Maine-Bound: We’re Off To the Woods!
Bird!
FINALLY, it’s bird season, and we are psyched, stoked, chomping at the bit and [insert your favorite “energized” cliche here]. We love shooting any upland birds (including pheasants, supposedly a lowland bird), but it shouldn’t be a secret by now that we are diehard – dieHARD – ruffed grouse hunters.
And that’s what we’ll be doing in Maine next week, pursuing the wily forest chicken. Mano a mano, no dog – though Brendan just got a black Lab so this might be the last year without one….
We’ll be hunting the Greenville-Rockwood-Jackman general area, including these GPS coordinates: Not! Seriously, that general area is where we like to go, and we always hunt a combo of old favorites – we call them covers, call them “coverts” if you must – and new areas. We have the most fun exploring new areas and finding new birds.
Since we’re off to find the chickens, it’s officially past the preseason, so whatever shape we’re in is the shape in which we’re going to tackle the woods. We’re happy to report that a combination of running, sprinting, biking and hitting the gym – not to mention playing with kids and yard work (plus carrying a golf bag, in Brendan’s case) – finds us in pretty darn good shape. That’s a good feeling when you know your butt is about to get kicked by the grouse woods.
Jay running: No pain, no gain!
We’re also happy to report that getting in shape has not resulted in any injuries, always a possibility, much as we hate to admit it. Jay has a chronic bad back, but unlike last year – when he spent four of the six weeks leading up to grouse season on his back – he’s pretty much good to go this year. Nothing a few Thermacare packs and half a bottle of Aleve won’t take care of….
We did manage to find enough dough in our piggy banks to buy some gear for testing, the results of which will be published here along with a full report on our hunts.
When you get out this year, whether for grouse or anything else, please:
> Let us know where you went and how you did
> Send in any cool photos or links to your videos
Obviously we can’t get enough of this stuff, and trust you’re in the same boat!
SeriousBirdHunting.com will continue to publish in our temporary absence, but please note that any Serious Grouse Hunting, Book 1 orders will be shipped after we return. To the woods!
Category: ME, Ruffed Grouse, SBH
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Purchased your book at the end of the summer and enjoyed it thoroughly. The only thing that bothered me a little bit was the feeling I got that you didn’t believe in the virtue of hunting with a dog.
Now that Brendan is a proud owner of a black lab I’m sure you will never want to hunt without a dog again (as long as he\she is well trained!!).
My fox red lab is only 1yr old and she has allready impressed me with her abilities. Last weekend she flushed out 9 grouse and 1 woodcock in areas that I would of definitely not hunted if I were by myself.
Now If I can only improve my shooting!!! At the end of the weekend she was giving me the “I did my part but you’re not holding up your end of the bargain!”. Oh well 2 birds out 10 is better than a great day at work. For that matter 0 birds in one hunt is still better than a great day at work!!
Hopefully in your next book you will be able to add a chapter on tricks for hunting WITH dogs.
Take care
Al
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Hunted norther Wisconsin this weekend and saw more birds than last year. Lots of woodcock. Minnesota hunters are reporting best hunting in years.
Have you tried the ll bean upland hunters sling Pack?
Any good? How bout their new upland boots?
Tim