- October 22, 2018
- Miscellaneous
- Tamila Gresko
Grouse can be harvested using different methods. This bird is quite common in Russia. Judging by numerous reviews, grouse hunting with stuffed animals is very exciting and popular. However, a trip to the forest will be crowned with success only if the stuffed animal is of good quality. Judging by the reviews of experienced hunters, it may be that the black grouse not only does not approach its “brother”, but also does not pay attention to it. You will learn how to properly make a stuffed grouse for hunting with your own hands from this article.
Where to begin?
To make a stuffed grouse, you need to select a bird for the base of the product. As experts recommend, it is better to take an adult. In addition, of all the birds shot, the selected grouse should be the least damaged. If a beginner finds it difficult to determine the age, then experienced hunters pay attention to the following nuances: adult males have a uniform blue-black color, while young ones have brownish feathers on the back and wings.
Next, you need to decide what position the stuffed grouse will be in. You can choose the classic and most popular pose - in the form of a drowning bird. A self-made stuffed grouse is obtained with an elongated and inclined body, a lyre-shaped tail spread out like a fan.
Hunting for grouse with stuffed animals: features of making stuffed animals and conducting fishing
Hunting for grouse with stuffed animals can be an interesting pastime. This method of catching game does not lose its relevance. In the course of its conduct, it is necessary to follow a number of rules that do not cause difficulties for either an experienced hunter or a beginner. It is necessary to carefully prepare for the hunt and treat it seriously, since catching a black grouse is not as easy as it might seem at first glance.
About consumables and components
Before you start making a stuffed grouse, you need to acquire the following:
- Copper sulfate or its solution.
- Clay. Judging by the reviews, most often craftsmen use plasticine.
- Synthetic padding or tow. The inner padding can also be made from other soft but elastic material: technical wool, stitched cotton linings, flax floss, hay, straw, shavings and leaves.
- Black threads.
- Quick-drying paints and nail polish.
- Beads or balls from which you can make black grouse eyes.
- 4mm wire. To make the bird's legs you will need 40 cm. For the wings, a wire with a diameter of 3 mm and a length of 50 cm is suitable, for the neck - 40 cm, for the tail - 50 cm.
A stuffed grouse is made in two ways. Read more about them later in the article.
Drawings and material for making stuffed animals
This method has been used for a long time. Black grouse are flocking birds and the presence of 4-6 individuals in an open space is a signal for them that the place is safe. They approach the group and sit down not far from it. This allows the hunter to catch 2-3 birds.
Before making a stuffed black grouse, you should consider the following points:
- Material. It is recommended to use dense fabric, but without special impregnation. The smell of chemicals or rubber should not scare away the bird.
- As a drawing, you can take the classic model of G.K. Heschel. The pattern of the stuffed body is made on paper measuring 32*40 cm, tail: 20-24 cm.
- Coloring can be done with any paints, preferably waterproof.
- Quantity. The optimal option is 4 roosters and 2 hens.
The drawing is made independently, on any paper. For ease of use, a sheet with linear markings of 2 or 5 mm is recommended.
After this you can start working. It is important to prepare the place - it should be well lit; you can sew the parts together with a simple needle or use a sewing machine.
Read about how to choose a red dot sight for 12-gauge smoothbore weapons here.
First way
This method involves partial processing of the bird. First, the black grouse chosen as the base is freed from its intestines. To do this, you need to make a small incision in the body with a sharp knife. Next, take a thin knot with a small hook at the end. It should be inserted into the grouse. Then it pulls out, but with its entrails still attached. Of course, you can leave the bird like that. In this case, to prevent it from going rotten, you will have to keep it in the refrigerator or bury it in the snow. First, the black grouse is stuffed into a woman's stocking.
How to make a stuffed animal
Not every hunter knows how to make a stuffed animal that helps lure grouse. There's really nothing complicated about it. You just need to stock up on the necessary materials and complete a series of successive steps that make up the manufacture of this device.
Patterns
Patterns for the stuffed animal are made according to the drawings. You can use the classical model proposed by G. K. Heschel. The size of the pattern on paper should be 32x40 cm. The tail will be limited to 20-24 cm.
The hunter himself decides what colors are best for him to paint the stuffed animal. The main thing for such work is to choose waterproof materials that will not leak in wet weather.
A drawing or template can be made on any paper. It is best to use a piece of paper with linear markings. Then the pattern will be used. Upon completion of these stages, you can begin stitching the blanks.
Materials
For a stuffed animal that will help lure black grouse, it is recommended to choose thick fabric. It should not have any impregnation. This is because the chemical smell will scare away the bird and then the hunt will be unsuccessful.
Second way
This method is used if it is not possible to store the black grouse in the cold. To prevent the bird from spoiling, it is removed not only from the entrails, but also from the meat. For this purpose you will need to make a larger incision. After the intestines have been removed from the black grouse, they use a sharp knife to cut through the body to the keel and begin to wrap the skin. This should be done as carefully as possible so as not to damage the plumage. After the skin is turned out, remove the remaining meat from the legs. Some hunters simply cut them with a knife. The wings are processed in the same way. Eventually the meat will be completely removed from the bird. The skin is turned inside out and hung to dry.
