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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
10-2-16

The weather was overcast with a heavy mist as we started our ascent to Billy Goat Pond. An hour later we made the ridge line. Goldenrod, grass, bracken and hay-scented fern dominated the old woods roads.

When we made the summit we were in a cloud. We came within 50 feet of the pond before we saw it.

It had water and the grouse were there.

Notes to self.
Do not try the pond until December. Only educating the grouse. If it weren't for the moose and deer trails who prefer the path of least resistance you couldn't walk the roads.

Rubber, repeat rubber boots are the only footwear that will keep your feet dry. Not Red Head and not LL Bean. The GorTex style hiking boots failed in NH both days. High top rubber boots ruled in the sphagnum moss of ME.

Kudo's to LL Bean's GorTex upland pants. Two days wet woods. Two days miserable conditions on overgrown woods roads. I stayed dry.

Do not give up on the grapes. Explore We let our guard down yesterday. A grouse flushed from overhead. The fruit hung purple from the host vines entangled in the struggling maple.

Grasshoppers were thick when we exited the truck at the old log landing in ME on Saturday. An early morning hunt in cooler temps are in order.

The juniper bushes at 1,900 feet are heavy with berries.

Acorns are on the ground in the spruce, hemlock and fir that dominate the ridge line. Remember the yellow clouds of pollen last June? We complained because it turned your vehicles green? Wow is all I can say. Just like the apples trees last year. Record crop. Good insurance for wintering deer.

Turkeys are everywhere. Saw at least 100 this weekend.

Every flush this weekend was a single. No woodcock seen.

Did not see another hunter. While I like the solace I worry if young forests have enough voice in policy setting.

Young forests in the baseball phase are a bitch to hunt.

This is our season. I'm glad it is here.

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:08 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
10-02-16
Found this on our travels

American Chestnut

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:10 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
10-06-16
Two years ago our dad Bud, ashes were laid to rest with his favorite canine companion, his chocolate lab, Rusty over a place that always came first in his dreams. Carlton Brook Bog in Maine's Aroostook County.
Like my dad did with me, my son Shawn is going to be making his first visit to the Twin Pine Camp this month. Our quarry is ruffed grouse.

Our aim is making memories.

See you soon Dad!

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:11 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
On Fire
I wish the title to this post meant we found the bird hunting was on fire but sadly it was the hills and mountains chance to claim the fame.

10-07-16
Arrived in Clarksville around 11AM. Knew the road I wanted to walk due to flushing the brood of grouse there last month. At the end of my 5 mile hike it was birds 0, hunter 0. That is because we didn’t move a bird. After the first mile or so Belle and I reached up into the woods. We paralleled 50 yards inside the road alternating to each side in the best looking cover. No grouse, no woodcock. Bailed out of there to a reclaimed apple orchard. Fruit hung heavy on the branches. One grouse flushed wild, missed a woodcock. Drove around some private gated roads and never saw a grouse. These roads get very little use. A story was starting to emerge.

10-08-16
Get serious day. My hunting partners arrived last evening. We were fresh and full of vinegar when we started the day in Stewartstown. That didn’t last long. In our 1.5-hour hunt in some of the best bird cover I have hunted in my life, 3 guys, 2 dogs, I missed woodcock and no grouse. Hmm.

Next we went back to the gated property. In the first cover we found the woodcock in the raspberry thickets. It was hot when we started so two us went in short sleeve. Big mistake when you get into raspberries. Our unprotected arms looked like we met a thrasher with a knife. We did flush three grouse, all wild, all unseen all in the low spruces. The next cover was a hillside of regenerating aspen. I finally saw a grouse flush ahead of Belle. My shot was miles behind. We put up four grouse and two woodcock. Not so good for the amount of prime woods we covered.

We ended the day with three woodcock and two very tired dogs. Yours truly lugged an empty game bag around all day and it wasn’t going to get any better.

