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 Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Bay, Belle and Gracie 
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
Please take a few minutes and listen to Dave Anderson of NH Public Radio's "Something Wild".

Aired last April 10, 2015 it is a touching story about dancing doodles and educating our youth about this unique game bird.

Dave is the Educational and Volunteer Director for the Society for the Protection of NH Forests, an organization dedicated to managing NH forests and promoting all age growth.

Well done my friend!

http://nhpr.org/post....emories

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Tue Apr 19, 2016 4:45 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
04-02-16
If you look close you can see the Captains and their crews fishing the big lake.

Belle and I kept our feet on terra firma.

It was a good morning in the upland woods.

Image

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Tue Apr 19, 2016 4:46 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
04-10-16
BIL and I visited the Bay. Time for a 2016 gobbler season spring cleaning.

Brought the cameras. Set one on the crossing above the brook where I shot my eight point in 2014. I saw deer tracks there in the snow on our visit last month.

Camera # 2 is guarding the low gap a couple hundred feet up the trail.

Camera #3 was saved for the drumming log. The one I chose a month ago wasn't being used. So our search continued. BIL went north up the mountain. I went south.

With my eyes closed I visualized where I have been hearing the drumming since the founding days of Bay's Place. In October 2012 the drumming came from the same place as the previous May.

There along the stone wall was another prospect log. It was very exciting for both of us to find it.

Image

The camera view now set on video.

Image

In quest of Drummer!

Side note.. the turkeys are back!!

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Tue Apr 19, 2016 4:46 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post My Drummer. She ain't what he used to be.
https://youtu.be/dkBnivmVMTo

Left the camera. I'll give it a couple more weeks

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Tue Apr 19, 2016 4:47 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
04-24-16
As I read further down the road of grouse hunting there is one thing that rises to the top with each author I embrace.

It isn't about the woods.
It isn't about the birds.

It is ALL about the dog.

Beo fada and fiach,


Coalman and Belle

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:12 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
05-08-16
Spending time hunting ruffed grouse behind Belle last fall had a profound impact on my life. A special friend loaned me his book "A Passion for Grouse". In the pages of the book was a story by Corey Ford called "The Road to Tinkhamtown".

Tinkhamtown is said to be a fictitious place where a town of hard core setters tried to make a living in the mid 1800’s tilling NH's granite laden soil. Frank and his setter Cider found Tinkhamtown. The story left a sentimental bulge in my heart. I so much want to find a Tinkhamtown for Belle and I.

Well the research is over. Historical Societies, old maps and a new found surveyor friend have put an X on the map. I hope to be blessed in our quest. I want to feel the rush Mr. Ford had when he discovered Tinkhamtown.

So this weekend Bruce and I will be putting boots to the ground as we explore the wild and beautiful back country of NH in our journey to find....

Tinkham Town.

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:14 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
05-15-16
Mr. Ford said....
"The past never changes, he mused. You leave it and go on to the present, but it is still there, waiting for you to come back...."

In the Introduction of the book "The Best of Corey Ford" it talks about his column in Field and Stream called "Lower Forty Club" and even though the characters were fictional they were real in his life.

We visited Tinkhamtown yesterday in a downpour. It started raining when we got out of the vehicle and it didn't quit for the 3.5 hours we spent in our exploration. After we left 10 minutes north it quit raining. 10 miles west of the hike the roads were bone dry.

One of our historical helpers told me.

"And the pouring rain was part of the test… can’t make it easy or too many would venture to places off the map!"

Coalman and Belle on the Road to Tinkhamtown

Image

At the junction where we stopped to find our way we found the Flat Rock.

Image

An hour into the hike we came upon the first sign of human inhabitance.

Image

Which turned out to be one of two cellar holes we found.

Image

Sending my thanks to a very important person who helped us solve the puzzle they mentioned "The Lost Tinkhamtown Cemetery"

Our journey is not over. The next time we go out there we will have shotguns cradled in our arms as we let Belle lead us to the birds.

And if we shoot a grouse or woodcock at this mythical location......

I get it mounted.

From our hike I truly believe Mr. Ford visited Tinkhamtown. It does exist.

