The Silverado headed down Route 89 after crossing Lake Champlain on the ferry from Ellenburg, New York, late Sunday afternoon. Tessie was sound asleep in the passenger’s seat after three days of hunting.
Last Friday was day 14 after her surgery for Pyometra. We may have jumped the gun on Wednesday and Thursday with a couple short hunts and those hunts may have produced some excellent work by the 4-year-old pointing dog, but Friday we had a guiding assignment. That client was from western Mass and had bought the hunt at the RGS Banquet last April. He had a Gertman Shorthair Pointer, so Tessie did not have to run all day and we ended up with a ruffed grouse in the bag after a very enjoyable day in the field.
That led to Saturday, day one of the New York State Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock Society Benefit Hunt, with over 30 participants and 23 “huntsmen” guiding them in the many great covers that bring me back to the Malone region of New York every year. Saturday’s hunt was at the same property and we worked hard, but had not connected until the last cover, when this guide looked good after “calling the shot” and getting a solid point from Tessie of a woodcock, which the client downed. That led to a prolonged search for the downed bird. After 10 minutes on a warm afternoon, the two dogs collaborated and Tessie found the woodcock burrowed in the tall grass. A great ending!
That ending was good, but not as good as the end of Sunday’s hunt in the same cover. My hunters that day were Devin Sears and Mike Miller, who drove over 500 from Maryland to experience the hunt and support RGS. Devin’s female shorthair, Pearl, was hunting well along one of the many stone walls that were part of the cover, which had food sources like apple trees and high bush cranberries. A grouse “hopped” up to an apple tree in front of us before thundering back through the brush, as grouse often do. Devin and Mike both fired and my view of the bird was blocked by conifers.
Neither man saw the bird fall, and since the area where the bird headed was where we would be hunting on our return, we got ready to keep moving along the edge. The dog did not immediately return, however, and Devin called her. A few minutes passed and then she appeared at the stone wall with the grouse in her mouth! My first words were, “That is as good as it gets,” because having a trained dog retrieve a bird you thought was missed is why we hunt with a dog. There was true jubilation and it was hard to see who was happier, but it clearly was Devin with his first grouse and such incredible dog work. This guide was pretty happy as well!
The week of the hunt is clearly my favorite week of the year. The RGS hunt attracts some of the finest people you will ever meet. They understand that a grouse and woodcock hunt is a wild bird hunt in thick cover that you may have to fight your way though, and you probably won’t be successful most of the time. The hunt is expensive and the proceeds fund the conservation efforts of the Ruffed Grouse Society, which is dedicated to “active, sustainable forest management to create early successional and diverse habitats required by ruffed grouse, American woodcock and other forest wildlife.”
Over the years, this writer has been blessed to meet and interact with so many really special people who give their time and resources to this great cause. Everything from food to accommodations and the effort put in by the huntsmen to make the experience as good as possible makes it an experience that is hard to top. A highlight every year is the filet mignon – with appetizers that include grouse and woodcook perfectly prepared – put out by the chefs at Donovan’s Steak and Ale in Malone, New York. Worth the five-hour drive!
It was only possible for me to participate this year because my daughter Jen stepped up big time. As I was preparing to head out Monday it was obvious that 11-year-old Laney was not doing well. She was refusing food and had vomited up a bunch of hair elastics (don’t ask) over the previous week. That meant a trip again (after Tessie’s surgery two weeks ago) to Emergency Veterinary Services in Deerfield.
Knowing how important the New York trip is to me, she said she would take charge. I trust her judgment and after delaying my departure until Tuesday, Tessie and I were on our way. Surgery was required and the skilled surgical team was up to the challenge of removing an obstruction from an old dog who has endured two previous surgeries for the same issue. To sum it up, it went well, but there will be a long and complicated recovery requiring lack of activity and gradual return to regular diet over time, beginning with tiny portions of food, which Laney is really not happy about.
The old dog is now recovering, yours truly is energized, and Tessie will be joining me for a trip to the Berkshires soon. An eventful birthday with no cake, but lots of memories.
Vote NO on Question 9! My only other political statement is that I worked with and came to know Lori Streeter well during my nine years working as a deputy sheriff in Greenfield. She, on more than one occasion, impressed me with her knowledge, professionalism, and dedication and is clearly the best candidate for the position of Franklin County Sheriff.
Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, Counselor and Director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor for over 40 years and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.