Recent Trip to the Northcountry
Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 1:30 pm
I recently returned from my annual two week bird hunting trip to the north country. This year I spent the third week of October in northern NH. The covers around Pittsburg were hit or miss - depending on how many of the grouse touristas had already hit them! I spent a few days in more familiar covers south of the area, and other than the drive, my old covers still produced. I even brought along other folks and each time we had a great time.
Pink with a morning's spoils:
That photo was taken on a nasty weather day with crazy winds and spitting rain. Pink pointed about 30 woodcock and 4 grouse that day. Let's just say the shooting of the group left a lot to be desired!
The last week in October, I headed over to central Maine, where I usually spend the last two weeks in October. Back to much more familiar covers.
The little "Case in Point" AE20 always makes me smile!! Pink was a bit worn out in this photo!!
Pink with a retrieve of a hard-earned grouse (sans a few tail feathers) that was pointed about 152 yards away from me. Amazingly, the bird was still less than 10 feet from her nose when I finally worked my way through the thick cover.
We encountered many more grouse in Maine this year, although woodcock were more thick in NH.
Some cover porn.....NH-style:
More cover porn.....Maine style:
It's great hunting in a part of the country where the birds are abundant.
While we didn't kill as many birds this year compared to previous years, the trip was all about the little pointer. She's always been a woodcock vacuum, but she really turned it on this year on the grouse. Over the two weeks, Pink pointed and held around 87 grouse and 42 woodcock. While there were plenty of wild flushes, the highlight was no bumped birds. We won't talk about the shooting part!! She earned some well-deserved rest, AKA being spoiled at home by my wife!!
Pink with a morning's spoils:
That photo was taken on a nasty weather day with crazy winds and spitting rain. Pink pointed about 30 woodcock and 4 grouse that day. Let's just say the shooting of the group left a lot to be desired!
The last week in October, I headed over to central Maine, where I usually spend the last two weeks in October. Back to much more familiar covers.
The little "Case in Point" AE20 always makes me smile!! Pink was a bit worn out in this photo!!
Pink with a retrieve of a hard-earned grouse (sans a few tail feathers) that was pointed about 152 yards away from me. Amazingly, the bird was still less than 10 feet from her nose when I finally worked my way through the thick cover.
We encountered many more grouse in Maine this year, although woodcock were more thick in NH.
Some cover porn.....NH-style:
More cover porn.....Maine style:
It's great hunting in a part of the country where the birds are abundant.
While we didn't kill as many birds this year compared to previous years, the trip was all about the little pointer. She's always been a woodcock vacuum, but she really turned it on this year on the grouse. Over the two weeks, Pink pointed and held around 87 grouse and 42 woodcock. While there were plenty of wild flushes, the highlight was no bumped birds. We won't talk about the shooting part!! She earned some well-deserved rest, AKA being spoiled at home by my wife!!