The ADK Briars

It had been a slow day in the Adirondack briars, very unproductive. The snow over the days had picked up, accumulating to around four inches. The dogs were tired, and so were we. I can’t recall the exact distance, but I think we had trekked ten miles that day, hard miles through the thick grouse woods. The dogs probably tripled that distance. But that’s what it’s all about: the pursuit, the chase. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

We were at our third spot of the day: a small loop with roughly 800 feet of elevation gain and a clearing at the ridge. We worked the ridge up and down, confused as to where the birds were hiding. Otis charged through; he was far more determined than we were.

At last, about 200 yards away around a bend off a small forged path, an alert came through on the Garmin: “Otis is on point.”

I picked up the pace, unsure of whether this point would prove to be productive. Otis was young and had only made one grouse contact before. I rounded the bend, and sure enough, that gorgeous English Setter point met my eyes. Eight yards in front of him, a young adult grouse rested under a pine, taking cover out of the now-heavier snowfall.

I loaded the shotgun and clicked the safety off. We had the bird cornered, with Otis holding firm in front and myself 20 yards to his left flank. As he took one small step, I felt the ground shake as the grouse sprung up and took flight. It flew perfectly through my field of view: a clean 20-yard shot. I squeezed the trigger, and a ball of feathers erupted in the air.

Well done, young Otis.