2 months till Opener for the King

[Ben Lamb]

What's foliage like in North Maine during that time frame? Hunting mostly along roads or has it thinned out enough to get into the woods? I have only driven through Maine once, no hunting experience there.

If you aren't deep in the cover in early season, getting the crap scared out of you by wild flushes at your feet and never seeing a bird while the ticks form a battalion and cover your body, what's the point of hunting?

 

[jt13]

If you aren't deep in the cover in early season, getting the crap scared out of you by wild flushes at your feet and never seeing a bird while the ticks form a battalion and cover your body, what's the point of hunting?

That's a fantastic point

 

[Steelsearchin]

Can’t wait to see the pup on wild birds.

Same here!!



If he turns out half as good as his great-great-great-great uncle (my first V), we should have some fun during his first season.

 

[brymoore]

My setter has been pointing songbirds in my yard out of boredom.

 

[Treeshark]

I'm kicking around a 5-6 day bird trip this year around Columbus Day. A few possibilities:

If I was helping to plan a trip to Wisconsin for someone, specifically for the reasons you’re going- this is the exact time time I would pick. Foliage is at/near peak and we always use Columbus Day for our ideal woodcock point in the season.

Hit the woodcock right (and this gives you a great chance) and it is just silly. So much fun!

If you pick the few days leading up to Columbus Day, I think timing the woodcock flight is arguably safer- in addition, I believe inland trout closes 10/15. Throw a spinning rod and some Panthers in too, a lot of great brook trout streams throughout the northern part of the state.

October in Wisconsin absolutely kicks ass.

 

[BrentD]

My bird dog to be. Working g on his "hardening" routine.

 

[Nicoli7153]

My bird dog to be. Working g on his "hardening" routine.

View attachment 333397

Wait until he goes and gets his first taste! The light will come on for him when he realizes what it's all about! A great thing to witness

 

[mdhunter]

My girl is ready to go as we start with doves on Labor Day. What she doesn’t understand is I have an Arizona antelope tag in my pocket for 19A over the Labor Day weekend . It’s gonna be a different kinda Labor Day for this NR, lol.

 

[gwhunter]

I grew up in Michigan, left for 7 years after college, and have now been back for about 8 years. I've always thought about getting out to try grouse and woodcock hunting but never ended up finding the time. I even went to Michigan Tech my freshman year and did plenty of deer hunting and ice fishing but never did experience bird hunting in the UP. Good luck this season! I'm jealous for sure!

 

[Treeshark]

I even went to Michigan Tech my freshman year and did plenty of deer hunting and ice fishing but never did experience bird hunting in the UP.

Houghton is a really cool area, I used to take a fishing trip up there with a few buddies every Labor Day. Always had hit up The Ambassador for pizza and beer.

I always wondered about the woodcock hunting up there- do they get much of a “flight?” It’s hard to fathom them migrating straight across Lake Superior, but maybe they do?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Doodles are punk as #*^@#*. Totally badass birds.

 

[brockel]

I’ll be out on the Montana opener with the new pup. He’s super birdie and has been a breeze to train so it should be fun. Did catch him in the act the other night of “herding” the wife’s chickens a little much. Caught him with tail feathers in his mouth.

 

[Treeshark]

While it's probably safe to say that the UP shoreline area near Lk Superior probably doesn't get the thick flights, it would certainly be possible that there are some flight birds. Woodcock are tougher and stronger birds than their size would suggest. When I was involved with the banding program a GPS fitted woodcock flew from southwest Michigan to near Green Bay non-stop in one night, into a headwind. The GPS trackers in the last few years have greatly expanded what biologists thought woodcock were capable of.

The excerpt below is from Project Upland. I don't remember if the 500 mile flight mentioned is the one I described or not but a really fast line distance north to south across Lk Superior is about 170 miles.
While a single woodcock has been recorded flying almost 500 miles in a single night, the American Woodcock journey requires “stopover” habitat.

That is really interesting info, thanks for taking the time to post that @Birdbander.

I have only ever seen woodcock in flight at twilight/night time (aside from when I’ve flushed them). Safe to assume that most of their migrating is at night?

 

[ksjc98]

Labor Day weekend dove hunting here in Kansas, late October head to South Dakota for pheasant hunting, then back to Kansas for quail and several trips to western Kansas to pheasant hunt. We will also slip in a few duck hunts around the house. Can't wait till season is upon us.

 

[Djmann]

My one out of state trip this year will be the first week of October in northern Minnesota. Bringing 10 month old pup that can hopefully get on some birds, and my 3 year old. Both small munsterlanders.

 

[jt13]

After much discussion and thought, I'll be heading to the North Maine Woods this fall. Hoping for many more sights like this:

 

[TheGreek]

Finally got around to drying some fans from last years trip to N WI chasing the king.
I’m planning on making another trip to the upper Midwest in late October to chase the king with friends, however it sounds like our group will be much smaller this year as a few guys have decided to go to N Maine instead. I would be very surprised if they put up the bird numbers we have the last few years in the Northwoods of WI, but it’s a shorter drive for them coming from PA. We may also be making the switch from WI to Minnesota this year as a few members of our group are from Minny and have a camp there we may use as a base. Should be a great week either way.

As for here in NW CO, I’ll be out chasing the king’s fool hardy nephew, the dusky grouse, on sept 1 before the bear opener on sept 2. Hopefully it will be a grouse and bear kind of few days to start hunting season.

 

[Steelsearchin]

Snagged a free roadkilled training aid for the table off a backroad a few days ago. Musta been somebody's escapee, as I've never heard of any wild ones in this area. Used to be a few coveys around Lansing 25 years ago, but I think the foxes and coyotes have had them nuked for a while.

 

[glass eye]

September 1 dove opener doesn’t do much for me, too hot. I’ll do it for a couple of hours.
September 14 for White Tailed Ptarmigan high up in the Sierras will be much cooler.

October and early November in Maine for upland and waterfowl.
On the way home from Maine (driving) I want to try for chickens and bobwhites in Kansas.

After that it will be all about putting other guys on cinnamon teal.

 

[Brauee20]

Snagged a free roadkilled training aid for the table off a backroad a few days ago. Musta been somebody's escapee, as I've never heard of any wild ones in this area. Used to be a few coveys around Lansing 25 years ago, but I think the foxes and coyotes have had them nuked for a while.

I see a couple coveys around my folks northeast of B.C. a few times a year. Saw them last Thursday eating grit on the road. Saw a pair of pheasants for the first time in a long while last month too. We had grouse at the farm still until about 5 or so years ago. There's a couple square miles out there where time stood still.