Dateline Rhode Island - Bird Hunting Report

Serving The Hunter Who Travels

Vol. 25, No. 5 Fax Number: 240-599-7679

May 2013 Order Line: 301-528-0011

Website: www.birdhuntingreport.com

Dateline: V irginia Virginia Quail, Pheasant, Chukar and Waterfowl Too • Timetable: Sept. 1 through April 30 • Accommodations: Varied area establishments • Food: Varied area establishments • Hunt: Easy Virginia is blessed with several dozen state-sanctioned bird hunting preserves that vary from the very upscale and extravagant with first-class accommodations and amenities, to working farms that cater to day-tripping bird hunters after the cash crops are harvested and before the next spring plantings. And the latter preserves range from very basic to others that have clays and perhaps some modest lodging. Preserves may operate from Sept. 1 to April 30 in the Old Dominion.

The closest preserve to that part of Virginia area just across the tidal Potomac River from Maryland and the District of Columbia is Shady Grove

Kennel, Hunting Preserve, and Sporting Clays in the appropriately-named farming town of Remington (the small

city of Winchester is not that far away).

Situated on over 900 acres of gently rolling hills within sight of the Blue Ridge, Shady Grove offers upland and waterfowl hunts on land that is very close to very hallowed ground.

Virginia was the site of hundreds of battles both large and small in the American Civil War of the mid-1860s. Just down the road from Shady Grove off U.S. Route 29 is the Brandy Station Battlefield, where the largest cavalry conflict ever in North America took place in early June 1863. Now part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Brandy Station is worth a visit. Almost 1,500 casualties occurred here and the battle was fought to a draw by the 20,000 soldiers engaged. But it signaled the first time Union cavalry could go hoof to hoof (continued on page 2)

Dateline: South Dakota Sharptails, Huns and Truly Wild Pheasants • Timetable: October to early January • Accommodations: Individual lodge cabins • Food: Hearty homestyle • Hunt: Moderate There’s a new player among South Dakota bird hunting operations and this one can provide great, all-wild bird hunting, comfortable accommodations and meals that are guaranteed to send you home a few pounds heavier!

Founded in 2010, Brown’s Hunt-

ing Ranch is located in Gettysburg, S.D., approximately one hour, 20 minutes north of Pierre. The facilities are located just west of town on a hillside overlooking Lake Oahe, a portion of the Missouri River and the Route 212 Bridge. The buildings are comprised of a lodge and 12 individual cabins. The cabins are of log construction, factory built and transported onto a slab. Inside there are amazingly homey appointments to include a king-sized bed, gas fireplace, satellite TV and hydronic in-floor heat in the bathroom. Each guest at Brown’s gets his own private cabin!

The lodge, also of log construction, fea-

Reproduction by any means is illegal 1 — The Bird Hunting Report — May 2013 © Copyright 2013 by Brunson Publishing Co.

tures a huge dining area and game room as well as a deck that overlooks the river and bridge. It is a magnificent view and (continued on page 3)

Inside: Oregon ................................... p.4 Oklahoma ..............................p.5 Rhode Island ......................... p.6 Michigan ................................p.7 Missouri ................................. p.8 Louisiana ............................... p.9 Maryland .............................. p.10 Argentina ............................ p.11

Serving The Hunter Who Travels Plan a do it yourself pheasant hunt in northwest Oklahoma at the Drummond Flats WMA. While hunting in northwestern Oklahoma, also plan on visiting other wildlife management

areas, some of which have been written about in The Bird Hunting Report, for additional pheasant and quail hunting opportunities during your trip to the Sooner State.

For more information: Kyle Johnson, 580-541-5346; Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation website, www.wildlifedepartment.com.

