Northwoods Rendezvous (A "Brooding" Indian Summer)

[Garry L Gordon]

We are back in our old haunts in Northern Minnesota. As each season has its own character, this was has become another to remember. The weather has been, as it almost always is, the star of the show -- below freezing mornings followed by warmish, sun-filled days. It's hard not to stop and admire the country, but the dogs are seemingly immune to aesthetic musings.

And...we are finding birds. I've not tallied the flush/hour count yet, but on one afternoon walk with our puppy, Rill, we flushed 26 birds in two hours. We've encountered lots of broods, as many as 6 birds flushing from one location. Hard to keep your nerves when so many flush...and almost never at once.

This is Prairie Rill's first hunt. She did well on planted birds in our training sessions back in September, but she's still figuring out that there are wild birds in "them thar woods." She's made lots of progress, even making a short retrieve of a bird I managed to shoot for her. Aspen has picked up where he left off last season, and now, at 7 years, is in his prime. Having lost Alder back in July, there is still that emptiness that comes with a dog's passing, especially in the Cabin when we settle in for the night.

I've been using my 1904 DH 16. It's a heavy 1 frame gun with 26 inch barrels and needs spreader loads for the grouse woods, but it's a delight to take a bird with a gun with such history and character. I'm reminded of Craig L.'s recent thread about loving guns with good, honest wear. We'll switch guns next week to get some that sit in the safe a chance to make some memories.

I hope all of you who are able to get out this year with your Parkers and pups have success, however you measure it. Be safe...and post pictures and accounts of your hunts. I really look forward to those.

Photo Key:

1. Aspen has turned into a very fine bird dog, in spite of not having the bird numbers of his predecessors (nor the energetic handler they had:crying:)

2. Rill's first hunt has gone well, but not without its puppy moments. She is still figuring out this "grouse thing." Having good bird numbers is a blessing.

3. I managed to shoot three birds for her on a walk from which we flushed 4 broods and a total of 26 birds. To say she was excited is an extreme understatement. Pop would say, "she likes her birds!"

4. I love the patina on this old 16, and its short barrels...and, I really admire this color phase in a Northwoods grouse.

5&6. Although the weather has turned rainy, I'm grateful that we had some glorious weather days to savor after a long, hot summer of waiting.

[Reggie Bishop]

Wonderful pics! Thanks for taking us along to the Northwoods! Keep bringing the reports and illustrations!

[Chris Pope]

Beautiful! Working a young pup this fall myself...the wonderment of discovery!

[Brian Hornacek]

Right on, great post Gary!

[Shawn Wayment]

Gorgeous!! Looks like an amazing trip!

[Garry L Gordon]

Flush rates have come back down to earth, but we are still finding broods in good cover. The weather, with the exception of one rain day (which we desperately needed to rest tired legs), has continued its Indian Summer theme, and the color is distractingly beautiful.

We are in the middle of what we call the "Third Thursday Mayhem," when all of Minnesota's schools are out and large numbers of kids on four-wheelers hit the trails. We try to hunt around them, and take the chance to visit some of the local towns, but the woods are filled with "sportsmen" driving the trails with autoloaders at ready to bag a bird in the trail. It takes a day or two for the birds to filter back toward the trails.

Photos:

1&2. Yesterday started out at 30 degrees with fog. The woods were damp and quiet, and the birds were lingering on the roost. We got more action after the sun started to burn off the fog, but it was a beautiful time to be in the cutovers and pine plantations.

3. I included this wounded alder that I shot for Brian H. I bagged this tree while taking an "easy" straight away shot over a nicely pointed pair of birds. If you see the trees that might get in the way, you're not focused on the bird, so I'll take a dead tree every now and then (and yes, Brian, I know that alders are not legal :))

4. Aspen is a sometime retriever. If he knows I see the downed bird, he thinks I should get it myself. But he'll help me when the bird is buried or hidden from view. We've agreed that this will work as long as he continues to point them for me.

5. Another bird from a brood, this one a black ruffed version. We've also seen more hares, which is a sign that the bottom of the grouse cycle is coming (if you believe the surmise of biologists).

6. I must admit to being smitten with the color of the Northwoods at this time of year. We have started taking our trips a bit later to hopefully avoid too-warm temps, and we often miss peak color. But not this year, and it's been hard not to stop and admire the Fall. Elaine and I say it's like walking through gold coins...and we are rich because of it.

