Triumphs, Trials and Tribulations of Great Bay Babe and Great Bay Belle

[Coalman]

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!

I've seen two things the last few days a man may not see in a life time.

First was Friday and the albino porcupine.

Second was yesterday morning in my deer stand. About 0800 it started raining apples from the trees close to my stand. There wasn't any wind and at first I thought it was a gray squirrel but too many apples were falling from too many trees. Thump, thump, triple thump. Maybe it was the temperature change? I don't know.

What I do know is it called in the deer. I don't know why either since there are literally thousands of apples on the ground.

Then it happened. A young deer was standing under the trees when you guessed it... it got Isaac Newton'ed. An apple fell from the tree and hit the deer right on the head. They must be used to it feeding under apple trees because it flinched a little but never spooked.

My new deer call is going to be named 'Raining Apples".

You heard it here first.

[Scoutpout]

oh wow, an albino porkie! very cool, but thank goodness Belle didn't get too close!
Scout's orange vest and light-up orange harness are ready to go.... this time of year we're out after dark, but i still worry about someone being trigger-happy.
A hunter was accidentally shot in the chest by another in his party yesterday, early morning, everyone excited to see a deer... he was taken to hospital in serious condition, haven't heard more.

[Coalman]

11-08-15

After I dropped the deer off at the butcher Belle and I went on a short hunt for NH ruffs.

We found more ticks than partridge. We did put two birds to flight but they flushed wild and way out of range. The only confirmation they were there was the heartbeat sound of their wicked wings.

This was the first time Belle has worn any type of orange overcoat.

She didn't like it.

Is deer season over?

Belle came to a half point and I saw her looking at this log with great interest.

I found this chipmunk just the way you see it. My first guess was an owl.

"Off with your Head."



I contacted NH F&G and here is what the wildlife biologist said....

"The head has the highest amount of fat and vitamins which leads many bird species to the head only. Typically mammals eat the entire prey on site or stash the carcass."

You just never know what you will find in the woods.

[Coalman]

Happy Thanksgiving to all the members of Lab Retriever. We share a passion of the winged type.

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.

[Coalman]

I'm just a happy home boy from Exeter. I haven't traveled a whole lot but when I do there has been noplace like home. I'm proud to be native NH.

Walking behind Belle on our ruffed grouse hunt Thanksgiving morning and not flushing any birds mymind wandered to where in the USA could I relocate that offered the same or better than what coastal NH has to offer?

Here on the coast we have no neighbors to our east other than the salty variety. Travel an hour north, south or west and you have the choice of cities or big woods and mountains.

So where would I be happy?

Wisconsin

Second to NH my choice would be the eastern part of that state. No neighbors to the east unless you count salmon and trout in Lake Michigan. Lots of hunting and fishing opportunities and Milwaukee and Green Bay for the big city fix.

That was my daydream. And I'm sticking with it.

[TuMicks]

Only down side is winter. I've never been colder than when I lived in Madison, WI. Pretty place though.

[Coalman]

Thanks TuMicks, If I can do NH winters, I can do winter anywhere. Burr is only an expression. The coldest I have ever seen was 30 below zero. And we hunted snowshoe hare that day.

12-06-15
Being the last day of deer season I was thankful when we pulled into the vacant parking area. Not that we did want to share the deer, we were there to partridge hunt with Belle.

Our two and a half hour hunt went far beyond expectation. We moved a lot of birds. Of those Belle flushed three doubles and a couple singles. The others flushed wild.

At no time was I offered a shot.

The highlight of my hunt was watching a grouse glide out of range across the skyline, sun to my back shining against it's silhouette. Followed closely by watching Belle cut scent and run hard right just as I turned left at the road junction. I saw her third double flush of ruffs and I couldn't do anything about it.





Thank you Cory for the pictures and for inviting Belle and I. Lets do it again soon.

[Coalman]

Pittsburg, NH 12-12-15
Six hours hunting. Flushed five partridge. all wild, shot one bird. Every good looking cover along the roads were trampled like a pheasant release site. Probably had something to do with the dozens of cabins for rent in Pittsburg.

Miss Dirty Belly Belle



Clarksville, NH 12-13-15

Off the beaten path. Two hour hunt. Flushed six partridge, eight shots, one bird. Every shot was into the sun just popping up over the ridge.

That is my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

Note to self. Change chokes from skeet and IC to mod and full. Lots of shot opportunities further than a forest of trees full of leaves.

Loggers are upland bird hunters best friends.



Sunday belonged to Belle. Did I mention "I love this dog!"

[IRISHWISTLER]

Dave,
With all the partridge BELLE is flushing, that guy in the photo took to wearing a hard hat figuring ye would be droppimg them on his head? I only see one partridge on the ground and I know ye can't blame that on BELLE. LOL!

Cheers,
Irishwhistler

[Coalman]

12-19-15
Maine on Saturday eleven encounters. Saw seven. Shot at two. Ate McDonald's for dinner.

Highlight of the day was flushing two triples here. Six birds flushed in ten minutes.



One weekend left in the season. I call rematch.

12-20-15
Sunday in NH

Hunting above the big lake with your best deer hunting buds?

Priceless.



Fourteen encounters. We probably saw half. Three shots and only the Sears Ted Williams shotgun got the job done.



Mark radioed he saw the bird go down but not sure where. It took me about a few minutes to get Belle to the crime scene.

The bird was a runner. Belle was faster. I let her savory the moment. Hence serious loss of feathers.

It was a an adult male. Biggest partridge over Belle this year. No McDonald's tonight.

The beagles were singing on snowshoe hare in Maine Saturday. I enjoyed the music.