Business As Usual
A simple grouse feather - it's what we'll be after in another month or so, or rather, piles of feathers. At this time of year, it's a reminder of what we're preparing for, and an indicator that perhaps we are indeed in an area where grouse habituate.
While our scouting sessions here in the late summer have not been as frequent as I would like, they have been extremely productive, perhaps indicative of a bountiful autumn ahead. All of the dogs have had good work given the unpleasant conditions, and our sessions are mostly focused on conditioning and reinforcing partially forgotten commands. The good news is that our schedule looks mostly clear in September, so the bulk of our work will take place then as the weather gets a bit cooler.
It has been ridiculously hot and humid lately, so our northern forest has resembled something more like the Brazilian rainforest our last two mornings out. It's a real slog getting through the abundant underbrush, for all of us it seems. The barren grouse woods that we patrol in late October and November seem like a distant memory ...
While our scouting sessions here in the late summer have not been as frequent as I would like, they have been extremely productive, perhaps indicative of a bountiful autumn ahead. All of the dogs have had good work given the unpleasant conditions, and our sessions are mostly focused on conditioning and reinforcing partially forgotten commands. The good news is that our schedule looks mostly clear in September, so the bulk of our work will take place then as the weather gets a bit cooler.
It has been ridiculously hot and humid lately, so our northern forest has resembled something more like the Brazilian rainforest our last two mornings out. It's a real slog getting through the abundant underbrush, for all of us it seems. The barren grouse woods that we patrol in late October and November seem like a distant memory ...
Monty on one of our recent sessions in Vermont, doing what he does best - absolutely locked down on this woodcock and hopefully he gets quite a few more chances like this in his eleventh grouse hunting season.
As far as the actual scouting goes, I have had to bring lots of water and keep the runs of the dogs to a maximum of forty-five minutes or so. There will be plenty more sessions for all of them this fall, so this is done in an effort to preserve a little "tread on the tires". The coverts so far have been well known areas to us, all areas that we already train and hunt in. Scouting for new areas will be done in September.
The birds? There appears to be a good number of both grouse and woodcock, and we have moved a couple of broods of grouse of four to five birds each. Our last three scouting sessions have yielded contacts with 7 grouse and 8 woodcock in 1.5 hours, 6 grouse and 4 woodcock in 2 hours, and 4 grouse and 1 woodcock in 45 minutes. As you would expect, most of the woodcock have been pointed and the grouse broods were pointed (both by Rosie), while the single grouse flushed wildly or were bumped.
The birds? There appears to be a good number of both grouse and woodcock, and we have moved a couple of broods of grouse of four to five birds each. Our last three scouting sessions have yielded contacts with 7 grouse and 8 woodcock in 1.5 hours, 6 grouse and 4 woodcock in 2 hours, and 4 grouse and 1 woodcock in 45 minutes. As you would expect, most of the woodcock have been pointed and the grouse broods were pointed (both by Rosie), while the single grouse flushed wildly or were bumped.
While southern New England and New Hampshire have had an extraordinary amount of rain over the last two months, we have received only a smidgeon of that rain. It has been mostly dry up here this summer, so this could be a year where we test the old saying that you should hunt grouse up high in wet years, and down low in dry years. So far, the birds seem to be in all of the habitat that they regularly would be in - in other words, look for the best grouse and woodcock cover, and you'll probably find birds, no matter the elevation.
I did see a prediction on our local weather that a warmer and drier fall is predicted for the northeast U.S. this autumn. Not great news if you're like me. The colder, the better for me and the dogs, and I've always considered 40 - 50 degrees with a slight wind as ideal conditions for hunting grouse and woodcock. If it is indeed warmer this fall, more water will be brought along for the dogs and my clients, and we'll probably hunt shorter coverts in an effort to conserve the energy of the dogs. Easier said than done when the grouse (and shots) start flying though.
It's not all dire news if it is warmer however - perhaps it will lengthen the period of the woodcock migration through the north country. Last year it was like someone flipped a light switch and the party was over - they were all gone in a matter of days in that last week of October. Let's hope that doesn't happen again!
