This Springs Wanderings

Work and caring for my elderly parents have left me little time to wander through my coverts this spring. Here are some pictures of the few times I've slipped away for some "woods time".

A new to me logging road lined with aspen looked very inviting.

At the top of the ridge I looked down into this nice looking cover. Emma and I moved 4 grouse in this new covert.

The following pictures are of some of my coverts.

These next three pictures are of Emma hunting. She is a joy to watch float through the woods. She hunts a nice pattern staying within bell range most of the time.

At one covert Emma brought me this woodcock barely alive. I don't know how she came upon it. When she first appeared with it I thought she had caught a hen on her nest, but it turned out to be a small male bird. Perhaps sick or injured I could only praise her for the retrieve she made.

Emma on a nonproductive point in open woods. I didn't see or hear anything but she definitely thought a bird as close by.

I had a bird flush ahead of me on this old road. As I called Emma in she struck scent and went on a nice by empty point.

Finally the real thing. A nice point on a woodcock.

My New Swedish Girl

I've lusted over hammerguns for years and finally took the plunge and bought one. She's just an entry level gun, a Husqvarna Model 20 in 16 ga. of course. Known as a farmers gun in her home country, the Model 20 was an inexpensive but sturdy gun built from 1877 to 1956. Mine was built in 1942 and balances the scales at 6 lbs 8 ozs. She's built on the strange looking lefaucheux under lever action, having no top lever to open the barrels. A steady diet of todays high-pressure shells would surely loosen her action so I'll be feeding her low-pressure 2 1/2 inch roll crimped reloads. I've only shot a couple of boxes of shells through her at clays but am very pleased with the results. She's choked full and fuller like many of her kind, I guess the Swedes like to be able to reach out for their game, so I'll be having the chokes opened for my grouse and woodcock hunting. The finish on her birch stock is rough so I;ll be refinishing it this summer. I'm guessing my Grulla will be seeing less brush this year as i carry this little "plain jane" Husky through my Allegheny coverts.

The Lefaucheux under lever action in the open position.