A FOOD ISLAND IN A WOODLAND SEA

Sitting by the fire while the snow and wind blows outside, I can't help but wonder how the grouse and other critters are handling the weather.  Granted, the birds have a "down coat", but it's still got to be a bit uncomfortable.

K-Lee and I traded the shotgun for a camera the other day and walked to an area that I clear-cut in 2002.  The new growth is becoming "pole size".  I was anxious to 'explore'.

A casual walk in the woods.

What I found was the track of a sauntering grouse.  He was apparently comfortable with the cover.  His steps appeared casual.  The bird meandered through the shrub growth, and weaved around pines and poplars.  We followed the bird for a little bit, then I decided to leave it alone.  I hoped that we would meet in the not-too-distant future.

This one was in a rush.

This particular area is only about 165 ft x 200 ft, yet it was attractive to my feathered friend.  Thoughts quickly flew to the area that I recently contracted for a "conservation cut".  Thirty-two acres of overgrown woodland full of trees gone beyond their prime, with a canopy that didn't allow sunlight to grow smaller species.  It was time to step in.


We cut everything--except that which was needed to protect wetland and any "nut" trees like oak, beech and such.   

Soon, the plants will regenerate, providing food and much needed "cover" for all sorts of wildlife--birds, rabbits, squirrels, deer and more.



It's nice to think that in a few years, there will be a "food island" amidst the woods down back.  Next year will bring the first of the regrowth with tender shoots, then the sprigs and bushes and finally, young trees.  Hopefully we'll have a few conifers in the mix.

It's always nice to give back--no matter what one's interest.




Two links to a Ruffed Grouse Society video
that explains the need  for "Disturbed Forest".


https://www.facebook.com/RuffedGrouseSociety/videos/990152764401675


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taFNXt1vAMk

#LIGHTTHEWORLD. BRILLIANT!!!

It's begun--the the pressure of Christmas being "too commercial", of costing too much, and the pressure of the "expectations" that the holiday season brings.

Hello people!!  We can control that!!  Ever notice that the people who are the happiest are those who "forget themselves" in the service of others?    

No elf left behind

What is one to do?

My favorite Christmas happened early in our marriage when we were barely getting by.  We were living very much hand-to-mouth-- a struggling household with beautiful children.  


 Essentially spending our pocket change, we made our own Christmas presents--place-mats, picture frames, etc.  Our Christmas 'cards' were made by hand.  I still remember the "mouse theme" we chose.  We drew our own designs and passed our fingers and thumbs from an ink pad to the card-stock to create the bodies of the little mice-reindeer.  We added twigs other items with glue, and made little sayings for the inside.  

Life was just as busy then as it is now.   That Christmas was one of the few times that we all worked together with such common purpose.  There was little money put into the gift giving, which made it even more special.  

They were gifts from the heart, given with love.  We laughed together.

Today enters my friend, 'Maisymak' who is a talented and inspiring author.   On the internet, she found what is perhaps the world's best advent calendar and posted it to her blog.   The advent calendar is all about giving one act of love per day.  The title is #Lighttheworld.   
See it at http://www.maisymak.com/ .

This advent calendar helps us 're-set' the tone for the Christmas holidays.

I invite you to join 'Maisymak' and me in celebrating Christmas the old way--by loving and serving others.  

#Lighttheworld.  Brilliant!!! 

THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS

In the United States, our Thanksgiving Holiday is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.  Families have their traditions--each of them singular to each "nest".   The morning tradition at our house is "Dad's gone hunting".  By the number of other hunters I meet, I'm convinced that few --around here--have the same tradition. 

I used to hunt deer, and often carried a rifle.  I remember one Thanksgiving hunt during a fierce snowstorm.  (I was young and made of iron.) Walking in the gathering snow was very quiet as I still-hunted in hemlocks and thickets where I thought that bucks would be bedded.  I was surprised to find that walking soon became difficult.  Snow was falling at a frenzied pace and visibility was barely twenty yards. I became aware that I couldn't safely tell what laid beyond any possible target.   Figuring that 'discretion was the better part of valor', I pulled out the compass and struck a line back to my grandparents' farmhouse.

