Peaceful, Easy Feeling
While the Eagles aren't my favorite band (though Joe Walsh and Don Felder were great guitarists), their song title pretty well sums up how it was out there in the grouse woods of northern New Hampshire today. It was very peaceful as a matter of fact - not a sound to be heard, about 25 degrees with very little wind, and a perfect day to be out following bird dogs once again.
It's been a couple of weeks since we went out last, and it looked like the season might be on its way to a quick conclusion, but our warm weather last week got rid of a sizable chunk of the snowpack, at least until yesterday's weather.We received 8" of powder yesterday, making the going not quite as "easy" as I hoped it would be. It was like walking in beach sand for three hours, which turned out to be a challenge. Rosie and Bode ran hard, and it didn't take too long for Rosie to go on her first point, but the grouse got out well ahead of us, flying high to be pursued hopefully on another day.
It's been a couple of weeks since we went out last, and it looked like the season might be on its way to a quick conclusion, but our warm weather last week got rid of a sizable chunk of the snowpack, at least until yesterday's weather.We received 8" of powder yesterday, making the going not quite as "easy" as I hoped it would be. It was like walking in beach sand for three hours, which turned out to be a challenge. Rosie and Bode ran hard, and it didn't take too long for Rosie to go on her first point, but the grouse got out well ahead of us, flying high to be pursued hopefully on another day.
We worked lots of evergreen edge cover along the logging roads we were on, with a few forays through likely looking cover in the woods. While the dogs looked birdy several times and Rosie went on point again in a clump of mature spruce, nothing else was to be found until nearly the end of our journey.
Both dogs were showing the wear and tear of navigating the snowy cover, and truth be told I was flagging myself, when Rosie established another point on the low side of the logging road. I had seen birds here before and they always flush downhill away from the road, naturally, and this grouse followed suit. It flushed downhill away from me, but I never caught a visual of it through the snowy spruces. Gone, again.
Both dogs were showing the wear and tear of navigating the snowy cover, and truth be told I was flagging myself, when Rosie established another point on the low side of the logging road. I had seen birds here before and they always flush downhill away from the road, naturally, and this grouse followed suit. It flushed downhill away from me, but I never caught a visual of it through the snowy spruces. Gone, again.
Only twelve days left in the 2019 grouse season and we are hopeful to get out there a few more times this year. It was truly beautiful out there, wandering the woods today. The weather, holiday and work schedules will all be the determining factors however. It's been a good season and we simply don't want it to end yet ...
I hope that you're able to follow your bird dogs a couple more times in 2019, too.
