03-18-15
Signs of spring were all over the snowshoe trail this evening. The recent thaw and quick cold snap made the footing very firm.

Remember this?



Tonight the grackles and red wing black birds were enjoying the new Tera Firma while drinking and bathing in the spring seep.



When I came over the hill and saw Norris Brook all I could see was spring beaver trapping.



Two perfect set locations here. One on the left and the run between the ice would fit a 330 just fine.



Just after I took this picture, as the day was turning to night, I saw what I thought were wood ducks twisting and turning as they came in to roost. But the birds were too small. Then the light bulb went off.

They were woodcock.



I snowshoed over to see the attraction. The bare ground along the right was their target. A south facing slope protected from the wind.



Grackles, red wing blackbirds and woodcock?

Spring has Sprung.

The best thing about the current freeze is that wildlife can now walk on top of the snow pack. If it can support me, moose are safe to roam.

The snowshoe trail crosses to the left of the downed tree. It was frozen over this winter.



It is now a good jump to get across.

We all live downstream.



Mink tracks.



The Crescent Moon and Venus.

Today was a good day to be alive.

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



March 6, 2015
Where did our puppy go?



05-14-15
It has been a while since I've written. Not much to report. Bay went up to camp in Maine with me last week while I turkey hunted. She loves camp and is an angel when left alone.

Miss Belle is in heat so we are having to keep her on a short leash. One crazy thing my wife videoed while I was gone was Belle howling like a wolf.

I think it was her cry for a boyfriend.

Not gonna happen.

Made a re-acquaintance with an old friend who is into training springers and cockers. Has his own training grounds. He graciously offered to let us turkey hunt on his property and offered his area to Belle any time I wanted to bring her.

My son and I went turkey hunting there 05-03-15.

Shawn got 'er done.



Now it's my turn.

The yellow dogs are doing fine.

Thanks for reading!
Coalman

05-28-15
With the cooler temps I took Belle out to the training grounds for a run. The place is a half mile out in the woods and it was packed with dog trainers.
There were
English Setters
English Cockers
Springer Spaniels
And Belle.

My plan was to walk Belle on the tote roads in there as they mimic the terrain we hunt in Maine, logging roads. Before we went for out for our walk she got a good snout full of a live chukka.

She worked very well for not being out in a couple months until she got really gamey and a deer jumped up in front of us from its bed.

The chase was on.

I nicked her with a 1, No Belle, I nicked her with a 2 and she came flying back.

She became very clingy after the nick. It took a few casts and some kind words from me to get her to again reach out and quarter which until this time was fantastic. She was never out of gun range. Quartering naturally and always keeping an eye out for my position.

I took her down to the Lamprey River and she had a good swim.

She is starting to really show her maturity and I can tell she loves the time we spend together in the woods.

This place is about eight miles from my house and the landowner loves it that I bring Belle. He always has birds and has offered them to me.

We have a real gold mine here. They have a kennel out there, a barbecue, a fire pit, and the whole piece between his land and the conservation land and private not posted land is 890 acres.

Belle has found her training grounds!

I love this dog. Our bond is strong.

06-15-15
Rainy, misty, cool and damp were the conditions tonight for a woods walk with Belle. Can you feel it?

There was nobody at the training grounds so we worked the field first hoping for a left over chukka or two. No love so we struck out on a walk along the woods roads. I love this habitat as it so mimics the terrain we hunt in Maine. A wild bird would be nice. I'm sure it will be a wild turkey before we flush any grouse or woodcock.

We worked on casting left and right along the road. I don't even have to talk to Belle. The whistle and hand signals are all we need. Stealth in the grouse woods will put more birds in the bag.

Those pesky deer. Yep another one along the trail. This time Belle didn't see it but she sure could smell it. A stern NO! and Leave It! was all it took as we switched directions.

I switched Belle to the Seresdo flea and tick collar. This was the test. The collar passed with flying colors. No ticks. I have to say the last time we ran these grounds she was in mid month of her Advantix II application and I also didn't find any ticks on her. Me that trip... a different story.

06-16-15
What a difference in Belle's coat (upland lab) to Bay's coat (water lab). I brushed Bay and the fur on the green grass looks like snow. I could brush that dog for hours and still get down out of her coat.

Brushed Belle next. Hardly anything on the brush. I'm favoring that breeding. LOL!