However, after some time, bacteria will form in the grouse and the bird will begin to rot. To prevent this, the stuffed animal should be treated with salt. You will need at least a pack. The mineral is poured inside the black grouse, as well as on top. Then the product is placed in a woman's stocking. The stuffed animal should remain in this position for several days. Afterwards, the product is stuffed with industrial cotton wool or tow. Then they insert the wire and make wings and legs. Judging by the reviews, some craftsmen leave the black grouse's head unprocessed. However, most hunters cut out the brain. To do this, the bird is turned inside out and, pressing with a knife, the head is cut off. Subsequently, it is treated with a solution of copper sulfate.
Next, using acrylic sealant, clay or plasticine, colored pins are inserted into the eye sockets, which should be located at a certain angle, and at what angle, each craftsman decides for himself. In order to give the eyes shine, the heads of the pins are coated with varnish. The neck is also made of wire. When the stuffed animal is stuffed with cotton wool, it should be sewn up. To prevent the seam from being noticeable, you need to use black thread.
Hunting with a dog
Traditional hunting for a bird such as black grouse is carried out with a dog. The prepared animal stays close to the owner and searches for game. As soon as the cop detects its target, it gradually begins to approach it, after which it freezes in its stance. This is a signal for the hunter, which he must be able to recognize.
The hunter gives the dog the command to go forward, after which he fires a shot at the bird, which has risen into the air. An obedient pointer should immediately lie down at this moment so as not to be wounded by the owner’s gun. This is a mandatory rule to which every animal participating in hunting must be accustomed.
Hunting with a cop can be quite problematic if the bird becomes very frightened by frequent hunting. Because of this, the black grouse does not rise into the air, but tries to hide in the grass. It's difficult to find. In such a situation, a dog is not the best assistant for a hunter.
How to treat a bird's head?
According to experts, if the skull is left untreated, pathogenic bacteria can develop in it. That's why many taxidermists have stuffed animals with empty skulls. Using a knife and tweezers, the black grouse's head is freed from its contents. Then it is placed in a container of water and boiled for five minutes. Next, the skull is etched with copper sulfate. They do it as follows. Take 200 ml of water into a container and put one teaspoon of vitriol there. Next, using a brush, the resulting solution is smeared from the inside of the bird’s skull. It is important that the blue solution does not get on the plumage. Otherwise, the head will be cleaned, but the appearance of the stuffed animal will be considerably spoiled.
Communities › Features of Hunting › Blog › Black grouse with stuffed animals. First damn...
Despite my short hunting experience, I can already identify several types of hunting that I know and which I prefer over others.
The most interesting and exciting thing for me, of course, is hare hunting. In the lands where I hunt, there is a white hare. Hunting for it can be extremely difficult, and sometimes you have to cover quite a long distance, trampling the long-eared cunning creature. I have no doubt that the white hare is cunning, and my few reports on hunting him can serve as confirmation of this.
When it comes to bird hunting, the greatest interest for me is hunting upland game: hazel grouse (this year I hunted it for the first time) and black grouse.
I’ll tell you about my acquaintance with grouse in general, hunting them from the approach and on holes, about the first scythe caught, but now I would like to share my first experience of hunting grouse with stuffed animals.
When to start hunting?
According to experts, they go hunting for grouse with stuffed animals in the fall. The hunting season for this bird begins in early September. According to experienced hunters, at this time the black grouse practically does not approach the stuffed animal - it will sit on the ground or on a tree branch far from its “brother”.
In October, birds flock together and become more active. Hunting becomes more intense in the second half of this month.
Hunting with stuffed animals
Today, such hunting has changed significantly due to the decrease in the number of grouse and their behavior. They became distrustful and cautious. There is no longer a time when hunters could kill 10 birds at a time. You can sit in the forest all the time and never shoot. But the basic recommendations for this hunt remain the same.
Hunting dates
Such an event can begin in early September. Black grouse do not react well to stuffed animals and do not perch on trees. Good hunting begins at the end of October, when the leaves fly away from the trees and the black grouse gather in flocks and perch on the trees. Hunters think that there is no hunting for grouse in winter. However, in winter you can also hunt successfully if you properly disperse the birds from their roosting areas.
Choosing a place to hunt
When using stuffed animals, the main point is the optimal choice of location. It is important to determine in advance where black grouse live, where they fly from, and what trees they like to sit on. The optimal place is the middle of the flight between the feeding area and the swamp. This should be noticeable from a distance. This place needs to have tall trees and a forest edge nearby. A low place or sparse trees will be inconvenient for setting up a hut.
Setting up decoys during the hunt
The number of stuffed animals may vary, but not less than two. A good set of stuffed animals would be one grouse and three braids. It is better to place it higher than other birds. The scarecrows should be located near the main tree and positioned naturally. If there are several stuffed animals, then it is better not to plant them at the same height. If you have a sufficient number of stuffed animals, you can put one of them on a small tree or directly on the hut.
An important point is the correct installation of the scarecrow. If the landing is incorrect, the orcas will not sit on the tree with the stuffed animal, and will fly further. There is no need to place it in a horizontal position, or strictly vertically with the neck extended. This pose is similar to that of a bird that is about to fly away. On a quiet morning, the stuffed animals are planted with their chests facing the place where the sun rises; if there is wind, then their chests are directed towards the wind. If the wind speed is high, the scarecrows are installed closer to the trunk, and as low as possible. In the evening, the scarecrows are placed lower than in the morning. When hunting in one place, you need to change the position of the stuffed animals. You cannot place stuffed animals in front of birds.
