Wild Bird Contact

Few moments afield with a young, aspiring bird dog trump wild bird contact. The importance of these moments, however fleeting, cannot be understated. A collision of instinctual energy, often generating a unique, palpable energy, intoxicating to all parties involved. 


A young Setter on wild bird scent...



 




Northeast Kingdom

Vermont's Northeast Kingdom (NEK) is a massive expanse of primitive wilderness, stretching over 2000 square miles, bordered by northern New Hampshire to the east and Ontario, Canada to the north. A remote location at northern latitude made access to the region burdensome. Thus, allowing nature to prevail, as opposed to becoming a casualty of industrial revolution. 

Over centuries, various, natural processes, and some unnatural, occur here perpetually. One crucial aspect includes on-going, selective timber harvest, ultimately leading to massive, regenerative stands of early-successional habitat.  Cumulatively, these form highly specialized, biodiverse ecosystems. When these fragile systems are healthy and work in unison, the end result is symbiosis. This mutually beneficial relationship supports one of the largest population densities of Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock in the lower 48. 






 

Red phase...


The air hung heavy, laden with moisture this morning, as was the leaf-litter covering the forest floor. Fine scenting conditions for any young grouse dog.. Historically, flush rates have remained stable in this piece for a long time. Red phase birds dominate this covert, a genotypic variation of the area in general.



















January Grousin'

Whistled up the pup and hit a couple covers out of desperation this morning. It is always tough to watch the season slip away.
Moved a pair of birds out of this corner...roosting in the spruce as always. Can't they just bust across the open field one time? A nice day afield

Salmo salar

Really dig swinging streamers for Landlocks in November.  
My wonderful friend Alex from Argentina, aka "The worlds most interesting man" When in Rome they do as he does. Stay thirsty my friends...

Mixed Bag

Old, familiar, fallow farm pasture. Birds were a touch jumpy today. Moved half a dozen, most were runners. Cedar pinned Ruff' x2, affording a young lad the luxury of an education. I dinged one that  glided into a spruce blowdown, burying itself. "Hunt dead", he worked the area determinately for several minutes, popped out of the snag and dropped Ruff near my feet. 

Woodcock numbers were heavy today. Found them in a finger that meanders down a sidehill, sprinkled with young spruce, Poplar and Grey Birch, leading to a small, Alder studded creek bed with a couple old, scraggly Apple trees.