Great Lakes Grousing

Training Day

2012-02-06T16:42:00.005-07:00

The Ruffie hunting has been pretty tough the last month or so. Jumpy birds have been a challenge for Cedar to pin down, not to mention he has developed a tendency to crowd them. Decided on a local management area with planted Pheasant and Chukkar to try and get a few on the ground for him. Was able to take a couple short video clips, the following is what ensued.

January Grousin'

2012-01-16T13:58:00.010-07:00

Tough to believe it's already mid - January. We have dodged old man winter for quite awhile this year and the easy walking has finally come to an end. Whistled up the pup and headed to a couple covers out of desperation this morning. It is always tough to watch the season slip away.

No high hopes with all the snow and heavy winds. Was nice to get out, stretch the legs and watch Cedar streak through the brush.

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?

Signs like this are few and far between but I like them

Fruit on the Buckthorn still hanging tough

A nice day afield

Salmo salar

2011-11-20T11:49:00.007-07:00

Got a chance to scratch the itch and strip streamers for Landlocks the other day. What a fantastic time, perfect weather for November and an incredible back drop to pursue the leaper

My wonderful friend Alex from Argentina, aka "The worlds most interesting man" When in Rome they do as he does. Stay thirsty my friends...

Bare November Days

2011-11-06T12:43:00.011-07:00

Hunted through some nice cover today. Sadly, the woodcock had moved out but Ruff was still in his usual haunts. Moved a dozen birds in a half days effort, can't complain.

A really nice bottom that was just bursting at the seams with apples, bumper crop this year.

Cedar handled well today, bumped a few birds, still sorting things out with ruff. He's a long way from finished and may never be, he only retrieves cripples but for a two year old dog he puts meat on the table.
Sleepy settter gaurding mornning bag.

My buddy Joe with a fine bird taken over Cedar's point. Smile says it all.

Day 2 - Mixed Bag

2011-10-02T12:21:00.002-06:00

Had a blast with the pup again this morning. We hunted some orchard cover and moved about 10 birds. Cedar was able to set up two of them for me which was excellent, most of the others ran and he took chase and busted them. He's only two and still has lessons to learn from Ruff. He redeemed himself with his first grouse retrieve on a criple that buried himself in a spruce blowdown, one of the coolest experiences I have ever had in the outdoors! The woodcock were down heavy in a nice spring seep, lined with Poplar and Willow. Long live October!

Woodcock Opener

2011-10-01T11:16:00.003-06:00

Was able to take advantage of a rainy, damp and foggy woodcock opener today. Cedar and I were fortunate to find my favorite Longbill cover at full capacity, with flight birds this morning. He was electric in the tag alder, handling the big-eyes like a gentleman. He also set up ol ruff perfect for me only to miss him with both barrels, I've shot 7 rounds at that cock bird in the past three seasons, next time I will let him fly, he has earned it.

Tis the Season!

2011-09-28T07:05:00.005-06:00

My northern coverts are near peak foliage and looks like we have an early Christmas present here in the northeast. Our woodcock season has been extended from 30 days to 45 this year. They have added a week on the front end and a week on the back end. Cedar and I could not be happier. We will be trouncing the alder runs and swamp edges this Saturday in joyus pursuit of the might Timberdoodle. Have a safe and productive upland season everyone. Look forward to seeing updates from your journeys into the grouse woods.

Sunday Float

2011-04-10T17:08:00.010-06:00

It has been a long, brutal winter and today the mercury topped 60 which has been long awaited and very welcomed. Launched the drift boat for a short float on a local tributary to prospect for steel. Crowds were manageable for a balmy Sunday afternoon which made for a relaxing float and we even stung a couple fish. Here's a few shots from the afternoon.

March Madness

2011-03-27T20:06:00.007-06:00

Not basketball related. Went for a stomp through a new woodcock cover this afternoon and managed to put up a couple birds. Cedar was running fast and careless as we moved up the spring seep on the side hill, bumping all three birds, one of which he managed to relocate and pin down at the top of the ridge. The cover is real nice and recently gifted to the town and opened to the public. It is only a couple miles from where I grew up and was able to enjoy a bit of nostalgia as the Ford weaved it's way down the narrow roads I used to pedal my bicycle on. The fallow pasture is young, Cedar and I will have many years of gunning flight birds here which makes me grateful. Many of the doodle coverts I hunt are aging out and it was a refreshing to step into this piece today. We had two grouse flush wild in this piece of pole timber which was an added bonus. Hope pup and I will be fortunate enough to see another October...only six more months, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Crunching Numbers

2011-03-11T06:48:00.003-07:00

Heres the stats from my 2010 - 11 Ruffed Grouse season. Sad but true.

60 hours afield
82 flushes
2 grouse harvested

Flush rate of 1.4 per hour, down from 1.7 last season.

Mind you that half of the recorded flushes were only heard, never seen and half the birds seen were bumped by the pup who still has a fair amount of chase in him. I'm operating under the guise that 2 for 20 isn't to awful, pretty much par for the course as far as grouse hunting goes in my neck of the woods. Right in line with something I once read in a Spiller book, which softens the blow a little bit.

Cedar's first season involved a good amount of wild bird contact and he learned a few priceless lessons in regard to "ol Ruff.

Late Season Grousing

2011-01-29T12:26:00.004-07:00

October is a long way out so I decided to make a last ditch effort to move a bird or two this morning. Traveled south quite a distance from my home, hoping for a more modest amount of snow cover. Although there was much less, it was still unreasonable even with the snowshoes. Zero birds moved today but Cedar didn't seem to mind.