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:21 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
05-25-16
Three years ago on 05-22-13 our Dad took his ride to the happy hunting grounds in the sky. I dedicated the rest of my turkey season to him.
Three days later on 05-25-13 I shot the Boss Gobbler of Habitat Improvement.

Today was time for a memory hunt in my dad's honor. Wish it had turned out as successful as 2013 but I didn't leave without new information.

Never heard a bird gobble on the roost. Working my way back to the truck I called and a bird gobbled from the place they were roosted during our youth season hunt. Man this bird had a good long throaty gobble. So I set up on a point of woods that sticks into the field where during youth season one gobbler and two jakes went by well within range.

He would not answer my calls so I went silent. Out of the fog appeared one, two, three, four deer. I knew from their reaction they could smell me but they could not see me. Curious buggers they are as they walked to within fifty yards searching. I could see they were all bucks with small nubbins protruding from their scalps.

They kept looking behind them and soon out of the fog appeared what looked like two hens. They were a long way off. I didn't see any display or light bulb heads. They disappeared into the oak flat.

The nemesis called working for a living cut short my memory hunt.

Thanks Dad! This hunt was for you!

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:23 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
05-28-16
Even when they are roosted...
They are far from roasted.

Shawn and I set up at a buddies farm at 0430. The landowner has been seeing a couple toms and five jakes. He is very good about letting the next generation hunt on his place.

At 0700 after watching a hen dusting, being thoroughly scolded by a blowing deer, having two does come up and check out the decoys and hearing no gobbles, we left for more talkative birds.

On our first stop we almost stepped on a tom in his strutting area. Just before we crested the hill he let out a ground shacking gobble on his own.

Shawn set up on the crest and I walked back down the road to call. He gobbled, gobbled and gobbled. Even back to my gobbles but he would not budge. He walked off gobbling and we never heard him again.

We heard one more courtesy gobble before the heat drove us out of the woods.

05-29-16
Family duties kept me from the turkey woods until 0630. First stop was right where we left off yesterday. Trolling along the banks of the Lamprey River I had two answer the call but they wouldn't budge and eventually went silent. Checking out an old gravel pit in the direction yesterdays tom vanished I got a call from the landowner. Turkeys were in his field. I was welcome to come

A week ago I lost, well misplaced, my crow call on the other side of the river. One week ago as the morning progressed I heard four on the other side of the river. My plan was to drive around, retrieve the crow call and if any time were left in the morning spend it hidden behind a stone wall at my buddies farm.

I was walking through a pit and almost to where my son Shawn shot his jake last year when I got a text. It was Shawn asking how I was doing. I called him and told him I was almost to where he shot his bird last year and I was on a seek and find mission to get my crow call back.

When I entered the woods road where Shawn made it happen last year I called. And one gobbled a long way off. Shawn's bird came from that direction last year. Could lightning strike twice?

I knew what to do. Same as last year. Put the decoy in the road and set up where Shawn shot from last year.
As I was settling in he continued to gobble. And each time he was closer. The set up was good, he was coming so I just let it happen. I never called again.

He was coming down this road.

Image

When he came around the corner on the road he gobbled. This what he could see. Only thing missing was Henrietta who was spinning circles on her stake.

Image

All was silent. The temptation to call was great. But this set up worked last year so I waited.

He appeared like a ghost in full display. Head as bright as a 100 watt light bulb. Full fan, check. Long beard, check. He took a couple more steps into the open and turned to face me head on. I remember....white head, red dot...BOOM.

This was the last thing he saw. He had love on his mind.

Image

20.5 lbs. Two beards 8.5" and 6". Both spurs 5/8.

Image

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:27 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
07-19-16
Belle is three years old today.

We love our littlest girl.

Quarry Mountain Alton, NH 07-03-16

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:30 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
09-01-16
30 days and counting until ruffed grouse season opens. I admit to withdrawal symptoms after January 1, 2016 when the NH and ME seasons closed. It has been a long time since I have felt the hunter and canine huntress bond this strong.
No, not with Bay but with Belle who believes her primary mission in life is to hunt for me. Notice I said "for" me and not "with" me. I thank Irishwhistler for taking her a couple years back and developing her superb prey drive.

