RGS Blog

Written by: Glen Blackwood. Rockford, MI The RGS & AWS community is filled will folks from all walks of life. Their common thread being volunteerism, generosity and the friendships that develop through healthy forest management, the wildlife that prosper in properly managed environs, as well as the canine companions that share our autumn jaunts. This story is just one example. Allow me to step back before going forward.  My summer training showed that my oldest Field Bred English Cocker, Bosco was beginning to show his nine years of hard charging. Like an aging running back he seemed to have lost a step,...

Read More

Written By: Bill Stein. Lars Lake, MN Several years ago my sister came up to spend Thanksgiving Day with my wife and son, Ben. While the turkey was cooking Ben took off to our hunting land to bag a few grouse. Terry and my sister Gretchen and I decided to go for a walk. There was a new lake home under construction down the road and we decided to go in and take a look. When we came out we scared up a grouse who immediately flew into the window of the neighbor’s garage window by mistake and fell thrashing to...

Read More

Written by: Pete Pointer. Wheaton, IL The ruffed grouse is found only in the heaviest habitat. When it takes off it does so at full speed (35 mph) and makes a lot of noise. You have approximately 1.5 seconds to hear it, spot it, raise your shotgun, take off the safety, aim and fire. My father, the most incredible shot I have ever known, said, as a general rule, for every 3 you hear you will see one, for every 3 you see you will get a shot at one and for every 3 you shoot at (if you...

Read More

Written By: Gary Tunkavige. Sparta, NJ I call the covert Spring Willow.  A whimsical name.  I wish I could say that I thought up this name, but that was done by someone else.  It is an abandoned farm on a ridge set back from the Delaware River separating New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  A winding driveway leads to a frame farmhouse now being consumed by vines and brush.  There is a large barn on the verge of collapse and several other small out-buildings.  The remnants of small pens likely held chickens and goats.  An old farm lane starts behind the...

Read More

Written By: Zack Pine. Tannersville, NY Grouse hunting is a game of miles, of constantly striking out. A game of humility and of patience. Grouse hunting is getting spooked by a flushed bird at your feet, not being ready, being trigger shy, never fully seeing the bird, my first grouse I almost shot I had a beautiful flush, had the bead of my gun on him went to pull the trigger and nothing, the safety was on and the grouse was gone. After that, Is when I started practicing switching off the safety as I raise the butt my...

Read More

Written By: Ralph Fatello. Hampton, NH I have been hunting a covert that I call “The Cellar Hole” for the last 10 years. It’s basically an old foundation from the early 1700’s. There are trees that have grown up inside of what used to be someone’s old farmhouse here in New England. There are many of these old remnants of yesteryear all throughout New England. This spot has always been a place that holds birds. I’ve taken a few woodcock out of there every season, and I love hunting there as it’s one of my secret coverts that I...

Read More