Serving The Hunter Who Travels
Vol. 22, No. 10
October 2010
Fax Number: 240-599-7679
Order Line: 301-528-0011
Website: www.birdhuntingreport.com
Dateline: Argentina Doves, Ducks and Perdiz • Timetable: May through August • Accommodations: Estancia • Food: Regional fine dining • Hunt: Easy Delta flight #101 from Atlanta, an overnighter, approached Buenos Aires in the early morning light. This offered a panoramic view of the expansive Argentina landscape north of the capital, covered by a thin ground fog but revealing mostly flat land with lots of agriculture, Argentina’s number one industry, as far as the eye can see. Of course, that activity brings doves in mind-boggling numbers that has made this country the highly desirable destination that it is among wing shooters. A new outfitter has arrived upon the Argentine scene. Juan Pujana and
Tomas Dobie, both with lots of outfitting experience, have formed South Parana Outfitters in Entre Rios Province. Located just a 2 1/2-hour drive north of Buenos
Aires, Juan and Tomas have based their operation at San Ambrosio, an estancia featuring a magnificent Spanish colonial mansion whose construction was com-
pleted in 1920. This estancia has been used extensively to host wing shooters over the years in this hotbed area for doves, ducks and perdiz. Many of the better shooting destinations in Argentina require lengthy drives or fly-in connections from the major cities. Having such quality shooting within reasonable driving distance of Buenos Aires, the world’s 17th largest city, is a real plus. A typical day starts with breakfast served by estancia staff to include fresh juices, coffee, eggs, bacon and croissants. Then it’s off to shoot ducks, typically over small farm ponds and a nearby river. The Entre Rios Provincial 25-duck legal daily limit can usually be taken easily within an hour as Entre Rios boasts the highest legal duck limit of any other province in the country. Typical species (continued on page 2)
Dateline: Pheasant Outlook: 2010 Pheasants Forever Checks in with State Forecasts Overview: Pheasant numbers appear to be holding steady in the Dakotas, Kansas, Minnesota and Nebraska, the heart of the Heartland’s pheasant range. That means fun months ahead for pheasant hunters and their bird hunting companions. Also holding steady are Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. The recently completed general CRP signup will likely keep the program at or near 32 million acres nationwide, much of it vital ringneck habitat. And the federal “Open Fields” initiative is off the ground, which will help states launch or enhance
public hunting access programs tied to wildlife habitat improvement. In contrast to a respectable outlook across last year’s top five pheasant producing states are the bleak prospects for the longtime pheasant stronghold of Iowa (read the Iowa entry for full details). Across the rest of the U.S. pheasant range, prospects are murkier, with a snowy winter and wet springs hurting pheasant production in many areas. Still, pockets of habitat and birds to be chased exist, and any day spent pheasant hunting is a day well spent California — Stick to the Rivers and Valleys In what’s become typical, the SacReproduction by Report any means is illegal 1 — The Bird Hunting — October 2010 © Copyright 2010 by Brunson Publishing Co.
ramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, and the Sacramento River/San Joaquin River delta area remain the talked about pheas(continued on page 3)
Inside: Vermont ..................................p.6 New York State ...................... p.7 Subscriber Field Notes ..........p.8 Briefly Noted ......................... p.8 Texas ...................................... p.9 North Dakota ......................... p.9 Washington .......................... p.10 New York ............................ p.10 Outfitter Critiques ............... p.11
Serving The Hunter Who Travels connecting properties account for one of the largest continuously forested areas in the region. The primary access to the property is from the Ascutney Basin Road where there is a developed access road and parking area. The WMA may also be accessed by parking on the shoulder of Little Ascutney Road along the southern boundary of the property. Little Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area is located in west central Vermont in the town of Ferrisburg near Lake Champlain. The State of Vermont owns 1,402 acres near the mouth of the creek. One can gain access to the South Slang part of the WMA by walking in from Hawkins Road. To get to the eastern side of the WMA, use a gated road at the south end of Greenbush Road. The gate is open some of the time for hunting, but otherwise is only for walk-in access. Maquam Wildlife Management Area is located in the town of Swanton in northwestern Vermont. It consists of 872 acres, some of which is south of Route 36 west of town. The remainder is along the lakeshore northwest of Route 36. Pine Mountain Wildlife Manage-
ment Area is located at the intersection of the east central Vermont towns of Groton, Ryegate, Newbury and Topsham. The WMA is 2,274 acres in size. It is bounded by Route 302 and the Wells River to the north, Powder Spring Road to the west, Melvin and White Hills to the east, and Burnham Mountain to the south. Access can be gained from several entry points off Powder Spring Road, Galusha Hill Road, and the abandoned Montpelier & Wells River railroad bed that begins on the Little Italy Road in the village of Groton. Developed parking lots are located on the entry road off Galusha Hill Road (a.k.a. Quarry Road) at the gate/power line intersection, as well further south on Galusha Hill Road adjacent to the open fields. Undeveloped parking exists off the railroad bed at its intersection with a snowmobile trail, which is gated during non-snow months. West Mountain Wildlife Management Area is a 22,738-acre parcel of land and is located in the towns of Maidstone, Ferdinand and Brunswick. The WMA
ranges north from Maidstone Lake to Route 105, and east from South America Pond to the Connecticut River. Access is available along miles of dirt roads. Main entry points are South America Pond Road off Route 105, and Maidstone Lake and Paul Stream Roads off Route 102. Also located near West Mountain WMA is the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge. With portions of this huge refuge system in four New England States, the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Refuge in Vermont encompasses 26,000 acres. The parcel lies west of the village of Island Pont and extends to the Connecticut River. The forest is diverse with lots of grouse and woodcock habitat mixed in. There are accesses along the north side of Route 105. For more information on Vermont bird hunting opportunities, licensing and hunting seasons: 802-241-3700, www.vtfishandwildlife.com. For listings of Vermont accommodations, dining, shopping, etc.: www. vermontdirectories.com. —Conrad LaPierre
Dateline: New Y ork State York Grouse Hunting on Private Land • Timetable: Sept. 20 to Feb. 28 • Accommodations: Guest rooms and kitchenette suites • Food: American cuisine • Hunt: Moderate While Ruffed grouse hunting in New York State opens on Oct. 1, resourceful hunters can get a jump on the season in the northern tier, particularly at Jerry Bottcher’s Hungry Trout Resort. His season not only opens 10 days earlier which serves as a great tuneup hunt, but he also offers access to thousands of acres of private land. Hunters may bring their own dogs, hunt over Bottcher’s well-trained springer or hunt with one of his six guides and their setters, shorthairs or pointers. The Hungry Trout Resort is located an equidistant 300 miles from both Manhattan and Boston. The quaint town of Lake Placid is a quick 15-minute drive away. Lake Placid and the White-
face Mountains are known as hosts of two Winter Olympics, one in 1932 and the other in 1980 with its “Miracle on Ice,” the victory of the U.S. men’s ice hockey team over the U.S.S.R.’s. Bird hunters know the area for its countless acres of huntable, Adirondack land. What makes this area of the Adirondacks ideal for bird hunters is the fact that International Paper logs
continuously, thereby providing abundant stretches of both primary and secondary growth. Portions of your hunt will be on public land, where hunters generally find at least one or two grouse 7 — The Bird Hunting Report — October 2010
per covert. Where the magic begins is on the few thousand acres of land that Bottcher leases from IP. This area is not open to the public and is included in every hunting package. Hunters are rotated with frequency so that the land isn’t overhunted. And while a thousand acres of prairie isn’t that much to a sharptail hunter, it’s a good amount of turf in the grouse woods. Much of the land is a combination of alders, poplars, white birch, and conifers. The Lake Placid/Whiteface area has a tremendous number of seeps, streams and beaver ponds, the most well-known being the Ausable River. A fringe benefit during October is woodcock, with a three-bird daily limit and a season that runs from Oct. 6 to Nov 4. Peak foliage is usually around midOctober, and afterwards leaves consistently drop and shooting gets easier. After the first frost, the leaves drop significantly which also contributes for easier shooting. Grouse hunting is grouse hunting, and the key is to seek out alder and
