Statistical Analysis

Back in the early 90s, I kept a hunting log.  Now that I'm guiding I'm supposed to keep a log again.  I thought it might be interesting to see how things compare at the middle of the month.

As of today, we've moved 200 woodcock and 113 grouse.

According to my old logs at about the middle of October I had the following bird counts:

1991 198 woodcock, 52 grouse
1992 226 woodcock, 30 grouse
1993 240 woodcock, 42 grouse
1994 176 woodcock, 38 grouse

Grouse numbers are down substantially from 2011 and 2012 but obviously much better than they were back in the early 90s.  It's interesting that the woodcock number is relatively consistent and had I kept records for the years in between would probably be pretty close to the numbers above.  Back in the early 90s I was teaching full time but got out until dark almost everyday after school.  Now I'm out early and many days this year have stopped hunting in the early afternoon as the weather has been quite warm.  So, the total hours hunted is probably not all that different.

This morning I was scouting new cover as I have hunters coming in starting Thursday and will be busy all through next week.  Found birds with Annie and Trip but didn't shoot any for them as I was saving my woodcock kills for Brandy.  She pointed three and I did my part.

Wild Apple Calvados (Brandy) checking out the birds I shot for her this morning.

Puppy Day

After their trip to New Brunswick to hunt and run in their first field trial the three Wild Apple puppies -- Brandy, Glo, and Samantha got to go hunting today with Tony, The Great Carnoski and me.  Brandy pointed four woodcock, Glo pointed two, and Sam pointed one.  My two wingmen were a collective 0 for 7.  In the past a lot of pressure has been put on people to kill birds for young dogs.  All I got today were excuses.

We did shoot a bird for Peggy that belongs to Tim and Francis Tufts and one for the caped crusader G-3 that belongs to Dave Hawke out in Ohio.  I think the orange cape on a good sized white dog is a little silly, but she does look stylish.

Another Success Story from Grouse Camp

One of the dogs that attended our summer wild bird program was Jagger, Justin Evan's young setter.  Jag got a lot of exposure on wild birds and settled into a good hard hunting, forward pattern.  Justin messaged me that Jagger placed third in the Derby at West Branch today.  I'm sure that this will be one of many placements for this very nice young setter.

I've been hunting with Tony and the Great Carnoski the last couple of days and we have been having good luck finding woodcock although it does not seem like the flights have really started yet.  We always seem to get a lot of movement early in the season as the the native birds become more active as they try to feed more and add fat for the migration south.  The birds I cleaned today were the first I have seen this year with any substantial fat deposits.  As of today, including the three days in New Brunswick, I have seen 180 woodcock in front of the dogs.  Most of those have been pointed although many of the puppy points have been brief.  Grouse numbers are definitely down from last year which was exceptional.  To date we have counted 98 grouse.  

A limit of woodcock from today's hunt.