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  1. #281
    Senior Dog Scoutpout's Avatar
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    much better than McDonalds!
    love the pictures, thanks!
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    Scout CD RAE6 WC March 6, 2007; Tullemore Browning Superposed PCD RN RI "Trigger" Nov 11, 2016
    Missing:
    Castelleja's Dual Mags "Mags" March 1993 - March 2008
    "Pocco" the chocolate wonder August 1993 - December 2007

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    Coalman (12-23-2015)

  3. #282
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    There is just something about following my dog and taking my gun for a walk chasing the King of fall game birds I can't describe in words.

    Please take two minutes and walk in my footsteps with the Ruffed Grouse Society

    Home - Project Upland

  4. #283
    Senior Dog IRISHWISTLER's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Coalman View Post
    There is just something about following my dog and taking my gun for a walk chasing the King of fall game birds I can't describe in words.

    Please take two minutes and walk in my footsteps with the Ruffed Grouse Society

    Home - Project Upland
    Dave,
    Thanks for posting this on Project Upland "beautiful film making". Looking forward to seeing more of that which we live for captured in film.

    Irishwhistler
    TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
    DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY

    Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.

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    Coalman (12-24-2015)

  6. #284
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Grouse, God and Billy Goat Pond

    12-26-15
    Having moved quite a few birds last week above NH's Big Lake I had a week to study topo maps and Google Earth for a much anticipated return trip. The forester who originally told me about this piece suggested more than a few times that we visit the wilderness pond. I asked him what direction it was from the parking area.

    He answered "head south and point your nose uphill". Man he wasn't kidding.

    We parked the Ford's at 1,175 feet at 0730 and began our trek up on the old logging and skidder trails left from the pre 2008 chopping. It was Google Earth that supplied the historical data map. A map of our planned destination was safely tucked in my back pocket.

    We moved one partridge on our climb up the northern hillside. When we reached the top I was looking forward to peeking over to the south side to see the sun and hopefully finding birds who had the same thoughts. My altimeter said we were approaching 1,900 feet when we made it up to the crest of the ridge.

    The cover changed from hardwood whips to spruce, fir and juniper at the top.



    From our vantage point we still could not see the pond. So up, over and down we went. And wouldn't you know it, as we were greeted by the sunny southern slope three partridge were not happy with our advance and flushed wild down the hill in the direction of the pond. It made losing altitude a little better to grasp as we would eventually have to climb back out of this hidden hollow.

    We were in God's Country and a place I convinced myself no other grouse hunters had tread this fall. It might have been the seven grouse we moved that allowed me those thoughts. The only two that flushed within range went up directly in line with a spruce tree and I never saw them.

    What a beautiful place. We named it Billy Goat Pond from my previous description on how rugged and steep it was to get there.



    The blue below is the view we had of NH's Lake Winnipesaukee before we started our decent back to the trucks.



    In all we moved eighteen ruffed grouse in our travels today. Most flushed wild beyond seeing or shotgun range. But there was no denying the sound of those wings on each of our close encounters.

    A big thank you to my friend Jay for coming along. This land of granite is full of ankle breaking opportunities. There is a huge sense of well being when you don't explore alone in such wild places.

    An article in the fall 2015 issue of the Ruffed Grouse Societies magazine by Andrew Wayment, "The Heartbeat of the Woods" touched me. The author's wife who had never heard the drumming of a male grouse in the springtime referred to it as a "Heartbeat".

    And we all know that without a heartbeat nothing is alive.

    The article quoted Aldo Leopold, for in his words.......

    "Everybody knows....that the autumn landscape in the north woods is the land, plus a red maple, plus a ruffed grouse.
    In terms of conventional physics the grouse represents only a millionth of either the mass or the energy of an acre.
    Yet subtract the grouse and the whole thing is dead..."

    For me deer are a game animal that feed my flesh. Spring gobblers remind me that life is renewable. Yet the whirl of wings of Ol' Ruff signals a healthy forest and brings peace to my soul.

    That ends Belle and Birds 2015. We thank you for following along!

  7. #285
    Senior Dog IRISHWISTLER's Avatar
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    Dave,
    Great work in sharing the experience of ye and Miss BELLE'S north woods excursion in search o' "The King". I wish I could have been there with ye, and based on ye eloquent accounting, it seemed as though I was as I read it.

