Nick majored in Scolopax minor (American woodcock)

Nick Schäfer with three woodcock taken on his first woodcock hunt in Canada.

Days two, three and five of my hunting holiday over the Thanksgiving Weekend and the week that followed with my new hunting buddy, Nick Schäfer, were taken up with grouse and woodcock hunts in the Marlborough forest and on a farm near Spencerville with Hera, my Brittany. Nick is from Germany; he is here in Canada studying at Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario. I met him when he posted a request on the Facebook Group Ontario Hunters Unite, asking if he might accompany a hunter in Canada on a hunt. I responded to his request, inviting him to Ottawa for some upland bird and wildfowl hunting. He accepted my invitation, and I introduced him to the pleasures of grouse and woodcock hunting in Eastern Ontario. Each day we set out at 7:00 am bound either for Schäfer’s Wood and Lester’s Square in the Marlborough Forest or a farm near Spencerville; it was a chilly, sunny morning with a light wind blowing. We grabbed coffee at a Tim Hortons on the way and timed it, so we arrived just after 8:00 am to take to the field.

Hera looks enthused for the hunt.

Multiples of ten excite the young

William Austin McClure (1928-2013)

Hera on point

Bill McClure was a breeder and accomplished handler of Brittanies, bookseller and outdoor writer. He was a columnist for Gundog Magazine and Wildfowl Magazine for many years. I met him in 1989 when I was looking into buying a Brittany of my own. He became a friend and mentor to me, ultimately helping me find the breeder from whom I purchased my first Brittany in 1994. I enjoyed visiting the book shop he operated out of his home outside Manotick (a town outside of Ottawa) and bought a number of books on Brittanies, dog training and hunting from him over the years. He liked hearing me report on my hunting experiences too. He made the comment “multiples of ten excite the young,” in a column he penned for Gundog Magazine back in the early 1990s. The comment was a passing reference to an occasion when I reported on a woodcock hunt back in the days I hunted without a dog. I told him there were several woodcock flushes and I “had never seen so many.” Yes, in the many years I hunted woodcock without a dog, finding as many as 9 or 10 woodcock was a triumph. What made me think of this was my most recent grouse and woodcock hunt with Hera. Ten birds were flushed: 6 grouse and 4 woodcock in all.

Cock up!

Grouse and woodcock taken over Hera’s points on Opening Day of Woodcock season 2016.

Cock up! This is the cry that goes out during a driven grouse shoot in England when the beaters flush a woodcock. This was in the back of my mind as I got out with Hera this morning for the opening of woodcock season 2016 hoping we would turn up some birds. We were on the road shortly after 0700 bound for the Marlborough Forest. The weather was near perfect for upland gunning: sunny, cool (hovering near 0 degrees C) and virtually no wind. This was my first hunt with the new Franchi Instinct SL o/u in 20 gauge I acquired in August. I have it choked with skeet and skeet tubes as most shots at grouse and woodcock are at close range. I stopped for a coffee and apple fritter en route and remembered as we drove along Prince of Wales Drive I forgot to bring water for us to drink. I stopped at an Ultramar station and bought a bottle. I expected the forest would be drier than I would like, given the drought we endured over the summer months. We had some rainfall in the weeks leading up to our hunt this morning and I tried to remain optimistic, but feared the lowland bogs that hold woodcock would be dry. As we neared the forest, my fears were justified. Two of the streams that cross Roger Stevens Road were dry. A patch of swampland at the edge of the forest still held water, but it was much lower than usual. Undaunted, I pressed on and as it turned out, Hera and I had a good morning in the field.

Oh deer! What can the matter be?

Hera in action in a cedar bog in the Marlborough Forest.

What behooves me to write this entry in my hunting diary about a day afield with Hera where no birds were pointed or flushed is the trio of events that put me slightly on edge, but to my relief ended happily. I got out Sunday morning with Hera, a little later than usual. We were on the road at 8:30 am, starting the hunt at the new patch of cover I found the week before at 9:30 am. It was chilly this morning and there was frost on the ground. The chill in the air and the snow flurries that came later in the morning gave me the tingle I usually experience as Christmas draws near. We gave the cover a thorough sweep hoping to turn up some grouse, but all we saw was another hunter in the distance riding an ATV.

