By Mike Roche

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the upland hunting season this writer lives for has arrived! Vermont grouse and woodcock open tomorrow, New Hampshire grouse, woodcock and pheasant open Sunday, Maine also opens Sept. 30, New York woodcock opens Sunday and Massachusetts woodcock will open Monday.

The dogs were loaded into the Silverado Monday and we drove four hour to Jackson, New Hampshire, where my niece Kristine and her husband Andrew Sawyer have relocated. Andrew enjoys upland hunting, so we were doing some scouting around Jackson to see if we could find some birds before the season and get the dogs some work. That effort was not productive as we were not able to move any grouse or woodcock. We found what seemed to be perfect habitat with regrowth popple and young maples, but no flushes.

This writer takes responsibility for not doing enough homework. The northern tier of New England has habitat that is dominated by conifers and the terrain is mountainous. My bird hunting experiences have been almost entirely in areas where the habitat is more deciduous and has a lot of reverted agricultural land. My original plan had me booked into Lopstick Lodge in Pittsburg, New Hampshire, where a guide would be hired to get the dogs on productive covers. A bit of a turnabout for this upland guide who has been guiding hunters in New York for a decade. In that environment, my hunting experience has taught me where in the former farmland grouse and woodcock thrive. In northern New Hampshire, where a considerable portion of the land is national forest, the grouse and woodcock have preferences that local knowledge and experience have learned. That plan was the victim of some schedule changes.

My time investment was impacted by the fact that the Sawyers will be returning to Alabama by next spring, so there is no long-term incentive to drive four hours north to the North Conway area. There is, however, a void in my October schedule that may lead to day trips or a short stay in mid-state New Hampshire or Vermont. It has been a very long time since my upland hunting took me there as most of my Octobers recently have been spent hunting and guiding in New York. I need to find some areas or a place with a local guide and lodging to use the second week of October productively.

My local bird covers have matured and are less productive and right now, and with so much standing water and lush vegetation underfoot, it is hard to really assess where they are and what they will be like for the next month. What I really miss is the excellent intelligence provided by students and others during my teaching career, when sighting or flushes of ruffed grouse or woodcock would be reported to me and many times a new cover to hunt would result. In my time, there was certainly a lot of boot leather worn “prospecting” for places to bird hunt but at this stage of life, a shortcut is appreciated.

The new Garmin Alpha 10 controller and TT25 collars are working well, and this ‘old dog’ is learning new tricks. It is different from the SportDOG 1875 Upland Hunter as it is silent, and the only sound is a tone and vibration in the controller when a dog goes on point. The SportDOG does some things that I really like, and I have used both training and will probably use both hunting in different situations.

Hunting the dogs together has not been productive and part of that is my inability to focus my attention on both. They are very different. Tessie hunts close and frequently checks back while Laney ranges looking for birds. Since she holds point, that is fine, and she checks in on her own or when “toned” by either system. What my burning desire is at this point is to get into some grouse before heading to New York for the third week of October.

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We will open the season in northern Vermont and then play it by ear and hope to get some info on places where we can find birds within a reasonable drive of home. The long stays in New York were great but it took time away from hunting covers in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire and Vermont. Regardless, a fall day spent following bird dogs around is still a great day!

Don’t miss out on the great trout fishing in Massachusetts as fall stocking is underway. Over 61,000 colorful brook, brown and rainbow trout are being released to provide anglers a great excuse to get out and enjoy the fall colors, if they ever come! Go the MassWildlife web site to get real-time stocking info. Coastal anglers are enjoying the run of striped bass, fattened up after a summer of feeding, as they head south. Those lucky enough to draw a moose permit in Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont will have a go at the big critters in October. A lot of work but a lot of great meat!

New Hampshire bow hunters have been out a couple weeks and Massachusetts and Vermont archers will be hunting October 16 and October 1 respectively. So much going on in the outdoor world and the weather is finally feeling like fall. Enjoy!

Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the MaharFish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.