Maine Partridge Camp 2014



Belle is a keeper. Can’t believe the distance at which she can smell a bird. Everyday afield I learned her and she, me. By the end of the week we were Team Belle! She has no quit. Not one day down due to injury and she sure charged hard through the spruce and fir thickets.

It totally amazes me how the dog after running into the woods and flushing as many as three grouse in all directions can find their way back to the road always in full gait. Bay does the same thing.

Very few words were spoken as we hunted. Hand commands were our communication. I like stealth in the partridge woods. No bells, but she always had her GPS locator collar on.

She flushed too many grouse to count. While the birds humbled my shooting skills, ten grouse graced my game bag through the week. They sure tasted good cooked on the woodstove.



Belle’s first wild birds. These were the 11th and 12th flushes and shot # 4 and #5. I secretly think she never thought I would hit one of those missiles. That is my dad’s 12 gauge. A perfect match for her first grouse.



Saturday Morning was my most memorable hunt with her. She is a grouse dog supreme.

10-11-14
The most memorable partridge of camp this week. A hundred yards from our parking spot Belle flushed a single. A couple hundred yards further a triple and all flushed into the woods, no shot. Just before we made the turn to head back Belle flushed a double, one into the woods and one straight down the road. At the shot the bird flinched and glided into the woods. All this time with Belle in hot pursuit.

I stood where I shot and a few seconds later Belle comes back to me with a very live grouse in her mouth. When she dropped it, the partridge ran and was pounced on.

Good girl Belle!



Belle's first limit of grouse Monday after spreading my dad's ashes over the hunting camp. I know his spirit led the way.





Belle's Carlton Brook Christmas Tree



Number 3 and 4. Thanks Dad!



And remember....never....ever...spoil your bird dog.



Thank you to my wife for holding down the homestead in order to make my dream of a bird hunter come true!

Few more pictures

The scenery was gorgeous. I bet I walked 25 miles during the week.



Rainbow after Wednesday hail storm.



Belle at "Dad's Stand"



When I first saw these there was one cock displaying to three hens. By the time I got the camera out he was the only one left. We never did flush these birds when we hunted that area a couple days later.



Belle taking a swim in her namesake.



Two heads are better than one.

Coalman,

I love your posts about your dogs and the grouse hunting! I grew up in Pennsylvania, where there were plenty of grouse and know the great pleasure of hunting these birds over a good dog. This thread takes me back to my early teen years, when I'd grab my Westernfield 20ga after school, and take our lab "Midnight" for a walk behind the house. Squirrels, grouse, and pheasant were all had..

Fast forward 15 years and I have a bird dog of my own, a 15 month old Boykin Spaniel "Sawyer". How I long for him to roam my childhood woods, 10 yards in front of me, looking for that grouse over in the "grapevines". We still have a good time small game hunting here in Virginia, but my passion to chase some upland birds still burns strong.

Woodcock will have to suffice nowadays...

Very cool Sawyer. There is something magical in the upland woods especially hunting behind a dog.
It was almost a Boykin for this guy the first time I saw a picture of one. And a born turkey dog to boot.
Thanks for your kind words.

10-24-14
Got Belle out last weekend for woodcock. Those little doodles are hard to find. We haven't flushed one in NH yet this season. Going to try our camp in western Maine and see if they are hiding there.

Hunters find more stuff. On state forest land I found an old homestead. Next to the old foundation was a hole in the ground. You guessed it an open well. Contacted the state and they are going to send a forester out to cap it. I didn't want Belle anywhere near it.

Following a faint trail down an old twitch road in a cutoff I found a bone yard. Even a bear skull.



Belle found a barbed wire fence Saturday. A big yelp, a little hair but no worse for wear.

Our upland quest continues.

Great documentary on Belle. Thanks for the outstanding pics and dialog. Also reminds me of growing up in PA and hunting upland with my father and grandfather.

Thank you for sharing.


Earl

10-25-14
In life there is always something special about "firsts". Today was one of those days. The last couple times out with Belle our quarry was woodcock. Yet we flushed nary a bird. Frustrating because I thought we were in the right cover.

So last night with Belle in the back seat and under the cover of darkness the Ford pulled into Sampson's Bay located on the east side of a western Maine mountain. Tomorrow we would hunt the "Farm" a 78 acre old homestead with a clear view of camp mountain. Old fields, seeps and choppings. Really prime regenerating forest habitat I so hoped would hold a doodle or two.

We would not be disappointed.

Not one hundred yards from the truck in an old apple orchard seep Belle put two woodcock to flight. Gotta admit it was a little surprising and my shooting skills suffered. Did I mention it was very thick? It couldn't all be my fault.

We worked the remaining cover without a flush. On the road down to the bog Belle did her classic nose in the air, charge into the woods routine. This doodle offered a much better shot and the single twenty was true. Note, I had nothing to do with it.

Belle's nose led her to the downed bird and with a classic retrieve on a bright sunny morning in the wilds of Maine, Belle had her first woodcock.



