2021 Maine Grouse Trip

[Mike of the Mountain]

This past week we made our annual journey to the Maine North Woods for grouse and mudbat (woodcock to the uninitiated ). We had a great three days of hunting. I traveled and hunted with Life Member Dale Wilkie. He brought his 11 year old German Wirehair Pointer and I brought our smallest Setter, four year old Callie. We flushed 83 birds. The numbers were almost one-half of what we flushed last season. Out of those 83, two were spruce grouse and three were nudbat. The ground was very dry and temps wer near 70 in the afternoon so we knew the mudbat would be tough to find.

Day one we flushed 20 19 grouse and 1 mudbat. I took my limit of grouse (4 for 7). Carried the Trojan 28" 16g.

Dat two we flushed 30 birds. 26 ruffs, 2 spruce and 2 mudbat. Limited on grouse (4 for 4) and 1 mudbat (1 for 1). We found them hot and heavy in the alder runs next to young pines and in the young birch and aspen stands. I carried the 12g 26" Lefever H grade.

Day three we flushed 32 birds, 30 ruffs and 2 mudbat. Limited on grouse (4 for 6), 0 for 1 on mudbat. Found some great covers!! I carried the 12g 26" Lefever H grade again.

We had some fine dog work too even with the warm afternoon temps. One day Dale and I both took grouse on the same flush and his Bell retrieved both birds at the same time!! Looking forward to 2022!!

Day 1 photo (top) I added omne more grouse to the bag about 1/2 hour after that photo.
Day 2 photo (middle).
Day 3 photo (bottom)

Dog photos-
Bell with her two bird retreive!
Callie working the alders

[Mike of the Mountain]

A few more photos from the Maine covers.

[mobirdhunter]

Beautiful! (Well...not you, but everything else) That also seems to be great shooting, especially with so many leaves still on the trees.

[Mike of the Mountain]

Thanks Garry! The thing with all the foliage, we only had one flush that we really didn't have at least a glimpse of the bird and that flushed maybe 5' from me going hard right and low through the saplings.

[Mills]

Beautiful! You and Dean have me jealous.

[mobirdhunter]

Mike, I can't even shoot nearly that well on open field birds...but then, I'm very conservation minded.()

[Aaron Beck]

Nice looking dogs. Anymore photos of the wirehair? How did she handle the grouse?

[Mike of the Mountain]

Originally Posted by Aaron Beck

Nice looking dogs. Anymore photos of the wirehair? How did she handle the grouse?

No more photos of the wire hair sorry. Bell is a seasoned veteran of the North Woods. She points, holds and retrieves. Once in a while she can be “mouthy” on a retrieve, but she’s 11 years old and I guess she’s been at it long enough that a few “crunches” can be tolerated. I know I didn’t have any problems with her work. She’s a great dog.

[Andy]

Wow. Polar opposite from our trip, congrats Mike! That's a good looking few birds next to that mustachioed beast.

[Ed Norman]

Mike,
Thanks for sharing, kinda makes a fella want to hunt in Maine someday!!