by Tim Esse
We set out at dawn, hoping to beat both the wind and the climbing temperatures north of Hibbing, Minnesota. Having not hunted this area in two years, I was caught off guard by the number of trucks already parked at our first couple of intended spots. Apparently, the reports of abundant birds had drawn out other hunters, even on a weekday.
At our first available location, I released Tasha, my 11-year-old hunting companion. Though the cover was a bit mature for prime grouse habitat, she proved her worth almost immediately. Within 100 yards, she locked on point, and I managed a clean shot on the flush. The bird had chosen sparser cover than we'd typically encountered this season.
After another half hour of working the area, just as we were about to head back, Tasha caught scent again. This grouse held briefly before flushing near the trail, offering another clean shot which found its mark. On our return trip, we flushed one more bird, but my shot went wide. All told, in just over an hour with temperatures around 70 degrees, Tasha had moved three birds, with two making it to the game bag.
The second spot belonged to Val, and though the habitat looked more promising, we faced the challenge of a tailwind. Two birds flushed wild on our outbound trek, and after 45 minutes, we turned back. Despite having just covered the same ground, Val's wider ranging pattern on the return proved fruitful. She locked up on point about 70 yards off the trail, and surprisingly, the bird held tight. The flush presented a good shot, and Val made a clean retrieve.
As we approached the truck, roughly 200 yards out, Val pointed again near the trail. The bird offered another straightforward shot, which connected. By then, temperatures were pushing into the high 70s and the wind was intensifying. While we hadn't encountered any woodcock, the day's shooting had been notably easier than our previous outings this season.
