Recent content by smdmz

Being self-taught I watched way too many YouTube videos claiming to describe “the way you need to shoot.” I would go to the gun range, follow their advice and eventually found it lacking. Then I started completely ignoring all that advice and went either skeet or trap shooting every weekend for...

Had a few "encounters" this year that I've never had in years past. Two were on opening day, one being less egregious, and one last Saturday. Situation 1: I park at a crop circle corner, and usually I walk all 4 as often running birds will run into the other corners as we're hunting them. Thus...

Thanks hunter94 and JHoch00, the encouragement is appreciated. That's a good point about the 5yrs - that makes me feel a lot better about the choice. I plan on knocking on the landowner's door next weekend to see if I can't find that damn rooster again.

Started near Fleming, drove up to my first WIA 20 minutes before start time and there were hunters already out in the field.... same story on the next 8 WIA properties. This was the first time I've gone on opening day in 6 years and I think I'll pass in the future. It was an absolute zoo in...

I'm in Evergreen & will be going nearly every Saturday this season except a couple around Christmas. I have a 6yo french brittany and a 1yo red setter that are both pointing fiends. I've hunted almost exclusively WIA in eastern CO for the last 5 years so I know the public land well. Let me know...

Hunted Sunday and in 5 years of hunting CO I've never seen so many hunters. Every WIA I drove past was occupied, with the first 3 I was targeting occupied as well. Eventually knocked down 2 roosters and missed a 3rd in just a half day hunting before calling it a day. Two thoughts: 1) Saw the...

Thanks for the advice, I'll probably poke around out there once this season, but looking at the terrain & trees out there it doesn't look like there's too much of that desirable sage-aspen-pines combo they're supposedly so drawn to. I suppose driving an hour to good habitat is better than...

I moved to Evergreen a few months ago, and in looking around for Blue Grouse spots to hunt this fall, I found a couple SWAs right outside Evergreen. Question is - does anyone know if this is a worthwhile spot to hunt? This year will be me & my dog's first for blues, and I'd like to get him in...

I'll second that appreciation. Thinking about the pheasant population gives me that little extra motivation in dog training!

Way to inspire the next generation! I was out Saturday/Sunday and had a bunch running & flushing wildly. The dog was a bit frustrated, but less so when I put a couple on the ground for him to find. Hoping to get out during a snowstorm the next few weeks...

Same story for me - called it a day around noon after wild flushes.

Here's a pretty good, succinct comparison: https://pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Nancy-Anisfield/American-Brittany-or-French-Brittany.aspx I can tell you from anecdotal evidence that my French Britt works closer and is more methodical than the few "Americans" I've hunted over. There's...

That's what I figured. I've never bothered to look for them anywhere but NE Colorado myself and I've heard from others they're scarce west of Morgan Co, but I have this romantic picture in my head that the population recovery will see the birds repopulating the areas they abandoned on the front...

My pup doesn't have a retort because he's French and shies away from conflict. ;)