How Many UJers Does Thudd Know?

Ted Moore and Tim Kisielski part of the endless seeming parade of UJers through our covers this fall.

For the third weekend in a row, Big Thudd asked if he could bring another of his Upland Journal buddies up to hunt with us. That makes five in the last three weeks -- is there no end to these folks?  So far they all seem alright and I can attest to the fact that all but one of them can shoot -- to give "Checo" his due he didn't get a chance over Jack as Carnoski beat him to the spot and killed the only shootable grouse.  When he was carrying during Rigby's run Montana Alex beat him to the birds and killed a grouse and a woodcock.  Yesterday Big Thudd and UJer Ted Moore were the designated gunners.  Ted killed two woodcock for LJ with his Sterlingworth 16 ga.  While Thuddy claims to have knocked down a grouse over Frankie that no one saw him hit and we could not find it.  When Thuddy had a chance on a grouse over Rigby he claimed that it flew to close over Katie and Kathy's heads for a safe shot (Actually the bird was so low they ducked).

The Little Thudster ran twice yesterday and pointed a grouse the first time and a pair of them the second time down but neither time afforded us a shot.  Frankie looked more like himself as we ran him in some pretty open cover and he really stretched out to the limits of the bell (and he wears a big bell) and had the above mentioned grouse that Thudd "shot."

It was a cold day with the temperature in the mid-30s while we were hunting and the mountains around us were pretty white.  The highlight of the day was a hot lunch of steak and cheese sausages provided by Big Thudd and cooked on my tailgate while Ted and Tim ran one of Ted's red dogs. Rigby had a good run in the Home Cover with the grouse mentioned above which was  part of a pair and a nice piece of work on a woodcock that didn't provide us a shot.   She was just a little late on a grouse that flushed wild and then had a stand almost back to the house where we frequently have a grouse.  We couldn't flush it (it's been pretty well educated) and most likely beat feet out of there.

Tony listening for Frankie's bell as he was ripping it up on Sunday.

Frankie is slowly returning to the form he had last spring when this picture was taken.