Changing Seasons
A tale of two completely different days for grouse hunting in northern New Hampshire this weekend, due entirely to the vastly different weather we had on successive days. Both days were good in their own ways, but I'll take Sunday morning's weather every time.
Saturday started out cool, but was quickly heating up as the morning went on. By 11 AM, both I and my clients were wishing the clouds would come out to provide us with some relief. Of course, it was tough on the dogs that worked yesterday as well. We brought a lot of water and fortunately, there were water sources nearby where the dogs could cool off a little. It topped out at around 75 degrees yesterday afternoon - stifling conditions for the dogs to work in, and we called it at 3 PM. Fortunately for us, a string of thunderstorms rolled in an hour later, so we made the right decision to get out early.
The weather front that came in Saturday night dropped the temperature rapidly and dumped a good amount of rain as well. With the temperature starting out at 35 degrees with plenty of moisture, we had nearly perfect scenting conditions for the dogs. Bode worked first in some heavy alder cover and he had a good session, pointing three woodcock, one of which was taken by my client and retrieved by Bode for good measure. He seems to excel in tight covers like this, particularly where a dog resembling a bulldozer is needed.
Rosie got the next run and after the first woodcock that she bumped, she had a very good session. She tracked and had a beautiful point on a group of three grouse, then had a sticking point on a woodcock. Brian and I moved in slowly, wading through the tangle of alders and underbrush, and he made a nice shot on the escaping timberdoodle. Rosie worked energetically yet thoroughly, and she would then have her best moments, as we headed back in the direction of the trucks, in to the wind.
She had a couple of points on single grouse that either offered no shot or a very fleeting glimpse before escaping to cover. Then she had the point pictured above in this post. She staunchly held as Brian and I made it to her eventually, but nothing flushed upon our arrival. Thinking that it may have been a since departed grouse or tightly holding woodcock, I let her off the point, and she quickly stuck her nose in under a log, just in front of her. Apparently, the grouse huddled up in there didn't like it, and it bolted out low. Brian turned to swing on the bird, and the classic grouse hunter's bug-a-boo happened - a branch from an alder tree got in the way. The bird still flies today ...
Saturday started out cool, but was quickly heating up as the morning went on. By 11 AM, both I and my clients were wishing the clouds would come out to provide us with some relief. Of course, it was tough on the dogs that worked yesterday as well. We brought a lot of water and fortunately, there were water sources nearby where the dogs could cool off a little. It topped out at around 75 degrees yesterday afternoon - stifling conditions for the dogs to work in, and we called it at 3 PM. Fortunately for us, a string of thunderstorms rolled in an hour later, so we made the right decision to get out early.
The weather front that came in Saturday night dropped the temperature rapidly and dumped a good amount of rain as well. With the temperature starting out at 35 degrees with plenty of moisture, we had nearly perfect scenting conditions for the dogs. Bode worked first in some heavy alder cover and he had a good session, pointing three woodcock, one of which was taken by my client and retrieved by Bode for good measure. He seems to excel in tight covers like this, particularly where a dog resembling a bulldozer is needed.
Rosie got the next run and after the first woodcock that she bumped, she had a very good session. She tracked and had a beautiful point on a group of three grouse, then had a sticking point on a woodcock. Brian and I moved in slowly, wading through the tangle of alders and underbrush, and he made a nice shot on the escaping timberdoodle. Rosie worked energetically yet thoroughly, and she would then have her best moments, as we headed back in the direction of the trucks, in to the wind.
She had a couple of points on single grouse that either offered no shot or a very fleeting glimpse before escaping to cover. Then she had the point pictured above in this post. She staunchly held as Brian and I made it to her eventually, but nothing flushed upon our arrival. Thinking that it may have been a since departed grouse or tightly holding woodcock, I let her off the point, and she quickly stuck her nose in under a log, just in front of her. Apparently, the grouse huddled up in there didn't like it, and it bolted out low. Brian turned to swing on the bird, and the classic grouse hunter's bug-a-boo happened - a branch from an alder tree got in the way. The bird still flies today ...
