Hey Bob,

Well as you know I have not deer hunted much (lately)..., but I was able to go on Thursday, sit in a tree stand and actually enjoy the smell, the bird life etc. Then three (3) small deer came out of the swamp behind me and walked under my tree. Then I herd a little snap and I leaned /turned around slow and saw a big doe approaching. I have not shot a doe in I would say 20+ years and decided I would try to fill the freezer for the winter. & I did. I let one (1) fly from my Benelli Super Nova 12 Ga. and boy did she jump & twist and off she ran in to the briers and out of sight. I gave her a few minutes then followed. She crossed a narrow brook then snaked through some rather thick brush with a very good blood trail. Then I spotted her down & out "Yes"!! At first I wished she had just dropped where she stood but the great part was that she went through the thick nasty stuff, over the brook, through the mud and dropped 20' from the path. I then walk about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile back to my old timer friend Donnies barn and fired up the three (3) wheeler with a little trailer and headed back out to clean & claim my kill.

I made up a rope and tree limb handle to tie her front legs and head together to lift her front end off the ground for dragging "makes it much easier" then field dressed her, loaded her in the trailer and headed back to the barn. Then off to the check station to be tagged then last nite after work brought her to the butcher to be cut-up. Note: After I hung her I cut out the back straps under the back bone, the best part of the deer. Got home cut one of them in half, cut up 1/2" medalions, thru them in the frying pan with some butter & garlic and Cody & I had a little treat for dinner.

I am sure you are out hunting now... Good luck!

-Rob-

A beautiful morning, but not for hunting

I need to use up my remaining vacation time by the end of the year so I took today off to hunt. This weekend was a washout, having rained all day Saturday. There's no hunting on Sunday, so I figured there might be some birds left in the field Monday morning.

I arrived at the meadows at 6:30 and it was a spectacular morning. The temperature was perfect and by 10am it would rise to 57. The sun was beginning to steam in and I could hear the remaining oak leaves finally letting go and falling to the ground. Ten minutes into my walk I spotted a squirrel about 30 yards out for just a few seconds until it ducked behind a tree. A minute later it poked its head out, quickly spun around, flashing its tail as it checked to see if I had left, then disappeared into the trunk. Not much later I spotted another one 50 yards away, but it ran at top speed through the branches and disappeared. These squirrels where definitely spooked and at high alert.

There was one other hunter in the field who was walking the main path, but he remained quiet and didn't look like a problem. As I hit some of the areas 'hot spots', I was disappointed to find that like last week, nothing was moving. I covered these areas for the next hour, passing quietly on the soft wet leaves and making 4 passes. I am coming to the conclusion that squirrels don't like nice days. Neither do they like rain, clouds or wind. One thing that they do seem to like is early morning fog, but I wouldn't put a bet on seeing anything then either. I'm finding squirrels to be a much bigger mystery than women.

After a few hours I returned back to the parking area and discovered that there were now a dozen trucks parked there. You'd never know it because no one was taking a shot. Not one. Many of the hunters were obviously retired and one told me that at least he'd get his exercise. Rob's friend the bow hunter was the only guy who beat me into the woods this morning. When I ran into him at around 10:00, I told him that at 7:30 I saw two good size deer to my left, who saw me and ran to the main path heading East. Those were the first deer I'd come across in weeks. I'm guessing they head deep into the swaps during pheasant season.

I plan to check into some new hunting spots starting next week. The meadows is dead this time of year and they don't appear to be stocking many birds. Watch the video for additional comments.

Rob Becher in Mass.

Here is a shot of me and Labrador Logan duckin a few weeks ago up in Mass.

Stocking pheasants Monday morning

I was there when they stocked pheasants today. Play the video to find out what I saw.

Pheasant Hunting in Connecticut

Changes in 2009

Survey Sheds Light on Connecticut Pheasant Hunters

"...The primary objectives of the survey were to develop a hunter profile, determine the strengths and weaknesses of the current stocking program and determine the most popular directions for potential future changes..." MORE

Rob Becher at Duck Camp

Rob & Doc & Valley

Jen & Doc at BSP

I'm a bird hunting hacker, but my buddy Rob is a pro. Here's a few photos from his recent hunt.