Promising patch of grouse cover I stumbled upon in the Marlborough Forest.

Undaunted we moved to Lester’s Square hoping to find woodcock. We made our way along a stand of cedars surrounding alder runs. The ground is boggy and we turned up woodcock in this cover in hunts the previous week. Hera made a couple of flash points on old scents, but the birds were long gone. We pressed through the cover to a trail left by hunters over the seasons that leads to another stand of cover that often holds woodcock. As we made our way along the trail I spied several people on horseback approaching. The stand of cover to which I headed with Hera took us away from the approaching riders. I heard one of them point out “there’s a hunter.” I turned, tipped my hat and bid them “good morning.” Hera barked once when she noticed the riders, but otherwise ignored them. I was a little concerned when I saw the horses as Hera has never been in close proximity to horses. Thankfully, she took no notice of them; she is focused on game birds.

Mix of alder and cedar on boggy ground that usually holds woodcock.

We swept the cover and though we turned up no birds, my hopes were raised momentarily when I spied the telltale droppings–splashes of white dung about the size of a loonie–on the forest floor that show woodcock were in the area recently.

Woodcock droppings on the forest floor are a sure sign birds are using the area.

We came full circle to where we started the hunt at Lester’s Square and to my surprise a deer was standing at the edge of the forest road, next to a cedar hedge. At first I was not sure it was a deer, thinking it might be the trunk of a cedar, but as Hera drew near the deer (a doe) raised its head. Hera noticed the doe when she raised her head and watched as the doe bounded off into the forest. To my relief Hera did not go tearing after the doe. The memory of my first dog, Christie, who took off after a deer on her first training run sprang to mind. She was four months old and went missing for a few hours leaving me beside myself with worry until I finally tracked her down and brought her home safe and sound. I swear sometimes my dogs will be the death of me. In a final yet futile effort to get into birds at Lester’s Square, we made our way through the cedar bog where I got turned around the week before. This time I am happy to report I found my way through the bog without getting lost and not having to employ either my compass or the maps app on my cellphone.

We took our leave of Lester’s Square and made our way to Cowan’s Corner. I held out hope there might be a bird or two in the cedars and hardwoods around the beaver pond at the far end of the cover. My hopes were dashed when I found the ground dry as a bone. No birds were found, but as I made my way along the trail while Hera quartered through a stand of tamarack a hare ran across the trail in front of me. It was gone before I had time to react, but I was pleased to see it, the first one I saw this season. As we continued along the trail, things quickly got tense and I narrowly avoided disaster when Hera sniffed out a porcupine hiding in a culvert. Fortunately, the porcupine was well inside the culvert and not looking for a confrontation with Hera. I moved a stone to partially block the mouth of the culvert and ordered Hera away. The last thing I wanted was my dog to end up with a face full of porcupine quills. We will avoid the area for the rest of the season. It was about 1:30 pm when we got back to the car and I called it a day. Though we turned up no birds on this hunt it was a good day in the field nonetheless.

Posted by Geoffrey

First miss of the season

Took to the Marlborough this morning with Hera. It was cool first thing, about 6 degrees Celsius. I passed by two hunters driving out on my way in to Lester’s Square. I started the hunt at about 8:30 am with my trusty Winchester 20 gauge side-by-side. Woodcock covers are dry still. Hera pointed a woodcock in the cedars on the ridge that leads to the meadow and edges we hunted next. I walked up the point and the woodcock flushed. I darted to get in position for a shot, but fired just as the woodcock dropped from view. My first miss of the season, but on a staunch point. Hera pointed once more in the middle hedgerow in the meadow, but there was no bird. I think it might have been a running grouse. She was staunch on point again. On the drive to Cowan’s Corner, I came across the hunters I passed on the way in. They had an English pointer, full male, and were European. They reported putting up two woodcock this morning. They commented on the dryness in the woodcock covers too. We need a good rainfall in the next week to moisten the covers for migrating woodcock.

