NY Grouse opener

[PA_Sportsman]

Here's the report from the hunt...

Day One
Saturday we woke and wen turkey hunting. 7:45am I called in longbeard ( came in on a rope) for bucky, his first ever turkey. 15 lbs. 1/2 spurs, 7.5 in beard.

After letting some heavy rain pass over us and grabbing something to eat, we headed to near by state land. The weather was raining, wet and the wind was swirling but we trudged through it. We hit old apple orchards and apsen cuts. After going through 2 orchards, things weren't looking good. No points and nothing flushed. We moved to the next cover and by the time we got there the rain had stopped and the wind was almost non-exsistent. We tried to hunt into the wind it but when it was blowing, it was swirling big time. Went through one small orchard and again nothing. On to the next cover, moving through some with some red briar tangles under overgrown pines and finally a flush. 2 ruffs take off and Bucky missed the only one he had a shot at. I had no shot. Dog never knew they were there. We noted where they headed and went after them. After nor finding the first flush, we went after the second bird which flew across the road into a large overgrown orchard. Dog went in ahead and as she was working (10-15 yards ahead) she flushed 2 more ruffs and chased them. I wasn't too dissappointed since that was her very first grouse flush and I figured she couldn't resist the loud thunder of 2 ruffs taking flight. So we continued through the orchard with no more flushes. So we had hit ruffs in the last 2 cuts or orchards we hunted. After exiting the larger orchard, we drove down and found a 10 yr old apsen cut. I'm sure I was drooling! Not being able to nail down the wind, we walked up and hunted back down into what we thought was some wind. Well the wind last about all of 1 second before it switched and ultimately died so we spread out and sent Gracie ahead. As I was picking my way (gingerly and painfully) through the tough red briar and witch hazel, I heard the tell tale sound of a doodle flush behind me. I wathced were it landed and brought the dog in to see what she would do. She searhced around and flushed it. I wish they were in season as she has never had real contact with them either. So we've run into 4 birds and flushed and reflushed a woodcock in about 1 1/2 hours. Not too bad. BUT Gracie had yet to lock up on point and I was starting to feel as though my training was not thorough enough and in all honesty, dissappointed in her performance. We continued battling through the aspen cut all the while accumulating too many cuts to count! As we reached the end we realized that we were further from the road then we thought so we made a right turn and re entered the cut. Not 10 ssteps into the cut, a ruff exploded from the cover to my left and as I looked, Gracie was rock solid to the flush so I shot, missed the first shoot and fired again and knocked the bird down. As I looked back, Gracie she was still steady so I sent her on the retrieve and although she did more mouthing than retrieving (She'd never had a bird that size before) I really praised her and made her really excited about the bird. We ended the day on that encounter.

Day one stats: 5 Grouse flushes, 1 woodcock flush, 1 Woodcock reflush. Bucky fired 2 shots, I shot twice. 1 ruff in the bag in 2.5 hours of hunting.

Day Two
We went out for turkeys in the morning and busted 3 off of the roost but couldn't call them back. Went back to camp and got packed up and took Gracie for a run in some aspen cover. Her range was very close, probably 5-10 yards most of the time. Again, I began to think that my training was not good enough. After getting back to camp, Bucky kept reminding me that she was only 14 months old and it would come. He was right. In all of my desire to see her work, she is just a puppy. So I thank Bucky for his hospitality and headed back the grouse covers we found the day before. When we got there, Gracie and I went right to the large orchard where she flushed the 2 grouse. My plan was to go to the lower end and make 4-5 passed until we worked our way back to the road. Well we didn't get 1/2 way down when I stopped to turn on her beeper collar. After I turned it on, she entered the orchard before me and immediately flushed 2 grouse, but was steady to the flush. I didn't shoot since she didn't point. We finished that pass and got 3/4 of the way through the second and she flushed another pair, again from under an apple tree. The first bird flew right at my face and I shot once more out of self defense than anything. She chased that bird and while she was looking for it, the second bird flushed and landed in the lower branch of the apple tree some 20 feet from me. Not wanting to shoot it out of the tree, I fumbled for my camera and tried to snap a picture but the ruff took off before I could get the camera out of my pocket. We worked our way back towards the road and flushed a gourse right on the shoulder of the road. I watched where it entered the woods on the opposite side of the road and attempted to relocate it but to no avail. We loaded up into the truck and hit the aspen cut where I shot the bird on day one.

We worked the cut and didn't flush anyhting or get a point. I could tell Gracie was getting tired so I decide to call it a day. As we were walking out, I flushed a pair of ruffs from the same area that I had shot the bird on the previous day. Again, I didn't shoot as she didn't point them. After they flushed, I heeled her in the area where they flushed and this time she got birdy, I mean real birdy. Tail going 100 mph and as she worked past a small aspen sapling, she locked up on point! Now granted she was pointing old scent, but none the less, it was a point and I was very happy to see her recognize it. We ended the day and trip on that point and I let her know that I was very happy that she got birdy. I praised the heck out of her! Our first trip ended on a great note.

Day two stats: 6 grouse flushes, 1 reflush in less than 2 hours.

Now I was still a little nervous that she never pointed a bird so I called one of our clubs training directors to ask him if there was any need for concern. He told me that I shouldn't expect any more form Gracie than what I got and that her range will increase as she gains confidence in herself. I was really relieved to hear him say that my training was fine and that all she needs is more grouse and she'll firgure it out. Can't wait til Oct. 16th!

[Decoy]

Nice to hear that you got to burn some powder. Season down here in VA does not open until Oct 25th.

[GRIFF MAN]

PA,

Was that the secret spot that the deer hunter saw all those grouse in???

Not a bad first experience for the pup. I got mine into alot of woodcock when she was young and then the grouse thing developed on her own.

Keep up the time in the woods and she will suprise the heck out of you by the end of the season.

Griff

[PA_Sportsman]

Yep, was nice to squeeze the trigger a couple of times. :shock:

Griff, No that place the deer hunter flushed all of the grouse was in PA. Yes, it was a great experience for her. I can't wait to see her figure them out. I know I'll be smiling ear to ear!! I simply can 't wait!!!!