Bob,

Just returned from holiday/vacation Duck Camp up at the Doc's in MA. Had a great time hunting 8 days am & pm.... We also hunted with a local guy who I met at our WaterFowel Festival that took us on his TDB Duck boat and that was wild. The Cabela's Worlds Foremost Bank - WFB invited me back to Lincoln NB. in Feb. for meetings and a hunt that will be very cool. Great job on the birds, sounds like your hooked!

Chat soon ~Rob

First cock pheasant of the year

I had the alarm set for 6 this morning, but it was a long tough week at work and it was pouring out. I wasn't sure if I'd bother to hunt this morning or not, so I ended up staying in bed for another couple of hours with my wife and dog. The birds could wait.

I finally got moving and arrived at the WMA at about 9. The rain had gotten lighter and there were only a half dozen trucks in the lot. My blaze camo jacket is waterproof, so I figured it would keep me from getting soaked on the outside. The problem was that the temperature was climbing into the 60's, and with that jacket zipped and my hunting vest on, I was going to be either soaked from rain or from sweat.

About 15 minutes down the main path I saw what was clearly a cock pheasant start running into the woods and going airborne. I said to myself, "Slow down, get a good bead and don't miss!" FIRE! It went down. I couldn't believe I had a bird in my bag that quickly. It's a nice feeling to know that no matter what happens from now on, I'll be bringing home a nice bird.

Over the next 3 hours I only head a few shots. I bagged a small squirrel as well, but it was so small that I felt bad that 'catch and release' only works with fish. I walked everywhere and by noon I was soaked, covered with mud and exhausted. I'm taking a vacation day Monday, so I'll be out again. I have to decide whether to take the 20 gauge or the new Henry 22 which I hope to sight in at the range tomorrow. To be honest with you, I find squirrel hunting to be much more fun and challenging than pheasant hunting. Pheasants are stupid, slower and bigger targets. The guns are bigger as well. The nice thing about bird hunting is that I now have a beautiful piece of meat in the freezer. Last week I cooked the hen by baking it on a bed of white rice with mushroom soup mixed it. I covered the bird with cut up garlic and baked it for about 45 minutes. It came out delicious. Next time I'm going to try putting the bird in a baking bag with some sweet and sour sauce. I have to admit that pheasants are much tastier than squirrels, and MUCH easier to gut. Today, instead of plucking the bird, I simply cut off the head, feet and wings, then sliced it open and pulled off the skin, feathers and all. It just slide right out of its skin. It's never that easy with a squirrel, no matter how soon you gut it.

Let me know how you're making out this season by emailing me at brshooting@sbcglobal.net. Have fun and stay safe.

Me about 39 years ago!

Bagged my first pheasant in about 40 years

No, it's not that I'm such a bad shot; I just haven't bought a pheasant stamp since I was a kid. I enjoyed hunting this morning, but it wasn't at all the quiet hunting that I enjoy so much. Dogs barking everywhere. Hunters yelling and laughing, some in groups of 7. Orange vests in sight no matter where you turn. With that kind of competition it's a wonder I bagged anything. I figured I didn't stand a chance competing with these groups and their dogs, so I hunted the edge of the swamps where the birds they put up and missed would likely fly to. The strategy worked and I bagged this one within the first hour, then left to clean it, take a quick snooze and head to work. No squirrel sightings this morning, but that's not unexpected considering the insanity all around. That's why I bought the bird stamp this year. Usually opening day is a morning full of irritation and frustration, trying to squirrel hunt with bird hunters all around. This year I decided that it would be better to simply join them. It was a good decision and I now have meat in the freezer.

If you did any shotgun hunting today, share your photos and stories by emailing them to for posting. Happy hunting and enjoy the weekend!

Nice shoot'n Rob!

Check-out our hunt from yesterday! Ya-Hooo! ~Rob Becher

Rob and I worked together for years until he landed a sweet job at Cabela's. Now Rob gets paid for what he loves to do. More on Rob and his dog Cody on my 'Friends' page. Cody is a professional hunting dog model.

