16ga.com ~ View topic - The 8-ball hunt- another adventure and photos

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2125 Location: Hudson,Wy

Well my friends, I have returned ragged, worn, and just plain tired from the toughest Himalayan snowcock hunt of my life. Rusty is plumb worn out, poor dog. It seemed I would never bag my 8th snowcock. Thankfully Nevada has superb hunting for blue grouse too.

The first leg of the journey occurred at a new location Travis Warren had been hunting for 3 years now...still without a bird, but they are there and we were hell bent to get one out of the south unit. By the way, his delightful UpChukar podcast is back on the air again.

At any rate we went through great pain and misery trying to find and bag a bird from an isolated population where there are absolutely no hiking trails or water. Climbing a mountain range and back down while packing enough water (for Rusty too) and supplies (protein in mass quantity and carbs) along with gun and ammo grew exhausting very quickly. One day my pack weighed over 40 lbs. We gained about 3,500' elevation over brush, rock fields, and other obstacles with the slopes going as steep as 60-70 degrees in some areas. But we did find birds, just not many mind you.

It became the hunt of exhaustion and frustration, we even hit a band of chukars above 10,000' that never let us in range. Hell folks, even the blue grouse were flushing out 50 yards at times. I think something about those mountains makes everything paranoid, except the mountain goats. I actually got very close to some of those.

I managed to spend 5 shells on snowcock up there though. I was rewarded with: a tree, numerous rocks and dirt (they sure skim low over those ledges), and a bird that just shook off a load of 5's like it was some sort of mild inconvenience! I was behind the 8-ball when it came to actually shooting my 8th career bird. But with each frustration came more determination. Travis went home mid day on day four. That darnable work stuff you know. It was hard to see him go, we've become close friends. I scouted a new route that afternoon.

After a long day five, I waved the white flag down there and come the next morning I moved camp a long distance to an area where I have bagged most of my Himalayans. I looked forward to the great luxury of gaining most of the required 4,000' of elevation there on a trail, and have water along that route too. Not carrying 1 1/2 gallons up the mountain was so nice, I just used my water filter to refill one small bottle until I left the headwaters. I packed 3 quarts then.

I found some more great blue grouse hunting up there at nearly 11,000' and my spirits soared, plus I had recent snowcock sign too. Then I found boot prints and tent prints in the saddle below, and they were from the previous weekend at best. Not cool.

My hopes took a digger with that one and it explained recent bird droppings without birds, so I burned my legs harder as Rusty barely tagged along. My poor little buddy was plain tuckered out and I knew this would be the old dog's final snowcock hunt, so it was really important to give it one last push.

My final slope showed a lot of sign, but no new stuff, just old Aug-Sept. stuff. We dropped down to mid slope, which seemed to be best this year then proceeded across the "slip and fall to your demise" sort of hell that few can understand and... still no bird encounter! Ugh!

A storm was rolling in with 60 mph wind gusts pushing ahead of it plus the sun was about to set. Things looked bleak. A third blue grouse in hand really lifted my spirits after climbing back up what we now call "Snowcock Knob"(I've shot half my birds there).

On the switchbacking climb back down through the ledges adjacent to a 500' cliff one lone tree caught my attention. I recalled how I finally learned that these magnificent upland giants will indeed sit below a tree, just like blue grouse. I got pretty close to that tree and figured it was vacant when all of sudden the shrill alarm cry of my quarry priced my ear drums. The bird launched hard and then pulled its wing tips all the way together, wings now vertical under the its body, to drop even faster. Too late for a shot!

I waited...no other flushes. Darn. Then as I continued downward, a pair flushed. Close. Opportunity for redemption! This is the part where the gun goes pow. This is the part where the bird goes down (or is supposed to). This is the part where my pants go brown (because it didn't). Sort of. I shot a protruding rock as the left bird passed behind it, then cut loose of left barrel as my snowcock came out the other side, wing tipping it. I watched as it crossed the valley and landed on the other mountain side. I marked it well, then reloaded. Bird four erupted as I proceeded down to the rock stairwell. I shot and thought it went into one of those violent spinning tumbles. I was stoked with elation!

Well, I've had these birds pull impossible maneuvers that made me think they went down hard before, only to discover I had done no harm at all. I once had one turn upside down and free fall clean out of sight into a ravine only to find it was sitting healthy on an outcropping around the corner. That bird flew a way long before I could even think of being in range.

Such was the case again and no bird waited below for me, nor any scent for Rusty. The sun was now down and there was the matter of my obligation and determination to go render the cripple to bag, so at a snails pace we worked our way over and eventually climbed the slope.

