UP Michigan

[Bob Hayes]

Just got home from 3 1/2 days of shooting at grouse on the upper peninsula.What a trip we had as well as a lesson in humility.Birds made a fool of me daily.I was completely unprepared for the explosive flush and vegetation we had to deal with.
We flushed more than 30 birds per day(one day 50) and woodcock mixed in.Woodcock became more frequent each day as the weather got colder(With light snow).
Birds just caught me off guard and it took me over a day to catch up.Finally started knocking down some birds and woodcock but not what I thought I would.
Lodge was awesome and the scenery was unbelievable.Hearing wolves at night,seeing a little snow with fall colors made it a successful trip.
Naturally I am going back next Oct. with a whole new respect for grouse.
I had hunted them before in Maine years ago but much different terrain.The challenge here was hearing or seeing the flush and trying to be ahead of the birds.Lots of early flushes but plenty of shootable birds just always behind.
Lots of woodcock which made a nice distraction but not what we were really after.Shouldn't complain about the only bird I could consistently hit.
Here are a couple pics of the trip and gun I used(trojan 20ga).

[Bob Hayes]

Pictures didn't up load

[Bob Hayes]

Guides and food were outstanding with these guides(Stoneybrook Kennels).We had field lunch one day the rest were to wet and or windy(snow)but hunting was good.
Never had lunch like this before.Menu started off with woodcock pate,smoked salmon with crackers.Then grouse with potatoes and brussel sprouts,hot coffee and sweet tea(can't leave home without).Table clothe was even from the old country,Germany I believe.
Lodge meals were also unbelievable some sort of wild game daily with all the sides.

[Bob Hayes]

Almost forgot the desert chocolate mousse.

[Dave Tatman]

Welcome to the UP.....

Dave

[Eric Eis]

What area of the UP where you hunting? Looks like your guys were really roughing it.....

[Daniel G Rainey]

The hunting looks good but I might just go to eat.

[Bob Hayes]

The food was awesome our guide is a chef also and treated us daily to several unforgettable meals.
This one caught me off guard much like the grouse anyhow it was delicious.
Tim Burton(Nightmare before Christmas)came to mind as this was set on the table.

[Bob Hayes]

Best I can figure we were around the Humboldt area.I was getting curve balls from all sides.Between being late on the flushes and eating more than one should while walking mile after mile each day.The late sunrise was another huge distraction(about 820am).I would wake at 5to 6am each day.I think I had to much coffee and reflections on the previous day before we every set foot outside.

[Daniel G Rainey]

Have eaten fish cooked with head on why not birds ?

[Bob Hayes]

Evidently it was a french dish broiled whole to rare.
It was good and I am currently trying to convince my family to try them.I'll let you know how that goes.

[John Dallas]

Somewhere in my recipe box is a woodcock recipe cooked (and eaten)add with the entrails in.

[Bob Hayes]

Yes these were cooked with the entrails in and then pulled out cooked some more,strained and poured over the birds.Sounds extreme but it was actually good.

[Richard Flanders]

Nice field lunch china. No paper plates for these bad boys. I like it!

[Rich Anderson]

I spent almost a month in Dickenson county and there was never a hint of snow. We had more days in the 70's than any other temperature and one day it just missed 80:eek: It was hard to believe that in mid Oct in the U.P. you used the AC in the truck going from one spot to the next. Add to that we had lots of rain. It was either hot and dry or hot and wet.

Woodcock were an unusual sighting as there were very few birds. I bet I didn't see a dozen and I have some good woodcock spots. Lots of grouse however but I also had lots of flushes from trees. The birds are getting smarter as on two occasions when the dog pointed and the beeper collar went off the birds flushed wild.

[John Dallas]

I'm just back from 3 days in the northern part of Michigan's lower peninsula, hunting at a private club. The guides and I agreed that the sound of a dog's beeper collar is alerting the Grouse and they have learned to flush when they hear that sound.

[Gary Laudermilch]

My suggestion, get a gps collar and turn the beeper off. Better yet, throw it away.

[Bob Hayes]

We hunted Oct 21st. thru 26th and temps were moderate with light snow one day and heavy winds.Leaves were mostly down but plenty of birds did flush early.I also noticed some tree flushes.
Dogs we hunted over most had bells on and it seemed like the birds(Enough to notice)would flush as soon as the dog stopped.Other guide had no beeper or bells on his dogs and we got consistently closer flushes.Woodcock don't seem to mine either.
Did notice birds hopping into trees as dogs approach.Just whole new experience across the board having never hunted the UP before.
Going back for sure.
Next season got to figure a way to take more pictures.Got spooked trying to carry my phone with all the hang ups we went thru.I guess I'll pull out one of those old camera's to carry along.

[Rich Anderson]

Your only about 45 min north of where I hunt but there seems to be a big difference in temps and birds as I didn't have the woodcock numbers. I assume you experienced some lake effect snow as we had lots of rain the 26th and 27th.

