A few months back members of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus spent a day shooting trap, skeet and sporting clays. It’s their annual shoot that pits Democrats against Republicans in a friendly competition to determine the top shooters in Congress. The Democrats’ team defeated the Republican team. If that isn’t irony for you. The top individual shooters were overall Top Gun Rep. Collin Peterson from MN, Republican Top Gun Rep. Adam Putnam from FL, and Democrat Top Gun Rep. Mike Thompson from CA. Rep. Boren was the top Congressional skeet shooter. Rep. Ryan was top Congressional sporting clays shooter, and Rep. Chris Carney the top Congressional trap shooter.
The state of NH is predicting an average to better than average season for ruffed grouse this year. Grouse in the southern portion of the state had plenty of dry weather during the nesting period and a portion of the brood rearing period before the rains set in. And did we get rain this year in New England. It felt like Seattle, WA, for months on end. Birds in the northern portion of NH nest slightly later than those in the south, so the rain most likely impacted chick survival. But, according to NH Fish and Game, the trend over the last three years has showed that ruffed grouse population statewide is increasing. Woodcock are the second most sought after small birds after ruffed grouse in the state. According to NH Fish and Game, they had an excellent nesting period this year with the early and dry spring. The chicks should have been large enough to handle the rain that came and has persisted throughout the summer. Woodcock hunting should be fabulous this year.
Being the Luddite I am the thought of strapping more electronics around my dog’s neck makes me wonder if they are GSPs or F-16s. A few gents this past season had some infernal contraptions around their dogs’ necks to make sure that the said gentlemen don’t lose their dogs. The collars beeped and buzzed so much I didn’t know whether to get up or hit the snooze button. I like the old school sound of bells and I use two distinct sounds so I can identify when Cooper is ranging or Bella is working a patch of briars. Bella is seems was used to bells and would wear a pink tutu if it meant she was going hunting. Coop’s first reaction to a bell was pure fright. He was afraid to move fear that the jingle emanating from around his neck would cause dire consequences. He soon learned the clank of the bell meant time in the field hunting. I now need to handle the bells as if they were highly explosive. The slightest clank or tinkle and the dogs are on me. Since it is the time of jingle bells and the art of having dogs is about compromise, Ms. Deborah thought the two gun dogs would look cute in festive gear. The dogs immediately thought grouse or pheasant was in the near future, but the stereophonic collars with the jingle jangle only meant a steady stream of holiday well-wishers and food the likes not seen all year. Coop and Bella liked the collars and minced pie. At least they didn’t have to wear a silly hat or eat fruit cake.
A few days ago mother nature dumped a heck of a lot of snow here. I figure it was about 2 feet or just high enough to chill a GSP's belly. Cooper is like a kid and loves the snow. Bella is more reserved and prefers to keep her paws on dry ground. So what do you do with two dogs that are wound up? Shovel and shovel some more. I dug a path from our house to the main road, which is about 100 yards. And these two used the path as their own private drag strip nudging each other into the banks. Eventually we cleared the snow off the entire driveway and their new trick is to run like bats out of hell up and down the 100 yard stretch. Cooper was on the scent of something and plowed through the snow, more like leaped through the snow. But he's still a kid and kids like snow.
There are three contests we thought were interesting enough to mention them here. Benelli has a contest and the lucky winner gets to hunt with the Duck Commander himself. You will need to submit a video to showcase your personality (no lame ducks allowed) and your desire to hunt with Phil Robertson and his cronies. The 
The History Channel is also offer a contest of sorts with a casting call for skilled marksmen and markswomen for a shooting competion show called 
This has nothing to do with upland hunting, habitat restoration, the bird dogs or what’s happening on Capitol Hill. It has everything to do with one of my vices. I collect vices like some collect antique firearms or classic cars or art. Vices, I have found, are easy and fairly inexpensive to acquire, and there's no need for gun safes or garages since this particular vice you can carry in a shirt pocket. In fact unlike other collectors I can even enjoy multiple vices at the same time. I practice with a cigar in one hand and a finger of whisky in the other. It takes some practice to be able to enjoy numerous vices at once so I intend to practice at every opportunity.
