NH Grouse Hunting Update: 10/19
The grouse woods are magical right now. The smells and the sights are intoxicating if you're a grouse hunter, and these are the days we're all thinking of in the heat of the summer or on a cold winter night. The leaves are coming down and the bird sightings are better than a couple of weeks ago, just not as frequent as we would like.
It's probably safe to say that there are fewer grouse this year than the previous few years. Three years ago, we had a copious amount of grouse, likely the result of a warm and dry late spring and early summer. It was perfect weather for the grouse chicks, and it bore fruit during the hunting season that fall.
It's probably safe to say that there are fewer grouse this year than the previous few years. Three years ago, we had a copious amount of grouse, likely the result of a warm and dry late spring and early summer. It was perfect weather for the grouse chicks, and it bore fruit during the hunting season that fall.
Bode, pointing a grouse during our hunt yesterday morning. This bird would flush towards the trail and my client, hanging up in a tree. When it flushed from the tree over the trail, my client took its tailfeather, but not the bird ...
This sapling absorbed the brunt of my client's effort to try to take a woodcock on one of Rosie's staunch points. The woodcock was missed.
It was much the same story the next year - similar hatching weather, similar result - lots of birds. Last year's grouse season was more "average" for us, as we had to work harder to see birds, and perhaps we were spoiled from the previous two years, as well. While this year has generally been tougher for grouse, we've had some good days of moving them too.
The last two days were slower on grouse (10 yesterday, and only 4 today), but thankfully we have woodcock, and we've been seeing a good amount of them. We contacted approximately 19 timberdoodles yesterday and 6 more today, so there's still plenty of them around and perhaps this weekend's storms (with plenty of wind from the south) will delay their migration a bit longer.
All of the dogs performed well over the last two days. Bode worked hard yesterday morning, helping my clients take two woodcock during his time out there. Bella was up next and had a good run. Another "point-relocate-point-relocate-flush" on a woodcock that flew perfectly for my client. The shot was made and Bella retrieved it to hand. She also later had some beautiful work on a grouse and another woodcock - a solid point on that one that she held longer on, but we couldn't get to her in time.
Rosie was her usual steady self, pointing several woodcock that offered good chances for the clients, but alas none were taken. She then concluded her run by pointing a trio of grouse that slipped out, one at a time, as we hustled to get close. That's grouse hunting ...
The highlight of today's hunt was the work of the two puppies, Rocky and Bella. Rocky showed great enthusiasm in attacking some heavy alder cover this afternoon, and his lack of fear and high prey drive are apparent. He tracked and flushed a grouse for my client, giving him a great opportunity to harvest his first ruffed grouse, but it wasn't meant to be. It sailed away, unscathed. He also found another grouse and a couple of woodcock in his time out there - a good, hard run for his first time out with clients.
Bella closed it out for us this afternoon, with a couple of memorable points on woodcock. The first was shot at and missed, but the second was a longer point (10 - 15 seconds?) where the bird flushed as my client moved closer. It was not bumped by Bella - she held the point, and the bird flushed and was taken with a good shot. It was her fifth woodcock taken this season, and she has helped take birds each of her last four hunting sessions.
Yes, I think we have something with both puppies, and next year should be a great one for them. They will both hunt whenever possible this year, with myself or clients, and this experience should be valuable going forward. Vermont will be the theater for tomorrow's hunt, and then we will take the weekend off with the impending rain coming on Saturday and Sunday. We'll be back at it in New Hampshire next week, and it looks like we'll have some good weather to chase birds in.
More updates to come ...
The last two days were slower on grouse (10 yesterday, and only 4 today), but thankfully we have woodcock, and we've been seeing a good amount of them. We contacted approximately 19 timberdoodles yesterday and 6 more today, so there's still plenty of them around and perhaps this weekend's storms (with plenty of wind from the south) will delay their migration a bit longer.
All of the dogs performed well over the last two days. Bode worked hard yesterday morning, helping my clients take two woodcock during his time out there. Bella was up next and had a good run. Another "point-relocate-point-relocate-flush" on a woodcock that flew perfectly for my client. The shot was made and Bella retrieved it to hand. She also later had some beautiful work on a grouse and another woodcock - a solid point on that one that she held longer on, but we couldn't get to her in time.
Rosie was her usual steady self, pointing several woodcock that offered good chances for the clients, but alas none were taken. She then concluded her run by pointing a trio of grouse that slipped out, one at a time, as we hustled to get close. That's grouse hunting ...
The highlight of today's hunt was the work of the two puppies, Rocky and Bella. Rocky showed great enthusiasm in attacking some heavy alder cover this afternoon, and his lack of fear and high prey drive are apparent. He tracked and flushed a grouse for my client, giving him a great opportunity to harvest his first ruffed grouse, but it wasn't meant to be. It sailed away, unscathed. He also found another grouse and a couple of woodcock in his time out there - a good, hard run for his first time out with clients.
Bella closed it out for us this afternoon, with a couple of memorable points on woodcock. The first was shot at and missed, but the second was a longer point (10 - 15 seconds?) where the bird flushed as my client moved closer. It was not bumped by Bella - she held the point, and the bird flushed and was taken with a good shot. It was her fifth woodcock taken this season, and she has helped take birds each of her last four hunting sessions.
Yes, I think we have something with both puppies, and next year should be a great one for them. They will both hunt whenever possible this year, with myself or clients, and this experience should be valuable going forward. Vermont will be the theater for tomorrow's hunt, and then we will take the weekend off with the impending rain coming on Saturday and Sunday. We'll be back at it in New Hampshire next week, and it looks like we'll have some good weather to chase birds in.
More updates to come ...
