allow dogs to get closer.
> Grouse prefer more space typically .


Wow i have killed many grouse 50- 60 during the 90's and early turn of the century. Never had one dog handle 500 grouse in its time, Guess I was finding birds and hunting dogs that were not grouse dogs Must have use some 10-15 dogs during that time.

Hal


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

Hiked just under 5 miles today, Ellie probably 5x that, she is crashed out for the night. She pointed 4 grouse and roughly 20 woodcock. I missed some shots on woodcock that left me shaking my head but did manage a grouse. Birds were holding tight today and hunkered down at the base of thick stuff IN thick stuff. 

Random photo near 2nd place we hunted.


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## wirehair (Oct 16, 2007)

Things are going well this season. No run off!
Hope all is well with your teams.


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## Quig7557 (Dec 31, 2008)




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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

Me and Ash with a "truck bird" from this past weekend. Grouse numbers strong and they were holding tight!


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## Ottenbad (May 16, 2020)

thats a great looking setter


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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

Today was too beautiful not to go out so I left work at 1, linked up with a buddy who is up from downstate, and hunted for a couple hours before rushing into town for a meeting at 6. Ezra had a good day today! 43 degrees and bluebird skies, nothing better.


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## can'tstop (Mar 6, 2012)

Made it out after work tonight.


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## nick brown (Mar 6, 2012)

Had a good hunt out west. The 1st day was a struggle but after that we found plenty of birds. My friend left after the second day so I hunted alone the remaining 3. Proud of the dogs they did well for the dry and terribly windy conditions.


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## ab5228 (Nov 13, 2009)

Had a day today.








FYI, this bird had already been hit. That’s why it held so tight. Made for a great picture when Goldie found it again.
















Off a Bella point first thing.


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## dbortola (Oct 25, 2017)

That second pic is AWESOME.


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## sportsman98 (Dec 6, 2010)

Couple weeks ago had the chance to head up to the UP with a buddy. Dropped my 8.5 month puppy into a woodcock spot and got to shoot the first pointed bird over him. Made my entire weekend right there.


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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

ab5228 said:


> Had a day today.
> View attachment 861072
> 
> FYI, this bird had already been hit. That’s why it held so tight. Made for a great picture when Goldie found it again.
> ...


That is an awesome day man!! I'm not looking for specific locations but if you get some spare time to post I would love to hear the story of the day. Looks like one to remember.


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## ab5228 (Nov 13, 2009)

michiganmaniac said:


> That is an awesome day man!! I'm not looking for specific locations but if you get some spare time to post I would love to hear the story of the day. Looks like one to remember.


It went like this, I made the early commute North. Left home about 5:45, listened to Zac Bryan on the way and drank a lot of coffee. Let Bella have the first run and we were hunting by 8:05, hitting a mixed cover of young oak thickets and some nice aged aspen pockets flanked by a beaver pond on one side, a swamp on the other side and some mature forest on the end. I hadn’t hit this spot since last year and beavers have done a good amount of work. Less than 10 mins into the hunt Bella’s bell stopped near the end of the cut where it meets the mature woods. I moved up and with her about 30 yards to my right a bird goes up between us and gives me a right to left crossing shot in front and I knocked it down, Bella retrieved. We walked the rest of this cover in a loop and had one more grouse flush wild and the natural gas wells were cranking. That was about a 45 minute walk. 

Made a quick 10-15 min drive from there to the next spot and it was now Goldie’s turn for a run. This spot was a young aspen 10ish yo butting to a 20ish age cut with a small creek running through the middle flanked with mature pines. Getting out of the car a grouse flushed 30 yards away. Shortly into the run I bumped another grouse to my right with Goldie out a ways to my left and we had little luck to start. Goldie got birdie for a stretch but nothing came up. When we began looping back to the car we got back to the edge of the creek and the young aspen and Goldie went on point. I came in for the flush and a woodcock went up and I knocked it down. We crossed the little creek continuing on our way and on the other edge Goldie went on point again and we had the same result. Another woodcock in the bag. Then as we got back towards the vehicle, 150 yards away or so Goldie has another find. She was off to my left, I moved up ahead and tried to flush across 15 yards ahead of her point and immediately a grouse goes up away from Goldie left to right for me first barrel miss, it turns flying away and I take another poke and it flies on but something didn’t look quite right, so we followed up. This resulted in the picture of Goldie and the bird. We put grouse number two in the bag. One pointed grouse for each dog and I was thinking with temps beginning to rise maybe I should try for a quick pheasant hunt on the way home. I decided to run Bella again in the grouse woods and we only found a couple pockets of heavy woodcock splash but no birds. Then we headed south leaving the woods a little before 11.

