The Gizzard Song

The Gizzard Song
The opener was beastly hot. We got fleeting glimpses of a few birds and tossed up a few shots that were more prayer guided than aimed. I personally owe the County for some stumpage because I don’t think those popple are going to grow very well without tops. The heat required resting the dogs more often than usual.
So we are sitting at our favorite Up North Marinette County watering hole, the Nimrod and two ladies are sitting next to my longtime hunting partner, The Judge. They are looking at the menu and interested in some carry out. The Judge, always helpful, suggests the gizzards. The ladies tell him they don’t like gizzards. He says don’t make me sing you the Gizzard Song. They tell him ‘OK Sing us the gizzard song.’
Then he looks at me with this, I maybe had one too many shorties out of that last bucket look, help me Scooter. Like I’m supposed to, off the cuff, whip out a pitch pipe and write and perform this gizzard song. Ok, I saved his life once but writing a song takes a little more thought. I think he has come to expect a little much out of me. Here is the Gizzard song:

Gizzards Gizzards, those chewy tasty hunks of gut
Gizzards Gizzards, better than those fried sheep's nuts
Put em in a crock pot
Cook em all day
Sautéed with onions
All your Guests will say
Gizzards Gizzards, those chewy tasty hunks of gut
Gizzards Gizzards, better than those fried sheep's nuts
Best part of a chicken
Some will say
You can get them at the Rod
On Sunday
Gizzards Gizzards, those chewy tasty hunks of gut
Gizzards Gizzards, better than those fried sheep's nuts

I think I spoil the Boy.

Filson Waxin' Shorthairs & a Six Pack

Bird season opener is now only two days away. Weather is great, dogs are anxious and it's time to wax the double tins. Here is all you need to get it done. One six pack of your favorite swill, two German Shorthairs running around and trying to help and of course the wax. Rub the wax vigorously into the fabric, fronts first. When the beer is gone you are done. Works every time like a charm.
My lovely wife is conditioned to this fall procedure, yours may not be yet, never give up! At this point she is putting dishes together for our campsite dinners. Poor Nancy,(Tavern Granny) Scooters bride has raised the bar on numerous occasions to make our bird hunting trips more like a trip to a luxury resort, is more than likely out buying Scoot another undeserved bird hunting trinket.
Size only matters when your Woodcock Huntin'
Signed
The Judge

The Judge and the Shorthairs

THIS IS WHAT A BIRD HUNTER LOOKS LIKE!
This photo will never be on a magazine cover, but it does show our love for the sport.
Signed the Judge.

Grouse Season Opening

Here we go again, shorthairs, camping & chasing Grouse and Woodcock through the pecker pole Popple. Scooter went out and bought himself some Filsons, finally. Some people take a while to catch on. He bought the "Single Tins" which I refer to as the candy ass model. Camper is under a total cleaning as it is every season. Mice like to call it home in the winter months. Four pointers, two old beat up bird hunters and some refreshments in the North woods of Wisconsin, sounds like fun to me! We will soon be providing you with many humorous pictures of our escapades. We won't be telling you how to train your dog or which gun to use, what we will be telling you are real life adventures that should have you laughing. So stay tuned, and enjoy.

Pointin' Dogs & Cool October Days

Yes they are nearing again, the bird hunters fountain of youth. After some reflecting on so many seasons chasing the woodcock and the timberland chickens I seem to be a little confused. We could barely keep track of our Shorthairs and we each had only one dog. Now that we have reached the 50 mark we have decided the only smart thing to do is, each of us ought to have 2 dogs in the pecker pole popple. The only thing I can think of this deal is, all of the reconstructive surgeries we have had to our knees, shoulders ect. must have been successful. And I can't believe Scooter would bash my FILSONS again! If I shot at low flying Woodcock such as he does, I'm quite sure he would have bought the "Double Tin" variety too! Yes, the Hills are partially responsible for the fix I'm in.
Signed
The Judge

The Dogs go Shopping

The Day the Dogs Went Shopping

For a while the Judge and I hunted with the Hippie Van. Picture three high energy pointers roaming free in a van, they all want to look out every window at once and they all think they can drive better than you. If you were riding in the front passenger seat you were constantly pushing them in the back because they just don’t respect who calls shotgun. Put a little bounce in the ride because the shocks weren’t all that new and it made for some fun times. When you finally get to where you are going to hunt they all pile out the first door open like a jail break.

We had Hazel Nate riding with us when he was 10 or so and he was going to stay in the Van while we went into the Athelstane General Store. He wanted to come in and he couldn’t contain the pointers. Next thing you know we have one dog running down each aisle headed for the meat counter. Fortunately the owner had a good sense of humor and the store wasn’t full of customers. We always used to buy frankfurters for the dogs there so naturally the Judge figured they were worried we would forget. By the way we asked the owner one time what the difference was between franks and hot dogs. She explained ‘Franks ain’t got lips and assholes in them’. The dogs got their franks, we got what we needed, and Nate scored a candy bar and everyone was happy.

Hazel Nate

We called him Hazel Nate because he was always getting stuck in the hazel tangles

The Dead Salmon Incident

One trip in the hippie van was to a local area boat landing. A duck hunter had alerted us to the cackling of rooster pheasants he had heard when launching his duck skiff. We put the pointers in the van and headed for the public hunting grounds surrounding the landing. We pushed through the entire area and came up empty handed on the swing back towards the parking lot the dogs got a little rangy. We heard the bells stop. Unfortunately the Judge’s pointer had found a week old dead salmon that some fisherman had left in the brush and was rolling in it. I was lucky enough to keep my dog from joining in on the smelly fun.

As I said we were in a van and the little rinse that the river gave the dog was not quite enough to cut the rancid odor. We headed down the road with our heads out the windows, gagging, choking, and retching. I had tears in my eyes. We left the smelly dog at the Judge’s place and took the non smelly pointer in my truck out to chase some birds around Harmony. Our hearts weren’t in it and we ended up visiting Breezy at the corner of D and 64 it was Frieda’s first time in a tavern and she was really well behaved.

Filson Man
This is the Judge lovin’ up Frieda on the left and Belle on the right after a long day in the grouse woods. The Judge was a hunting fashionista for a while. Every opportunity he had he was praising his Filson double tin pants. They stood up in the corner on those cold mornings and looked kind of uncomfortable to me and it did look like it took him a while to get them warm and limber. I often thoughtfully suggested we drag them behind the truck for a while to loosen them up. When my old vest was finally shredded I purchased a non-Filson vest and the Judge was constantly tolling the virtues of his vest over mine. He would occasionally pose on the deer paths he likes to walk as if he was auditioning for the cover of the LL. Bean catalog. I started calling him Filson Man.
I finally decided to join the club and purchased my own set of single tin brush pants. I have to tell you these things are the bomb. They keep my legs scar free and warm. So if you have to walk down in the tangles all the time like I do or even if you run into the occasional clump of berry brush on the deer paths or abandoned logging roads you walk on get a pair of Filsons. They are a little costly but they stand up to the wear and tear you get following a couple of shorthairs through the habitat. And remember, a little bacon grease on the cuff keeps your dogs close working.

Scooter