I took a drive up the trail at the E7 entrance into the Marlborough, hoping to find another patch of cover showing promise for grouse and woodcock. I saw people on trail bikes and all terrain vehicles on the trail, something to be mindful of when you are hunting with a dog. I stopped and parked on the trail at a spot that looked very promising. An edge habitat consisting of hedgerows with hardwoods, shrubs and a few cedars near the trail. I got out and took Hera, intending to sweep the hedgerows. However, as I reached the end of the first hedgerow, I found a gate with a sign reading “private property keep out.” To my credit, the spot where I entered the area is not posted; it was an honest mistake. We beat a hasty retreat, nonetheless.

I drove further along the trail, but found most of the forest in the area is dense cedar and pine. It is not the best habitat for upland gunning. I turned back and parked along the trail that runs parallel to the old quarry where people used to go for target practice. There is a nice edge along this trail that often holds a grouse or two and the trail leads to the marshy end of the Ducks Unlimited pond situated along the E7 trail. I hoped we might turn up a Wilson’s snipe or woodcock in the boggy earth at the marshy end. Also, the temperature rose steadily as the morning wore on. By 11:00 am it was about 20 degrees Celsius. When we reached the marshy end of the pond, Hera could cool off in the water. As we made our way along the trail there were no points of flushes. I spied a spend 20 gauge shotgun shell on the trail and Hera found the remains of a hare someone shot and dressed on the spot.

We reached the marshy end of the pond and sure enough, the ground was boggy. There was water for Hera to cool off in too. We made a sweep of the loosely scattered cedars and shrubs hoping to find a bird, but turned up nothing. We made our way back to the car, it was 12:15 when we got back. I gave Hera a drink of water once she was back on board and had a drink myself before we called it a day and headed home. It is early in the season yet and I sure hope the forest gets a good, drenching rain before Thanksgiving Weekend.

Hera the huntress

Got out with Hera today to the Marlborough Forest. It was cool, about 5 degrees C and a little windy. We started the hunt at Lester’s Square at 8:40 am. I brought my Browning 12 gauge over and under this morning as my Winchester 20 gauge side by side has a small piece of the butt stock chipped. I have no idea how that happened. The over and under has 26 in. barrels and is choked skeet and skeet. I bought this gun in a private sale when I was sixteen and it is a fine upland gun. We made our way through a patch of cover that often holds grouse and in minutes Hera flash pointed a running grouse in a stand of cedars. The bird flushed wildly, unseen, not a bad start to the morning.

Seven woodcock in the bag

Maggie was my second dog. She was a timid soul, more of a house pet than a gun dog, but I got a couple of good seasons afield with her. What follows is an entry from my hunting diary summarizing an upland hunt with Maggie in the Marlborough Forest on October 15, 2006.

Deadeye Dick was I this morning. This morning while hunting in the Marlborough Forest with Maggie, more than twenty woodcock were flushed. I put seven in the bag by morning’s end. In the first thirty minutes Maggie pointed three woodcock. Each bird was taken on the first shot and nicely retrieved by Maggie. I made a few spectacular misses thereafter, but was back in form by the time we completed our sweep of Lester’s Square. I had four birds in the bag by then. We moved on to Paden where a few more birds were found. I shot birds five and six over Maggie’s points and number seven I put up myself. All the birds were retrieved by Maggie, including some fine blind retrieves. Without Maggie I would not have found a couple of the birds. Maggie found a slaughtered deer too. It was tagged and eviscerated. I expect the hunter will have come back for the carcass a short time later. The day was cool, a mix of sun and clouds and a light wind. Maggie was in excellent form. She has blossomed into a keen and competent little huntress. No grouse were seen this morning.

Feels like old times

Sunday morning, October 27th, 2013, was clear skies and a very light west wind blowing. I picked up Akber Hussain shortly after 7:00 am as planned. We had planned on getting out hunting together last season, but were unable to because of problems with competing schedules, but finally this morning we got out together. We arrived in the field at Lester’s Square shortly after 8:00 am. I noticed on the drive in the competition was there ahead of us. I could hear the bell of their dog in the distance when we parked and got out of the care. No matter, we were careful to keep our distance from them and were underway, walking the trail toward a familiar pocket of cover. Hera made a flash point on a woodcock in a thick patch of the cover. The bird flushed as I was walking up her point and I dumped it cleanly with a single shot. I showed the downed bird to Akber who had never seen one up close before.

