Conditions were poor at best - extremely dry. Fall colors are well underway, but foliage is a week or more late in dropping, so these were the worst shooting conditions for grouse & woodcock I've experienced in many years. The marsh we hunted was loaded with woodies, mallards and teal, but with warm temps they are resident ducks and can be quite fickle. Several woodcock moved at dawn and dusk around this marsh, with one almost hitting me in the face.
When the full moon arrives resident woodcock will likely head south and flight birds should move down from northern Maine and Canada to replace them. We found one cover quite full of resident birds...mostly big hens...an excellent opportunity to get dogs tuned up for more action ahead. Several other good covers were just too dry to support any birds at all.
Several grouse were moved each day on this trip, but shooting conditions for them are near impossible. So far I'm not seeing the banner numbers of grouse some folks were predicting, but we'll learn the truth soon as the temps fall and leaves drop.
Best of luck to all of you in your outdoor experiences this fall. Please share what you can here on the forum. Phil
