Frost Fire's Grouse Hunting
"Partridge Blog"

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ...
an account of grouse and woodcock hunting
in northern NH and the NEK of Vermont ...

Winter ruffed grouse hunting
They're Back ...
That's Bella, now nearly a year old, on one of our snowshoeing excursions this winter. While this was, without a doubt, the mildest winter we've ever had in northern New Hampshire and Vermont, there were still plenty of days when we were able to get out and explore the winter woods. It kept the dogs in shape, and was beneficial for me to keep the winter blues at bay.
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Winter ruffed grouse hunting
Final Bird
That's my client Scott, and the final grouse taken of our season, with the aid of Rosie on Saturday. She had a particularly staunch point on this bird, and when it flushed close by from underneath a blowdown, it offered a great chance at a shot for Scott. He made it, and we had our final bird on the tote board for the year, and a nice reward for Rosie's efforts.
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Winter ruffed grouse hunting
Winter
On the hibernal solstice, my pack and I decided to go out for some late season "winter" grouse hunting today. Actually, we have been out in the woods each of the last three days, after the drenching rain and warm weather we had back on Monday. That day alone melted a substantial amount of the snow we had built up to that point in the season, allowing us to pursue grouse once again.
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Ruffed grouse hunting
First Seasons
Perhaps the most important hunting season in a puppy's development is the first fall, where they learn to love the woods and form a partnership with their owner/hunter that will last the remainder of its life. Running hard and complying with commands are two of my objectives with young pups in their first year, and Rocky and Bella (pictured above), my pups from Rosie's litter last spring, had a good first season in respects to what we hoped to achieve.
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Ruffed grouse hunting in winter
2023 Grouse Guiding Season In Review
Our sixteenth grouse hunting guiding season is in the rearview mirror, and it's time to take stock of what just transpired. As many of us in northern New Hampshire and Vermont suspected, it was one of the tougher autumns we've had for grouse-finding success, but thankfully the resident and migrating woodcock provided plenty of excitement for the hunters in October.
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Ruffed grouse hunting in Vermont
VT Grouse Hunting Update: 11/9
That's Shawn (L) and Bruce (R) this morning, with Bruce's grouse that he shot after a staunch point from Millie. For the first time in a long time, everything went exactly as we plan when we think of grouse hunting scenarios.
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Ruffed grouse hunting in NH
NH Grouse Hunting Update: 11/3
The New Hampshire swing of our guiding dates came to an end today, and it was a good ending to our season over here. We moved ten grouse and a woodcock (not surprising, since we had seen a few more timberdoododles in these areas just a few days ago) in an abbreviated session today.
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Ruffed grouse hunting in NH
No Tricks, All Treats
That's Millie with a staunch point on a grouse that ended up eluding my clients and myself today. She had her best day since we've been in the woods, pointing several single grouse, a group of four grouse, as well as three woodcock. In other words, she pointed all of the birds she saw today and gave my clients some good chances to take them. Ultimately, one woodcock ended up in the game vest.
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Grouse Hunting Season Stats

2023: 222.5 Hours
VT Hours: 65.5
NH Hours: 157.0
VT Birds Moved: 143
NH Birds Moved: 430
Birds Taken:
14 Grouse (VT - 4, NH - 10)
43 Woodcock (VT - 7, NH - 36)

2022: 123.0 Hours
VT Hours: 49.5
NH Hours: 73.5
VT Birds Moved: 96
NH Birds Moved: 178
Birds Taken:
11 Grouse (VT - 5, NH - 6)
6 Woodcock (VT - 2, NH - 4)

2021: 193.5 Hours
VT Hours: 66.0
NH Hours: 127.5
VT Birds Moved: 226
NH Birds Moved: 427
Birds Taken:
36 Grouse
21 Woodcock

2020: 199.5 Hours
VT Hours: 36.0
NH Hours: 163.5
VT Birds Moved: 77
NH Birds Moved: 552
Birds Taken:
24 Grouse
21 Woodcock

2019: 184.5 Hours
VT Hours: 28.0
NH Hours: 156.5
VT Birds Moved: 65
NH Birds Moved: 509
Birds Taken:
14 Grouse
29 Woodcock

2018: 144.0 Hours
VT Hours: 32.0
NH Hours: 112.0
VT Birds Moved: 114
NH Birds Moved: 417
Birds Taken:
18 Grouse
12 Woodcock

2017: 180.5 Hours
VT Hours: 44
NH Hours: 136.5
VT Birds moved: 110
NH Birds moved: 407
Birds Taken:
23 Grouse
24 Woodcock

2016: 178 Hours
Birds moved: 563
Birds/Hr Avg.: 3.16

Birds Taken:
23 Grouse
30 Woodcock

2015: 202.0 Hours
Birds moved: 607
Birds/Hr Avg.: 3.0

Birds Taken:
18 grouse
26 woodcock

2014: 138.0 hours
Birds moved: 350
Birds/hr. Avg.: 2.53

Birds Taken:
17 grouse
17 woodcock

2013: 152 Hours
Birds moved: 480
Birds/hr. Avg.: 3.15

Birds Taken:
20 grouse
27 woodcock

2012: 114 Hours
Birds moved: 526
Birds /Hr Avg.: 4.61

Birds Taken:
22 grouse
4 woodcock

2011: 161 Hours
Birds moved: 522
Birds / Hr Avg.: 3.24

Birds Taken:
34 grouse
21 woodcock

2010: 139.5 Hours
Birds moved: 430
Birds / Hr Avg.: 3.08

Birds Taken:
26 grouse
21 woodcock

2009: 93.5 Hours
Birds moved: 307
Birds / Hr Avg.: 3.28

Birds Taken:
16 grouse
14 woodcock

2008: 82.5 Hours
Birds moved: 188
Birds / Hr Avg.: 2.27

Birds Taken:
10 grouse
5 woodcock

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