THREE DOWN, TWO TO GO

The Royal MacNab: Sharptail Heaven

I just wanted to give you all a quick update on my most recent bird hunting adventure. Last week, I had the opportunity to chase some sharptails on the opener and harvested one on my first shot. Not five minutes later, my Brittany, Sunny, had one of her best points ever. As I was trying to take her picture for the blog, three sharpies got up in range and, as they say, my shooting thereafter went “to the dogs.”

First Sharpie of the year

We saw plenty of sharptails, but they were getting up out of range and I could not hit another bird to save my life. On the bright side, I truly enjoyed being in the uplands in October, my favorite month of the year. Moreover, I have now harvested bird three (i.e. blue, sage and sharptail) out of five for my Idaho Grouse Grand Slam (or “Royal Flush” as my good friend Matt Lucia, who just completed this awesome feat for the first time, calls it).

“Billy Jean King, Bird Buster” (Sunny) and “Bustin’ Dusty Devlins” (Dusty)

Now, I only need to take a spruce grouse and a ruffed grouse, or a “fool hen” and a “fool men,” if you will.

Later on that same day, I hunted one of my favorite ruffie and blue covers I call “Grouse Rock” but to no avail. This weekend, I will try again for some more sage and sharptail grouse and hopefully, a ruffed grouse. Next weekend, Shawn and I plan to search for some spruce grouse. I seriously hope to get’r done this year. Wish me luck!