    Cheers,
    Mike
    TEAM TRAD PRO STAFF
    DUBLIN DUCK DYNASTY

    Joanie Madden, Mary Bergin, Adrea Coor, and Nuala Kennedy, each an Irish whistle goddess in her own right.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to IRISHWISTLER For This Useful Post:

    Coalman (12-28-2015)

  9. #286
    Senior Dog Scoutpout's Avatar
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    Thank you for sharing your walk in that beautiful bush with us. seems nothing is more relaxing to the soul than a good walk in God's country.
    Hidden Content Hidden Content
    Scout CD RAE6 WC March 6, 2007; Tullemore Browning Superposed PCD RN RI "Trigger" Nov 11, 2016
    Missing:
    Castelleja's Dual Mags "Mags" March 1993 - March 2008
    "Pocco" the chocolate wonder August 1993 - December 2007

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to Scoutpout For This Useful Post:

    Coalman (12-30-2015)

  11. #287
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Belle and Birds 2015 is Officially Over

    12-31-15
    I just couldn't let it lie. After those last few fabulous trips to the Lakes Region and hearing whirling wings in my sleep I had to give it one more shot, literally.

    So I begged, borrowed and stole a half day off work this afternoon and headed to the Swamp.



    As soon as we passed the hulk of the rusting construction equipment out of view to the left Belle put a partridge to flight. I should have paid more attention. Twice I saw her stop and test the air. Subtle but definitely a sniff as she worked into the woods to my right.

    I heard the wings before I saw the bird. And damn I shot behind it.

    Always following up each shot just in case we popped out here.



    This pond was actually a fear of mine before we went because that ice is nowhere near safe. Belle had intentions but a stern no got her turned back into the woods where we proceeded to flush that bird a second time.

    Of course it went out wild in front of us and glided across the blueberry swamp. There was no chance for a shot but I swear I saw a middle toe erect and pointed right in our direction.

    I can tell you the deer hunters didn't put a dent in this piece. After getting flipped off by our flying quarry we bumped a few deer. Belle is officially deer proof.

    The deer had this mound torn up. The greens looked like partridge berry.



    The 45 degree afternoon softened up the snow and I saw numerous partridge tracks in the thickest parts the piece had to offer. And snowshoe hare tracks? All I can say is WOW. They live there.

    By late afternoon our Belle and Birds 2015 journey came full circle. It was our last walk back to the Ford in this years partridge season. It was sad yet joyous as I got to hunt some beautiful NH and ME autumn and winter woods with my best canine friend.



    Live long and prosper my winged friends. You haven't see the last of Belle and Coalman.

  12. #288
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    I've hunted, trapped and participated in every season of critters the NH woods has to offer.

    Dogs have always been a part of my life.

    The second two installments of Project Upland were release by the Ruffed Grouse Society yesterday. By far the best mini series of videos of any wild game I have ever chased.

    You want to know who I am? Why I love hunting behind well trained dogs?

    Please take a break and watch these new releases. I am not afraid to say my eyes water as I relive this past season with Belle. Even though these clips are visual I can smell the earth, feel the flush and remember stroking those soft feathers in my hand.

    The "Experience" hits close to home. Can you tell me why?

    Project Upland - Film Series

    Please enjoy who Coalman really is.

  13. #289
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Pink Floyd, Time
    A Grouse Hunters Song

    Crank it Up

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL3AgkwbYgo

    "Time"


    Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
    Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
    Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
    Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

    Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
    You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
    And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
    No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

    And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
    Racing around to come up behind you again
    The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older
    Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

    Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
    Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
    Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
    The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say

    Home, home again
    I like to be here when I can
    When I come home cold and tired
    It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
    Far away, across the field
    The tolling of the iron bell
    Calls the faithful to their knees
    To hear the softly spoken magic spell

  14. #290
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Tracks in the Snow. Signs on the Poles

    For the past week when I let Belle out to do her morning business she lifts her nose in the air and tests the prevailing W-NW wind. She starts with a throaty growl, then the fur on her back lifts like a mohawk, she scrapes her paws on the ground and ends up barking at the woods. Her message is clear, stay off my turf.

    At first I though it might be she was getting a whiff of the winter flock of wild turkeys that roam the back forty but after a text from my neighbor yesterday morning I'm starting to see what she is agitated with.

    Through the open winter woods our neighbors wife saw turkeys flying into trees when they should have been flying down. Not but a minute later out from behind their shed steps a full grown mature coyote. No doubt with a turkey dinner on it's mind.

    Since our weather last weekend the powder snow has been giving up the secret travels of our backyard wildlife. Last Sunday an unusual set of tracks walked through our yard. I knew right away they were made by an opossum. I followed the tracks backwards. It has a den under one of our other neighbors shed.

    Thursday a new set of tracks showed up out back. The gray fox are still in the hood. Those tracks and scent, sent Belle into a tizzy. She doesn't particularly care for her canine relatives.

    But the picture below says all is well in predator land. From the size of the track and the lope I'm putting my money on large male fisher.

    And you wonder why we see signs on telephone poles looking for lost cats.


 



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