Nat,
We roamed some of the same counties and like you because of the heat we hunted mornings and the last couple hours of daylight. Between times we drove around looking for spots. For 5 days, a good average would have been 10 Grouse flushes per day and 15 Woodcock. The Grouse were mainly singles with few exceptions and most were found around some good pine tree roosting trees. I only shot at three and it was a very late hatch Bird. I mean it was tiny and hardly had any head feathering. Melot had to run it down after it hit the ground and he took out the tailfeathers. It would have been interesting to have seen how short they were. The locals said it was a horrible extended wet spring. BTW, ran into some very nice individuals.
Had four Dogs, Merlot the Cocker, two Setters and a Pointer. While not a numbers hunt, the Dogs got into enough Birds to further their education. Merlot started going to his Birds more head up when the scent was hot. The last Bird of the trip he picked up the scent at around 20yards on the edge of a cedar trickle run. His head snapped around and he took the Bird out on a run. That was the Bird I wish I could have killed. Merlot was on the ground for the better part of each days hunt and by the end of day 5 he crashed. The little guy has some stamina and the heat obviously didn't do him any favors.
As far as road Birds, we did bump into perhaps 6 driving in and out for the evening hunts.
Last edited by battue; 10/20/17.