7. The benediction to an 8+ mile day. After sun and clouds all day long, we got a brief shower and a sunset that made us stop to admire. Looking east as we headed back to the Cabin, we were gifted a rainbow. A perfect end to the day.

[Bruce Day]

I’m on Sand Lake from 0ct 21-28. We hunt some of the same areas. I’ll be in the woods or you can call me 8163057953

Bruce Day

[Bob Hayes]

Garry
I just saw this post.Hope you're having as much fun as we are?
definitely try next season.
We had 30 flushed yesterday and before was awesome.Today we had good numbers but went after the woodcock because we could.

[Joseph Sheerin]

Your photos never dissapoint. You can smell the damp woods, and feel the cool autumn air just by lookin at these...... Very nice.

[Andrew Sacco]

Garry, fantastic as always!

[Gary Kephart]

Great pics congrats on a great hunt !

[Garry L Gordon]

I appreciate the kind comments from folks -- thanks!

We are closing out our two week hunt, which has offered us some memories of great weather, beautiful country, wonderful dogs and the birds we love so much. We also met some great people here in the Northwoods. This will be a trip to remember.

Our Fall color is pretty much gone now, and we are seeing the muted, rich color of the later season, remarkable in its subtle charm. Leaf drop happened pretty much over night, and with it the temperatures will drop, and, hopefully, the woodcock will be waiting for us in home coverts, which we'll hit next week.

Enjoy your season. Get out every chance you can.

Photos:

1. Sometimes I cannot believe how special it is to live with gun dogs. Having a puppy and a seasoned dog, seeing the future and its potential is a marvelous gift. Chris and Aaron, if you read this, I hope you've had some special moments with your pupils in training. Remember these days. They go by too quickly.

2. We switched out guns for this last week. One of three Parkers I have from this, one of my favorite, engraving periods. This gun, a 1918 CHE 20 that we call Reggie's gun is about as perfect a bird gun as I can imagine. A privilege to hunt with and care for.

3. We were able to catch up with PGCA member Bruce Day and Joe Weidle for dinner one evening. What a pleasure to visit with two gentlemen who love double guns and bird dogs. I got to see and hold a couple of Bruce's bird guns and now have dreams of a 24 inch 20 gauge bird gun. Joe is real dog lover and Elaine and I got to learn more about his dogs and Bruce's -- always a treat.

4&5. A trip with wonderful memories of beautiful country and the drama of nature. The last photo is the Big Fork river that we cross every evening on our way back to the Cabin. The view from the bridge is ever changing and never gets old.

[Chris Pope]

Garry- My wife and I brought our first bird dog with us on our Honeymoon on an island off the coast of Maine many years ago. We figured it would be a good introduction for him in a small boat on the ocean for future sea duck hunting trips. That's how bad we are!
The joy they have brought to our lives in the years since at home, on the road and in the field is immeasurable.

1) But here's another thing...we absolutely draw the line on not letting the dogs on the furniture at hunting camp! :)

2) Our 5 year old Griff demonstrating the proper hold technique to our 7 month old in Pittsburg NH a couple weeks ago.

Sorry about the sideways photos- still have not figured that out...

And thank you Garry for the incredible photos on your posts!!

[Garry L Gordon]

I knew you were a good person. Any guy as “strict” with his dogs as you obviously are is okay by me 🤪

I’m looking forward to reading more about your pups in the near future.


Garry- My wife and I brought our first bird dog with us on our Honeymoon on an island off the coast of Maine many years ago. We figured it would be a good introduction for him in a small boat on the ocean for future sea duck hunting trips. That's how bad we are!
The joy they have brought to our lives in the years since at home, on the road and in the field is immeasurable.

1) But here's another thing...we absolutely draw the line on not letting the dogs on the furniture at hunting camp! :)

2) Our 5 year old Griff demonstrating the proper hold technique to our 7 month old in Pittsburg NH a couple weeks ago.

Sorry about the sideways photos- still have not figured that out...

And thank you Garry for the incredible photos on your posts!!

[Garry L Gordon]

At the risk of "wearing out my welcome" I'd like to add a postscript to our hunting posts. We are finally home after enjoying a wonderful trip that included so many firsts for us. We have already made plans to return. I hope I'm still here when the next Fall comes around. The older I get, the more I hope.

I feel like we had good grouse numbers, but to check my reality, here are the numbers: our flush rate for the trip was 2.7 flushes/hour, but I teased out the difference for our experienced dog Aspen, and little Rill, for whom this was her first real hunt. With Aspen our flush rate was 4.4 flushes/hour -- as good as I could expect on a year forecast to be moving to the bottom of the cycle (for what that's worth). My shooting was pretty much standard for me: 53% on grouse and 75% on woodcock ( a small sample size).