The yellow dogs are doing well. Launched my boat last weekend. Time for Bay and I to take a ride on her namesake, The Great Bay!

07-25-15
With the cooler weather today Belle and I took a trip to the training grounds. There were a few people there working dogs. I took two of the dead chukkas tied them to a pole that extends and dragged them down off the sides of the trail to imitate our favorite Maine hunting situations. Belle found both birds without a problem. From there we went down to the river where she enjoyed a good swim.

We walked the tote roads up to where Shawn shot his spring gobbler. The turkey population in there must be good from the amount of molted feathers laying in the road. It is only a matter of time before we find one of those broods.

07-26-15
Met up with Yukon and his family at the grounds at 1PM. He was there to work on steady with his English Cocker, Chunk, with trainer, Steve.

I knew it was going to be an interesting day.



Lori, Steve, Yukon and Chunk



Chunk sitting steady to shot.



I got two things out of today, Homework, and birds.

Homework
Training never ends and it behooves us as bird hunters to continue our training on and off the field. Chunk really showed Yukon's dedication to his training.

Birds
Birds make the dog. And all afternoon it was birds, birds, birds.

Belle and I are truly blessed to be welcomed into this tight group of sportsmen and women who enjoy the upland pursuit. Along with the camaraderie we enjoyed a surf and turf lunch of kielbasa, tube steak and fresh Great Bay lobsters.

Is it bird season yet?

07-31-15
Bay is six years old today. While her hunting desire never really materialized after much exposure she is the best mannered dog I/we have ever owned. Bay is an "at your side" lab.

She is by far my wife's favorite.

I knew Bay's great grandmother, Bridget. Bay is leading me to believe in re-incarnation. They are both two peas in a pod.

Happy Birthday Carlton Brook's Great Bay Babe!

09-20-15
It has been hot. Real hot! Over ten degrees more than the average here in coastal NH. Along with the heat the humidity has been oppressive. Not your ideal training weather. Well according to New England tradition, the weather...she's a changing.

I've been working Belle along tote roads this month as it imitates our partridge hunting style. But lacking have been the partridge. Knowing birds make the dog today we switched up and targeted timber doodles. At least this bird still has a grip in the local covers we hunt.

It has been dry this summer in southern NH. Knowing that woodcock need to stick that beak deep in damp soil to find their favorite food, earthworms, this mornings training session found us in a flood plain along the Lamprey River. I've flushed numerous woodcock in this cover while hunting deer but have never hunted it for upland.

While walking the river bank I couldn't help but notice the wild grape vines.





And a closer inspection revealed these beauties.



We didn't flush any partridge but we sure worked each grove of grapes with the enthusiasm of the flush.

And then it happened. In ground cover of multiple species of ferns Belle put up a small woodcock that offered us a second flush and then later along our stroll, at the base of my feet, a softball size mature woodcock.

I'm going to use steel shot when I hunt this piece because the opportunity for a wood duck are large. These woods are owned by a land trust who allow hunting. No sympathy for the deer. We are going upland bird hunting.

Come on October 1.

09-21-15
Family Grounds Beaver Pond.

Here is Bay in 2012.



Here is Belle in 2015



I'm OK with it since I am not a big waterfowl hunter.

But tell me these edges don't look like prime woodcock habitat.





Thank you to everyone who have been giving me partridge reports. I can taste them now.

09-27-15
Checked out a new piece of property yesterday morning on my way up to camp.

At first I wondered if I was in the right place seeing the parking area wasn't flattened down from vehicles and there was no dog park dog poop on the trails. A place like this near my house would gets lots of traffic.

No sooner as we started down the first straightaway that Belle got real birdy. Then way down the trail I spied a turkey going in the woods. Let Belle work her way down naturally with no help from me. I saw her catch the scent and scoot out into the woods. Very soon I heard the alarm putts and heavy wing beats of a turkey taking flight. I caught a glimpse of it coming right to left. Had I known about the log landing and was standing there it would have been a dead turkey if the season was on.

As soon as we left the log landing we moved a partridge. We continued down the trail to a big clearcut on our right. Went up into the cut and then looped back down to the main trail I came in on. We moved another partridge on the way out. Didn't see either but it was a thrill. I was there a half hour and saw a turkey and moved two grouse.

I'll be back.

