[zen leecher aka bill w]

Fishing sucks. I'm loading shotgun shells.

 

[Jim F.]

I agree. I'm tying flies & putting-in lots of trigger time. And assembling/tweaking a 100 to 200 yard .22.

 

[Jim F.]

As soon as the rifle arrives, lol.

 

[zen leecher aka bill w]

I just bought 16 lbs of Hodgdon's Clays and 2K 7/8 oz shotgun wads in 12 gauge.

 

[Wormonhook]

When it cools off just a little more down here, I'm heading to the sporting clays course!

 

[Jim F.]

I just bought 16 lbs of Hodgdon's Clays and 2K 7/8 oz shotgun wads in 12 gauge.

Hmmm . . . great title for a hunting song . . . "You load sixteen pounds and what do you get, long-tailed roosters and a happy pet . . ."

 

[zen leecher aka bill w]

Hmmm . . . great title for a hunting song . . . "You load sixteen pounds and what do you get, long-tailed roosters and a happy pet . . ."

I had a couple of thoughts of Tennesee Ernie Ford songs too.... and I think a Gene Pitney one.

 

[Wormonhook]

I just remembered this. When I was a kid, my older brother and his buddies took me along on one of their dove hunts. They set up a reloader on the tailgate of one guys old station wagon and reloaded shells while they shot. Crazy. I hadn't thought of that in many years.

 

[Jim F.]

When there are a lot of Doves around, I've always described the experience thusly: "You don't "hunt" Doves, per se; you shoot at them & when your ammo is gone you go home."

Chores are done for the day - just finished mowing in the hot sun; I need to go shower before Hank decides to roll on me, lol.

 

[junkie]

Fishing is good here, lol. Oddly, though, it's best during the day. When the sun goes over the hill they quite rising, which is opposite their usual behavior.

 

[Jim F.]

Any outings locally around here turn into casting & weed-removal practice. What a difference 120-some miles makes, Trip.

 

[zen leecher aka bill w]

I cleaned up a couple of older 20 gauge reloaders and mounted them to bases. I spent yesterday resizing the bases of all my empty shells. When I first started shooting a 20 gauge I had some empties given to me. They were shot in a gun with a bigger chamber so in my gun they needed to be pushed in. The two reloaders I have for a 20 gauge are a Hornady 366 and a Mec 650.

 

[freestoneangler]

The fishing here has been great, but my more recent itch for bird hunting has not waned. My neighbor/friend from our prior home in WA is friends with E. Donnell Thomas Jr. and gave me a signed copy of Fool Blue Hen as a "heading to Montana" gift. He knew our lab Ruby (who we lost in February) and knew I was wanting to get more into upland bird hunting. The book is a great read, particularly for lab lovers.

I've been getting some intel from some locals on the opportunities here in the Ruby Valley -- not stellar, but there are some, particularly up in the Ruby Range. We've been holding off getting another dog as things have been real busy. Not sure we'll have one before the start of the season and I may try my luck w/o. They are around as I've had a couple scare the shit out of me along the river.

 

[dust in the wind]

Zen I'll give you ten bucks for your popper assortment?

 

[zen leecher aka bill w]

Zen I'll give you ten bucks for your popper assortment?

Best post I've read all year! Two thumbs up.

 

[zen leecher aka bill w]

Now back to loading a bunch of 20 gauge so I can do my part in getting eastern WA doves classed as an "endangered species".