A few shots of the cover

Sporting Art

2010-12-30T07:11:00.003-07:00

A few of my favorites.

Abbett

Bertram

Renson

Foster

Swamp Gunning

2010-10-24T14:05:00.007-06:00

My friend Dave and I have been gunning together for over two decades, in one capacity or another. His family owned a large crop farm where we grew up and every fall we were drawn to one of the many kettle holes within the cut corn fields. These early experiences afield left an imprint on our developing psyches that is undeniable. We still hunt waterfowl together every fall and I would'nt have it any other way.

Dave got his first Chesapeake Bay Retriever shortly after college and never looked back. I have watched two of his pups morph into rock star, retrieving machines over the years. Otter is in his prime now at 7 years old and pulled off some unbelievable blind finds this morning.
Otter and Dave

Early morning limit

Otter cleaning up

Oncorhynchus mykiss

2010-10-21T05:40:00.004-06:00

Now that the tomfoolery of the Chinook season has subsided and we have a bit of elbow room, it's time to get down to business. Swimming Spey flies has no doubt become a bit of an obsession over the years...here is a nice player from the weekend,35" of tail-walking goodness!

Cedar's First Grouse!

2010-10-17T12:34:00.007-06:00

The leaves have finally dropped and pulling the trigger has become a reality instead of wishful thinking. The early season has been frustrating to say the least, but looks like it is game on from here on out.

Cedar has really stepped it up, learning a great deal in the alder runs and along the marsh edges, intercepting woodcock as they put down their landing gear on the way south. Along with nearly a hundred wild grouse contacts since last fall, the Timberdoodle has proven invaluable in staunching up the young lad and primed him for 'ol ruff, now that we can actually see them attempt to make their escape. Never dreamed he would have so much natural ability.

We hunted a knarly, overgrown orchard this morning with a smattering of buckthorn and young beech and elm. We managed to put two on the ground over beautiful points. At sixteen months, an infant in the grouse woods, with any luck he may just be the one my buddies and I are talking about in our golden years. We shall see.

My Buddy Joe with proud pup!

The Salmon Have Arrived

2010-09-12T05:23:00.008-06:00

Was able to hit the river for a few hours yesterday and swing some soft hackles, this is what we found. Gotta love short sleeves and Cohos...Heading back up for another morning session!

September Scouting

2010-09-06T10:42:00.031-06:00

Pup and I walked a familliar cover this morning, feels good to be back in the brush after an unusally warm summer here. The soft maples are turning red, Chestnuts are dropping leaves and apples are on the ground. Gravity always prevails.

Looks like the fruit bearing trees and shrubs profited from the high humidity this year.

Tons of Honeysuckle

The edges have filled out nice as well

Apple Bottom. One of our favorites.

Trailhead marker
Someone's feeble attempt to spook me out of the cover,it almost worked.

Cedar had several grouse finds this morning and a pair of nice points. Steady to flush? Not even close, but boy it sure is a pretty three seconds. Guess I'm going to have to walk fast this season. Seven young birds got up out of here like bottle rockets, blew his little mind to pieces and scared me half to death.
He did manage to relocate one of them, had to use the zoom on this one.

Heading home.

Tired Setter.

Adirondacks

2010-08-09T05:49:00.012-06:00

Always look forward to getting up to the 'Dacks a couple of times each year. It was great to have the pup along, he had a blast...think he actually summited twice. Was in my teens the last time I did this climb, I swear the mountain has become steeper over the last dozen years. Good times indeed.

A little drowsy on top.

Holding down the fort.

Sleeping in the dirt.

Maine - "The way life should be"

2010-08-06T04:33:00.000-06:00

Ran up to Maine a few weeks back to visit some old friends. We stuffed ourselves with lobster and other assorted shellfish. Spent a day on the coast throwing sand eel patterns for Stripers and then pushed North for a bit of Trout fishing. We were able to capture some nice imagery...A spectacular place indeed. Nice editing and great tune J-bone...see you in the fall!

Partners in Crime

2010-07-25T16:11:00.000-06:00

Seeing that the weather was mild today we decided to take the boys out for a romp. We took care to avoid the birdy tangles and stuck to the hardwoods to give the broods some breathing room. Caddis is my good friend Nate's Golden. At 15 months he is showing great potential from the duck blind and displayed quite a propensity for scaring up grouse last season!

Upper Delaware River

2010-07-21T17:21:00.000-06:00

I surmise you have to do something in the off season other than field work with setters. Like so many others, I choose to fly fish. It seems as if fly fishing, double guns and upland hunting are synonymous within the tangled web we weave.

Summer stroll

2010-07-12T18:36:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe the little guy is 12 months old and his first grouse season opens in 65 days. Can't wait.

Snapped a few photos this morning.

NYS Cooperator Ruffed Grouse Hunting Log

2010-02-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

A great resource full of invaluable data compiled by New York State grouse hunters over the past five seasons. The new report for the 2009-10 season should be available by late summer.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9351.html

The end and the beginning

2010-02-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

With our Grouse season coming to a close here in NY, it is the beginning of a new season for Cedar and I. He found me 90 days ago at the age of five months, via Bill and Dianne St. John of Heartland Setters in Atwater, MN. Already showing an outrageous amount of natural ability on wild birds and true gentlemen character, I look forward to charting his evolution from playful pup to companion gun dog.