M Sharpe
Senior Member
IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Georgia Grouse Hunting
Herb McClure
My acquaintance of hunting Georgia's Ruffed Grouse began back in 1956, which was the same year I was introduces to wild turkeys. The hunter whom introduces me to both was none other than--- Arthur (Fats) Truelove, of Hall County Georgia. Ask any veteran Georgia Grouse Hunter from years past and they probably knew or had heard of Fats Truelove and his grouse hunting.
Arthur was born into a hunting family back in 1923. This family raised cotton in the summer and hunted quail during winter mounts. Arthur related to me that his family made more money from killing birds, and selling them, than they did from raising cotton. This family of shooters consisted of Arthur's dad and grand-pa. The bird hunts they did were done on foot from their homestead
Going to the Truelove's home when I was just sixteen year old and then listening to their bird hunting stories of their hunts was better than reading Sports Afield when Nash Buckingham’s bird hunts were in print. Gun handling and shooting was instilled in Fats as a very young age. When Fats started hunting grouse in the late forties, his gun handling and shooting was already superb. Learning from shooting live birds caused Fats to develop a style of shooting known as snap-shooting. He was not a follow-thru type shooter like today’s gun range shooters are. In other words, Fats shot at a spot out in front of were a crossing grouse would be. Snap-shooting at a spot was a faster way to shoot if you can hit the bird.
After World War II ended and the changing of times, the bird populations in Hall and Jackson Counties became diminished. The Trueloves then started hunting deer in the mountains which exposed Fats to where the ruffed grouse lived. Fats switched from bird hunting to grouse hunting in 1947. Fats had all the talents needed to become a grouse hunter. Arthur said one time grouse were a lots easier to shoot than birds because they flushed much slower, although they made much more noise.
When I first started grouse hunting with Fats, he had a black and white pointer who's was named Kate. Kate only had one pup. This pup's name was Dot, she was born in 1959 and lived till 1970. Dot was Fat's favorite grouse dog. She worked to hand-signals and hunted wherever Fats wanted her to hunt. She would hunt up high on a mountainside or down on creeks in the roughest thickets. One of several lessons learn while hunting with Fats was to be quiet. He did not allow any loud talking or noise because he once said: “Noise will scare a grouse and cause wild flushing”.
I also learned that Fats liked very cold days to hunt grouse, much better than warm days. Sometimes it would be so cold that when the dogs ran across a creek and got water all over them, they would stop to shake the water off of their hair, a rattling sound could be heard. This was the frozen ice clinging on their hair. Fat's theory for wanting to hunt in very cold times was that grouse would hold better to a dog's point when it was near zero or below. Dot would bark a yep---yep when a grouse flushed wild. This was helpful for Fats to know a grouse was in the air. He killed many a grouse sailing off mountainsides from the dog's barks when he would look-up.
The heydays of Georgia's Grouse, in my lifetime, were in the early sixties. Why was this? The National Forest had been logged selective, causing log roads to be built. This opened the forest and caused the grouse populations to increase. Another happening, at this same time, was a Span-worm infestation which lasted three or four years. These span-worms completely defoliated the mountain hardwood trees in summer, which made the mountains look like it was wintertime with all the leaves gone. All grouse had to do to have their craws filled with these one inch worms was to pick them up. Turkeys and trout were both helped by these abundant span-worms.
During the early sixties, Arthur and his dogs had days of flushing over thirty grouse; however, not all days or hunt places were like that.
One of Fats' favorite beats or hunts was down Board-town Creek and other creeks off Duncan Ridge Road in today’s Cooper's Creek WMA. Back in those days when we hunted, there were no WMA. Other favorite hunting areas nearby was the Sea Creek drainages, and the creeks in the Jack's Gap area. Gillreath and Williams creeks in Gaddistown were very special; and, so was almost all of the Blue Ridge WMA's creek drainages.
Fats taught me a lot of lessons about grouse. On one hunt when we were hunting on Board-town creek, Dot was hunting way up high on the mountainside. That's when she froze on point. Fats asked. “Herb do you want to climb up there to see what she has pointed?” Having hunted all day and being tired from a hard day's hunt, I declined. Arthur said, “You should keep your dog's points honest and you owe it to the dog”. Fats then started climbing up the mountainside to where Dot was on point. When Fats was nearing Dot, three grouse flushed, all flying away the same way. Bang, bang, bang went Fat's gun and three grouse went tumbling down. I just stood there in awe with my mouth-open. Watching how smoothly and easily his triple seemed to be. Over the twenty-years I hunted with Fats, I witnessed him making many doubles and triples. He was the best snap-shooter I ever saw.
