NH / VT Upland Bird Hunting Update: 10/26
Fall is when I feel the most alive, and I'm sure I'm not the only person that feels this way. Don't get me wrong, there are parts of the other seasons that I like as well - the rebirth of the north woods in the springtime, casting dries to rising fish on a warm summer night, and even the stillness of winter can be appealing as well. For me, they all pale in comparison to fall - the grouse woods are strikingly beautiful, as their secrets are revealed as the leaves drop.
Then there's watching bird dogs work, which is what really makes autumn special - I never get tired of that. The drive and energy that they display in scouring the woods, in an effort to help us better understand the places that we hunt is amazing. We have had some good sessions and great work from the dogs the last few days and they have been rewarded with a few bird feathers in their mouths.
Then there's watching bird dogs work, which is what really makes autumn special - I never get tired of that. The drive and energy that they display in scouring the woods, in an effort to help us better understand the places that we hunt is amazing. We have had some good sessions and great work from the dogs the last few days and they have been rewarded with a few bird feathers in their mouths.
That's Monty on point in the snow from last week. Thankfully, it has all melted for now, but we've had changing weather to contend with during this grouse hunting season.
Our weather seemingly has been changing nearly every day lately, as fronts move rapidly through the area, typical for northern New England in October. One day cold and overcast, the next warm and sunny, then a day of rain and dampness, we've had it all recently. As you would imagine, the changing weather affects the birds that we are pursuing. It changes their feeding and resting habits, and can have a dramatic effect on where we'll find them and how many for that matter.
Cold weather days (below 45 degrees) are the best hunting days to me. Slightly uncomfortable for us if it's really cold, but great scenting conditions for the dogs, as the grouse are continually on the move in their search for food to get them through the cold nights ahead. Warm days (above 50) can be slightly more difficult, especially if it gets really warm - the birds simply don't have to eat as much and therefore might not be spreading as much scent around during their daily routine.
Cold weather days (below 45 degrees) are the best hunting days to me. Slightly uncomfortable for us if it's really cold, but great scenting conditions for the dogs, as the grouse are continually on the move in their search for food to get them through the cold nights ahead. Warm days (above 50) can be slightly more difficult, especially if it gets really warm - the birds simply don't have to eat as much and therefore might not be spreading as much scent around during their daily routine.
In general, there has been a fair amount of pressure on the birds up here - a lot of hunters have been prowling the woods in the last few weeks, and finding birds near road edges has become more difficult. Some of those birds have been shot, but many more have been driven off the edges, cycling deeper in to the woods until they feel more comfortable coming back to their familiar haunts.
Yesterday proved my point, as I was able to hunt with my dogs, in areas that I normally don't take clients. Working steadily uphill in perfectly aged logging cuts, we encountered 12 grouse and 2 woodcock in 3.5 hours of hunting. Pretty good numbers, and Rosie in particular had some great points on accommodating grouse. A few of these birds offered fleeting shots, but one of them should have paid the ultimate price - yes I have a new appreciation for the rigors and challenges that I put my clients through. Bode had some nice work as well and while none of the grouse hung around long enough for a good look, there was a woodcock taken on one of his points.
Saturday was spent in northern Vermont, our first day of hunting over there this season. We had a good morning of moving grouse in the wet and windy conditions, and Rosie had several nice points. One grouse held a little too long and my client Dave made a nice shot on the bird in thick spruce cover, falling down with his second shot, as so often happens in grouse hunting. No others fell to the guns that day, but we had a couple of good chances for the guys.
Saturday was spent in northern Vermont, our first day of hunting over there this season. We had a good morning of moving grouse in the wet and windy conditions, and Rosie had several nice points. One grouse held a little too long and my client Dave made a nice shot on the bird in thick spruce cover, falling down with his second shot, as so often happens in grouse hunting. No others fell to the guns that day, but we had a couple of good chances for the guys.
Bode retrieves a woodcock that he pointed yesterday.
Our sessions late last week were characterized by a few good chances each day for my clients, but most of the grouse contacts were momentary - these birds have been educated already for the most part. We had some good work from Rosie, Monty and Bode, and while the grouse eluded us, my hunters took five woodcock with their help. Yes, the timberdoodles are still moving through our area, but this will be a cold week in the north country, with several nights coming up that will be below freezing. I anticipate good woodcock hunting up here this week, but we may be nearing the tail end of the migration now ...
