2021

Written by: Fred c. van den Heuvel, Jr.Export, PA  When she came through the door, she noticed something was missing, as she called for her husband of sixty-five years. Out of habit she glanced towards the empty rack that once held his old double barrel and immediately knew it was sign, he had gone hunting. Gracie was now an elderly gal of 16 years and had become more of a fireplace setter than the woods racing pointer she once was, but her tail stood high as ever before.  She had warned him not to take Gracie out hunting at her age, not...

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Written by: Joseph CollinsMount Airy, GA My mom with two of my Grandpa’s rabbit dogs in 1959 Albert Einstein is said to have defined “Insanity” as trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I believe he was referring to his quantum theory when he said it but the saying holds true in other applications. I’m sure we all have some aspect of our lives that would classify us insane by Einstein’s definition. For me there are several. My monthly budgeting strategy, my morning routine to ensure that I leave for work on time, or disciplining my 5-year-old son....

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Written by: Teresa ArnettGrand Blanc, MI “Setters are like potato chips; you can never have just one……becoming a Grouse Hunter”   “I want to hike in the woods and chase pheasant” I told my best friend when we talked about rescuing a gun dog. I had my handsome lab, Pippin, who was moving into his golden years. He was gun shy and never able to hunt him. I had also grown up with the nostalgia of my dad’s old GSP and Sweet 16. My dad would tell stories of slipping into the farmer’s fields he would work to chase pheasants with that...

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Written by: Matt LarisonPlain City, OH A true story about hard lessons learned, friendship, and great grouse dogs. Some of the names have been changed out of respect for their identity. I wrote in hopes that it will prevent at least one other person and or their dog from ever going through something like this… It was Monday, October 30th, 2017, and I was fortunate enough to be in Northern Michigan with two of my best friends.  It was the start of what would become an annual grouse and woodcock hunt.  Prior days spent hunting had been awesome working my son’s 4 year old...

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Written by: Darryl JamesSouthfield, MI Like all adventures, this one started with a conversation over a meal. A very good friend and hunting buddy, Dr. Gil and I had been out shooting a round of sporting clays and were having lunch at a favorite little burger bar, The Cozy Inn. Over Cozy burgers and pop, Dr. Gil asked if I were interested in heading north for a guided grouse and woodcock hunt Dr. Gil said that he had gotten a phone number of a guide who sets up grouse camp each September in a state forest area, and we could do...

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Written by: Warren ColemanEast Calais, VT  All the grouse and woodcock I’ve watched fly away are a distant memory now.  Instead, when my friends and I want birds in front of the gun Boone gets to slip on the bell and we follow his lead. Living only twenty minutes from the Vermont state capital I can walk out my front door and consistently find enough grouse and woodcock for training a young bird dog.  In fact, the woods just beyond our vegetable garden reliably hold a few woodcock all summer long.  With this as his puppy playground and plenty of wild birds...

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