Grouse Hunting in the Winter
The grouse hunting season in northern New England, speaking specifically of New Hampshire and Vermont, is a short one. Yes, the rule book for both states may say that it stays open until December 31, but in most years the season lasts until the beginning of the firearm deer hunting seasons for all intents and purposes. We that have bird dogs concede the grouse woods for a few weeks to those that hunt deer, and sometimes that's not an altogether bad thing. Occasionally either hunters or bird dogs are healing up nagging injuries or ailments and a few weeks out of the woods might be just what the doctor has ordered to make a recovery.
Winter sometimes comes quickly to northern New Hampshire and Vermont (it can literally last six months, if it gets started in November and goes through most of April), and if that happens, effective and enjoyable grouse hunting with a dog is at the very least difficult, and could be impossible. A few times I have dug out the snowshoes to try to chase grouse, but they have been futile episodes of grouse hunting for the most part. Never mind the impassable logging roads which can be sheets of ice and snow (greatly limiting the covers that you can get to), and the effect on bird scent when there's too much snow for the dogs to effectively work. Winter grouse hunting certainly has its own set of challenges.
On those rare occasions that we don't have snow up here in December, the grouse hunting can be excellent, as the birds have relaxed somewhat after not being pursued too heartily over the last month, but they are far from "easy". Grouse live in a state of perpetual anxiety anyway, occupying a low rung on the totem pole of life in the northwoods, and the ones that you're dealing with in December are true survivors. They have managed to live through the heart of the October hunting season, and dodged road hunters and the myriad of predators that they have to deal with on a daily basis all of October and November - they are tough birds to have gone that far. As usual, they won't stand for sloppy dog work or unprepared hunters - everyone should know how that goes by now.
It snowed last night here in the north country, only a few inches, and hopefully it's not the start of a trend of wintry weather over the coming month. I'd like to get out there again in December, and maybe Mother Nature will let that happen this year ...
Winter sometimes comes quickly to northern New Hampshire and Vermont (it can literally last six months, if it gets started in November and goes through most of April), and if that happens, effective and enjoyable grouse hunting with a dog is at the very least difficult, and could be impossible. A few times I have dug out the snowshoes to try to chase grouse, but they have been futile episodes of grouse hunting for the most part. Never mind the impassable logging roads which can be sheets of ice and snow (greatly limiting the covers that you can get to), and the effect on bird scent when there's too much snow for the dogs to effectively work. Winter grouse hunting certainly has its own set of challenges.
On those rare occasions that we don't have snow up here in December, the grouse hunting can be excellent, as the birds have relaxed somewhat after not being pursued too heartily over the last month, but they are far from "easy". Grouse live in a state of perpetual anxiety anyway, occupying a low rung on the totem pole of life in the northwoods, and the ones that you're dealing with in December are true survivors. They have managed to live through the heart of the October hunting season, and dodged road hunters and the myriad of predators that they have to deal with on a daily basis all of October and November - they are tough birds to have gone that far. As usual, they won't stand for sloppy dog work or unprepared hunters - everyone should know how that goes by now.
It snowed last night here in the north country, only a few inches, and hopefully it's not the start of a trend of wintry weather over the coming month. I'd like to get out there again in December, and maybe Mother Nature will let that happen this year ...
