What is success on a hunt?

I recently got out for a ruffed grouse hunt with Olive.  I never mounted my shotgun towards a bird, but still had a successful hunt.  From my perspective, it seems as though there is a lot of focus in hunting circles on shooting limits and trophies.  For me, it's about the experience.  I seldom get a limit and in northern Wisconsin a lot of the waterfowl aren't in their prime plumage during our seasons.  If we, as hunters, only use trophies and limits as our measuring stick for success, then we will be disappointed on a lot of other great hunts.

Many of my hunts include optimistic goals.  For example, on our recent hunt I really wanted to shoot a grouse so Olive could get a retrieve.  However, soaking in a finer point of the experience is what really makes it successful.  We had snow the previous day and the trees all had a coating of snow.  I was blazing a trail with my snowshoes, which always makes me feel like I'm a rugged individualist.

The highlight of my hunt was in the "game" I took home.  I was hunting on a state wildlife area and Olive pointed a folding camp chair.  It wasn't much of a point, but she sniffed it long enough to draw my attention.  The chair appeared to be in good shape and even had a carrying bag left with it.  The snow is at least 16 inches deep and there were no indications that someone was coming back to get it.  I don't know if anyone was planning on getting it, but I also hate litter.  So, I brought it home and can't wait for camping season.  There might not be any meat in the freezer from my hunt, but there is some new furniture in the garage.

The hunt was also successful because we were out for over two hours.  We covered some ground I hadn't seen for a while.  I like going to familiar places throughout the year so I can compare game tracks, trails, water levels, etc. during the various seasons.  One of the bigger reasons I like grouse hunting with Olive is that it tires her out.  Another simple pleasure is the tranquility of a tired puppy in front of the fireplace.

Use it or Lose it

"It's like riding a bike.  You never forget how to do it." 

I don't completely agree with the above maxim.  Although the basic aspect of a skill can be retained, the finer points can be lost.  All skills are perishable and if they aren't refreshed, refined, and honed skills begin to deteriorate.  This applies to people and dogs.  I know this from personal experience relating to my skills and my dogs' skills.  Winter is an easy time for us in the northern climes to hibernate, watch football, read about hunting, and browse hunting catalogs.  Getting out and polishing our otherwise deteriorating skills can help break the winter blahs.  

Last week I renewed a friendship with a friend and got out for a pheasant hunt on a game farm.  I am not a fan of canned hunts or put-and-take hunting (the reasons are for a future blog) but I view this as more of a training event.  We are both avid hunters and Paul has two Griffins that are well trained, as he belongs to a local dog training club.  I left Drake and Olive home because they are flushers and Paul's dogs are pointers.  I didn't want my less-than well-trained dogs messing up his dogs' good time.

Our reason for going out on a day when temperatures barely reached above 0-degrees Fahrenheit was to renew a friendship and work his dogs.  Most hunting seasons are over and to keep a dog sharp, it's important to get them out on birds.  There's only so much that can be learned and practiced in a park or yard with a dummy wrapped with a bird wing.  At some point, the dogs need a live bird to flush, get shot, and fetch it back to hand.  Any dog worth taking out of the kennel will get excited with a live bird and will behave differently than when they are under a controlled environment.  I am not a dog trainer, not by a long shot, but I do appreciate a well-trained dog.  It was fun seeing Paul handle his dogs and how they quartered a field.

The second skill to be honed on that day was Paul's and my shooting skills.  Pheasants are not the fastest quarry, proper mounting of the shotgun, target acquisition, lead, swing-through, and game marking are still necessary.  Proper leading proved to be an especially perishable skill for us.  The first pheasant, despite being pointed by the dogs, escaped with a couple of warning shots sent in its direction.  We eventually located the bird and put it in the game carrier, but it was a reminder of how proper skills need to be practiced.

Buying pheasants and hunting on a game farm isn't the cheapest way to harvest a few birds, but the investment can pay off when the sun is breaking in the marsh and the first flight of teal come whistling into the decoys.  Practicing can be expensive, but it pays off when it counts.  I'm not the best shooter in the marsh, but with more time and practice I hope to be a consistent shooter.

The dogs were too bushed to pose for a proper picture.

New Year's Eve duck hunting

What's a duck hunter to do on New Year's Eve?  If you hunt in a state where duck hunting is open, that's an easy answer.  What if you live in northern Wisconsin and the temperature never got above 0?

For me the answer was fairly simple.  Strap on some snowshoes, bundle up with some good long-johns, grab some loved ones (dogs, too) and head out to do some waterfowl and trapping scouting.  I'm most successful when I duck hunt if I do a lot of scouting and have as many honey holes as possible.  When the season is open I like to have as many places to hunt as I can.  Finding these spots is best done outside of the season.  I also like to keep a list of places to hunt, so when the season is open I don't rely on my fading memory.

Sure, the ducks are gone, but a basic knowledge about waterfowl habitat can still yield locales for future hunts.  Cattails, wild rice, shallow pools, and other areas that frequented by our feathered friends can still be found during the hardwater season.  Snowshoeing on the ice and frozen marshes can be a quick and relatively easy way to locate out-of-the-way duck holes.

As the snow gets deeper the snowshoeing gets better, especially for dogs.  Not that the dogs can traverse the snow easier, but it tires them out faster and results in a quieter house in the evening.  If our young dog doesn't get at least 45 minutes of exercise per day she is restless in the evening and makes sleeping through the night almost impossible.  By taking her snowshoeing in deep snow, we can sometimes burn off enough of her energy to get two days reprieve from her puppy energy.  A tired dog appreciates one of the finer things in life- a cold winter day with a warm evening by the fireplace.

I may have found a new duck hunting spots.

The deeper the snow, the more tired the puppy.

Happy New Year and Meskousing Boats looks forward to being a part of your best year!