I believe this is white baneberry . Always interesting to find new things when you are exploring new covers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actaea_pachypoda



About a mile from camp I had to stop in the road and let a flock of turkeys go by. There was no way to count them as they were on both sides and getting out of dodge quick. I did spy at least a dozen though.

Camp is now ready for bird hunting. Aired everything out, vacuumed and washed the floors and disinfected every surface. Found a couple spots Mickey may be gaining entrance and plugged the access. He and Minnie better be careful after October 1. We will be employing lethal methods of irradiation.

Finished by mowing the lawn.



Loading up the truck for our trip home I had to look twice. Was that a turkey out in the pasture? I kenneled Belle in the Ford and went to investigate. Yup a hen with four poults. One hundred feet from the camp door. Did I mention the Maine season opens October 1?

Turkey pasture on the left.



Shot two rounds of trap this morning. Broke a nineteen then an eighteen. Haven't shot the new Stevens since April. I'm glad to be consistent. I'll need it against those ruffed missiles when the fun begins Thursday.

10-01-15
Great opening day. Three hour hunt in No Man's Land. 3 woodcock 2 shots no birds. 4 partridge 1 shot 1bird. YOY. Very small.
Bet I saw no less than 100 turkeys. 27 + bottom of hill at camp. 4 in camp yard last night.

Today is a new day!

10-02-15 NH
Started day with BIL and Belle in NH where we scouted a couple weeks ago. Saw lots of new country. Put up 1 woodcock and 2 partridge. No shots.

ME AM
Next we went to the Farm. 3 woodcock, 2 shots, no birds. 3 partridge flushes, 2 shots, no birds.

ME PM
4 partridge flushes, 1 shot, no birds.

I love this kind of hunting over a close working flushing dog. You train yourself to be keenly aware of the dogs body language. There is no hurry. Lots of stopping while you watch the dog work.

Sleep came easy after dinner at camp. I could get used to this life very quickly.

10-03-15
Today didn't start well. And by a new day I mean 0200. Heck of a time to come down with intestinal cramps. My wife missed a day of work the week of the 22nd due to the same thing. Thought I'd won the battle from not contracting it sooner but on-line says greasy, high fat, processed camp food seems to be the right fuel.

Felt a little better around 0930 after a fist full of trips to the outhouse. Scouted some property recently in Parsonsfield, ME so I loaded up Belle and we went for a walk. No birds flushed but it was sure some nice woods I will return to.

10-04-15
Rough night sleeping. Never more than an hour at a time called off any plans to hunt with my son Shawn this morning. That was hard to take but I need to get better so I'm hunting on the computer.

I've always loved hunting behind or as Willy would say in front of dogs. I never feel alone when I am accompanied by a canine. These first few days of upland hunting have really showed me Belle's potential in the grouse woods. Her sire's kennel in northern MI, The Grouse Commanders, http://www.grousecommander.com/betsie-r ... adors.html , strive to achieve what I have now. I love watching Belle work air scent. Friday evening BIL and I were on opposite logging rods working parallel with each other. I saw Belle lift her nose, test the air and bolt into the woods. It didn't take long to hear two unseen partridge take flight.

In NH Friday morning just as we left the truck I told BIL that if he sees Belle stop on the road and bolt ninety degrees into the woods he better be ready. I looked down and noticed I forgot Belle's whistles. It was only 100 feet back to the truck. When I caught back up to BIL he said he watched Belle stop, pivot and bolt. The end result being a woodcock that didn't offer a shot.

I am sure proud of my best hunting partner, Carlton Brook's Great Bay Belle!

I didn't take many pictures but here are a few.

Belle's first Maine partridge 2015. I only winged it. Belle had a great time playing with it before I had to do the dirty deed. 2nd hatch guess from the small size. Tail feathers...optional.



Do partridge eat Partridge Berry?



You bet!



Took a drive around Thursday evening. Met a fellow and his wife here with three English Setters. You could spend a week in this piece.

Thank you State of Maine





One hen and four second hatch poults now call camp home. Poor through the windshield shot. I saw them every day.

10-10-15
I was thinking today that a quarter of October has already gone by. That thought occurred to me in a fertile river bottom chasing Mr. Doodle with Miss Belle.

It could of been the rainbow of color from the multiple species of ferns? Or the whistle of the unseen wood duck. The blustery wind dislodging leaves devoid of chlorophyll? Dodging multiflora rose?