Up and down the bog we went, nothing. Back into the pricker infested choppings, nothing. So we returned to the original seep that held the two early morning birds. Belle put up another woodcock in the same location. Did I mention before it was thick?

There was no way after the shot I could see if the bird had fallen. I marked the flight path of which Belle had already honed into and went in search.

Oodles to the pooch. Belle, a flushing lab, gave me a half hearted point, then pounced. Up she came with a very live woodcock. I would have NEVER found that doodle without her. Much praise was heralded on my budding bird dog.

One last hunt along the field edge would bring us back to the truck. That is when Mr Ruff stepped in. Right by the old barn foundation a partridge exploded. Caught me off guard and I admit to shooting underneath the rapidity escaping bird. Ha, now I know where you live.

A very memorable day for my young hunter. Four woodcock and one grouse put to flight.

Two woodcock came home.



Our upland quest is becoming a reality.

Thank you Irishwhistler and Steelhead Fred. She makes me proud.

Great story and pics. Thanks for sharing.


Earl

Love the stories! Thanks for sharing

12-13-14
Wow look at that date. Won't ever see that again. On the road early to Sampson's Bay for a much needed partridge hunt. Today is the last day of Maine's deer season so for safety sake played dress up with Belle.

She was not impressed.



The snow conditions were not favorable on the mountain. Each step brought your foot down into six inches of snow with a layer of ice between the storm accumulations. Should have brought the snow shoes. I knew when we reached the flat before the mountain assent I was done. It was a slow and tiresome walk back to camp retracing each previous footfall.

The snow on the mountain road told me three things,
The deer are still using their favorite crossing
There are snowshoe hare in the hemlocks
And I saw an old partridge track just behind the pasture.

The picture below reminds me of warmer times.
The fireplace and the farming implements.



So now I have all winter to dream of the five gobblers who tracked up the camp yard. All BIG ones my neighbor says.



I'm just gonna to "roll with the changes. "

12-20-14
One more try at Sampson's Bay today to put a couple wild birds to flight. Should have stayed home. The ice on top of the 4 + inches of snow could almost hold my weight. Talk about slippery.

Took the snowshoes this time. While it helped me walk the noise from the crunching ice beneath the frames made it impossible to hear if you even flushed a bird.

Chalk this trip up as a deer scouting mission. Found a new run in the snow we have never covered. I found out why I shot my buck this fall. From all the tracks in the snow it seems I was standing on the Rte. 95 deer run. The deer had the leaves all over the snow from pawing for acorns. Look for those short benches connecting two hollows. They are the path of least resistance.

12-21-14
Breakfast at Bessie's with the Willy-C crew. Then over to a local cover for a combo bunny / bird hunt. The bunny hunters did better than the bird hunter in the "got meat" department.

Belle and I did manage to put 3 ruffs up. Those are our first southeastern NH partridge we have found together. It will be sweeter when the first one falls to the ground and we cook 'er up!.

12-27-14
Didn't flush any grouse where we moved the three last week. The recent rain made it pretty wet. So we hit the high ground. We had just made it to the three way intersection at the bottom of the hill when Belle turned stage left and bolted into the cover.

Out came ole ruff offering me a wide open left to right shot. The single twenty did the deadly deed.

Good Girl Belle!



It's what's for supper.

12-28-14
Belle worked well today. Two and a half hours in the rain. I could only hit the edges. Two wet. She knows why we are there. No whistle, few words spoken, always in gun range, eye contact and hand signals. Perfect one man, one dog.

12-31-14 AM
Hoping to sneak out this afternoon to give Belle and my gun a walk in the woods. A partridge would be icing on the cake.

12-31-14 PM Bad camo
Made it out

The snowshoe hare are screwed. At least in the short range forecast.



Something got one.



Ended our partridge season this afternoon with a couple hour hunt in Willy's piece. Moved one ruff. Man is it thick in there. Beautiful upland bird cover.

I find it fitting to end this year with a meal.

Bacon stuffed partridge breasts.



One partridge breast on a bed of sliced onions. Split the breast and add butter and bacon bits. Surround sides with more onions. Fold up foil and leave a small chimney opening. Bake one hour at 350 degrees.

A meal fit for a king by the king of game birds.

Outstanding!

Thank you all for visiting with Coalman and the Yellow Dogs in 2014. Here's to an even better 2015.

Cheers!

01-29-15
As much as I hate to move snow I sure like to pack it down. The backyard snowshoe trail is half finished. Still have the north side to connect to the south side and can still go a little more east and west.

Great Bay Babe, my snow alien.



Bought my wife some snowshoes this fall. I know where we will be tonight.

01-31-15
The snowshoe trail is now full circle. Leave via the side yard, return in the back yard.

My son and his new bride joined us yesterday for my wife's inaugural hike.



The trail is approx one mile start to finish with a couple side runs that end in roundabouts.



Still need to lengthen the trail to the town spring on the east and the main road to the west.

