Originally Posted by
Coalman
It has been a while but Belle and I have been very active. Excuse my brag but I have to tell you this dog and I have a relationship I have never experienced with a canine before. We hunt as a team. We are constantly on the lookout for each other and our game bag has clearly shown this bond is working.
Miss Belle is getting a much needed rest because the pumpkin army has invaded our haunts. I will be joining the ranks for the rest of the month trying to get a deer and put a winters worth of free range, non GMO meat in the freezer.
Stay tuned for December. Team TRAD and Team Belle are going to grouse camp in Maine together.
10-14-17
Today we hunted at Sampson's Bay, our camp on the east side of a sleepy western Maine mountain. Three years ago I found some nice cover while spring turkey hunting. Shot a partridge there last December. Had never hunted it during early season until today.
The higher elevation upland cover screamed birds yet not one could be found. It is very dry, no water. As we lost altitude the mountain naturally seeps water to its lower fir and hemlock flats. Belle darted right and a woodcock flushed left. Without Belle there was no chance of finding the bird as it had burrowed down into the tall grass before expiring.
One for one.
As we poked around in the young tightly packed fir trees Belle caught scent, bolted left a put a grouse to flight. When the bird winged across the skidder trail I fired. Self said I was way behind until I heard the unmistakable wing beats of a dying partridge. From the spot of the flush there was a spring seep bubbling water upwards. Hmm, water, we were on to something.
Two for two.
In Burt Spiller fashion we continued down the mountain not knowing what laid ahead. We popped out of the woods on an old Class 6 road and continued downhill. I could see a swamp up ahead of us. As we got closer the cover was starting to look better and better. Just before the swamp Belle bolted left. I know when she does this to get ready, and I was. This grouse had all it could do to free itself from the trees as it rose skyward. When it popped out into the wide open road it lingered airborne just a little too long.
Three for three.
We were 1.5 hours into our hunt and had three birds in the bag. Our best day yet in southern Maine. It started to get hot so I broke the action open on the O&U and we had a very nice slow walk back to the truck reminiscing each flush, shot and retrieve.
One man, one dog. We are truly blessed.