—James Dietsch

Dateline: Rhode Island Released Bird Hunt, Sporting Clays, Dog Training and a World-Class Shotgun Showroom • Timetable: Mid-September through mid-April • Accommodations: Bunkrooms in lodge • Food: Do-it-yourself or catered • Hunt: Easy Located in the triangle created by Boston, Providence, Rhode Island and Hartford, Conn., is Addieville East Farm. The Mapleville, R.I., farm has been a fixture on the sporting scene since it was founded as a private, 460acre hunt club by Morris Gaebe in the mid-1970s. Starting in 1979, his son Geoff applied his watchful eye, expanding the club to 900+ acres and creating an industry-best sporting clays course that plays host to all of the major shooting tournaments in New England. Since Geoff’s death in 2010, his wife Paula has continued his legacy and continues to offer one of the best shooting venues in the United States.

The 900 acres are a mix of Blackwell switch grass, standing corn and hard and softwood edges. There are 20 different fields for hunters to choose from, and each has its own unique characteristics. Some are reminiscent of the softgrasses found in a southern plantation, others resemble the standing cornfields of South Dakota and still others pay homage to classic New England farms complete with laid stone walls.

Pheasant, chukars and Hungarian partridge are the three types of birds released at Addieville.

Dogs are required for all field hunts, so if you do not have your own dog then you need to hire a guide and his dogs which are likely to be a com-

bination of a pointing dog and a flushing dog. The common breeds at Addieville East are English pointers, Brittanys, Labrador retrievers and English cocker spaniels. Some guides run a pointer to locate the birds and a flusher to put them in the air. Geoff Gaebe is largely credited for introducing that concept to the Northeast. Half-

day guiding fees cost $70 which includes the dogs.

Sessions are broken down into a morning and/or an afternoon hunt. Morning hunts begin at any time after 7:30 a.m. and conclude at noon. Afternoon hunts begin after 12:30 p.m. and end at dusk. Hunters check in at the main lodge and, based on availability, can pick the fields they’d prefer to hunt. One of the benefits of the layouts is that some fields are flat and easy to navigate which enables hunters in their 80s to still enjoy time in the field. Others have inclines or thicker cover which are appealing to fit hunters.

Addieville East is a licensed shooting preserve which means that the hunting season runs from mid-September through mid-April. A Rhode Island hunting license covers the preserve hunt, and out-of-staters can buy a season-long permit for $3.50. Prime time for bird hunting in New England is in October and November. That said, there is a tremen6 — The Bird Hunting Report — May 2013

dous amount of hunting in the shoulder times when wild bird seasons are closed.

Hunting continues throughout the winter, and the only time that hunts are postponed is due to rain or icy conditions.

Weekends and holidays are reserved for club members, and non-members can hunt on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. For those who wish to hunt on weekends and holidays, you can call during that week and if a hunt is available, you can reserve it. The initiation fee is $700, an individual membership costs $900 per season and a Corporate Membership costs $1,700 per season (up to four members). Discounts on birds are extended to members.

There are a number of European Driven hunts offered at Addieville that are spread throughout the season. The typical day begins with a continental breakfast, a driven-clay warm up and then a release. Lunch is served in the field followed by an afternoon flight. The number of birds released can be anywhere from 300–2,000.

Brian Hays of Chokebore Kennels runs a full-service dog training program for pointing dogs. Hays is wellknown in the dog training world and limits the number of dogs that he trains so as to maximize his time with each dog. Monthly through yearly training programs are available. English pointer enthusiasts might remember that the late Robert G. Wehle who founded Elhew Kennels passed along all facets of his kennel to Hays prior to his death. Hays has continued the breeding of the Elhew line and also has frozen semen available from past champions. Hays also works with the Addieville East dogs.

Robin Hollow Outfitters is the onpremise gun shop and is owned by Bill Hadfield. Long-time shooters might remember Hadfield’s original location in Wickford, R.I. Hadfield has assembled a phenomenal assortment of new and

Serving The Hunter Who Travels used shotguns and has a focus on higher end/hard-to-find makes and models. He also sells gear that may be used during a hunt (vests, chaps, blaze orange hats) as well as sporting accessories (gun cases, vests, shooting glasses).

Preparing for your hunt is simple.

Most hunters will wear the standard shooting shirts, brush pants or chaps, and vests, with additional layers during cooler weather. Double barrels, pumps, or semi-automatic shotguns or gauges are allowed in the field, but hunters must shoot non-toxic shot which is no.

