This writer loves October. The weather and the opportunities to hunt and fish make it the best 31 days of every year.
It also has some great birthdays as my mother, my daughter Jen, brother Chris, bird dogs Lily and Laney, and yours truly are all October-born. The long weekend, which will always be Columbus Day to me, was my “getaway weekend” during my working days and the woodcock were always moving through the third week of the month.
Some people love it when the leaves turn brilliant colors, but my celebration takes place when they fall and make it easier to see grouse and woodcock in flight. The upland bird seasons traditionally opened around the long weekend, but states have moved the opening dates up over the past decade or so and that, coupled with the impact of world-wide climate change, creates a scenario where New England bird hunters encounter waist-high, lush green vegetation on the forest floor and then find thick foliage about 10 feet from the ground.
A very narrow window and seeing and making a shot at a flushed woodcock or grouse is just about impossible. When you add the warm temperatures that commonly meet or exceed 70 degrees, it is far from ideal, as it really takes a toll on dogs and hunters.
With all that said, it was a “no-brainer” that French Brittanys Laney and Tessie would be joining me last Friday in the Silverado heading up Route 91 to be in northern Vermont for Saturday’s upland opener. Our recent tradition has been to join good friend Dean Scudder and his Brittany Dottie and cruise some covers in search of grouse and woodcock.
While you folks locally were enduring monsoon-like rains, we awoke to sunny skies. It did quickly warm up, but Tessie was solidly on point 100 yards from the truck in our first cover. My two shots missed, or at least the woodcock did not fall before disappearing into the foliage and Tessie was put into “find it” mode. Her circling eventually flushed the bird, so it was a miss.
After about 30 minutes, it was Laney’s turn and she did not have a find in the thick alder edge. Tessie got a second run and did point a woodcock that became the first bird in the game bag for 2026. After lunch, Tessie found a grouse and things came together again and it joined the woodcock in the Beretta vest.
The following day and Monday morning were similar, with too warm and too green being the constant theme, but we were hunting, getting training and exercise and all was good. That good became great Sunday night when Dean cooked “home-made” spaghetti sauce and my culinary skill turned the grouse into a delight for the palate and the woodcock breast medallions, wrapped with sliced pastrami, into the tastiest woodcock ever!
The rain moved in Monday morning and we headed south at noontime, driving three hours in a steady rain. It is my preference to avoid upland hunting in the rain. Guns get wet and need a thorough cleaning and it is not as much fun.
Back in Massachusetts, it was time to get a couple things done before Oct. 1, when all New England states open for grouse and woodcock. When this column was penned, my plans were to head west to the Berkshires for the opener and then look at options. Another trip to Vermont, with a few Green Mountain State options available, is on the table, as are New Hampshire options.
Local covers might be visited next week and a trip to Tall Timbers Lodge in Pittsburg, New Hampshire is also looking like a reality late next week. The third week in October will be my annual New York pilgrimage and after that more options, as hopefully things will cool down, the leaves will begin to fall and prime bird hunting conditions will result.
Today and tomorrow will be the Massachusetts Youth Deer Hunt and hopefully the young hunters will be blessed with some good weather and have some luck. Archery season locally opens on Monday.
My trimming of an oak limb resulted in my being amazed at the number of acorns on the one branch! It appears that the mast crop this year, like the wild apple crop, is a very abundant one and deer, turkeys and other wildlife will be feasting on high-quality feed.
It looks like a banner year for deer hunters and the bow hunters are very optimistic heading into the eight-week bow season that provides lots of days to hunt. My focus will be feathers and bird dogs until Thanksgiving and then we will think about venison. Last week we mentioned fall trout fishing and it is prime time, with recent stocking and lots of holdover fish as well. Get out there!
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.