First Week of Bird Camp
The first full week of October I spent the week with Amanda hunting at Fish River Lodge in Eagle Lake, Maine.
Before the trip, we secured Amanda's Maine small game hunting license and a lady’s model Charles Daily shotgun in 20 gauge. I’d been collecting hunting gear for her all summer and had a few bargains fall in my lap. She wore an LL Bean women’s hunting vest (I hate the company, but they have nice stuff) and Filson chaps in addition to a vast array of appropriate outerwear. My discussions with some of the BOW instructors led me to believe that a woman coming into the sport needs her own stuff, not cast-offs and hand-me-downs if she is to enjoy it.
We had a lovely time, averaging about four covers per day. It’s light for some folks, but I’m not in any shape to do more.
The bird population is horrible in Maine right now. Although there are more birds than last season, I didn’t see a single bird in the road all week. I use road chickens as a barometer for the overall population numbers. Maine does nothing for grouse; no spring drummer counts, no wildlife biologist, no analysis regarding how forestry laws are affecting the young forest habitat. They only ask successful Moose hunters about how many road chickens they shot (it's not exactly scientific). Note to hunters who have a choice, go somewhere else. If you are going to drive 1000 miles, go in a different direction to a place where they have birds.
I moved less than a dozen birds all week and shot one woodcock.
By Wednesday, I pulled to the bottom of a steep cover that I knew held a few birds. I gave Amanda the “out” by saying “I’m sure you don’t want to climb this hill ever again.” But her reply was wonderful. “I’d really like to shoot something.”
So up the hill we climbed. I saw the little rodent with wings first this time. He jumped off a log and hit the trail. I ran (yes ran) to the spot and he wasn’t there. Dove came around and trailed the running bird, but to no advantage. Once he’d stretched out a safe distance, BOOM the flush of a well-educated ruffed grouse. The smart ones survive to breed.
I prepared the one woodcock we had the same night as the venison steaks Amanda brought and in the same pan. Salt and pepper and fried in olive oil. I’d intended to make a big deal out of dividing the precious little breast in half (I’d shot the other one off).
When I returned from washing my hands, I noticed the little dollop of meat missing from the paper “platter.” “Have the dogs gotten on the table?” I asked
“No. Why?” Amanda replied.
“Well the woodcock is missing.” I said, a little confused at the time.
“You mean that little piece of venison was woodcock? I thought it was the best venison I ever ate. I thought the woodcock would be white meat.” Amanda apologized.
Another wonderful moment. Amanda had been a bit nervous about eating woodcock. I can’t stand the stuff. I think it tastes like liver. So she was worried about choking it down. She really loves it and wants me to shoot more of them. Since I don’t like to shoot what I don’t eat, that makes actually hunting for woodcock an option.
We ate well all week; I finally got to do some cooking for her. And had a great time with the dogs, including Poppy who went for moral support and general amusement. Wayne and Tenley are great hosts and I highly recommend them for moose, bear, and fishing. It’s a great spot to hunt birds, when the population comes back in 2011.
If you want a REALLY BIG deer and would rather go home empty than shoot another skippy, go to Fish River Lodge. The deer are few and far between up there (it’s moose territory) but they are huge. I’ve seen just three deer in Aroostook county; two does the size of trophy bucks and a buck so big I thought it was a “white” moose at first.
Hi Todd
Sounds like bird camp was fun. Especially glad to hear about Amanda hunting. Perhaps this will inspire me to get going and get my hunter safety course done (is this required for just small game license?) and my own license and gun. We went out last weekend in New Portland on some old logging trails and saw nothing. Our 7 mo old Libby came around the corner with a dead grouse in her mouth that someone had shot and left in the woods. (Lib is from Linda Englehardt's last litter out of Tommy). She has a great nose - even though it was dead, she was so proud! She finally figured out what it was she was supposed to be looking for!
Ellen,
Yes, you'll need hunter safety. Here's a link. http://www.state.me.us/ifw/education/safety/firearm.htm There are a lot of courses coming up (probably in anticipation of deer season).
Get your own stuff. Now is a great time to shop, actually. In order of importance, the only things you really need are good boots (waterproof and light weight), Bird Vest, and Orange Hat. Chaps are nice to keep your legs dry and thorn free. I also bought Amanda some upland style shirts and a tan and orange fleece coat. (Tan and Orange seem to be the official "team" colors of bird hunters.) She bought the boots, and with the sales I found, I couldn't have spent much over $100 on all the rest of the stuff. Jeans and other stuff came from her regular wardrobe. Never saw a guy in bird camp wearing pink long-johns with a pretty bow on the front before.
For me, every kind of hunting starts with good boots. If your feet are sore, cold and wet you can't hunt.
Her gun isn't pretty, but I tell you what, it's small light and functional. I shot it a bit and it doesn't recoil much at all. You can get it at Walmart for $300 if you print this and take it to the store. A 20 gauge with a 13" LOP (adjustable out to about 13.25") with 22" barrel. It's a grouse gun in my book. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2685481
Gun fit is particularly important for shooting a shotgun well. You swing it instead of aiming it. Gun stocks are designed to fit the average man, well, probably the average man in 1960. I've been told from women who know that ladies have a hard time cutting off the stock of their grandfather's (or other relatives) shotgun.
Go buy one, a used one if you are going to have a hard time cutting up a new stock. Have someone who knows about shotgun stocks help you. My buddy John Murphy did more for my shotgun shooting by helping me find the right length of pull (length of the butt stock) than anyone else. And I thought I knew what I was doing. Length of pull is maybe the most critical dimension and the easiest to adjust.
If you haven't done any shooting yet, check to see which eye is dominant first. I think it's easier to teach a new shooter who is left eye dominant and right handed (much higher percentage of women than men) to shoot left handed, than to get the gun in the "right" hands and then shoot with the "wrong" eye. Here's a page that shows one simple test. http://www.archeryweb.com/archery/eyedom.htm My buddy Erik falls in to that category and we started him off lefty.
Here's the Becoming an Outdoors Woman site. http://www.maine.gov/ifw/education/bow/index.htm Emily Jones is the coordinator and a very good one. They run seminars for women. I've asked and the won't let me come, even if I wear a dress. They look so fun.
If you don't get your license in time, go "dry" hunting. Find birds and flush them. If you can get a blank gun, you can simulate some shooting without breaking any laws.
Thanks for reading my blog! Hope to see you and Libby at the Sebasticook Chapter next spring. We're hoping to have more couples at the Drakes & Hens hunt next fall, so keep in touch. If there's interest, I might see about getting a little day-care set up too.
Todd
Todd, Glad to here that bird camp went well, for both Amanda yourself and the woodcock Good eatin. Well things are good I got 2 deer in the cooler right now and working the Copper and Kenai still. We go to Iowa in less than a month cant wait. Right after that we have puppy stakes to get on. I spent 50K on the wife for a new van and I got a new dog van, "The Old One". Got to go for now later .
Kevin