2 bears, 5 partridges

[BucklingSpring]

One more week before the small games hunting season starts and I feel like a kid counting nights before Christmas.

Last weekend my girlfriend, the new dog and I went to one of our hunting areas.

Just when we were parking the truck before our trail, two black bears (a big mom and its youngster) ran in front of us and sank in the forest using our trail.

I was not in a hurry to hit the trail. We took our time to leave the truck. I clipped a bell on the dog's collar and had the pepper spray ready to use. The dog is only 6 months old. It's an Appenzell Mountain Dog. Although they are not considered hunting dogs, this one will do. It really shows potential for that task. Pointing I'm not sure yet but certainly for tracking and retrieving.

As soon as the dog started to wonder around, it crossed the bears' path. It was hilarious. The smell terrified the poor thing. You should have seen the hairs raised on its back. It was not hard to calm it.

The bears only made few meters in the trail before ditching it. We never saw them again.

This trail is about 1 km long and leads to a nice small lake. I was a bit disappointed when I saw that moose hunters had marked the trail with a sign (2012: 4 hunters). Anyhow, help by the dog, we saw 5 partridges while walking the trail.

Moose hunting with bows is starting at the same time as small games. Then 3 weeks later, it opens for rifles for 2-3 weeks. Bows are not that popular. I'll ask the park officers what kind of permit these hunters have. If hopefully not archers then next weekend I will be able to come back and get those fat partridges.

If you are curious where in the world it is... You can seet it local.google.ca (satelite view) or google earth
   Starts: 47.375875,-72.496269
   Ends: 47.38051,-72.507255

[metalliqaz]

Good luck shooting at living things for the fun of it.

[BucklingSpring]

Good luck shooting at living things for the fun of it.

Are you a vegetarian?

Well, I'm not...
And I eat what I hunt or fish.

Do I enjoy hunting? Absolutely! Guilty as charged.

It is much more exciting and healthy than taking a chicken off a grocery shelf.
Plus my birds had a chance to enjoy a great life.
And between ending in a fox's stomach or mine, I prefer mine.
I'm not sure the bird really cares which.

All that said... I do respect the fact that you are against it.

[davkol]

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[The_Beast]

My brother hunts anything he can get a permit for, bear, bobcat, wolf, deer, partridge, crow.... but he also eats just about all of them (not crow) so nothing goes to waste.


Bear steak is very good, but a little on the sweet side. Partridge is my favorite fowl to eat and who doesn't like venison?

[BucklingSpring]

Unfortunately, there are too many hunters like Jimbo. Stupid drunk idiots, who shoot everything that moves. I wish you're not the case.

You're right, too many of them out there. Those are the few who give hunters a bad reputation.

I only pull the trigger on what I eat and when I'm close enough to be 100% sure of a clean and instant kill.

My girl friend went back in the woods yesterday. She saw 12 partidges in 2 hours and a young wolf. The wolf was catching and eating grasshoppers near the dirt road. It didnt seam to bother about the truck.

It's going to be a good year. 6 more days...

[BucklingSpring]

My brother hunts anything he can get a permit for, bear, bobcat, wolf, deer, partridge, crow.... but he also eats just about all of them (not crow) so nothing goes to waste.
Bear steak is very good, but a little on the sweet side. Partridge is my favorite fowl to eat and who doesn't like venison?

He hunts bobcats too? Is he a trapper?

I stick to partridges and occasionnal wild rabbits.

[The_Beast]

My brother hunts anything he can get a permit for, bear, bobcat, wolf, deer, partridge, crow.... but he also eats just about all of them (not crow) so nothing goes to waste.
Bear steak is very good, but a little on the sweet side. Partridge is my favorite fowl to eat and who doesn't like venison?

He hunts bobcats too? Is he a trapper?

I stick to partridges and occasionnal wild rabbits.

I'm not 100% on how he hunts everything because he hunts so much (every weekend pretty much) it's hard for me to keep track of.

[sth]

Good luck shooting at living things for the fun of it.

Are you a vegetarian?

Well, I'm not...
And I eat what I hunt or fish.

Do I enjoy hunting? Absolutely! Guilty as charged.

It is much more exciting and healthy than taking a chicken off a grocery shelf.
Plus my birds had a chance to enjoy a great life.
And between ending in a fox's stomach or mine, I prefer mine.
I'm not sure the bird really cares which.