5 or smaller. Shooters are welcome to bring their own non-toxic shells, and

they are also available for purchase.

Lodging is bunkroom style with shared bathrooms in the main lodge.

There is a living room and fireplace as well as a fully stocked kitchen. The accommodations are modest and cost $70/ per hunter/per night. Meals are self-prepared unless catering is requested for larger groups. Other accommodations in the form of chain hotels (Holiday Inn Express, Marriott Courtyard) are within a 15-minute drive. If you’re traveling with bird dogs, check out the petfriendly Hampton Inn (401-232-9200).

Addieville East has a discount program available at those hotels, so be sure to

mention you’re hunting at the farm.

A half-day hunt for three hunters for 16 pheasant costs $432 plus a 7 percent liability insurance surcharge. Guide fees are $70 per half day; sporting clays are $0.47/target. Cleaned and packaged birds cost $3.50 each.

The farm is 60 miles from Boston, 22 miles from Providence and 65 miles from Hartford. The closest airport is T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, R.I. Addieville East Farm, 200 Pheasant Dr., Mapleville, RI 02839; 401-5683185; www.addieville.com; addie ville@wildblue.net.

—Tom Keer

Briefly Noted Things to Do, Places to Go, New Developments US Supreme Court Reverses Devastating Decision to Forest Wildlife Habitat Reversal makes a strong statement for scientific forest management From The Ruffed Grouse Society: The U.S. Supreme Court reversed a 9th Circuit Court ruling to further regulate forest management — Decker v.

Northwest Environmental Defense Center, U.S. No. 11-338 (March 20, 2013) — a judgment that was potentially devastating to forest wildlife habitat. The reversal makes a strong statement against additional and unnecessary permitting of forest management practices and is good news for forest wildlife.

In 2010, the 9th Circuit Court in California ruled that rainwater runoff from forest roads caused by timber harvest and other forest management activities was an “industrial pollutant,” and therefore subject to permitting regulations under the Clean Water Act authorized by the Environmental Protection Agency. This overturned 35 years of existing harvesting practices and regulatory interpretation.

If allowed to stand, the decision would have required that all landowners, including private individuals, spend considerable amounts of time and money to apply for appropriate permits through the EPA. This process would greatly discourage private individuals from implementing management practices on their lands. Such a decision

would drastically reduce the habitat availability for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and other forest wildlife that thrive on the young forest habitat created only through forest management.

Undoubtedly, the regulations would expand to a nationwide mandate.

The Supreme Court determined that the EPA has been historically consistent in interpreting its own rule to not require such permitting for forest

road runoff, and therefore, the agency’s interpretation should receive deference unless plainly erroneous or inconsistent. In addition, multiple states have existing best management practices for addressing rainwater runoff on logging roads, so additional federal regulation would simply be duplicative or counterproductive. The attorneys general for 31 states joined with RGS to file briefs with the Supreme Court in opposition to the 9th Circuit ruling.

••• Michigan — Hunting This Threatened Species Is Not the Reason for Its Decline 7 — The Bird Hunting Report — May 2013

From greatlakesecho.org: When a species is red listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, it is rare for it to be hunted.

But Michigan’s northern bobwhite is an exception. The Michigan Audubon Society recently reported the northern bobwhite, commonly known as quail, is Michigan’s only bird that is both hunted and on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list, which identifies species at a high risk of extinction.

The quail hunting season in Michigan lasts three weeks from Oct. 20 to Nov. 14, according to the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources. It is only allowed in 27 counties. However, hunting quail is not the reason the species’ population is low said Al Stewart, upland game bird specialist and program leader for the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources. The reason the species is threatened is because of its declining habitat, said Stewart.

“We see some declines which are very clearly associated with habitat, not with the impact from hunting,” said Stewart. “Quail are pretty specific about their habitat needs. You (need to) have some good grasslands, you have to have some food plots and that has to be within their home range.”

Stewart said industrial construction is the main reason quail habitats are diminished. Michigan counties with some of the highest population in quail are Macomb, Wayne, St. Clair and Oakland, which are now mostly urban areas.