NH Grouse Hunting Update: 11/1
It is on days like this where we question why exactly we grouse hunt. Cold temps, very windy conditions (30 - 40 MPH) and severely skittish ruffed grouse can lead one to wonder what we're doing out there, but every now and then we're successful, even under the harshest of conditions. That was the case today for my client Eric, as he harvested his first grouse ever and I'm sure that will keep him coming back for more, even when the odds are decidedly against us.
Temps started in the upper 40's this morning, but steadily dropped throughout the day as the gusty winds built in strength. The plan today sounded good, at least at the start, as we tried to hunt lower elevation areas out of the wind with some shelter for the birds. It ended up being much harder to actually find areas where the wind wasn't a factor - we were in it, all day, but there were spots where it wasn't as bad.
Rosie worked with great energy and did a nice job in her time out there this morning and afternoon, pointing several grouse, two of which she tracked before the flush. Some of the flushes we heard today, but there were some we only saw, as the wind greatly masked the thunderous flushes of the grouse we were pursuing. She also had a beautiful sticking point on a woodcock today, but that one got away ...
Temps started in the upper 40's this morning, but steadily dropped throughout the day as the gusty winds built in strength. The plan today sounded good, at least at the start, as we tried to hunt lower elevation areas out of the wind with some shelter for the birds. It ended up being much harder to actually find areas where the wind wasn't a factor - we were in it, all day, but there were spots where it wasn't as bad.
Rosie worked with great energy and did a nice job in her time out there this morning and afternoon, pointing several grouse, two of which she tracked before the flush. Some of the flushes we heard today, but there were some we only saw, as the wind greatly masked the thunderous flushes of the grouse we were pursuing. She also had a beautiful sticking point on a woodcock today, but that one got away ...
Bode got a couple hours of work this afternoon, but only encountered one grouse in his travels, but we knew it was there. He was quite birdy for a long distance before the grouse finally went up and Eric made a nice shot in bringing the bird down, his first grouse bagged ever. He sure did work for it! Interestingly, when I was cleaning this bird later on, it seemed that it had been dining heavily prior to its doom. Greens (raspberry leaf bits, fern tips, something that looked like clover), birch buds, maple seeds, and even a beech nut were found in its crop - truly impressive, even for a grouse. Our total for today was a modest 9 grouse and 2 woodcock moved, but we felt it was a good day overall, considering the challenging conditions.
This bird was packing in the food prior to the cold nights that lie ahead ...
Duke, on one of his grouse points. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance on this bird, as it ran and then flushed well out of range - a common occurrence this year.
Wednesday was almost the exact opposite of today: sunny and a touch too warm with light winds. While Bode provided perhaps the best chance of the day just minutes out of the truck with a point on a pair of grouse (Eric took a shot at one but missed), we still had some other chances and worked hard for our birds that day.
The highlight of the day was watching Duke, Eric's young setter, get some exposure to wild birds. In his short time out there, he managed to point two grouse and two woodcock, with one of the woodcock providing a great chance. Unfortunately, the shot was errant and the woodcock flew on to greener pastures. Duke worked thoroughly and deliberately and Eric will have himself a dependable hunting partner for years to come.
More Observations:
The numbers of woodcock sighted over the last five days or so has been dwindling. Have the migrants passed through northern NH and Vermont? Probably the majority, but there should still be a few around this weekend. The weather is changing quickly up here and the coldest temps will be next week ... bring your winter hats and bundle up if you're coming north soon!
The highlight of the day was watching Duke, Eric's young setter, get some exposure to wild birds. In his short time out there, he managed to point two grouse and two woodcock, with one of the woodcock providing a great chance. Unfortunately, the shot was errant and the woodcock flew on to greener pastures. Duke worked thoroughly and deliberately and Eric will have himself a dependable hunting partner for years to come.
More Observations:
The numbers of woodcock sighted over the last five days or so has been dwindling. Have the migrants passed through northern NH and Vermont? Probably the majority, but there should still be a few around this weekend. The weather is changing quickly up here and the coldest temps will be next week ... bring your winter hats and bundle up if you're coming north soon!
