Cole's First Grouse

Notice the size of the 12 gauge compared to Cole in this picture!

Cole is suffering! He is 8 and just big enough to not be able to do anything his older brothers get to; specifically hunt. When we moved here to Oregon, he became eligible for the mentor program. This means with a hunter's safety he can shoot my deer, elk, turkey, bear, cougar, etc. It's a good program allowing kids to become more involved at an earlier age.

Unfortunately he is still too small to hold a gun by himself. He has shot the single shot 20 gauge quite a few times and is better, but it is still too long. He has wanted to shoot a grouse for a very long time and we just haven't been able to get him on one. He missed some ducks the other day, shooting over their heads as they sat on the water. He was really excited to try and I really wished he would have killed one, but that's hunting!

Last weekend grandpa Isaacson and uncle Seth took Tyler, Corey, and Cole down to Troy, Oregon, to fish for the fall run steelhead. Tyler finally hooked a 26 incher losing it right at the bank. On the way home some grouse were in the middle of the road, so they scared them up into the surrounding trees and grandpa held the gun and took the kick of Seth's BPS with goose loads. The ruffed grouse didn't stand a chance! Cole thought they'd missed because all he saw fall was the branch! Grandpa told him to go pick up his grouse and Cole couldn't believe it! Seth said he had the most pleased, satisfied-with-himself look of any little kid he as ever seen! Cole is an official hunter now and can't wait to be big enough to shoot properly! I think we might have another addict in the family!