Serving The Hunter Who Travels poplar runs, hardwood edges, river bottoms and other primary growth. The Hungry Trout Restaurant has been serving dinner to guests since the 1930s. It serves up hearty American fare like chicken, prime rib, New York Strip steaks as well as pasta dishes. The wine list is extensive, and the restaurant has a full bar. Few hunters can leave the table without a delicious dessert, which might range from chocolate cake to apple pie or cheesecake. For a more casual atmosphere, R.F. McDougall’s Pub serves burgers, sandwiches and lighter entrees, and the pub is where most of the guides hang out after their days are done. Lodging consists of 22 units with private baths, cable TV, direct dial phones
and individual air conditioning and heating units. Choices include a single room with one queen bed, a double room with two queen beds or a kitchenette suite with three queen beds in two rooms. Package prices are $495/per person based on double occupancy for a twonight/one-day hunt, and $897/per person based on double occupancy for a three-night/two-day hunt. Included in the package are lodging, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and guide and dog. Hunting times begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at dusk unless hunters decide to end earlier. For nonhunting travel companions there are many additional activities in the area, from golf and hiking to canoeing or antiquing. Probably the biggest
draw — because of the legendary Ausable River — is the trout fishing. Nancy Murphy owns and runs the Hungry Trout Fly Shop and Rachel Finn is the head guide. Many know Murphy from her days running fly shops throughout Eastern Pennsylvania, and Finn has been on the Scott Pro Staff for years. She has fished around the world and is an excellent guide/instructor. Visitors may combine a day or two of trout fishing for an enjoyable cast and blast. Jerry Bottcher, The Hungry Trout Resort, 518-946-2217, 800-766-9137; www.hungrytrout.com, info@hungry trout.com. —Tom Keer
Subscriber Field Notes Argentina Hunt with Sierra Outfitters Our group from Memphis, Tenn.; Little Rock, Ark.; and London, England, returned to Salta, Argentina, for the second year in a row for dove and pigeon hunting. Our excellent guide was Cristian Druetta. We had two and a half days of excellent dove hunting and two days of superb pigeon hunts. There was an abundance of doves and pigeons on all the hunts, and everyone had a great time. We stayed at the Estancia Chacu, and it was of the highest quality and well staffed. The food was excellent and each person had his own bedroom, which was well-appointed and very comfortable. The staff at the Lodge is friendly and courteous. The lodge is less than five years old and deserves four stars.
Although it is new, it is built in the style of the most attractive ancient estancias and has a wonderful architectural feel. On the hunts, the birds were flying when we arrived in the field and were continuous for both the morning and afternoon sessions. “Mosquito,” a local chef with a great personality, prepared our lunches each day in the field in the Argentine tradition over an open fire with shish kabob pigeons/doves, homemade sausage, salad and the finest Argentine beef available cooked medium rare. Excellent Argentine wine was served with both lunch and dinner. We took a relaxing siesta on cots after lunch in the field each day and had excellent bird boys who took care of all of our hunting needs. We traveled to different fields for
most of the hunts, which made it more interesting. The bird boys set up decoying machines for the pigeons, and blinds, when needed, were set up prior to our arrival in the fields. The hunts had no weak points and we all look forward to going back for our third year. At dusk on the last day, all four quadrants of the sky were filled with hundreds of thousands of doves. Cristian is great company and a superb organizer and game shot. He is a former professional soccer player. The bird boys are unusually anxious to please as is the lodge staff. When you leave this place, you feel you are leaving friends. The booking agent is Rod & Gun, 800-211-4753. —Woods Weathersby
Briefly Noted Things to Do, Places to Go, New Developments New York — Waterfowl Season Prognoses From ReadMedia.com: —Duck Season Outlook— Most duck populations in New York are in great shape this year due to favorable habitat conditions across the continent for waterfowl nesting and
brood rearing. Breeding populations of eastern mallards and wood ducks — the two most commonly harvested ducks in New York — are similar to or higher than last year. Improved habitat conditions in central North America have also benefited some less common but popular species, such as northern pintail, canvasback and scaup. Duck hunters will see similar bag limits to 2009 for most 8 — The Bird Hunting Report — October 2010
duck species, except that the daily limit for pintails was increased to two per day. —Goose Season Outlook— Hunting seasons for Canada geese are set for different geographic areas of the state than other waterfowl seasons. In most areas, goose season opens in early September, but hunters should confirm the season dates and area descriptions on the DEC website before