I hunted near Lovells on Friday. Only out for about an hour or so, and we moved 5 woodcock. No grouse. My buddy, who is a crazy committed grouse/woodcock hunter, opined that the birds we moved were locals. He doesn't think the flight birds are through yet

John, Thanks for that info, my grouse/woodcock hunting buddies and I share info almost daily. I will pass this on too.

We hunted western Maine two weeks ago. Saw more mudbats than we did in 2018. We really weren't seeing any numbers to speak of until the front blew through Wednesday-Thursday. We think that may have brought some birds down since the front was a Nor'easter. Last year we missed the flight too. The Friday of our week we started seeing good numbers flying overhead at twilight. All that said means we may have them in NEPA next week. When the birds are here we have some of the best shooting of the season, albeit only for a few days. Here's hoping!!

Where did the term "Mudbats" come from? Is it a New England thing?

No one in New England ever used that term, it must come from scrapple country.

I grew up in scrapple country, and finally have found a source for it here in Flatland Country (in fact, had some for breakfast today). I never heard the mudbat term.

I remember my dad talking in the duck blind about "Helldivers" and "Blue Peters" to describe grebes and coots . Don't remember which is which

It’s a PA thing! Now I want some peppery scrapple, crispy outside, mushy inside, slathered with maple syrup!!

YES!

I'm heading to Vermont for the weekend hoping to catch a lingering flight of Gypsydoodles.

Missed going up this weekend because of promises and prior commitments - hope I didn't miss it.





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I hunted Felch Mi last week....I did not move any cock but my buddy did kill two and moved a couple more in the wet areas. I had a great time enjoying the woods, it only rained two days but we hunted anyway. Grouse hunting was very good about 6 flushes per hour in good cover. Birds were not holding very well and have been pressured pretty hard everyday. The ones I gunned had been eating clover....now I have a couple meals of organic grouse in the freezer...yummy No porkies , one leg hold my friends Visla found. SXS Ohio