Buying a pheasant tag

I just bought my first pheasant tag in 39 years! Now that I'm sometimes carrying a shotgun for squirrels, I'll be ready if I put up a bird. I usually run into a few stragglers every year after the snow falls. Ya baby!! Tags are only $14 and you can buy the tag online in CT. The website will actually make you a fresh hunting license which will include the tag. Sure beats trying to get out of work early to run to town hall... to discover that they've run out. Very cool! To purchase a hunting license or a stamp, click HERE, scroll to the bottom of the page and click START. Once you fill out the application once, the site keeps your info on record. Just enter your conservation ID# and it only takes a minute to make a purchase from then on. The state did this one right!

5 in the bag... like old times

The weatherman was right; the morning was just perfect. It was in the upper 50's, low humidity and not a cloud in the sky. I arrived at around 7:30 and the parking lot was empty. Not even a police car to greet me. Warm beams of light were streaming through the branches and birds by the hundreds were moving and making a wracked. I said to myself that if I didn't see a squirrel this morning, I should just hang it up. A morning just couldn't get better than this. Last year at this time squirrels would be running across the ground and scampering up the tree trunks as I approached their feeding areas. That isn't happening this year. Is it possible that all the squirrels that work the ground for food have been killed by predators? I don't know, but something has made them go away. Last year I knew without question that as I approached these areas I'd see 2 or 3 squirrels running across the ground and heading up a tree trunk. The woods have been disturbingly quiet for the past 11 months, and these squirrels are nowhere to be found. I was concerned that I didn't see a single squirrel move as I approached my destination.

Upon arrival I was greeted by the crashing of leaves in a distant tree. I was thrilled that it was obviously a squirrel. I put a bead on it and fired with the 20 gauge, but it disappeared into the tree. This was my first shot at a squirrel with a shotgun in years, and it reminded me to take my time, get closer and take better aim before squeezing the trigger. I'm guessing that by the time the BBs reached that squirrel, it may have only gotten hit with a few at most, and unless they hit a vital spot, the squirrel would keep moving. The next shot would be closer and placed more precisely. I decided to revisit the tree where I bagged the squirrel a week or two ago. That day there were two spotted, and twice I missed the second squirrel... The leaves CRASHED overhead and I froze to see if my old buddy would come into the open. I waited a few minutes and there it was. I carefully put my bead on it and fired. It dropped and hit the ground with the beautiful sound of a soft 'THUD!" I had my first squirrel with the 20, and this was the male that I had been hunting for weeks. I continued to watch the area for about 20 more minutes more. Nuts were falling from the trees, but I couldn't get a visual on anything. I decided to move to the spot that I dropped a squirrel two weeks ago.

I listened closely as I quiety approached the spot, but nothing moved for the next few minutes. Then came the falling pieces of nuts. Lots of them. I could hear the squirrels chomping in the trees, and it wasn't long before one of the squirrels showed itself. Bang! Thud. I love that sound. I carried the squirrel to the spot where I was waiting and decided to use my time to gut it. Right in the middle to cleaning it, another appeared. I dropped the knife and grabbed the gun. Moving to a better position, I fired and dropped the third. Now I was hearing a lot of movement. I dropped that one on my squirrel pile and returned under the tree to see if I could spot another. The squirrel above me made a jump to the tree at my left, and started to run across a high branch. I swung left, fired and it dropped. Four down. This one had a nut tightly held it its mouth, just like the one I shot last year with the 17. It's my understanding that squirrels clamp down when shot, so they have a death grip on the nut they were carrying when they die.

Next I returned to where I was cleaning the squirrel and did the same with the other. Even when still warm, cleaning a squirrel still isn't quick and easy. I think it would help if I bought a better knife with a gutting hook to easily slice open the pelt. That needs to be my next purchase. Instead of cleaning all 4, I decided to wait and clean the other two in the parking lot.

