Back to Maine again!

[Mike of the Mountain]

We hunted western Maine last week. Steve Monti, Lou Rotelli and I. We had Lou’s GSP and our oldest Setter. Wound up hunting 5 days. Steve and I hunted together most of the week. We flushed 28 grouse and 10 mudbat. Steve killed 4 grouse, Lou killed 1 grouse and 1 mudbat while I killed 1 grouse and 1 mudbat. I missed 1 grouse and 1 mudbat. Used a 16g VH early in the week. It accounted for the mudbat. Used a Lefever 12g 26” H grade for the grouse.

Numbers were way down from 2018 when we flushed 65 grouse and 7 mudbat in 6 days. Various factors seem to be contributing to low numbers. Harsh winter followed by an extremely wet breeding season. Throw in some West Nile and that’ll do it.

There was plenty of food. Mountain Ash berries, birch catkins, maple seeds, high bush cranberry, choke berry, beech nuts, etc were everywhere. Habitat was good too. First part of the week was dry. Thursday-Friday were not.