A good friend of Fats and mine, named Denver Davis, related to me a grouse hunt he and his brother William Davis had with Fats Truelove one time. Denver and Will were Game & Fish employment men, who were born and raised on Cooper's Creek. Denver was a long time attendant for the Rock Creek checking station on the Blue Ridge WMA. Those mountain boys had never hunted grouse with dogs. So, Denver asked Fats to take them grouse hunting. Fats agreed and they all three went to Knights Branch, up on Sea Creek. Denver said. “We were following Fats' dog Dot, when she pointed. Will and I only had single-barrel shotguns and didn't know what to expect. Fats hand motion for us to come on up so we could get in on the shooting. Easing forward they caused three grouse to flush. Two flew to the right, and one flew to the left. Fat's shotgun went: Bang,bang....bang. The two grouse on the right turned flips first, and the grouse going to the left then did likewise. Denver told this: “I never got my hammer cocked, much- less shoot, before Fats had killed all three of the grouse. I never knew anyone that could shoot like that”.
Fats carried a shot a gun that no modern-day grouse shooter would consider. This gun was bought new and given to Arthur in the nineteen-thirties when Arthur was fourteen. An auto-loader by Remington, a model-11 in 12 gauge with a 28 inch modified barrel. These guns weighed in at over 8 pounds; but, because they could shoot 5 times when not plugged, this was what the Truelove hunters of yesteryear wanted. Now, Fats was a big man, 260 pounds; however, his weight was not all fat. There were muscles in his arms and legs. Fats was a block-mason by trade, when he worked. Climbing mountainsides toting an 8 pound gun was not a problem to him.
During those abundant grouse years of 61, 62, and 63, Fats killed over 100 grouse each year. Year in and year out, Fats averaged taking 70 to 80 grouse. You do not kill that many grouse just being a weekend grouse hunter. Fats Truelove did not work from September to June each year in order to have time for deer hunts, grouse hunts and turkey hunts.
Fats taking me to hunt with him instilled in me to become an outdoors-man, woodsman, deer hunter, grouse hunter and most of all a turkey hunter. Just following his shadow was a beneficial education. I truly am thankful for having known him and the times we spent together in the outdoors. One of my greatest honors ever given to me, was when I was ask to present a Living Legend Award to Arthur (Fats)Truelove in 1998. This was at a jammed pack group of Fat's hunting friends, honoring him at the Civic Center in Gainesville, GA., which seated near a thousand outdoorsmen that night.
Grouse hunting was a special part of my hunting life. Great dog companionship, very challenging wing shooting and just being outdoors in the mountains in wintertime, were all God's endowments to me. How blessed my life has been.
Yes, the grouse is rare today, but was in abundance fifty years ago.
Georgia Grouse Hunting
Herb McClure
My acquaintance of hunting Georgia's Ruffed Grouse began back in 1956, which was the same year I was introduces to wild turkeys. The hunter whom introduces me to both was none other than--- Arthur (Fats) Truelove, of Hall County Georgia. Ask any veteran Georgia Grouse Hunter from years past and they probably knew or had heard of Fats Truelove and his grouse hunting.
Arthur was born into a hunting family back in 1923. This family raised cotton in the summer and hunted quail during winter mounts. Arthur related to me that his family made more money from killing birds, and selling them, than they did from raising cotton. This family of shooters consisted of Arthur's dad and grand-pa. The bird hunts they did were done on foot from their homestead
Going to the Truelove's home when I was just sixteen year old and then listening to their bird hunting stories of their hunts was better than reading Sports Afield when Nash Buckingham’s bird hunts were in print. Gun handling and shooting was instilled in Fats as a very young age. When Fats started hunting grouse in the late forties, his gun handling and shooting was already superb. Learning from shooting live birds caused Fats to develop a style of shooting known as snap-shooting. He was not a follow-thru type shooter like today’s gun range shooters are. In other words, Fats shot at a spot out in front of were a crossing grouse would be. Snap-shooting at a spot was a faster way to shoot if you can hit the bird.
After World War II ended and the changing of times, the bird populations in Hall and Jackson Counties became diminished. The Trueloves then started hunting deer in the mountains which exposed Fats to where the ruffed grouse lived. Fats switched from bird hunting to grouse hunting in 1947. Fats had all the talents needed to become a grouse hunter. Arthur said one time grouse were a lots easier to shoot than birds because they flushed much slower, although they made much more noise.
When I first started grouse hunting with Fats, he had a black and white pointer who's was named Kate. Kate only had one pup. This pup's name was Dot, she was born in 1959 and lived till 1970. Dot was Fat's favorite grouse dog. She worked to hand-signals and hunted wherever Fats wanted her to hunt. She would hunt up high on a mountainside or down on creeks in the roughest thickets. One of several lessons learn while hunting with Fats was to be quiet. He did not allow any loud talking or noise because he once said: “Noise will scare a grouse and cause wild flushing”.