Belle is a special lab who can speak to me with her eyes. We hunt in stealth. Hand commands and whistles dominate. She casts so naturally, almost herding upland birds back to gun. It has been a long wait. I so much want to smell fall foliage, breathe in the smoke of freshly shot gunpowder and hold a grouse in my hand while I stroke it's soft feathers.

I haven't been posting much but that I hope will soon change. We have a warm up hunt Saturday at New England Uplands in Hillsboro, NH. Then some stamina training the rest of the month. Between vacation, weekends and holidays from Oct to Dec I have 57 days off.

Partridge beware. The posse is saddling up

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:31 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
09-16/17/18-2016
Took a trip with my wife and the yellow dogs up to northern NH for a long weekend before October 1 when Belle and I become a Partridge Gypsies.

Some notes from our trip.
The 3 CT Lakes and Lake Francis were very, very low.

The CT River below the Murphy Dam was one good looking fishing destination.

Took a ride to the Canadian border along Rte. 3. Within 10 miles of the border what do we see? Moose? Bear? No! Two flocks of wild turkeys.

We were going to have lunch at Boundary Pond until we traveled down the first mile of East Inlet Rd. The road was in terrible condition. After getting beat up on the pothole infested gravel for one mile we abandoned that idea.

The only grouse we saw turned into a Belle flush of four.

We saw wild turkeys everywhere in our travels. We even surprised three mature gobblers.

Apples were hanging off the trees in Pittsburg. Clarksville, West Stewartstown, Stewartstown and Colebrook.

We didn't see much soft mast. Raspberries looked dried up and burnt

The Wilderness restaurant in downtown Colebrook serves a wicked good breakfast.

The hoagies we purchased at Young's General Store in Pittsburg allowed us two tailgate lunches in the forest.

ATV riders dominated the current people from "away".

Saw some really nice pickup trucks in our travels. All the foreign fuel savers ran out north of Lincoln and the hiking destinations.

The North Country is made for trucks!

It actually rained most of Saturday night and Sunday north of Colebrook. Rain, hmm, now that was something new.

The foliage was just starting. Give it two weeks.

I plan on going back the when deer season closes and the leaves are off the trees to hunt grouse.

That is our story and I'm sticking to it.

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:35 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
09-23-16
We are blessed to have a local flock of wild turkeys. The attraction is the mature pine trees for roosting and since we are in a Category 4 drought the spring seep that serves as our property line. It is still flowing and never freezes.

A new hen showed up last week with two fully grown poults. I saw them walk up the street this morning before it was time for Bay and Belle to do their business. They are bold.

I clipped Bell on her lead just in time to hear PUTT and standing in our yard behind our vehicles they stood. That was all it took and Bay bolted in a flash. Good thing she listens and stopped at the road. Belle saw the birds and went ballistic. Good thing she was on lead.

I am warning the feathered fowl now. Belle's the new sheriff in town. One of these days I need to give her some ammo for that six shooter nose.

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:36 pm
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King of Spring

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Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
09-25-16
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Grouse will die here.

Very sad situation on the mountain. From a hillside oozing with water last December to yesterday's three mile hike and not one drop to be found. Streambeds all dried up. The only grouse we flushed, wild, was right in an old streambed.

It looks like a trip to Billy Goat Pond is in order. It is only a 600' climb to reach the ridge. It is the grade I'm not looking forward to.

A view of the big lake from the old foundation. The raspberries here from July were dried on the vine. We need water bad.

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Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:44 pm
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King of Spring

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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
10-01-16
AM
Found enough grapes in our NH cover we should contact a vineyard. Or Stonewall Kitchen.

I'm hoping for a couple good frosts to start fermentation. I could use any advantage.

The grouse were there. It is thicker than an Amazon jungle. Many encounters. one visual.

PM

Back to the cover I found the last day of the Maine Season 2015. I swear this was cut with wildlife in mind. The ^lands were beautiful but bone dry. So we headed to the lowlands.

That is where the birds were. Wet stunted hemlock and fir in the hillside seeps at the bottom the ridge.

Belle cast left and disappeared. I heard the bird flush. Even before the butt of the 555 had a chance to seat in my shoulder the grouse sailed across the grown up woods road on a glide with set wings and full fan.

If I could only paint.

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:07 pm
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