Apparently my wife and others were worried about me getting hurt and being buried under the accumulating snow, ..that no one would be able to find me,.. etc.  (It's seems funny how people dream up such scenarios.)  As I stepped up onto the porch, the women of the house met me at the door, chastised me for worrying them and demanded that I shake off all the snow  -- the pent-up anxiety had found its mark. 

I didn't have to hurry.  We were "snowed in" until the weekend.

These days, I hunt with a shotgun and dog. It feels more pleasurable to me.  

Sometimes, I even load the gun.  

I love watching 'bird dogs' work, and the  companionship they provide. 

Then too, there's the aspect of teamwork between the hunter and canine--a muse best left for another time. 



This past Thanksgiving found me in another snowstorm--though not nearly as onerous as the aforementioned one.  The dog and I  found only one bird--any others were either long gone or sheltered in the trees.  

I was reminded of that Thanksgiving day so long ago as the snow began to fall.  At first the K-Lee and I didn't mind it much, but as it continued, past experiences told me that we had hunted enough.  Since our mission was accomplished and we 'kept the tradition alive', 
we hiked to the truck and headed home.  Our hearts felt 'the pull' of loved ones gathered near a warm fire.

For such things and more, I thank Providence.

WHAT HAPPENED TO AUTUMN?

Since the last post, my speedster pigeon that flew "hell's bells" all around the house met up with a migrating red-tailed hawk.  Poof!  White feathers all over the place!  As my friend said, "That's pretty dramatic." 
  
Having anticipated such events, I took it in stride. (However, the other occupant of our house was ready to hold a funeral for the bird.)  A little later, two more were taken out as hawks moved through the area.  One night, a weasel got into the pen and we lost a two more.  To discourage further predation, an "oldies" radios station is playing in the shed and a constant light burning. 

Maybe it will work. 

Grouse hunting in the 'Great North Woods' was marginal at best.  Folks found that there was a lot of walking between birds.   



Friends who hunted primarily woodcock said it was a regular season for them--though they didn't seem to encounter many "flight birds". 

A lot of walking indeed, but I can't think of a better time and place to do such a thing!










 
Snow fell on the north woods early this year, and 'access' is problematic.  There is just enough snow  to make walking in the woods quite treacherous.  Some roads have already closed.

With the promise of better days next season, we look past the winter...and dream. 

October and November are already blocked out in the 2017 calendar and the camp is ready. 


The dog and I will be too.


 

 

THE PIGEONS CAME HOME TO ROOST

Ever since my friend Jerry wrote an article in "Ruffed Grouse Society Magazine" about his experience with homing pigeons, I knew I wanted pigeons for bird dog training.  Like a man with a mission, I went to various websites and bulletin boards to learn what I could about homing pigeons.  I researched different coop designs, but never "pulled the trigger" until this summer.  

K-Lee needed to become more "staunch".   I knew that if I had pigeons available here on "the farm", I could train more often, more efficiently, and at a huge savings.  Looking on Craigslist (sort of an e-market) and I found young adolescent pigeons for sale.   Once I had them in my coop, I understood why they are called "squeakers".  They sound like a dry hinge on a turning door.

Last week, I let them out for their first-ever, full-blown flight on the outside.  They had been acclimating in the coop for about five weeks, and --having "test flown" a couple birds-- I was reasonably sure that they would come back to the roost.  Just to add a bit of extra assurance (perhaps more for me than anything else)  I decided that each time I would feed them, I would blow a whistle.  After a few days, I blew the whistle, opened the door, and was nearly caught up in a pigeon stampede!  It was sort of a "Pavlovian" moment.

One "homer" loves speed.  He buzzes the house like an F-16, peels off and does it again.  He seems faster than the others, though I think he's just a thrill-seeker with a "need for speed."  I can almost hear the bird say "Whee!"

Last year, we took advantage of an on-line sale and purchased three "traps"--devices that safely hold the bird until the trainer provides an electronic release.  The traps "pop" the bird up about nine to ten feet in the air, then the bird freely flies back to the coop and rejoins its family.  (Nice!)  Using the traps, I can set up one little scenario for K-Lee and train a bit, then set up another.  Or, I can set up a course where she can hunt up birds.