All that said... I do respect the fact that you are against it.

decent points. i like to hear hunters explain themselves more sensibly than 'i like shootin things!'
i'm still not a fan of hunting but its good to know you eat what you kill. personally i think that might be harder for me to do than to eat store-bought meat, but i don't eat meat period so my expertise is... not here

[Halverson]

Growing up in northern manitoba/ northern ontario, almost everyone I know and their fathers hunt. I used to bird hunt almost every year. Partridge is damn good, real good. Over the years I've grown to dislike the act of hunting, but every fall....something just kind of clicks and I get the urge to go back up north and do some. Hanging out at a camp in the cold, drinking beers with friends, trying to get your own meals, just something about is enjoyable.

[BucklingSpring]

Growing up in northern manitoba/ northern ontario, almost everyone I know and their fathers hunt. I used to bird hunt almost every year. Partridge is damn good, real good. Over the years I've grown to dislike the act of hunting, but every fall....something just kind of clicks and I get the urge to go back up north and do some. Hanging out at a camp in the cold, drinking beers with friends, trying to get your own meals, just something about is enjoyable.

"but every fall....something just kind of clicks and I get the urge to go back up north and do some"

Amen!

For me going up north is a 300km/3 hours drive (double it for the round trip). The ritual is every weekends from mid september until the snow in december.

CLICK - 6 more days

[Halverson]

My up north journey is lovely 8 hour drive, but I end up staying at the cottage for a week or two. Nothing like a crisp fall morning on the lake. Autumn was always my favourite season.

[ra7c7er]

I go hunting every couple of years with my stepdad usually when my mom thinks it is a good idea. I'm not a huge fan but I seem to be able to kill stuff..... mostly the trees behind  whatever I am shooting at but I've nabbed a buck and doe in different seasons. I wouldn't hunt if I wasn't going to eat it and I don't leave injured or dead animals out there. Last deer season I trekked nearly two miles through hunter infested forest following the doe I wounded.  Still won't knife anything though that is left up to my stepdad. While the kill is very exciting it is also a somber one and I always thank whatever I killed for providing me with food. That comes from living near and Native American reservation for many years and learning their customs.

[sth]

That comes from living near and Native American reservation for many years and learning their customs.

facepalm

[BucklingSpring]

I always thank whatever I killed for providing me with food. That comes from living near and Native American reservation for many years and learning their customs.

I do that too. I put my hand on it, feel the warmth and thank it. Many tribes around the world are doing it. They even do it on other planets - ie Avatar joke.

There are a big Native American communities near the places I go. Unfortunately, for many of them, they are no longer the noble hunters they used to be. They are more like the Jimbo mentioned earlier. Shame on us for ruining their culture.

[BucklingSpring]

Nothing like a crisp fall morning on the lake.

Right! At dawn/sunrise, with a temperature below the freezing point and when the first lights are meshing with the fog blanket on the lake. Priceless.

[ra7c7er]

I always thank whatever I killed for providing me with food. That comes from living near and Native American reservation for many years and learning their customs.

I do that too. I put my hand on it, feel the warmth and thank it. Many tribes around the world are doing it. They even do it on other planets - ie Avatar joke.

There are a big Native American communities near the places I go. Unfortunately, for many of them, they are no longer the noble hunters they used to be. They are more like the Jimbo mentioned earlier. Shame on us for ruining their culture.

I agree. It took me a long time to be anything more than just a kids friend on the reservation but slowly many of the people opened up to me and I learned more and more. I always listened and learned and didn't talk much I think that helped a bit. It wasn't much before I had to move that I was pulled aside and actually taught some things on my own. I agree many natives today are hardly as proud as they once were.

[posthaste]

I don't mind the shooting part, but the skinning and field dressing isn't for me.

[BucklingSpring]

I don't mind the shooting part, but the skinning and field dressing isn't for me.

I never did anything big.

An old-timer showed me once how to do the partridges. You hold it on the ground with one foot on each wing close to the body. Then you pull the legs. The sound it makes while ripping it is bloody disgusting but the result is amazing. It skins it and guts it all at once.

Little cleaning has to be done after the procedure. At first I really didn’t like the smell. But after a while I got used to it and now I like it.

Then the girl friend does the cooking.

[BucklingSpring]

So here's how the first weekend went.

6 partriges.
1 wild rabbit.

I didnt remember how to skin and gutt a rabbit. Last time I was a kid and didnt really want to watch my dad doing it.

I found these well done videos and it went exactly as shown. Not for weak stomach.
So if you ever have to do it... Here's how.

Part 2

Part 3

[JustCallMeCrash]

I'm more interested in seeing your partridge technique.

[BucklingSpring]

I'm more interested in seeing your partridge technique.

There you go.

Many videos on youtube "field dressing grouse or partridge"

[BucklingSpring]

Last weekend in the woods

Bios and the chicks