This writer spent last week in northern New York, and it was a good trip. The five-hour drive is an easy one up interstate Route 91 to Route 89 and then across Lake Champlain on the ferry and followed by a final hour’s drive to camp. It was just Laney with me in camp and we got right to it Monday morning after a good night’s sleep, for her at least. The foliage situation was much better up north, and conditions were good. The first two covers produced quick points and the birds were added to the game bag. The goal for the week was to visit as many different covers as possible and “check out” conditions for the Ruffed Grouse Society New York State Grouse and Woodcock Hunt which was going to be that weekend. The 30 hunters who were participating would be hunting in groups of two with a volunteer huntsman (or for the first time this year huntswoman) guiding them. Each group would be assigned a local cover although some were as far as 30 miles from camp.
So, each morning Laney led me through various habitats, and we were able to fill our daily woodcock limit each day. Grouse, however, were not easy. It is my practice to only shoot over points. That means that if a grouse flushes wild ahead of either me or the dog, I do not shoot. It was a practice drummed into me by my mentor Gig Darey and is ingrained. There is really no compelling reason for not shooting over a trained dog, but old habits die hard. It has sometimes been a bad move when the beeper collar goes off as the bird is in flight, meaning the point happened as hoped but the bird was skittish. There were two memorable pieces of dog work by Laney, and both resulted in missed grouse. One was a double flush that I really wish I could have back and the other was one of the hunters I guided Saturday who had never killed a grouse. He did later take his first woodcock and was quite happy.
The weekend event begins each year with “meet and greet” Friday evening. The hunters and huntsmen and woman enjoy pizza and liquid refreshments during a social at the hotel where they were all booked. Emma Ellsworth of the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust and newly appointed to the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board was the first female to serve as a volunteer and take hunters out. The local game warden addresses the gathering and reminds everyone that safety is the number one priority. Since the following morning was the opener of the deer hunting season, everyone was reminded to wear hunter orange.
The next morning a caravan of hunters drove a half-hour to camp, and they met up with huntsmen and hunted the morning before heading back to camp for a lunch featuring tasty catered barbecue. Then it was back to the hunt, which was followed by a very good meal at Donovan’s restaurant in Malone. It is an excellent place and the meal, featured several hors d’oeuvres (including grouse and woodcock) and a filet mignon that is as good as it gets! There are also raffles and a silent auction as it is fundraiser for the RGS, and the evening was a big success.
Sunday was another day of hunting and the lunch featured lasagna. So, it was a week of hunting great covers, eating good food, and spending time with interesting people who share a common goal of wanting to support the conservation of wildlife habitat, particularly that which supports healthy populations of ruffed grouse and woodcock.
Then it was time to load up the Silverado and head back home to celebrate another birthday. It had been busy, but also relaxing, and really enjoyable. The week provided many memories that played in my mind as we rode the ferry across Champlain. There were the usual large flights of geese, including many snow geese, a lot of incidental wildlife sightings including a martin, several deer, and daily glimpses of grouse getting gravel along the roads traveled to and from camp. The week away was also very productive in a number of ways. The steady work for Laney resulted in her really performing well. Her master is too critical sometimes and no dog is perfect, but she was good when the weekend came and that made for a quality hunting experience for the hunters. It is time for the woodcock flights to move through and hopefully this weekend we will find some birds locally. The unseasonably warm weather this week is not going to drive migrating waterfowl and woodcock but eventually they will be moving. There have been years in the past when flights came in waves and other times more like dribs and drabs. Wish I had a crystal ball! Maybe a Ouija board?
There are clearly signs of rutting activity in the woods as bucks are seeking does as they come in season. Bowhunters, like upland hunters, would like more seasonable weather, at least one can hope!