[Bob Hayes]

The woodcock numbers increased each day.In fact the last morning we were in them everywhere we went.Snow was light but it was snow so thats a big treat for Florida boys.But it did freeze most mornings.
Beautiful area and looking forward to next year.
I don't know how to tell a guide that his bells could be the problem.We had plenty of shots but could have had more I'm sure.The guide with GSP pointers dogs were very good walking dogs.Stayed close and moved slowly once they got a nose full.It let you cover in distance needed to get in position.
I also noticed the guides gave verbal commands(few)in a very hush tone.Which I'm sure they knew would alert birds to mans presence.Looking back that alone could have brought up the subject of the bells.
Anyhow it was a awesome hunt.

[Kevin McCormack]

Am firmly convinced in my old age now that sonic (beeper) collars do in fact alert and sensitize gamebirds (including wild quail) in the field & forest to the presence of humans with dogs. Like the admonitions of guides on the northern Great Plains on mid- to late season pheasant and sharptail hunts to not let the doors on the trucks slam shut as you set out into a new cover, I think the same effect on woodcock and especially ruffed grouse is now well established. I began to notice the effect on woodcock in particular about 8-10 years ago; the birds would run in short spurts in front of my English setter, confusing the notion that they would hold until you nearly stepped on them. While not nearly as skittish as ruffed grouse, they indeed now behave differently. It it is now a common occurrence in many of the areas I still hunt. Likewise, we now occasionally hear a grouse flush just within earshot when one of our party activates a beeper collar at the beginning of a hunt into fresh cover in an otherwise nearly silent forest.

[Dave Tatman]

Come to think of it, on our northern MI (Crawford County, near Lovells, hunt recently, we had a number of wild flushes on grouse, but that was often after the GSP's went on point. Maybe they weren't wild flushes, but flushing off the collar beep. It seemed like we couldn't get to the dogs fast enough. Didn't seem as pronounced with woodcock. Wonder if there isn't something to this thing with the grouse getting wise to beeper collars...... John, you got me to thinking. Thanks.

Grousegunner, what think you?

Dave

[Dean Romig]

My Gracie is just a little over three years old and certainly doesn't have the experience on wild birds as most others and she bumps a good number of grouse. My opinion on this is that woodcock allow her to get very close to them, sometimes just a foot or two off her nose and I don't think she has developed the finesse to know that she can't get that close to a grouse - not even nearly that close.





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[Rich Anderson]

Dave, Lovells is a nice area. The AuSable that runs through town is excellent fishing and I can't even begin to think of the trout that I have caught under the bridge. We used to have a cabin on K.P. Lake just south of there. The National Guard ruined it for us.

[John Dallas]

During grouse season, Maggie's restaurant was filled with about 40 people in hunter orange caps. Any other time there might be 5. It's now closed. Anyone want to buy it, and be part of a local landmark?

Lovells is famous (?) for the Lovells Bridge Walk. Fashioned after the 5 mile walk across the Mackinac Bridge, this is an exhausting march across the 47 foot bridge which spans the North Branch of the Au Sable. Barking dogs, kids' bikes decorated, and a BBQ lunch to benefit the local fire department.

[Gary Laudermilch]

After chasing grouse for many decades I cannot say that I have noticed any behavioral changes in grouse. Many young birds equals easier hunting and more old birds in the population and you will find out just how good your grouse dog really is.

Quiet, quiet, quiet! No whistles, calling to the dog etc. I have had a successful run when I do not have to say a word to the dogs. I use the tone feature on the collar to advise the boys to come in a bit closer if needed. No whoa commands in the field. That is reserved for training. When approaching a point I try to be as stealthy as if deer hunting. It is very seldom grouse flush from the dogs or the bells they wear if they do not crowd the bird. They often will flush prematurely if they hear my bipedal footsteps approaching though.

If it is grouse you want to hunt train your dogs to stay off their birds. It is the one thing for which I train extensively. Stop at first scent and hold it until I get there. In my opinion, training on pen reared birds only makes the task more difficult. As much as I am fascinated by woodcock I avoid targeting them. They will teach a dog to crowd birds if given a steady diet.

There is no substitute for training on wild birds. I have yet to devise a training technique to teach a dog to handle grouse. He has to learn it on his own through exposure to the master teacher. If a dog has any bird sense at all they will develop their own technique for handling old birds.

[Dave Tatman]

John, Is Maggie's the bar across from the gas station, or is that the former hotel building beside the gas station? I thought the bar was the Lovells Tavern, and it appeared still open when we were in the area a few weeks ago.

Dave

[John Dallas]

It's the building next to Caid's gas station and general store. The Riverside Tavern, across the street is owned by "Nancy". How the Tavern stays open is beyond me. They must be selling drugs out the back door, because they sure aren't selling enough of their bad food or warm beer to stay open.

[Rich Anderson]

I ate at the Tavern last fall and the food was good the beer cold. Back when we had the cabin on K.P. lake it was well known for it's food.

It was a big deal for us kids to go the restaurant next to Caids (the original owners were friends of my parents) for breakfast.

[Dave Tatman]

Rich - Are you still in Michigan? Maybe we ought to get something together sometime up around the AuSable? I live in KY now, but get back to the AuSable region about three weeks each year....

Dave

[Rich Anderson]

Dave yes I'm in Mich. I live in about the middle of the state. Grayling is just over an hour from me.

As a kid up through college we had a cabin just south of Lovells on K.P. Lake. My Grandfather built it just after WWII.