The weather was the real hero in this trip -- Indian Summer to start, and brooding cold to end...just as October in the Northwoods should be. The leaves were both brilliant, and then, gone (like gypsies as George Bird Evans would have said).

I'll start looking for flight woodcock in home coverts, and hit the quail fields and duck marshes prior to the firearms deer season. What a rich time of year this is. I give thanks for it all.

Thanks again for reading my posts and commenting.

Photos:

1. For Chris P.: Here's Aspen enjoying time on the couch at the Cabin. He will always tell you he doesn't get enough couch time.

2 The leaves turned gypsy and were gone by the end of the 2nd week (thank you, GBE), and the "birches looked dream like on account of the frosting" (yep, James Taylor, thanks to you).

3. This is a frame from a nice video that Elaine caught of a grouse pointed by Aspen that crossed in front of me on the trail. Look closely and you'll see it just over my left shoulder. I felt like I was in a William Harnden Foster drawing when this bird decided to give me a shot...and I made it (not always the case:crying:)

4. Rill strikes a point that Elaine was able to capture on camera. She's stylish, but, unfortunately, I could not get a shot at this bird which was flushing too far out. Still, I hope this foreshadows a good future for this little pup.

5. We rode by old landmarks to commemorate our last day, something we've done for 20 years or more. It's nice to have a sense of place.

6. Aldo Leopold wrote so beautifully of grouse hunting, and the "red lantern" blackberries that led him from covert to covert. Like Leopold's guiding lights, the lanterns were dimming with the end of Indian Summer, but hopefully they will burn bright again next year for all of us who love to follow bird dogs in grouse coverts.

[Chris Pope]

Garry-

Once again, terrific photographs. Your spouse has a wonderful touch with the camera.

All I can say about that pup on the couch is that he has those “did I do good today” tired eyes that are adorable…and they appear to also be saying, “…and tomorrow I might see if I can find a skunk for you” devil eyes…

While our pup “Fish” had his share of bumps, hare chasing and snacks on turkey poop (caviar to a dog), he also had a number of solid points that he held. One occurred when I heard his bell stop about 60 yards ahead of me. I’m still recovering from a torn Achilles this past May, so it took me a bit to hobble up through the thick covert as quickly as I could to find him locked up solid. I had time to praise him and give him a couple strokes while my buddy came over with his 4-year-old Boykin. He sent the little flusher in and she put up the woodcock which my 28 ga repro fortunately connected with and “Fish” went and made the retrieve. Something as simple as that will be remembered for a life time. We are lucky.

[Daniel Carter]

As far as i am concerned there is no way you can ''wear out your welcome''. I look forward to each of your posts and the great photos with them.

[Garry L Gordon]

Garry-

Once again, terrific photographs. Your spouse has a wonderful touch with the camera.

All I can say about that pup on the couch is that he has those “did I do good today” tired eyes that are adorable…and they appear to also be saying, “…and tomorrow I might see if I can find a skunk for you” devil eyes…

While our pup “Fish” had his share of bumps, hare chasing and snacks on turkey poop (caviar to a dog), he also had a number of solid points that he held. One occurred when I heard his bell stop about 60 yards ahead of me. I’m still recovering from a torn Achilles this past May, so it took me a bit to hobble up through the thick covert as quickly as I could to find him locked up solid. I had time to praise him and give him a couple strokes while my buddy came over with his 4-year-old Boykin. He sent the little flusher in and she put up the woodcock which my 28 ga repro fortunately connected with and “Fish” went and made the retrieve. Something as simple as that will be remembered for a life time. We are lucky.

Chris, you have apparently done a great job of training your pup. The scenario you describe is a great example for what's to come for you. You are a lucky man.

Rill had her moments, but she is still trying to figure out what hunting is all about. I hope running her with Aspen on wild quail (assuming we have any!) will continue her tutelage. Dogs really learn from each other (and there are no expensive training fees:))

As for the "pup on the couch," Mr. Aspen has been known to hog the couch and assume some ungentlemanly positions to keep his perch. (Don't tell Elaine I posted this picture!)

[Garry L Gordon]

As far as i am concerned there is no way you can ''wear out your welcome''. I look forward to each of your posts and the great photos with them.

Thanks, Daniel!