When you hear words like: “Sleek.” “Beautiful.” “Italian.” The first thing probably not to come to mind is a shotgun, but Benelli is teasing us again this year. Last year it was with the launch of the Vinci. Remember the video that was like an action movie? This year they have gone visceral. Benelli is comparing their 
Since this is only the second season that I have hunted over Cooper and Bella I notice a few things that needed attention. They work great, locking and holding point until I flush the bird. The problem I saw most this season was fetching or the lack there of. At fun trials they both refused to pick up the bird an retrieve it. I have seen dogs do this with woodcock and it is thought that the woodcock’s diet of worms maybe distasteful to dogs. These were downed pheasant they refused to retrieve and I’m not sure if they refused on grounds they were pointers and nowhere in the pointer definition does it say retriever. Perhaps they thought it beneath themselves. Regardless, they were going to retrieve. To a canvas dummy I tied real pheasant feathers and doused the canvas with scent. I then had the dogs sit and I opened their mouths and placed the dummy inside, while I praised them profusely. I then continued by playing a game, ironically called “fetch,” that involved me throwing the dummy a few yards away and me speaking the command “fetch.” They took the game quickly and retrieved the dummy without haste. From there I placed the dummy in the field and told them to find the bird. They pointed and held the point until I could flick the dummy in the air to the sound of blanks. They ran over to retrieve the bird and placed it at my feet. I think we may have cured or rather taught them how to retrieve.
Who would have thought that a rooster pheasnt would create such an impression. I read John Annoni's book, "From the Hood to the Woods," while on the train traveling from NYC to CT. If you take Metro North from Grand Central Station, the train stops at 125th Street in Harlem, and then off to points in CT. At the Harlem stop, which has become re-gentrified since I first lived in NYC, reminded me of the importance of Annoni's work, which he outlines in his book. It was as if I had sat down with him at a diner and over a cup of coffee he explained his awful childhood. He ran away from his worries to the woods outside the apartment complex where his mom lived. It was there that nature helped him endure his lot and where he found a love for hunting and fishing. I won't tell his whole story but the important part you should know is the work he does with inner city kids. He created a program for kids that uses fishing and hunting to help build responsibility and self esteem. And it gets many kids out in open spaces. His program is a registered non-profit operating out of PA. Go to 
There is an expression in NASCAR racing called “trading paint.” With my two GSPs I would slightly modify it to “trading fur.” If you read this blog you know that Bella, Cooper (Coop for short) and I regularly hike one of the land trust parcels in our town. The idea is not so much to teach or reinforce hunting technique but more to burn off the excess energy these two have. A borough of New York City could run off the energy from these two. Part of their land trust ritual is to sit and stay at the entrance of the hiking trail. They whine and fidget until I motion them to go or give two quick blasts from the whistle. I always make sure there are no unsuspecting hikers before I give the signal since the trail is as wide as a runway model’s hips and I’d hate to see two German Shorthairs plowing into a neighbor or the town selectman. Paw prints usually don’t leave a permanent mark but I fear some poor unsuspecting nature lover would be tattooed by these two. Bella and Coop are so competitive that they race each other down the path of the open bowl and blast their way into the hardwood canopy. 
By the time I’m half way through the bowl, they are looping back to see me. I think they are afraid I might get lost. Then they bolt right back out under the hardwood canopy zig-zagging across the trail. I smile to think of bushed, resting dogs when we return home. I’m unsure when the gash on Coop happened. Not a whine, whimper or peep from him the entire hike which is a few miles. Ms. Deborah noticed the cut as she toweled them off and checked for ticks. Eleven stitches later the vet recommended no land trust hikes for two weeks. Ever try keeping a GSP quiet and calm for two weeks? I could solve the recession and economic woes of our country easier. Is it two weeks yet?
The 5-day fall shotgun turkey hunting season starts Monday through Friday, October 12-16, in 8 select Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in the Connecticut River Valley and southwest portions of the state. Fall turkey is a different game compared to spring turkey hunting. Turkeys are flocked up and do not respond to lonesome chucks of a hen. Hunters also need to be cautious when placing a shot to guard against hitting more than one bird with a single shot. Last fall, shotgun hunters killed 297 turkeys from the 8 WMUs. New Hampshire estimated there are 40,000 wild turkeys statewide.
With all the wet weather we had this spring and early summer the PA Game Commission expects ruffed grouse hunting to be somewhat below average. The weather conditions impacted nesting and brooding success, according to the state. As you know grouse populations vary from area to area, so I am sure there will be spots with good numbers of birds. Last year, grouse flushing rates increased in five of the state’s six geographic regions, with the only decline recorded in the South central Region. The statewide long-term average is 1.42 grouse flushed per hour.