A little after 12 we arrived at one of my pheasant spots. This spot is private land. Bella had two runs and Goldie had only one at this point so it was Goldie’s turn. Goldie bumped a rooster as soon as we got into the cover and I passed up on taking a longer shot. She quickly pointed a hen and we moved on. As we moved on nearing a field corner alongside some standing corn Goldie went on point again. I went in to a patch of reed canary grass ahead of her and up went a mature rooster and I knocked him down. About 10 mins later Goldie went on point again and proceeded to track a rooster about 100 yards. He ended up flushing well out of range as he ran out of room up against a pond. We hunted on and had to turn back going with the wind and the next find a was a group, Goldie bumped 4 hens and a rooster. They scattered and I watched the young rooster land, about 100 yards away. We went down wind of that spot and Goldie quickly locked up. I moved ahead of her flushing perpendicular to her point about 15 yards in front and up went the young guy and with a right to left angling away from me shot he piled up. At this point it was about 1 o’clock and 60 degrees. We took some pics and went home.

On a side note, this was all with my new 28 gauge, 1 oz of 6’s. I started using this gun two weeks ago. I’m really liking it.


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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

ab5228 said:


> It went like this, I made the early commute North. Left home about 5:45, listened to Zac Bryan on the way and drank a lot of coffee. Let Bella have the first run and we were hunting by 8:05, hitting a mixed cover of young oak thickets and some nice aged aspen pockets flanked by a beaver pond on one side, a swamp on the other side and some mature forest on the end. I hadn’t hit this spot since last year and beavers have done a good amount of work. Less than 10 mins into the hunt Bella’s bell stopped near the end of the cut where it meets the mature woods. I moved up and with her about 30 yards to my right a bird goes up between us and gives me a right to left crossing shot in front and I knocked it down, Bella retrieved. We walked the rest of this cover in a loop and had one more grouse flush wild and the natural gas wells were cranking. That was about a 45 minute walk.
> 
> Made a quick 10-15 min drive from there to the next spot and it was now Goldie’s turn for a run. This spot was a young aspen 10ish yo butting to a 20ish age cut with a small creek running through the middle flanked with mature pines. Getting out of the car a grouse flushed 30 yards away. Shortly into the run I bumped another grouse to my right with Goldie out a ways to my left and we had little luck to start. Goldie got birdie for a stretch but nothing came up. When we began looping back to the car we got back to the edge of the creek and the young aspen and Goldie went on point. I came in for the flush and a woodcock went up and I knocked it down. We crossed the little creek continuing on our way and on the other edge Goldie went on point again and we had the same result. Another woodcock in the bag. Then as we got back towards the vehicle, 150 yards away or so Goldie has another find. She was off to my left, I moved up ahead and tried to flush across 15 yards ahead of her point and immediately a grouse goes up away from Goldie left to right for me first barrel miss, it turns flying away and I take another poke and it flies on but something didn’t look quite right, so we followed up. This resulted in the picture of Goldie and the bird. We put grouse number two in the bag. One pointed grouse for each dog and I was thinking with temps beginning to rise maybe I should try for a quick pheasant hunt on the way home. I decided to run Bella again in the grouse woods and we only found a couple pockets of heavy woodcock splash but no birds. Then we headed south leaving the woods a little before 11.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the write up. A great day indeed!


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Last day and last spot of our North dakota trip. Hunted our 12 yr old dog gunner to finish out the day. He pointed two roosters in front of my son. This was the walk back to the truck. Also managed a hun finally.
















