First trip north
 

My son and I will be making our first trip to northern Michigan Friday to my hunting buddies cabin. It is a little early but we always look forward to the first trip. My son and I will be carrying a couple of Parker’s, a 20 and a 16 hunting behind his 2 year old GSP Oscar. My long time hunting buddy will have his trusted 20 gauge Winchester model 12 hunting behind his 7 year old setter Bess, who is a Grouse rock star. The older I get, the more I look forward to a nice walk through the woods of northern Michigan on a nice fall day watching a bird dog do what it was put on this earth for.

As a former Ohioan, where are you from in northern Ohio? And how far north in MI are you going? I hunted a fair bit in the UP, but I usually hunt every year in Crawford County, but I'm not sure I'll make it this year.... Aging parent issues will keep me close to home, I fear. Looks like it will be pen raised quail for me and my setter, Beau.

I'll have to be satisfied with the vicarious MI experiences of you and several others on this site who go to Michigan for fall birds.

Dave

Hello Dave,
I am near Port Clinton on Catawba island. We will be hunting in the northern lower part of Michigan in and around the Lewiston area. We will spend 4 or 5 long weekends up north this year, I will hopefully be able to post some pics. Keep Beau tuned up on those quail for when you get the chance to go.

Heff - There is an NSCA registered shoot at Lewiston Sportsmen's League on this Saturday. You might want to get in and warm up for the real thing

We are heading up to Gladwin on Friday too with my new English setter Wisp so we will see how she does! Two weeks ago when we picked her up I had to grouse points and five woodcock, so I am hoping.....

Heff, good luck. I spent the weekend in the U.P. (Trout Lake area). The colors were beautiful, and I'm sure you'll have a good time. We were looking for ducks. Hope you find a few grouse and woodcock.

I'll be up there from Monday till Saturday myself. Not really to hunt, more to fish, but I'm taking a gun along just in case I run onto something interesting.

Leaving on the 7th to hunt around Atlanta. Have got into a few Grouse the last three years, however the trip is mainly a tuneup for the Dogs on Woodcock. We actually only shoot at few Woodcock for the the Dogs to have a few retrieves.

Each of the last three years has accounted for 200 plus Woodcock contacts for 5-6 days.

In my book, that is extremely impressive. During the last 6 years I have flushed, very few woodcock. However, not having a dog probably puts me at a disadvantage. Go get 'em.

The first two years we were there we were in the middle of a migration drop in. Had one hour were we had 40 some Woodcock contacts.

Last year went to the upper and the flight had passed us. So we packed up and headed South and luckily got into them.

The Ruffed Grouse/Woodcock migration map was a big help. If the current map is correct we may be on the Northern edge again.

I don’t think we have shot 10 Woodcock total in the past three years. Just let the Dogs do their thing.