I scratched and clawed my way up to where I marked the landing point wondering which rock pile or ledge the bird would hide in or if it had gone under a tree instead. Rusty trailed behind me, so I was unaware of his deviation in course. Suddenly my ears were treated with the sound of a very large bird taking off below me while my back was turned. The powerful wing beats were not synchronized, this was the missing bird for sure. Major league panic!

I spun around while doing my best to not only maintain footing but locate Rusty before firing at a low bird. Rusty was in the clear and I took my shot. MISS! Barrel number two however rewarded me with a feather cloud at about 35 yards. All that was left was to recover the bird. Ah, but it was a 70 degree slope, this could be difficult. I shuffled down until I could see Rusty 200 yards below me. He had the bird! After what he had been through with sore paws and severe fatigue I wasn't going to make him carry a 7 lb. bird up that and went down to him where I gave him a huge hug then offered a heart felt prayer of thanks to the Lord.

Within half an hour I was navigating by headlamp. Three and a half hours later I staggered into camp, feeling beat but jubilant. The 8 ball was finally in the corner pocket. It snowed for the next two days and I had to shovel my way out of camp since the hill was steep, covered in stones and wet snow. The camper was going to be tough to pull up there even with 4wd and reduced tire pressures. I should have just went to town, bought another gallon of milk... then went back to hunting for another week. Other obligations were waiting. But what an adventure! I wouldn't have traded that bird for a Super Bowl ring. Heck, a lot more of those have made it to peoples fingers than these birds have.

Enjoy the trip photos of grouse, mountains, the goat, and of course that Big Bird folks, I spent about 80,000 calories to get them!

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Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 483 Location: South Eastern PA

Great post!

My back went out just reading about how physical it must have been.

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 371 Location: mpls mn

Excellent !Thank you for posting that and give Rusty a pat on the head and a scratch behind the ear

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1841 Location: Central ND

Great, amazing stuff Garhart!!

Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 196

Great post should be in a magazine thanks for taking us along.

Garhart,

Great story, I loved it as usual. Loved the pictures especially of the wilderness and Rusty also. I know it is hard knowing Rusty is going to retire, you are a very lucky sportsman to have had him so long at your side as you hunt. Go easy on him and he will be with you even longer. I just lost my prize Ryman Setter Blue Belton pup to stomach cancer. I do wish Maggie Mae would have enjoyed the longevity Rusty has, you have been blessed for sure. Thanks for posting your fantastic hunts, they keep an old Grouse hunter like me young.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 30 Sep 2019 Posts: 145 Location: Colorado

Beautiful in every way, Garhart. Thanks.

And good to have you back.

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2125 Location: Hudson,Wy

Dave,

Rusty should be able to hunt with me for several more years, just not on such a brutally demanding hunt as this. There will be a pup coming in March or so, another dog like Rusty to share duties and cover the really strenuous stuff.

WyoChukar,

Garhart you are my kind of sportsman, no doubt about it!

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 07 Sep 2011 Posts: 567 Location: wheeling, wv

And I was tired after my UP grouse hunt today, wow, quite an accomplishment.
Always look forward to your adventures, keep em coming, and give Rusty a pet for me.

Great writing & pics! I like challenging hunts for wild birds, especially when they play out. Very inspirational!

Member Joined: 30 Nov 2011 Posts: 1696 Location: Minnesota

Garhart,you must be a blood relative to that goat in one picture! Makes my knees ache just looking at the pictures. Rusty is a master at his craft. Congrats to both of you.

I have never had the opportunity to do a hunt like this, but it was a pleasure to read about it and see the actual terrain.

At this point in my life it occurs to me that this is "no country for old men".

Thanks for sharing,

Chuck

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2125 Location: Hudson,Wy

I'm not sure it is even country for young men! One of the younger guys is up there now in the snow. He's been trying for days on end...we're rooting for him to get it done. He is also a man who hunts with a border collie.

As far as my dog goes, it took him a week to recover from our hunt. That says a lot. Rusty has been back into blue grouse and high mountains the last few days. It's good to see him happy and spry again.

Garhart,

Glad to hear Rusty is doing well and back in the hunt again. It is Sunday here and no Grouse or Woodcock hunting today, working around the log cabin today. We have been grated a few Sundays to hunt Grouse, the PGC eliminated our vacation Grouse hunting over Christmas by ending the Grouse season before the Christmas holidays, lots of angry Grouse hunters right now, no more January Grouse Hunting either, so they granted us a couple Sundays to help make up for all the lost hours in the Grouse woods.
We can hunt Pheasant till the end of February however.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man