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## whistler (Apr 12, 2012)




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## cwielock (May 9, 2010)

Not grouse but she is a versatile dog. Took her to North Dakota. She got a few points on pheasants but she needs work on them sharpies. (Or maybe I need more work on em) first time ever out duck hunting and she made a lot of great retrieves. Looking forward to next weekend for our trip North for some grouse and WC.
















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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

ab5228 said:


> Had a day today.
> View attachment 861072
> 
> FYI, this bird had already been hit. That’s why it held so tight. Made for a great picture when Goldie found it again.
> ...


congrats!


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## Gnoyes (Jan 23, 2013)




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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

I am putting a young pup on some birds for a buddy who is a dog trainer down south. Today miracle pointed her first grouse and I knocked it down.
I was also blessed with a beautiful sunset on the drive home, had to stop to take it in. Thank you Lord!


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## METRO1 (Oct 8, 2009)

I know don t raze me about her vest. Moms part owner and she s been beat up and rubbed raw so she made me put on.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

michiganmaniac said:


> I am putting a young pup on some birds for a buddy who is a dog trainer down south. Today miracle pointed her first grouse and I knocked it down.
> I was also blessed with a beautiful sunset on the drive home, had to stop to take it in. Thank you Lord!
> View attachment 863172
> View attachment 863173


Anyone I know? (Ronnie)


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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

birdhntr said:


> Anyone I know? (Ronnie)


Yes it is one of Ronnie's pups, 10 months old.


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## Fishinmi (Jan 15, 2019)

michiganmaniac said:


> Yes it is one of Ronnie's pups, 10 months old.


 From Mississippi?


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Fishinmi said:


> From Mississippi?


Tennessee.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

michiganmaniac said:


> Yes it is one of Ronnie's pups, 10 months old.


I noticed a bell on the pup!!


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## ab5228 (Nov 13, 2009)

While deer hunting yesterday morning.


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## motoscoota (Mar 9, 2021)

ab5228 said:


> While deer hunting yesterday morning.
> View attachment 864095


Don't know how the heck you got this picture! Simply awesome! Thanks for sharing!
(Seems like cell phone cameras are missing out on a market segment🤣)


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

Ellie pointed 3 woodcock and 3 grouse today. The woodcock held extremely tight, the grouse, not so much. One tried a suicide mission over open ground without success. Ellie did great.


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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

My wife got her second bird of the season and this one with her lab mix Sheba. She had a nice flush and retrieve and my wife made an incredible 180 degree spin shot. A great day.


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## nick brown (Mar 6, 2012)

Pheasants chickens and a sharptail.


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## skidoojc (Aug 28, 2006)

Seen any ducks?


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

skidoojc said:


> Seen any ducks?


lol.


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

Ellie pointed five and flushed one, shots one two. Another great day to be in the woods.


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## TonyP (Jul 18, 2006)

Scout found a few today! Birds (wild) didn’t hold very well. But, he pinned a rooster long enough for me to get in position and on the scoreboard!


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## dbortola (Oct 25, 2017)

That is awesome as is the photo. He looks very similar to my Tess, who was my first awesome bird dog and had the same brown/orange left eye and ear. Tess loved to nail roosters in clover fields after the corn came down. Way to go Scout!


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## ab5228 (Nov 13, 2009)




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## GrouseHntr (Nov 2, 2008)

Some pictures from the season. Chased a lot of birds and put some miles on the tires and boots. The pup got her first wild birds this season having pointed, woodcock, pheasant and grouse. All in all a really fun season with a few days left to maybe chase some roosters or waterfowl depending on what happens.


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## riskybiz09 (Oct 3, 2016)

We had a fun season learning and enjoying puppyhood. Missed my first grouse and woodcock ever thanks to a good friend that offered to show me the ropes. no one told me how hard they were to hit! Only kidding.. I am officially hanging up my bow moving forward to continue playing the game with our new puppy.

We found our first wild roosters, learned a lot about habitat and made lots of mistakes. Oddly enough, Rip found someone’s dead bird at a release site earlier this fall when we went to get used to the cover. Can’t wait for the 2023 season to put it all together. 

Still hoping for a rainy day rooster this weekend to close out the season though! Here are some pictures of Ripley from this year.



























































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