Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Landskov
We are doing well up here in the Sturgeon River State Forest. I took 5 Ruffs this week, and a Spruce Grouse. That is the fourth Spruce Grouse for me in the past 20 years!
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Mark,
In all of our years in Northern Minnesota chasing grouse, we've never had a chance at a Spruce Grouse. We even rode up to the International Falls area a couple of times hoping for a chance. I keep hoping.
As for our trip, we have had all sorts of weather and weather conditions. We took an off day on Thursday when the temperature rose to 73. Our aging legs enjoyed a day off. This morning we are waiting out a snow squall with its high winds and pelletized snow blowing sideways. Interestingly enough, the sun is shinning while it's snowing. I'm sure the birds are hunkered down as are we.
A good sign is that we are getting up broods of birds, sometimes three and four at a time. I'm still not getting many shots, and yesterday when I had some shots, I failed miserably to hold up my part to he pointing dog-hunter agreement. Fortunately, the dogs don't care. I'll bring out the Parker DH 16 for next week's hunting, and set aside my go-to grouse gun (a Dickson 28).
This weekend is the annual Minnesota Teachers Association meeting, so kids are off from school and riding roughshod over the trails on four-wheelers. We hunt the non-motorized areas during this stretch, but there is a marked increase in hunters during this weekend.
The dogs are getting used to this new routine, and are excited to be able to hunt every day. It's difficult getting three dogs enough time out (and the forth, a "retiree," time to walk a trail or two). We logged over 10 miles yesterday according to Elaine's gps, and the dogs ran nearly three times that as the tracking collars show. Oh, to have four young legs!
I really appreciated Dean's lines about Autumn hunting. I feel that anymore I'm hunting experiences more than birds, stockpiling memories for the off-season...and the day when I may not be able to go any more.
Well, the snow has stopped, and the woods are calling. I hope Harold can let us know about his hunt, and I'd love to read of anyone else's (and thanks again to Mark for sharing his good fortune).
1. The morning ritual -- letting the dogs out first thing at the local gravel pit -- this time in a snow squall.
2. Yesterday was warm enough that the dogs sought out water to cool themselves off.
3. My little Dickson. It's taken more grouse for me than any other gun, and it's been my go to grouse gun for nearly 40 years.
4. Although leaves have mostly fallen (or been blown off!), the tamaracks still have good color, and remind me of Aldo Leopold's advice that the best time to hunt grouse is when the tamaracks are "smokey gold."
5. It's not often that you get a point just out of the truck and on a well groomed trail like this. Unfortunately, or perhaps predictably, the bird got up without offering a shot.