Boot Leather
One thing about ruffed grouse hunting: without a doubt, a comfortable pair of boots is perhaps the most important piece of apparel we go to the field with. Without good boots, our hours spent chasing birds would be for naught, as we would struggle mightily to navigate the rocky ridge tops and soggy lowlands that grouse prefer to call home. Fortunately, Jeanne and Harvey (above) had good boots, because we walked at least 14 miles in our two days of hunting together.
The Vermont rifle deer season started today, so we concluded our swing through our "Green Mountain" grouse coverts over the past week. While the temperatures did cool off a little from last weekend's blazing conditions, it was still unseasonably warm for mid-November in the grouse woods. The only cold day was Tuesday, when the temperature stayed in the 30's, with a healthy wind from the north. after that, the temps steadily rose, finally peaking out at 65 degrees when we concluded our last hunt yesterday afternoon.
The Vermont rifle deer season started today, so we concluded our swing through our "Green Mountain" grouse coverts over the past week. While the temperatures did cool off a little from last weekend's blazing conditions, it was still unseasonably warm for mid-November in the grouse woods. The only cold day was Tuesday, when the temperature stayed in the 30's, with a healthy wind from the north. after that, the temps steadily rose, finally peaking out at 65 degrees when we concluded our last hunt yesterday afternoon.
My victims on Tuesday were Mike and Jon, clients that had gone out with me a few times in the case of Mike, and many times over the years for Jon. We tackled a massive area that I've hunted before that has what appears to be some good edge cover for birds on the way (the appetizer) before you get to a sizable hillside logging cut of perfect age (the main course).
The cover going in was disappointingly unproductive, and Rosie didn't start finding grouse until we were in the hillside logging cut. It's really tough going in this cover, with an incredible amount of ankle and leg-grabbing understory, making every step a challenge.
Of course, when Rosie's beeper starts going off, we try to be amazingly nimble, but that's not always the case. In fact, Mike tripped getting to an opening that I directed him to. Undeterred, he got up and made it to the opening in time to shoot one of the fast escaping grouse that she had pointed. The other bird made it to safety, but it was a textbook example of grouse hunting: a solid point, followed by hunters moving to shooting positions, and finally a successful shot.
Rosie would point a few more birds in this cover, but that unfortunately was the highlight of the day. We would find only one more grouse, and we put a lot of miles on for our efforts ...
Unfortunately, Jon sat out the next day due to a sore Achilles tendon, so Mike hunted with me on Wednesday morning. It turned out to be our best morning of the year, as we saw bunches of grouse in one of my favorite coverts. With temps in the low 20's to start, the grouse were grouped up, probably for feeding and warmth purposes. Almost immediately, Rosie pointed a group of six that really offered no shot for Mike, and then another group of three birds in heavy spruce cover. I just couldn't get Mike in the right shooting position before the birds started flying however.
Mike took shots at a few of the eighteen grouse we saw that morning, but none fell to his gun. Rosie was great as usual, but as you know, the grouse still have the upper hand most of the time. They are amazingly able to decipher where and when they have to fly to get to safety, and it seems like they're right 90% of the time.
The cover going in was disappointingly unproductive, and Rosie didn't start finding grouse until we were in the hillside logging cut. It's really tough going in this cover, with an incredible amount of ankle and leg-grabbing understory, making every step a challenge.
Of course, when Rosie's beeper starts going off, we try to be amazingly nimble, but that's not always the case. In fact, Mike tripped getting to an opening that I directed him to. Undeterred, he got up and made it to the opening in time to shoot one of the fast escaping grouse that she had pointed. The other bird made it to safety, but it was a textbook example of grouse hunting: a solid point, followed by hunters moving to shooting positions, and finally a successful shot.
Rosie would point a few more birds in this cover, but that unfortunately was the highlight of the day. We would find only one more grouse, and we put a lot of miles on for our efforts ...
Unfortunately, Jon sat out the next day due to a sore Achilles tendon, so Mike hunted with me on Wednesday morning. It turned out to be our best morning of the year, as we saw bunches of grouse in one of my favorite coverts. With temps in the low 20's to start, the grouse were grouped up, probably for feeding and warmth purposes. Almost immediately, Rosie pointed a group of six that really offered no shot for Mike, and then another group of three birds in heavy spruce cover. I just couldn't get Mike in the right shooting position before the birds started flying however.
Mike took shots at a few of the eighteen grouse we saw that morning, but none fell to his gun. Rosie was great as usual, but as you know, the grouse still have the upper hand most of the time. They are amazingly able to decipher where and when they have to fly to get to safety, and it seems like they're right 90% of the time.
The object of our desires: a ruffed grouse in hand.
Mike is justifiably proud of this ruffed grouse, taken over one of Rosie's staunch points on Tuesday.
It was the highlight of an otherwise tough day of bird hunting.
The Numbers
Tuesday: 5 grouse
Wednesday morning: 18 grouse
Thursday: 11 grouse
Friday: 13 grouse
I had the pleasure of guiding Harvey and Jeanne on Thursday and Friday to conclude my Vermont dates. We were fortunate to have beautiful sunny weather for Thursday, and cloudy conditions on Friday as a storm front approached, but it did get a little warm each afternoon. By then, we were dog tired from the many miles of walking we did anyway, following Rosie, Bode and Monty in their quest to find birds.
Once again, Rosie got the bulk of the work and she was impressive both mornings, covering a vast area and establishing point on a number of birds. As is usually the case however, getting a point is only the first part of the equation, and the birds generally were not accommodating in their part of the plan. They would either go out before Harvey or Jeanne could get to a shooting spot, or go out low, not offering any shot. They were doing things that grouse "do" in other words.
Harvey connected on one bird on Friday, but the rest flew to safety, eluding us yet again. Bode performed well in his cover on Thursday, pointing a grouse that flew out very low, away from Harvey, and Monty only managed to move one bird as the temp climbed yesterday afternoon. I had a good time with Harvey and Jeanne, as they are two of the better hunters that I've been out with, watching every movement of the dogs, and anticipating when they were getting "birdy". Oftentimes I didn't have to say anything to them, as they were already doing exactly what I would have done had I been the hunter.
Tuesday: 5 grouse
Wednesday morning: 18 grouse
Thursday: 11 grouse
Friday: 13 grouse
I had the pleasure of guiding Harvey and Jeanne on Thursday and Friday to conclude my Vermont dates. We were fortunate to have beautiful sunny weather for Thursday, and cloudy conditions on Friday as a storm front approached, but it did get a little warm each afternoon. By then, we were dog tired from the many miles of walking we did anyway, following Rosie, Bode and Monty in their quest to find birds.
Once again, Rosie got the bulk of the work and she was impressive both mornings, covering a vast area and establishing point on a number of birds. As is usually the case however, getting a point is only the first part of the equation, and the birds generally were not accommodating in their part of the plan. They would either go out before Harvey or Jeanne could get to a shooting spot, or go out low, not offering any shot. They were doing things that grouse "do" in other words.
Harvey connected on one bird on Friday, but the rest flew to safety, eluding us yet again. Bode performed well in his cover on Thursday, pointing a grouse that flew out very low, away from Harvey, and Monty only managed to move one bird as the temp climbed yesterday afternoon. I had a good time with Harvey and Jeanne, as they are two of the better hunters that I've been out with, watching every movement of the dogs, and anticipating when they were getting "birdy". Oftentimes I didn't have to say anything to them, as they were already doing exactly what I would have done had I been the hunter.
