Serving The Hunter Who Travels
Vol. 22, No. 9
September 2010
Fax Number: 240-599-7679
Order Line: 301-528-0011
Website: www.birdhuntingreport.com
Dateline: New Brunswick Excellent Grouse and Woodcock Hunting • Timetable: Woodcock: Sept. 15 to Nov. 30; grouse: Oct. 1 to Dec. 4 • Accommodations: Tasteful main lodge or individual log cabins • Food: Home cooking • Hunt: Moderate to difficult Debbie and Dale Norton’s Upper Oxbow Outdoor Adventures offers an outstanding wild bird hunt for ruffed grouse and woodcock. With excellent guides, great dog work, good numbers of birds and expansive coverts with primary and secondary growth, the hunt is reminiscent of those chronicled by John Alden Knight, William Harnden Foster and Burt Spiller. Hunters arrive in camp in one of two ways. Either they fly into Fredericton’s
International Airport and are picked up by a member of the camp staff or they drive. Either way, they’ll drive along Route 8, which runs parallel to the famous
Mirimichi River. The route signs all feature a leaping salmon, and the Salmo salar, grouse and woodcock are familiar elements in a setting of historic importance.
They are what brought Ted Williams, the “Splendid Splinter” of Boston Red Sox fame to own a camp in this area of paradise. And today’s hunts are every bit as good as those described by Edmund Davis in his 1908 book Woodcock Shooting. Upper Oxbow Outdoor Adventures is in the town of Silikers, which is near the mouth of the Mirimichi. The Nortons and camp manager Brett Silikers are steeped in its rich history. The owners and manager are legacies of that traditional camp ownership/guiding lineage, and their combined experiences create a fantastic bird hunting program. Lodging choices are either the newly built lodge or individual log cabins, all of which overlook the river. The lodge was completed in 2005 and offers guest suites with private baths, a great room with a wood-burning fireplace, bar, (continued on page 2)
Dateline: T exas Texas Pheasant and Quail Near Corsicana • Timetable: September through March • Accommodations: Modern cabins • Food: Local dining • Hunt: Easy After landing at the Dallas–Fort Worth airport, we drove south past the home of the NFL’s Cowboys and the “triple underpass” until the city skyline barely faded from view. The hour went by quickly as the exit off the highway invited us onto a farm on Market Road. Just outside the city of Corsicana, Upland Bird Country
is tucked into the backcountry lowlands. The owner, Steve Stroube, greeted us and helped us get settled. With over 800 acres of plains grass checkered with brush and trees, Upland Bird Country’s property feels larger than it actually is. Although the native population of birds is sparse in this area, Upland Bird Country releases thousands of flight-conditioned birds each year. A great tip for maximizing the number of bird encounters you will have is to book your hunt the day after a tower shoot is scheduled. The pheasant that escape the guns during the tower shoot will be scattered throughout the property. There are new log cabins on site for any means is illegal 1 — TheReproduction Bird HuntingbyReport — September 2010 © Copyright 2010 by Brunson Publishing Co.
rental that have air conditioning, heat and hot and cold water with good pressure. Barbeque facilities are available (continued on page 3)
Inside: South Dakota ......................... p.3 Briefly Noted ......................... p.5 Minnesota ..............................p.5 Ohio ........................................ p.6 Washington ............................p.7 Florida .................................... p.8 Virginia .................................. p.9 Outfitter Critiques ............... p.10 South Africa ........................ p.11
Serving The Hunter Who Travels
New Brunswick ... (from page 1) kitchen and a recreation room with pool table and a Jacuzzi in the eight-person vortex. The log cabins are rustic and each offers three bedrooms with sleeping for four and a bathroom. A wood burning stove, fully equipped kitchen and screened-in porch complete the mix. On cold mornings a member of the camp staff will light the wood burning stove in each cabin before guests awaken. Dogs are allowed in the cabins. Woodcock season opens on Sept. 15 and these migratory birds are long gone by the time it closes. As most bird hunters know, there are three main flyways for the timberdoodles, one of which is along the Atlantic Seaboard. Many of the birds breed in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and what hunters find in the early season is a solid number of resident birds. After the first frost, those already good numbers are increased by their migratory counterparts. Habitat is important for these birds, and by that I mean they’ll need water, nitrogen and worms. Each of the coverts hunters are guided to offers those three