I made the decision to move on because it was approaching 10:00 which usually means the end of squirrel play-time. About 75 yards away, another squirrel crashed through the leaves and ran across a branch at a distance. I took careful aim and fired. It dropped and I'll tell you, I couldn't have been happier! When's the last time I saw 5, never mind bagging 5!? I honestly never thought I'd see a day like this for some time. I now had 3 more squirrels to clean so I decided to hang it up. These were all good size and my game bag was getting surprisingly heavy. I'm tired of writing, so for the rest of the story, watch the video.

I just remembered that I have to attend our yearly company picnic next weekend, so I won't be able to hunt next Saturday. Oh well, until next time. The sky is deep blue right now and it's time to walk my dog. Hope you're having some luck out there. We only have a couple more weekends before squirrel hunting ends for two weeks followed by the chaos of pheasant hunting. Make use of these weeks while you can.

Season count: 7

What to hunt when, and some info I located online on the Mossberg 185K shotgun

Recently an old widowed neighbor stopped by and asked if I would like a BB gun that once belonged to her deceased husband. Of course I said yes, and found it a bit funny that what she thought was a BB gun was actually a bolt action 20 gauge shotgun made in the 50's. It was in excellent condition, except that the 2 shell magazine was missing. I hadn't hunted with a shotgun since I was in my very early 20's, but I couldn't resist taking the gun out and giving it a try. The second time out I bagged 5 squirrels. That caught my attention, so for the first time in 40 years I bought a pheasant stamp. On opening day of pheasant season, I bagged a hen within the first hour. I wish I could have stayed to try to bag another but I had to work part of the day.

In my 'humble' opinion, pheasant hunting with a shotgun doesn't come close to squirrel hunting with a rimfire firearm. In previous years I'd take my 17HMR squirrel hunting from opening day through the end of February when the season closes. I must admit that my dedication not to rimfire hunt was the result of a lot of frustration over previous years. It was not unusual to be stopped on numerous occasions in the same morning by COs who questioned what caliber I was using, what was in my backpack, what game I was hunting, plus warning me against hunting birds with a rifle. Daaa!

Then there's the bird hunters themselves. Squirrel hunting and pheasant hunting are worlds apart. Squirrel hunters move silently through the woods, usually alone. Bird hunting consists of a lot of guys in the woods at the same time, usually when they know birds have been stocked. Many hunters (not all) feel no need to be silent, and can be downright obnoxious. On opening day 2 years ago, at 7am when everyone was allowed to enter the woods, some jackass at the front of the line fired off a shot into the air 'to wake things up'. To this jerk, no one else could have possibly been there to hunt anything else but pheasant. Then there's the hunting dogs with their clanging cowbells, barking and running right up to me to have a good sniff.

Pheasant hunters often won't think twice about walking right in front of me (instead of walking around) while I'm obviously sitting silently and watching something that's up in a tree, screwing up my chance of getting that squirrel I've been waiting for over the past half hour. Trying to squirrel hunt in October equals utter frustration, so this year instead of fighting it I joined them. It turned out to be a good decision. I hope that if I meet up with you while you're squirrel hunting that you find me more courteous than the guys I've been describing. Don't get me wrong, some of the nicest people I've met in the woods have been bird hunters. It's just that there are a lot of people who hunt birds, and that group is composed of all kinds; some being more thoughtful than others.

Here's the dilemma I'm facing right now. I have a new Henry 22 that I've been asked by Henry Repeating to field test, but birds will be stocked every Saturday until the first major snow. Do I want to pass up a pheasant in hope that by some rare chance I'll come across a squirrel? For the most part squirrels are in hiding while the fields are filled with pheasant hunters and their dogs, and if it's like last season, I'll be wasting my time hunting them now. My best bet will be pheasant hunt until the first major snow when stocking ends, then break out the 22. If I can get a day off from work during the week or if I find a good spot where pheasants aren't hunted, that would also be a good opportunity to rifle hunt. The main thing is to keep hunting and make it as fun and productive as possible. I think this will prove to be a good solution.

Below are some old tags and things from the 50's that originally came with the shotgun. This gun works fine, but if I can only get CT Shotgun to let me field test one of their beautiful double barrel shotguns....