First woodcock shot over Hera’s point

Got out with Hera on an impromptu hunt Tuesday morning, October 22nd. Dropped the newly acquired 9.9 horsepower Mercury outboard motor at Laurentian Marine for examination on the way to the Marlborough Forest. We arrived at Lester’s Square shortly after 10:00 am. It was cool, sunny and blustery, not the best weather for upland gunning, but Hera needs experience so we get out every chance we get. Within minutes of starting the hunt a grouse flushed wildly unseen along the trail we took. We continued the hunt, sweeping carefully through pockets of woodcock cover further along the trail, turning up no birds. We crossed through a stand of cedar and pine to a meadow and hunted the edges alongside the meadow. A woodcock flushed wildly in a patch I expected we might find a bird. I shot twice, missing cleanly. We moved on, checking more of the edges; a skittish grouse flushed from under a pine as Hera and I approached. No shots were fired and the grouse made good its escape. A short time later Hera startled a hare that ran across my path. This time I found the mark, killing it cleanly with one shot. We made our way back to the car and from there drove to the cover off Paden Road.

Four woodcock flushed at Paden: the first was pointed by Hera in the cover next to where I park. Two more flushed in the tight cover along the trail close to the beaver pond. First bird was pointed by Hera. She was staunch. Bird flushed, towered and was dumped with one shot. I spied two hunters in the brush ahead of where I retrieved the downed bird. Hera pointed dead for the retrieve. Said hello to the hunters and told them we were headed away from where they were standing. They wished us a good day. I continued the sweep and flushed a woodcock on my own. Shot twice and missed. Hera bumped a grouse in the tight cover where she pointed the woodcock I shot. The bird was too far to risk a shot and I let it go. Sweeping the cover on the other side of the road where I park, stepped on another woodcock. Shot twice and missed. I had an anxious moment when Hera came upon the carcass of a porcupine. I gather another hunter must have seen and shot it, leaving the carcass at the edge of a widely traveled trail. I called her away from the carcass and was relieved to see she had not gotten any quills stuck to her.

It was a good day in the field, despite the blustery weather. Hera is pointing and remaining staunch, having pointed both grouse and woodcock. This is most impressive for a dog who has just turned one year old. I will say I am surprised we are seeing so few woodcock as the conditions in the covers are the best I have seen in many seasons. We will continue to go afield in pursuit of woodcock for the balance of the season.

Posted by Geoffrey

Hera’s first woodcock

Friday morning, October 11th, got out to the Marlborough Forest with Hera in pursuit of ruffed grouse and woodcock. Started out at Lester’s Square shortly after 8:00 am. Was dismayed to find some of the horde that overran the cover the previous weekend, but there were not as many as the previous weekend and departed before too long. I swept through familiar areas in the cover, turning up no birds. I checked out an area I usually steer clear of and had two grouse flushes. I got two shots off at the second grouse, shooting well behind it both times. I was using my Winchester 20 gauge side by side, though concerned it might not be working properly. I had my 12 gauge Browning over and under in reserve. We pressed on to a patch of the cover that has held woodcock consistently over the years and sure enough Hera got birdy and I kicked up a woodcock. It was at point blank range so I hesitated before firing, downing it cleanly with the second barrel.

Hera found the downed bird and proudly carried it around, eventually dropping it for me to retrieve. We made our way back to the car. It was about 10:30 am. I drove to the cover at Paden Road and we set out. The cover was nice and wet, but woodcock were scarce. Hera bumped one, it flushed unseen. I moved on to a pocket of cover that usually holds woodcock and put up a grouse. The bird offered me a straight away shot in the open and I found the mark with the first shot. I thought I marked the spot where it fell, but there was no trace of the downed bird. I called Hera and told her “dead bird” she moved on into the thick cover a few yards ahead and found the downed grouse. She proudly carried it into the open where she gave it up to me. There were five more grouse flushes before we wrapped the hunt at 1:00 pm. I shot twice at one of them, missing cleanly. It was a good morning afield with Hera.

Posted by Geoffrey