I went to visit an old friend in another state, and took the dog with me to do some bird hunting. Really I was hunting anything in season, which was a lot of different species, but I was mainly focused on training for upland game. I spent some time on deer and turkey with some opportunities but no kills, but I spent most of the time pushing tall grass/goldenrod fields, hemlock forests with saplings underneath, and aspen cutovers with plenty of vines and briars.
The one major goal that I did NOT accomplish was to kill a ruffed grouse. I spent a lot of time hunting for them with several flushes, but getting shots on them was very tough. In the open mountain hemlocks, they were flushing too far out - 40 yards or more much of the time. In the really thick aspen cuts, the stem density was so high, you could not swing a shotgun. I pretty much had to snapshoot - just poking the barrel through saplings and firing as soon as I was on target. Twice I cut down an aspen with my first shot. It was that thick. And there was a lot of plowing through thick cover and walking mountainsides between each flush. It was difficult to say the least, but I learned a lot.
All things considered, it was a good trip. I got to work my dog on several different types of birds, which was a learning experience for the both of us. I got to see my buddy arrow a nice 10-point and a coyote while hunting together. I had a couple of good spur-of-the-moment dove hunts over a picked corn field. I got the learning experience of pulling 25 porcupine quills out of a dogs mouth over a mile from the truck in thick cover. Dutch retrieved his first pheasant and woodcock, and proved he was a natural at busting up turkeys. He also got the opportunity to face off with a 250 lb. black bear and her cubs. He really did quite well.
Most of all, I got to spend time with a good friend and his family and see some pretty country. Really, any time you get to take a good chunk of time off traveling in the pursuit of game, it's a good trip. The goal for this trip was simply to have fun, and that was mission accomplished.
The one major goal that I did NOT accomplish was to kill a ruffed grouse. I spent a lot of time hunting for them with several flushes, but getting shots on them was very tough. In the open mountain hemlocks, they were flushing too far out - 40 yards or more much of the time. In the really thick aspen cuts, the stem density was so high, you could not swing a shotgun. I pretty much had to snapshoot - just poking the barrel through saplings and firing as soon as I was on target. Twice I cut down an aspen with my first shot. It was that thick. And there was a lot of plowing through thick cover and walking mountainsides between each flush. It was difficult to say the least, but I learned a lot.
All things considered, it was a good trip. I got to work my dog on several different types of birds, which was a learning experience for the both of us. I got to see my buddy arrow a nice 10-point and a coyote while hunting together. I had a couple of good spur-of-the-moment dove hunts over a picked corn field. I got the learning experience of pulling 25 porcupine quills out of a dogs mouth over a mile from the truck in thick cover. Dutch retrieved his first pheasant and woodcock, and proved he was a natural at busting up turkeys. He also got the opportunity to face off with a 250 lb. black bear and her cubs. He really did quite well.
Most of all, I got to spend time with a good friend and his family and see some pretty country. Really, any time you get to take a good chunk of time off traveling in the pursuit of game, it's a good trip. The goal for this trip was simply to have fun, and that was mission accomplished.