Have been concerned about the wild turkeys. They aren't suited well for deep powder snow. The first two days after the blizzard there were no tracks to be found. They stayed on the roost. Thursday night there were turkey trails in the snow and on my trail. I see where a neighbor snow blew a path into the woods and is feeding them. So the snowshoe trail serves two purposes. One, enjoyment of the workout and two solid footing for our backyard flock.







The two hens watched Bay pretty closely. Then flushed up into the pines.

02-07-15
After a day full of shoveling roofs, snow raking roofs, then snow blowing the mess away ......What's a guy to do?

Go snowshoeing with the yellow dogs of course.

First out, Miss Bay.



Kept hearing a familiar but out of season sound among the hardwoods. Stopped to try and identify.

American Robin



In one small patch of the route we found some Eastern Cottontail rabbits.



And last but not least a walk with Belle. Used the e-collar with this wrapped up bundle of energy to keep her close and on the trail.

Here is Miss Belle at the western edge roundabout.



Sunday 02-08-15 AM
Oh yippee. It is snowing again and forecast to continue until Monday night with accumulations up or over 20".

Pickup snowshoe, pack down snow. When complete.....repeat.

Sunday 02-08-15 PM

This spring seep is one of our property lines. It never freezes.

The song birds love it. Lots of robins there today.



Belle loves the birds.

02-11-15 PM
Finished packing the snowshoe trail down again last night after last weekends latest foot of snow. The other side of the brook was a b_tch. The wind settled all the snow in the trail. Under the headlamp it was hard in some spots to see the existing trail.

Which of course I lost a couple times and was snowshoeing in virgin snow. That was a _all buster for sure.

I'll be back at it again tonight with a yellow dog. Been using the military surplus shoes because they are my widest. Now with firm footing (until the next storm),

Tonight we strap on the Tubbs.

02-15-15
As I sit here enjoying a morning cup of coffee with my wife I can only think of the job ahead. We got at least another foot of snow last night. So going forward it is time to start the snow removal process all over again. You know you have had enough snow when you have a routine down. I don't really mind it in my brain. It is my body that is complaining.

Let's put off looking forward for a few and look back on the one thing that has kept me sane so far throughout the winter of 2015...

The backyard snowshoe trail. Life does have its pleasures.

Coming home 02-13-15



Miss Bay on the trail.







Turkey Trail intersection



Coming home 02-14-15. Note the spring seep brook is still open.

02-20-15
A couple gobblers used the snowshoe trail yesterday. It was good to see their tracks. Haven't seen any turkey sign for a couple weeks.

The longer days and a higher sun are fueling the wanderlust of the big boys.

02-22-15 PM
34 degrees and sunny.

Heading out on the trail



Looks like the group of gobblers is using the trail.



Shortly after taking the track pictures a few turkeys busted out from the mature pines. There is one up there. Their favorite roost.



Saw my neighbor coming off the trail around noon. She broke trail from the end of my trail to the conservation land. Really liked the closed loop but now have access to over 500 more acres.

Coming home.



With the cold temps predicted this week looks like the trail will be around a while longer. Loving the exercise which I hope pays off in a couple Maine mountain gobblers.

02-25-15
The snowshoe trail is the BEST it has ever been. I'm seeing signs of spring.

OK animal identification class....what is it?



There is a south facing point the turkeys really love to hang out. I believe they hang out there in the sun and use it as their runway to the roost. Note the wing mark on the right.



This is a new group of turkeys that come in from the west.



My neighbors gateway to adventure. Those are our outdoor lights illuminating the background.



Southeast Land Trust snowshoe hike is this Saturday 02-28 at Kennard Hill, the Harvey property in Epping/Nottingham that SELT is looking to buy. It is over 1,100 acres. Trapped a bunch of critters and ran a lot of snowshoe hare with my hounds on that property.

It is supposed to be below zero at the start. I'm ready!

http://seltnh.org/index.php/news-and-ev ... duane-hyde

02-28-15 AM
I felt gladness as we snowshoed the Harvey Property on Kennard Hill today knowing that the 1,115 acres is in the process of being protected through a conservation easement with the Southeast Land Trust of NH. I also felt sadness seeing the fences of Spacetown's and NH Beagles Club's snowshoe hare running areas that are in the process of being taken down because once the land is in conservation the contract says it can't be leased.

For five or so years in the late 80' and early 90's I ran a trap line in this piece, years before the beagle clubs leased the land. I remember a double on otter, a fox in a raccoon cubby and numerous places we passed today I had caught fisher. When we made the hardwood summit it reminded me of the wild turkey gobblers who's last trips were slung over my shoulder.

Kudo's to the Harvey family for wanting to preserve what they worked so hard to obtain. And for keeping the land open all these years to sportsmen and those who enjoy outdoor recreation. If you know anybody from Epping please ask them to vote yes on this years warrant article in the March town meeting to approve a portion of the funds needed.

September 17, 2013
Today we picked up Belle in northern WI.



March 6, 2015
Where did our puppy go?