The birds themselves are pretty low-maintenance:  Food, water and "grit" when necessary.  Fly them, keep the cage clean and safe from predators.  

The biggest maintenance "problem" is that my wife has made them into her pets.  Each night I have to report that they are all safe in their beds and that they had fun outside. 
#

OUR FLAT WORLD

Food for thought:  

Tay Ninh, Vietnam before Internet

Our "blog engine" tells us (by country) where the blog is being read.  Below is a snapshot of recent activity at Pudelpointer Chronicles.  The data is pretty mundane, but it does show things that are interesting in a general sense.  For instance, today we had nearly as many pageviews in Russia as we did in the USA.  Even Vietnam showed up again on the chart! 

 

The data changes daily.  Yesterday, I was looking at several hits from China.  A few weeks ago, Thailand and Indonesia showed up again! Of course, European countries are always "active".

 

The world may not have been a "flat playing field" when the Pudelpointer breed was created, but with the advent of modern technology, it's certainly flat now.  With technology, opportunity is nearly everywhere.  Not only can someone read the posts in his/her own home, but that same individual can click a button and the text is automatically translated into the reader's own language!  It matters not whether the reader is in Nome, Alaska or Queensland, Australia or Novgorod, Russia. 

 

Whatever the subject-- dog training, engineering, software design, cooking, writing novels and non-fiction to name a few--today a person can work from a small hut in Tonga or from a hi-rise in Manhatten and effectively compete in the marketplace of ideas.  

 

Indeed, the world HAS become flat!  

 

Now if we can just keep from sailing off the edge.......

 

 

 

 

Pageviews by Countries

Entry	Pageviews
United States	44
Russia	42
Germany	11
France	6
Poland	2
Ukraine	2
Vietnam	1

NAVHDA - The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association

Most of you know that I am a member of the Merrimack Valley Chapter of NAVHDA.  Some of you have asked "What K-Lee is learning?"  (Actually, I'm the one that's learning!)  

The purpose of NAVHDA is "to foster, promote, and improve the versatile hunting dog breeds in North America; to conserve game by using well trained reliable hunting dogs before and after the shot; and to aid in the prevention of cruelty to animals by discouraging non-selective and uncontrolled breeding, which produces unwanted and uncared-for dogs."   Sounds like a mouthful doesn't it!  Each word is carefully crafted to capture the efforts of NAVHDA. www.navhda.org/about

The manner in which NAVHDA members measure their progress in their training regimens is by conducting "tests" along the way.  For instance, a young pup is entered into a "Natural Ability Test" which measures its inherent abilities as a versatile gun dog.  (K-Lee took underwent this test years ago.  Now,--though delayed by surgery-- she is working on the "Utility Preparatory Test" (UPT) which is a stepping stone towards the "Utility Test" (UT).  The "Utility Test"--in my opinion-- is the test that measures the amount of completeness in the training and discipline (manners) of a versatile hunting dog.  The "Utility" is the highest local test that is run, and anyone would be extremely pleased to own a dog that ranked high in the UT. www.navhda.org/testing

Did I mention that the dogs are measured against a strict written standard?  Unlike some tests that complete one dog against another, NAVHDA tests carefully compare the performance of each dog against a written standard.  Thus, a dog can be awarded a Prize I, Prize II, Prize III, etc. or can receive "no prize".  Personally, I like this because it is more specific as to abilities and weaknesses of the dog being tested.  A dog that receives the highest rating possible is invited to the International "Invitational", where the dogs compete to obtain the title of "Versatile Champion".

Last September, Scott Linden's "Wingshooting USA", filmed an episode at the 2015 "Invitational" of NAVHDA.  I enclose the "YouTube" link for your viewing pleasure.   I must say, I think "Wingshooting USA" did a great job in presenting  the story for viewers.  Thanks Scott!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3DVrReefWk 

If clicking the provided link does not take you to the video, simply copy and past the address into your browser.

The 2016 "Invitational" will be held in New Sharon, Iowa September 15-18.
If you would like to know more, go to the NAVHDA.org website, or visit your local chapter.  You may find a new friend there!