10-09-16
It poured buckets of rain Saturday night so to say it was a soggy start was an under estimate. In my five mile first hunt at an old farm with oodles of old pasture, alder runs and spruce hillsides Belle moved two grouse. I heard the second one fly into a tree and went to investigate. That is when I heard Belle barking. Barking in the woods? That was a first. I called to her and she came. She then proceeded to run back, sit down, look up into the spruce clump I’m sure the grouse was in and did it again. She barked treed. She would bark, look at me and then look up. I knew what she was trying to tell me.

That turned out to be one lucky grouse because I couldn’t see it but I would have shot to reward Belle for telling me where to look. Dogs do the darnedest things.

Our last hour hunt was a memory hunt where Belle put up six grouse in an hour last December. They must not have been cold because they were not there.

I have the first 12 days of December off. I’ll be looking for a rematch.

I stand by my sightings. I met another dog less hunter Sunday morning. His first question to me was “Seeing many grouse?” I hunted the Lakes Region of NH opening weekend and we moved ten grouse on one hillside.

Next stop the County. Maine here we come!

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:19 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
Third stop on our 2016 Partridge Gypsy Tour.
Twin Pine Camp
Aroostook County, ME

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:23 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
Cont.

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:25 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
The forth stop on our 2016 Partridge Gypsy Tour
The North Maine Woods Allagash, ME

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:28 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
The Hunne Hole
On Monday 10-17 I went to shop in Fort Kent, ME. A lost tradition in my part of NH was the bag boy actually brought your groceries out to your vehicle. On the walk to the Ford I asked the young man if he grouse hunted.
He relied yes. I proceeded to ask a favor. Could he point this sport to an area with grouse. He didn't hesitate and said enter the North Maine Woods (NMW) at the St Francis Checkpoint and head to Honeywell.

I arrived that afternoon at the St Francis Checkpoint and asked the attendant the direction to Honeyview? She didn't know where it was. We looked over some maps but neither of us could find it. I thought it was an old town. She was convinced it was a body of water.

After a successful afternoon hunt (6 encounters, saw 5, flushed a triple, left with one bird) I returned to the checkpoint to sign out. The attendant said she had asked the loggers about my request and could the bag boy have said Honeywell? Yes I said, my bad. He said Honeywell.

She told me Hunnewell Lake was not on NMW property, was in St John, two towns east and the bridge on the road was in bad shape. Well I love maps and this was a new adventure. Sure enough there in St John almost four miles in the woods was Hunnewell Pond. Try as I did it was difficult to locate the entrance from the highway. The map said cross a brook at the town line, proceed to the next brook crossing and the road entrance should be on my right. The only thing I found was a skidoo trail sign going in between two houses.

As I started down the road I saw a car coming. Now I didn't realize till later but I think I wandered into some lovemaking. It was a woman driving a driver education car. I rolled down my window and asked if this were the road to Hunnewell Lake. She said yes but about a mile in the bridge was in rough shape. I thanked her and proceeded down the road where I ran into a guy walking out with a big grin on his face. I told him I wanted to hunt grouse at Hunnewell. He smiled and told me the same, bridge in disrepair.

It wasn't till I was heading out and thinking why were these two out in the woods that I could have possibly interrupted something. A plan was made for Wednesday morning. We were going to Hunnewell Lake.

The Hunnewell Lake road was a honey hole. I could tell from the last rain no vehicle had driven the road in at least a couple days. Belle and I had many encounters on our walk. At Hunnewell the guides had left boats at a makeshift launch hence the boat picture with Belle. I bet the brook trout grow big in this very secluded pond.

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:29 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
10-23-16
To end this eighteen day bird hunting adventure Belle and I went to the Lamprey River in Epping this morning.
It was a short one hour hunt. Belle put up two woodcock. I saw Belle get birdy. With woodcock she scents like a beagle. I saw her stop in front of me, nose extended when a woodcock came up between her and me. I had to duck as not to get hit, then I proceeded to miss the going away shot twice.

No harm, I saw it land. Who said shooting woodcock was easy? I missed the next flush too. She put up one more woodcock and I had no shot.