I also learned that Fats liked very cold days to hunt grouse, much better than warm days. Sometimes it would be so cold that when the dogs ran across a creek and got water all over them, they would stop to shake the water off of their hair, a rattling sound could be heard. This was the frozen ice clinging on their hair. Fat's theory for wanting to hunt in very cold times was that grouse would hold better to a dog's point when it was near zero or below. Dot would bark a yep---yep when a grouse flushed wild. This was helpful for Fats to know a grouse was in the air. He killed many a grouse sailing off mountainsides from the dog's barks when he would look-up.
The heydays of Georgia's Grouse, in my lifetime, were in the early sixties. Why was this? The National Forest had been logged selective, causing log roads to be built. This opened the forest and caused the grouse populations to increase. Another happening, at this same time, was a Span-worm infestation which lasted three or four years. These span-worms completely defoliated the mountain hardwood trees in summer, which made the mountains look like it was wintertime with all the leaves gone. All grouse had to do to have their craws filled with these one inch worms was to pick them up. Turkeys and trout were both helped by these abundant span-worms.
During the early sixties, Arthur and his dogs had days of flushing over thirty grouse; however, not all days or hunt places were like that.
One of Fats' favorite beats or hunts was down Board-town Creek and other creeks off Duncan Ridge Road in today’s Cooper's Creek WMA. Back in those days when we hunted, there were no WMA. Other favorite hunting areas nearby was the Sea Creek drainages, and the creeks in the Jack's Gap area. Gillreath and Williams creeks in Gaddistown were very special; and, so was almost all of the Blue Ridge WMA's creek drainages.
Fats taught me a lot of lessons about grouse. On one hunt when we were hunting on Board-town creek, Dot was hunting way up high on the mountainside. That's when she froze on point. Fats asked. “Herb do you want to climb up there to see what she has pointed?” Having hunted all day and being tired from a hard day's hunt, I declined. Arthur said, “You should keep your dog's points honest and you owe it to the dog”. Fats then started climbing up the mountainside to where Dot was on point. When Fats was nearing Dot, three grouse flushed, all flying away the same way. Bang, bang, bang went Fat's gun and three grouse went tumbling down. I just stood there in awe with my mouth-open. Watching how smoothly and easily his triple seemed to be. Over the twenty-years I hunted with Fats, I witnessed him making many doubles and triples. He was the best snap-shooter I ever saw.
A good friend of Fats and mine, named Denver Davis, related to me a grouse hunt he and his brother William Davis had with Fats Truelove one time. Denver and Will were Game & Fish employment men, who were born and raised on Cooper's Creek. Denver was a long time attendant for the Rock Creek checking station on the Blue Ridge WMA. Those mountain boys had never hunted grouse with dogs. So, Denver asked Fats to take them grouse hunting. Fats agreed and they all three went to Knights Branch, up on Sea Creek. Denver said. “We were following Fats' dog Dot, when she pointed. Will and I only had single-barrel shotguns and didn't know what to expect. Fats hand motion for us to come on up so we could get in on the shooting. Easing forward they caused three grouse to flush. Two flew to the right, and one flew to the left. Fat's shotgun went: Bang,bang....bang. The two grouse on the right turned flips first, and the grouse going to the left then did likewise. Denver told this: “I never got my hammer cocked, much- less shoot, before Fats had killed all three of the grouse. I never knew anyone that could shoot like that”.
Fats carried a shot a gun that no modern-day grouse shooter would consider. This gun was bought new and given to Arthur in the nineteen-thirties when Arthur was fourteen. An auto-loader by Remington, a model-11 in 12 gauge with a 28 inch modified barrel. These guns weighed in at over 8 pounds; but, because they could shoot 5 times when not plugged, this was what the Truelove hunters of yesteryear wanted. Now, Fats was a big man, 260 pounds; however, his weight was not all fat. There were muscles in his arms and legs. Fats was a block-mason by trade, when he worked. Climbing mountainsides toting an 8 pound gun was not a problem to him.
During those abundant grouse years of 61, 62, and 63, Fats killed over 100 grouse each year. Year in and year out, Fats averaged taking 70 to 80 grouse. You do not kill that many grouse just being a weekend grouse hunter. Fats Truelove did not work from September to June each year in order to have time for deer hunts, grouse hunts and turkey hunts.
Fats taking me to hunt with him instilled in me to become an outdoors-man, woodsman, deer hunter, grouse hunter and most of all a turkey hunter. Just following his shadow was a beneficial education. I truly am thankful for having known him and the times we spent together in the outdoors. One of my greatest honors ever given to me, was when I was ask to present a Living Legend Award to Arthur (Fats)Truelove in 1998. This was at a jammed pack group of Fat's hunting friends, honoring him at the Civic Center in Gainesville, GA., which seated near a thousand outdoorsmen that night.
Grouse hunting was a special part of my hunting life. Great dog companionship, very challenging wing shooting and just being outdoors in the mountains in wintertime, were all God's endowments to me. How blessed my life has been.
Yes, the grouse is rare today, but was in abundance fifty years ago.
