[mobirdhunter]

Well, I can say we've had almost every type of weather since we've been here...except good(!). We did have a thawing couple of days, one with sun in the afternoon. We hunted a sharp ridge between a lake and a swamp. The top of the ridge was very narrow in spots, maybe 20 yards, and the drop off on both sides was well over a hundred feet. It was very much like the hunting I remembered from SE Ohio back when the State had birds. On this day we found some, but better than finding them, Aspen pointed them, and he hunted well after so many barren miles earlier in the week.

Yesterday the wind blew so hard in the later afternoon that we came out of the woods for fear of trees falling. I've had this happen once before, and it's not safe to hunt. We'll try to hunt a short while today and pack the truck for our return home tomorrow. As poor and challenging as the hunting has been, I wouldn't trade these days, and I'm already scheming for when to come next year and which guns to bring. The DNR believes the Peak of the Cycle was two or three years ago. I'll be close to 75 at the next one, and I'm hoping to be in the woods with Elaine and some Gordon Setters.

I've enjoyed the replies to this thread. Richard is a better meteorologist than any I've encountered lately. The encouragement from those who know the sting of few birds was meaningful. It was comforting to read that Bruce was finding the same conditions, and that it was not just my poor hunting skills that was the reason for so few flushes. We did have several days with 10-15 flushes, but when you can't see them, you can't shoot them. Oh, well, that's grouse hunting. Our flush rate up to today was about 1.8/hr. It will be interesting to go back and compare that to other years. It's a nice thing about getting old (and there are not many) that you have the years to supply perspective.

Thanks again for the responses. I've got to get Elaine's coffee made so we can hit the woods this morning. Good hunting to all of you!

Photos:
1. You can come up with a lot of stories why the pumpkins were here about three miles back in the woods. The stories get better when it's Halloween.
2. A nice weather day makes you linger, even when the birds don't cooperate.
3. This spine ridge was like being in my old haunts from SE Ohio back in the 1980s and 90s. Unfortunately, the flushes I had chances at were among my toughest shots -- from below me and going down. I saluted a couple with my new CHE 20. Too bad I couldn't blood it on this trip.
4. Two tired friends that have staked out their place in the Cabin. One of the best parts of hunting here is that the dogs can come in and be with us at night.