Something I didn't miss on our northern bird hunting trip was ticks. YUK! I must have got ten off Belle and a few off me. Watch out guys. These ticks are new hatch and the size of a pen point. Look like grains of pepper. Easily missed. Be diligent in your tick checks.

Belle got a well deserved bath and is now resting with Bay. I am very proud of that dog and her abilities.

She is a keepah!

Deer season go away. Next adventure the first 12 days of December. Oh ya did I mention? No more leaves.

Grouse beware.

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:32 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Barking Grouse Treed
On my recent trip to northern NH I wrote in my Belle and Birds thread that I thought Belle was barking grouse treed.

"I heard the second one fly into a tree and went to investigate. That is when I heard Belle barking. Barking in the woods? That was a first. I called to her and she came. She then proceeded to run back, sit down, look up into the spruce clump I’m sure the grouse was in and did it again. She barked treed. She would bark, look at me and then look up. I knew what she was trying to tell me.

That turned out to be one lucky grouse because I couldn’t see it but I would have shot to reward Belle for telling me where to look."

Forward fast to my recent trip to the North Maine Woods. She ran off the road and I heard her flush a grouse into the woods. She started barking. I walked the thirty yards into the woods and she was sitting, looking up and barking. It took a minute of watching her eyes to locate the grouse. No way was I walking away. She flushed the grouse on her own and told me where it was in a tree. I gave her a mouthful of feathers.

That was the first of three grouse she barked treed last week that graced my game bag. Would have been four but I missed it.

I am not a purest. I am a dog man. If my dog flushes a grouse that flies into a tree and it barks to tell me where it is…

That is supper.

I asked both kennels Belle came from if they have observed this behavior in their labs, neither has.

I know one thing, I'm loving it.

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:33 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Post Re: Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe & Be
Grouse McNuggets

A feast for the King of the King

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:35 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
10-30-16
I couldn't sit in a tree stand waiting for a whitetail. My mind is cemented in the uplands.

Upon our arrival. NH Lakes Region Uplands

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With the leaves down I found a lot of wild grapes.

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My first limit of woodcock in over twenty five years.

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:43 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
I've never been a fan of eating woodcock. Until now. When I hunted northern NH last month our host made woodcock nuggets.

Took the three woodcock breasts from last weekend, deboned and cut them into bite size chunks.

Flour, spices, egg and breadcrumbs.

May have cooked them a little too long but this was a first.

Crunchy and YUMMY !! Woodcock beware.

Attachment:
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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:45 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
11-06-16
After dropping the buck off at the butchers in Hooksett Belle and I went bird hunting in the Lakes Region. We hit three covers.

First was a woodcock spot. Yup only flushed a grouse, wild, but I did see it gliding down the ridge to the lake. No woodcock, no splash. Belle put up six woodcock in this cover April 1. I must have been too late and the birds headed south?

Next spot was where I got the limit of woodcock last week. No woodcock, no grouse. I did see a couple hikers that told me a bear was taken off the mountain 10-29 by MZ deer hunters.

The last spot had a lot of grouse last year. Not as many this year. Belle put up two, saw one for a nano-second. The regenerating small oaks still have leaves. Poor visibility.

Belle has really come of her own this fall. Yesterday was her last hunt until the firearm season for deer is over. I can't wait for the leafless cover of December.

Snow stay away. We aren't finished our tour.

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:45 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
2016 Partridge Gypsy Tour Round Two

12-01-16

New cover today. Foresters are grouse hunters best friends.

Feathers flew. Still flying. No nuggets tonight. Best continuous partridge habitat I've ever seen in southern NH. 1,200 gated public acres surrounded by conservation land.

Birds were in the hemlocks on south facing slopes. 2" + rain last night. Woods were wet but quiet. No birds in the choppings.

Maine tomorrow. Return to the sphagnum moss. Rubber boots required.

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Thu Dec 29, 2016 5:45 pm
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