main ingredients, and they’ll visit a dozen or more perfect coverts per day. The abundance of 10-20 foot stands of alders and gray birches along with old farm fields and seeps means that Upper Oxbow has access to some of the best looking coverts in the upland and lowland woods. Grouse live in many of the same coverts, but are also found on classic hillsides that are loaded with apple trees, hawthorns and evergreens. Other common fruits are high bush cranberries, blueberries, blackberries and, of course, partridge berries. Camp manager Brett Sillikers doubles as the head bird hunting guide. He is a passionate and knowledgeable bird hunter, and he spends a tremendous amount of time training his Brittanys in the woods. Sillikers is constantly on the look out for new bird coverts. On top of it, this dyed-in-the-wool bird hunter is a pleasure to spend a day
with in the grouse woods. The fact that either the Norton or the Sillikers families have known just about everyone in the area for well over a century means that they get permission to hunt some of the choicest spots. Sillikers oversees several bird guides with dogs of their own, or hunters may bring their own. Province rules mandate that a licensed New Brunswick guide must accompany hunters. With no hunting on Sundays, most hunters try to plan their arrivals/departures around that day to maximize their time in the woods. Most of the coverts are accessed by a series of dirt or dirt/ gravel roads, and a 4x4 vehicle with kennels is provided. As the situation dictates, hunters may take canoes to hunt patches in the middle of the Mirimachi River. Drive time between coverts is long enough for hunters and dogs to catch their breaths and short enough so their legs don’t get stiff. The covers vary in size, some being short, 45-minute hunts and others requiring a few hours. Hunt hard or go slow, it’s your call. Sillikers wants hunters to be happy and will accommodate their pace. Proper gear is important. Early season temperatures are usually in the 60s during the day, but they cool off consistently. Pack for both warm and cool conditions; you never know when a cold front will move in. Brush-proof gear is of critical importance, in both pants and jackets, to keep the briars and brambles from penetrating. A pair of thin leather gloves is a good idea. A good pair of boots is essential. The terrain varies between hillsides and thick brush, so pre-hunting conditioning is a good idea. Shooting glasses can save an eye from the brush and brambles, and a variety of lens to match the light is helpful. Yellow for the morning or afternoon and orange or vermillion during the day are standard choices. Peak woodcock migration occurs sometime in mid-October. That means there are a number of ways to hunt 2 — The Bird Hunting Report — September 2010
For Bird Shooters & Waterfowlers Publisher Stuart Brunson Managing Editor Tom Carney tom-bhr@hughes.net Senior Editor John Gosselin john@uplandalmanac.com Senior Correspondent Gary Kramer Publisher Emeritus Tod Sedgwick Production/Advertising Manager Kathy Thorne Illustrations Gordon Allen Circulation. ............... 301-528-0011 Contributors Steve Carpenteri Nick Sisley Tom Huggler Patricia Stockdill Gary Lewis Mel Toponce Greg Morton Scott Winston
Brunson Publishing Co.
Copyright ©2010 The Bird Hunting Report (ISSN: 1084-8789) is a newsletter for the active hunter/conservationist who travels in search of the world’s best birdshooting and waterfowling, and is deeply involved in efforts to save that wingshooting for future generations. The Bird Hunting Report is not a booking agent, nor is it affiliated with any booking agent, outfitter or guide. All reports contained herein are based on the best information available at press time. A one-year subscription costs $59. Single copies cost $6. Back issues cost $5.50. In Canada and Mexico add $6/year. Overseas subscribers add $21/year and send payment via major credit card or US bank draft. Material herein may not be reproduced without permission of Brunson Publishing Co. The Bird Hunting Report USPS (1084-8789) is published monthly by Brunson Publishing Co, PO Box 328, Boyds MD 20841. A one-year subscription costs $59. Periodicals postage paid at Boyds, MD and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to: The Bird Hunting Report, Brunson Publishing Co., PO Box 328, Boyds MD 20841. Enter my subscription to The Bird Hunting Report [ ] One-year subscription — $59 Name _____________________________________ Title _____________________________________ Company _________________________________ Address ___________________________________ City/State/Zip _____________________________ Visa/MC/Amex No. __________________________ Signature _________________________________ Mail to: The Bird Hunting Report, PO Box 328, Boyds MD 20841, e-mail: support@pnmsi.com or call 301-5280011.