All of that happened before we put two woodcock to flight. Instinct came into play and I shouldered the gun both times. And both times there were no shots.

You know it didn't really matter if we killed a bird. I walked with the Yellow Dog today. I have been looking forward to that all week. We accomplished our mission in some really pretty fall woods.

One third of October is gone. Tomorrow we look for partridge.

10-11-15
Three innings of October are complete. We started the forth inning this morning in Durham on UNH land.

Yes University of NH. Gotta love those folks for allowing hunting on their property. Hunted a tree farm with some recent choppings. Birds 0 Coalman 0. No flushes.

On a recon down the road and I spied a red steel gate. Was that a no wheeled vehicles on a NH Forest and Lands sign? Well don't mind if I do. Parked there and hunted the edges of a big clearcut they did a few years ago. Beautiful land full of fall colors but devoid of birds. Birds 0 Coalman 0

It was now approaching 10 AM and was getting hot in the direct sun so I decided a walk along the Lamprey River bottom lands on the other side of the river from yesterday would be cooler.

I was right.



This ditch is usually full or water.



It wasn't far past here that Belle got extremely birdy and started ranging out. My suspicions were confirmed with the alarm putting and heavy wing beats of an unseen turkey. Upon her return she took another line straight out and put another turkey to flight. Then a couple hundred yards further two turkey flushed out of the trees to my left. Why does the season have to be next week?

I stopped to watch Belle working scent. When I took the next step a woodcock flushed at my feet. Straight away, no obstructions, bang and the bird fell from the sky. My first NH woodcock with Belle. Coalman 1, Woodcock 0.



And no less not far from a patch of wild cranberries where I stopped to take her picture on our way out.



Today's hunts occurred on state land and private conservation trust land all open to hunters. Of which I saw none of the latter. It was just me and the dog. Just the way I like it.

10-22-15
Back from Maine's Great North Woods. Had a great time following the yellow dog around some really nice bird cover in the peak of fall foliage.

While there were flushes and lots of missed shots the most memorable bird was our first. I swear Belle knows what she is doing when she quarters along the logging trails. She casts out to the left or right then runs parallel along the road. Just when you think she is going out of range she turns and works the inside of the woods back to you.

This worked well on our first bird of the trip. She flushed it on her turn back to the road. It came out into the road flying straight at me. Then it turned back to the woods offering me a right to left passing shot.

First flush, one shot, bird down.



Note to self. Go earlier next year. When I ran into the trappers I knew it was time to relocate. Early fox and coyote season opened 10-18. I just couldn't stay and put Belle in harms way.

Headed south to our camp on the east side of a sleepy western Maine mountain.



Hunted some private property. The birds were there. Just wish I hadn't left my shooting skills into Carlton Brook.

But those birds better be careful because as Arnold would say, "I'll be back!"

10-23-14
We hunted three covers in NH. Today those covers had the look and smell of upland game. The ferns are brown and down and you can see much further in the woods.



We flushed 4 partridge and 8 woodcock along with a snowshoe hare. I shot at the King and Mr. Doodle.

Missed both times

The last piece we hit Belle had woodcock flying left and right.

How can a man have so much fun with an empty game bag?

One man, one dog. Just the way I like it.

Good Girl Belle !

10-30-15
Deer season opens tomorrow. Trapping season opens November 1st .

Today was our last day until December to have a peace of mind.

Thank you to the Society for the Protection of NH Forests for the room to roam.



Teach them young... Porcupines...BAD

On our first two encounters with Mr. Porcupine today we came inches from a trip to the vet.

I saw our third encounter before Belle. What is that white thing?



I honestly backed off thinking we were way to close to Pepe La Pew.

Belle was in a remote sit while i tried to get a picture of pink eyes. A pink nose is all I got.



Team Effort: Coalman and Belle.

I came to a yield left in the road just in time to see Belle chasing a partridge down to port.

Gotta love it when they fly up and straight.



The only bird we saw in a day of hunting with 30 mph plus winds.

Good Girl Belle!

11-08-15
Good to see you in the wilds yesterday Willy. Still just a bit warm to be tackling those thickets for ruffs but we did manage a couple unseen flushes.

I found this just the way you see it on a log in lowlands.

"Off with your head."

11-26-15
Belle and I were out for a short pre-Thanksgiving hunt. No birds flushed. Gave thanks I got to spend some time in the woods with my best canine friend.