Monday, November 10, 2014

The J & K Covert

Hunted one of my northern coverts today. The J & K Covert is a mountain strip mine that has been reclaimed. it's laced with old mining roads that make it somewhat easier to hunt it's steep terrain. I headed for the top where two small ponds were located. Several years ago Emma found 2 woodcock minutes apart and I have a wonderful memory of dropping both birds with a single shot each. Today that cover was bare so I walked an old road in a southerly direction through nice looking cover.



 
Emma soon was on point. I walked in for the flush but it proved to be empty. She relocated about 20 yards away at the edge of a clearing and the bird had no where to run. It flushed downhill giving me an open shot and I dropped it with my left barrel. It was a hen like the last 3 birds I had shot making me think the flights were coming through.
 
We hunted the nice looking cover for about 1 1/2 hours but found no more birds. The cover turned into pole timber so I began to retrace my steps. Part way back Emma went on point again. I chose the wrong route in to the point and the bird made it's escape behind a multiflora rose. As I reached the bend in the road and started down the mountain, Emma's beeper went off back on top. I hurried back thinking I was going in the right direction, but her beeper soon became faint and I turned and started in the opposite direction. Suddenly her beeper stopped and then I saw her coming toward me. The bird must have flushed on its own. We walked to the bottom of the mountain without any further bird contacts, a little disappointed with the bird numbers but proud of Emma's performance on the birds we did find.
 

4 comments:

Ed said...

That's great Grayphase...Had Quig in the Allegheny National forest
twice this year...first time up the whole hunting party and all the dogs where skunked (no birds)
Was back up last weekend and on Saturday evening finally got into grouse...and Quig end up seriously injuring himself...torn CCL in the left leg surgery next Thursday...I'm sick about it...!
He was doing so good, now this...!
Now I'm dog less and the winter season is coming fast with no dog to hunt...:(

David said...

Very nice! Looks like a consistent season is shaping up. Is that Tamarack in the second picture down?

Greyphase said...

Ed

So sorry to hear about Quig's injury. You've certainly had a bad run of luck this fall. Hope everything turns out OK.

David

I call it Larch but yes I believe it's the same tree as a tamarack. I find it on old strip mine coverts.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful to see you 2 getting out and having fun. My available time is a bit better this season and Chance is giving me some nice work. Haven't seen a woodcock but our grouse are up a bit.

I love your style of writing, your reverence for your coverts and the birds. I get a little tired of all the high-5'ing and cheers at successful shots on the hunting shows. You'd think they were killing terrorists rather than hunting our lovely gamebirds! I look forward to reading more of your adventures.............