I did something last Autumn I have never done before and it paid off.
Depending on how you look at it.
The fall of 2015 in my region - the area surrounding Sudbury - was warm and dry. It made for some fabulous days on the trails hunting small game. In late September and through October there were many days spent with a t-shirt and jeans in the bush. It was easy to overdress.
I was out only once when it rained and once when it snowed. My hunting buddies and I saw a lot of grouse last year. Some days we spotted up to 30 birds.
Last year was the first time in my life I hung up the fishing rods for the season and only picked up a rifle when I went out the door to get some wild time. I had good timing.
I fished only once during the period of the fall season. It was late September, and a buddy came up for an overnight excursion. He needed a night in the wilderness and to sleep under the stars. We hit a lake about an hour from my house and caught a bunch of smallmouth bass.
It was by design. In the last few years, I have had a powerful resurgence of love for grouse hunting. I did a lot growing up on a farm in St. Charles as a kid. For one reason or another due to life scenarios, I got away from grouse hunting for a few years and really put a focus on fishing. I guess it was just a cycle for me.
Four years ago, I started hitting the trails more and more in the fall instead of the lakes. It was just something I decided to do. The more I walked the trails, the more I wanted to just do that.
This brings me to last season. When birds opened in my zone (Sept. 15), I grabbed my 20-gauge and waved good-bye to my fishing gear. I was going to make it a point to only hunt. I made the one exception because my good friend came up from Kitchener and he doesn’t hunt, so we hit the lake.
Other than that, I passed, politely, on every other fishing opportunity thrown my way. It left a few fishing buddies perplexed and scratching their heads at my “insanity”.
I had the best grouse season of my life in 2015. Maybe it was because I went out so much or maybe it was just a strong cycle of birds. Whatever the case, I was rewarded with a strong supply of meat for the freezer.
I am repeating the same formula again this year - to a degree. I will fish a bit more because I missed a lot of time in summer recovering from hernia surgery, but my focus is on grouse again.
I love fishing. I really do. I go hard from January 1 to September. I spend a lot of time portaging and paddling a canoe to do my fishing.
I love walking trails and listening to the forest. It is hard to beat the rush of working a second flush of a bird and achieving it and firing off a direct shot. I count that as one of the most satisfying experiences for any person who enjoys the outdoors.
I like to explore. This is why grouse hunting suits my nature perfectly. I dont have the patience to be in a stand or blind. I love to be mobile. I love to cover ground. I love seeing new sights.
It’s also a fantastic way to see the fall colours. It’s tough to beat coming up on a ridge and looking out over a valley of red, yellow and orange covered trees.
I hope you all can get out and spend some time in the bush this fall, whether it be hunting, fishing, exploring, hiking, paddling or whatever you love doing.
-Scott