Ask a dozen sportsmen how the partridge hunting is this fall and there’ll be just that many different answers.
Some gunners will relate that bird sightings are low and success rates remain poor to fair. Two of the 12 are filling their daily limit on a regular basis.
After asking a lot of questions of a busload of grouse gunners, it’s become obvious that the vast difference between those enjoying partridge stew and those having chicken stew comes down to tactics.
First off, this fall’s partridge population is moderate at best. Spring weather was not conducive to good nesting conditions and brood survival was only fair. Food sources are very good this month, and most favored edibles are in fairly heavy cover.
The exception to this are wild apple trees, especially ones near small woodlots, along crop field edges by abandoned agri-land let got to second growth.
Bird hunters with only enough time for a quick pre-work outing or with an hour to spare before dusk are enjoying regular action checking out neighborhood apple trees or small orchards. Some spots are so productive two or three grouse visit at the same time.
A few regional partridge hunters have several fruit tree locations within easy driving distance and regularly bag a partridge or two on a bi-weekly basis. If you haven’t scouted out the apple tree situation in your vicinity, doing so could just put a few partridge in your pot.
Upland bird hunters utilizing pointing dogs are locating and flushing more birds, and enjoying more productive shooting opportunities than sportsmen walking up grouse. Still hunting a tote road might produce a couple of sightings and perhaps a shot.
A good dog will work the woods on each side of that same road, locate and point grouse that a two-legged hunter will walk past four out of five times.
A group of partridge hunters spent last weekend walking the North Main Woods beyond Ashland’s six mile gate near Spectacle Pond with great success. They experienced little luck driving favorite roads early the first morning, and just walking tote roads and skidder trails offered few sightings. The grouse spotted seemed to be a few yards off the trail. Late in the morning a pair of shooters hunted a woods road by walking 10-15 yards in the woods on each side. The duo took a limit of partridge before lunch.
Back at camp, the pair explained their technique to hunting buddies during lunch. During the afternoon everyone began hunting beside favorite tote roads, and their luck changed dramatically. Two guys using a dog to beat the roadside brush limited out in a couple of hours and the rest of the group all got some birds. Saturday hunting was even better using the same method, yet driving to and from hunting spots very few partridge were spotted in the road or on adjacent banks.
Most folks driving normally productive woods roads enjoying multiple sightings but lamenting that the birds are extremely nervous.
Apparently the grouse are still a bit jumpy from heavy moose hunting pressure combined with a steady flow of grouse gunners in the woods. This will change for the better as the nights get colder over the next couple of weeks, grouse will be out and about on frosty mornings, so hunting will pick up.
Spotting partridge has become easier over the last week or so thanks to fewer leaves providing roadside cover.
Almost 100 percent of the leaf cover will have dropped by this coming weekend, and birds on banks, sitting on logs or budding in trees will stand out much better. Open cover will also make shooting more dependable.
If your partridge season hasn’t been much to brag about thus far, don’t despair. Falling temperatures and falling leaves are about to improve your likelihood of spotting and potting birds. Don’t give up on the apple trees either. This year’s grouse numbers may be mediocre, but any autumn outing for partridge in the Maine woods is always outstanding, partridge stew is just a side benefit.
Contributed photo
IN THE BAG – Bob Palm of Presque Isle finds the grouse gunning improves when the leaves and nightly temperatures both begin to drop.
