NY Catskills Woodcock

[Kevin McCormack]

Yeah, Andy -

I grabbed an electric fence or two while pheasant and quail hunting in DE; gets your attention fast! Your mention of the abandoned well creeps me out - one of our hard focal points in drinking water protection at EPA was the location, mapping, and tagging (warning labeling) of abandoned wells. When the federal gov purchased most of the land that became Dulles International Airport in the late 1950s they surveyed all of the natural resources, including water sources and supply, of the individual farmlands making up the land mass that became the airport. There were at least 6 abandoned wells identified and tagged and were probably half again as many more that were never identified.

In the early 1990s I had the good fortune through duck hunting to meet the man who was chief of maintenance and engineering for the entire airport. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of all the existing game habitat and also had the keys to every gate....We hunted the interior for many years and the abundance of game was unbelievable: deer overran the place, wild turkeys abounded, there were ducks by the hundreds in the abandoned sewage lagoon settling ponds (unused for years when the airport got county public water supply), and, in season, the place was a woodcock stronghold in the mixed-age farm cuttings. The only thing we never saw was a bear. All this of course ended with 911.

The reason I say your abandoned well story creeps me out is that I firmly believe that's exactly what happened to Ed Scherer, the reknowned skeet shooter. Anecdotal posts on a number of websites over the years have it that he disappeared while grouse hunting in Canada, that no trace of his gun or clothes was ever found, and that the remains of one of his dogs was found and positively ID'd. IMHO these tangents are very consistent with him having fallen into an abandoned well and completely vanished: his dog could have roamed quite far from the site of the well before dying or being killed by a predator and unless the person or persons who found the dog's remains had the diligence to search at least the surrounding area, they would have never located the well.

[Ken Waite III]

James, I’m in the UP right now. Birds have moved out of the 2010-12 aspen cuts right now because they are too dry, Having a lot of successful hunts in approx 30 year old aspen with hemlock and alder underneath. Look for green. Not lower Michigan but hope it helps. Picture of cover and a double I shot yesterday with a Parker GHE! Good Luck!

[James L. Martin]

Thanks Ken, will do

[Ken Waite III]

Vic, Nice meeting you at North Branch last week!

[Andy]

Kevin, great post. I was scouting for birds on state land and saw him in his field, and he was a wonderful gentleman who eventually became a patient. I asked to help him on his property because he had his hands full and he didn’t need any help so he said. He was a retired engineer, but looked like a strapping farmer in his late 80s. His property was probably only 70 or 80 acres. Apparently he took a walk and fell into a well And family didn’t hear from him for two days. He was eventually found. The family let me hunt for one or two more years then they sold it. It was turned into lawn and fire pits and totally useless shit that nobody wants to deal with.

[J. Scott Hanes]

K-III, nice double! Is your sidekick along with you? The two legged one.

[Ken Waite III]

Thanks Scott. I’m here with a group of friends including Todd Burdick and of course our four legged sidekicks. Wish you were here with us. Picture of Todd and his MacNaugton plus dogs

[Bill Murphy]

Ken, does Burdick carry that McNaughton in a holster? Murphy

[Ken Waite III]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Ken, does Burdick carry that McNaughton in a holster? Murphy

He’s a big guy. All the guns look like toys in his hands!

[James L. Martin]

Back to Tughill for 3 days, had 9 grouse flushes with 2 shots . The magic gun came thur again, no woodcock.