Serving The Hunter Who Travels Upper Oxbow. First, because the season opens before any upland seasons do in the U.S., hunters can head in to camp to work their dogs on resident woodcock in mid-September. Or they can be in camp at the end of September to take advantage of good woodcock hunting and the opening of grouse season. Most of the primary dates for the peak flights and hunting when a lot of the leaves are down are booked. But later in the month, one can still have terrific woodcock hunting and the grouse hunting will be the easiest of the year. The double-occupancy cost is $300
CAD/day for hunters with their own dogs and $350 if the guide uses his dog. The fees include food, lodging, guide and transportation. Space is limited to ensure a quality hunt regardless of the time of the season, so it’s a good idea to book early. This is a 100 percent wild bird hunt. Bag limits are a liberal eight daily woodcock and six daily grouse, and Upper Oxbow Outdoor Adventures will prepare birds for traveling. Small game licenses and migratory stamps are available in camp, with a nonresident small game license costing $92.66 CAD and migratory stamps costing $15 CAD.
For more information: Debbie Norton, Upper Oxbow Adventures, 888-227-6100, www.upperoxbow.com, adventures@upperoxbow.com. U.S. passports are required for travel to and from Canada. Also, hunters need to register shotguns at the boarder or in airport customs for an additional fee of $25 CAD. The Nonresident Firearm Declaration form must be filled out. The penalty for not filling out the form is potential loss of shotguns. For information about the form: 800-731-4000, www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca. —Tom Keer
Texas ... (from page 1) for use and Corsicana offers a large selection of eating establishments just 15 minutes away. On this trip we used our own dogs. The dogs were welcomed in the cabins but shaded kennels with running water are available. We were surprised by the need for a hunting license at an additional cost since it was not
mentioned in the details, but it was easy and inexpensive to get through Steve. One of the hunters in our group commented that quite a few quail had short tails. He was looking for a pristine cockbird for mounting. On the positive side, the quail were strong fliers in spite of the short tails, and many flushed in
coveys of six to 10 birds. The pheasants, both cocks and hens, were in full plume and flew with all the acrobatic skills they are known for. Upland Bird Country, Steve Stroube, 903-872-5663, www.upland bird.com, steve@uplandbird.com. —Josef A. Riekers
Dateline: South Dakota • Timetable: Sept. 1 through early January • Accommodations: Bunkhouse-style rooms in lodge, shared bathrooms • Food: Basic, homecooked • Hunt: Easy to moderate
family-run business. Kevin and his wife Kristie, their sons, even Kristie’s mother, Mary Lochridge, from Texas, pretty much make up the lodge’s staff. To begin with they run a family farm. They raise and sell their own cattle. The farmhouse is on premises, only a few steps from the lodge itself.
Of all the pheasant hunting operations I visited during my grand tour of South Dakota last year, Pheasant City near Wessington, S.D., was clearly the most family-oriented place. No, check that. It was clearly the most youth-welcoming place, a fact that grows out of intent as much as it does out of happenstance. “We try to use the facility as a father/ son thing for building relationships,” explained owner Kevin Teveldal. And as things turn out, through one of its major roles, Pheasant City also becomes a facility where kids with no fathers can build relationships with role models. Perhaps this emphasis on family and familial-type relationships stems from the fact that Pheasant City is, itself, a
Over this summer, the lodge has undergone an expansion and renovation and is scheduled to be ready for the 2010 season. Kevin’s plan was for the expanded lodge to be able to house
A Lodge for Families and More
3 — The Bird Hunting Report — September 2010
40 people, and he wanted to be able to maintain half the rooms “for families that otherwise can’t afford the full price” of a hunt. In addition to being the housing unit for hunters, it will also be a “yearround Christian camping, conference and retreat center,” says Kevin. That might offer a clue to another source of the family-friendly setup. The Teveldals bought the farm in 1995, and, says Kevin, they were “reborn” in 2005. Granted, the Teveldals’ religious beliefs and works are a part of who they are, and they welcome others and are willing to share. More important, though, they don’t thump people over the head willy nilly with scripture and proselytizing. Here is the single outward sign of religion that occurred during my visit: Pheasant City was hosting group, “Fathers to Future Men,” that included fathers and sons as well as mentors and boys they were trying to bring along. About 40 percent of the lads had no fathers and 65 percent came from broken homes. Before everyone