They are quite common in some parts of Sweden, even on our
island you can see them occasionally. I killed one with a 30-06 rifle when
I was stalking roe-deer. The bullet ripped of as much meat as there are in two
ordinary willow grouse but still the remains could have fed 6 - 8 persons. Maud
and me ate caper for a week  ) Next time when I saw one, again I was out with
the 30-06, I decided to try to let the bullet just touch and break the back
of the caper. I missed over the back by a fraction of an inch. I still remember
the chock the caper - cock showed in the rifle scope for a second or two, then
it hovered straight up like a chopper, its wingbeats sounded like a chopper too,
until it was clear of the tree tops. They are big, heavy and very
powerful birds. When the cocks come into rut the get intoxicated by hormones and
sometimes show no fear at all. They can, as in fact a willow grouse cock too can
but much more rarely, attack anything including cars and people. Since they are
so big and powerful you will not forget that attack ))
Out of the reproduction season they are very vary and
cautious. They rather live in deep forest and they are difficult to shoot there.
The most classical way to hunt them is either with a tree-barking birddog
(different small spitz-hounds like at http://biphost.spray.se/ssf.ac.lappmark/
click on "fotogalleri" for pictures of them) or by shooting them at long
distance in the midwinter when they feed pine needles sitting high up in the
pine trees and hence visible from a long distance. For that you need
a precision rifle with a high speed special bullet that gives only a
small chock and does not destroy too much meat. It gives you good exercise to
move around on skis, scouting the trees and trying to find a good position
without alarming the caper too much.
The tree-barking dog searches early in the season when the
ground is not yet covered with snow, as a normal birddog. The hunt takes
place early in the morning are late afternoon when the birds are feeding on the
ground. The caper is not very afraid of the dog but when the dog flushes it from
the ground it will most often land in the nearest tree and sit there and watch
the dog. The dog stays under the tree barking continuously and thereby
disclosing the position. Often the hunting takes place in dense spruce forest
and the dog may not even see the bird in the tree. The dog just feels the scent
of the particles that the bird emits from its feathers and what particles fall
down from the tree, with the birds scent on them.
The dog handler has to very cautiously scout the tree the dog
is barking at, and the surrounding trees also since the dog may "bark at the
wrong tree" there we have the saying "He is barking at the wrong tree". When the
handler has managed to locate the bird, by very carefully stalking around until
in a good position he or she (this is a popular form of hunting for women,
perhaps they have more patience than men) the bird can be shot with either shot
or a low power bullet (most often short distances). A rifle - shotgun combo
is a popular choice among those hunters. It is a one man one dog way of hunting.
A good choice for the lonely ranger )
I think the most demanding way of hunting them, at least old
caper, is with a birddog. The old caper seldom likes to flush for a birddog that
respects the bird, unlike the spitz that flushes them, but likes to escape by
running in dense forest. First comes the caper, then the cautiously advancing
dog, then the handler with a ready gun in his hands. The purpose for the dog and
handler is to put enough pressure on the caper so that it stops running but not
enough to flush it. When the caper stop the dog takes a firm point and the
handler can catch up with them and try to find a good position fast, before the
nervous bird moves again either vertically or horizontally, out of sight or
range for the gun. When the gun is ready he commands the dog to flush the bird,
a bold and violent flush is best since it leaves no room for the bird to
continue running but it has to get to its wing and expose itself to the gun.
This, when trained into perfection with the right type of
dog is co-operation on a very high level. The "right" dog is more up to
the individual than the breed, although Gordons are known to be the forest
hunters dogs, followed by German breeds of birddogs. But ES, IS and pointers are
used as well. You can do this with spaniels also, preferable young birds early
in the season, and with my late Springer I was really,
thoroughly fooled by an old caper cock many years ago. This is something
that has to be practiced a lot in order to learn it very well. The novice, if he
is a good rifle shooter, could start with skis and a good rifle.
I can navigate perfectly well on the sea and on bare mountain
but have always had great difficulties in deep forest, hence I do not have too
much practice of bird hunting in forest. The modern GPS navigators could change
that.
Borta Med Vindens Kennel www.rospigan.net "If you pick up a
starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the
principal difference between a dog and a man." /Mark Twain
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, July 03, 2009 6:53 AM
Subject: RE: [working-gundog]
Capercaillie
I was recently at the Bird Dog Hall of Fame in
Memphis Tennesee and I saw a mounted Capercaillie. It stated that this was the
largest grouse in the world. It also stated that they range from 10 to 14 lbs.
full grown. Has anyone on this list ever hunted any of
these?
tc
Terry and Janet Chandler
Rugerheim Kennels
German Shorthaired
Pointers
Training/Puppies/Stud
Service
Las Cruces, NM
575-382-5231
rugerheim.com
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