Having taken a few trips north this fall for some pat hunting with my lab, Jordan, I was beginning to wonder if he was letting me down because we have had very few opportunities in spite of pounding (well, maybe pounding is a little exaggeration) the spots we have done well on in the past years. So I contacted a friend of mine who has a couple of pro trained setters (he trains them himself) to see how he has been doing. He hunts about three days per week this time of year.
He says that he and his hunting friend have had very few opportunities on pats but the woodcock hunting has been some of the best in recent years. And of the pat opportunities, his friend has gotten a little slower on the swing and getting on target lately and has not downed a pat yet this year. And he hasn't done much better. Man, does that sound familiar. I hunt all around the Higgins Lake area and my friend hunts the NE areas of the lower.
Has anyone else been pat hunting this fall and are you able to add to this pathetic report? I'm beginning to think that the predator populations are getting dangerously large and are on the verge of wiping out the small game hunting in this state. Any comments?
He says that he and his hunting friend have had very few opportunities on pats but the woodcock hunting has been some of the best in recent years. And of the pat opportunities, his friend has gotten a little slower on the swing and getting on target lately and has not downed a pat yet this year. And he hasn't done much better. Man, does that sound familiar. I hunt all around the Higgins Lake area and my friend hunts the NE areas of the lower.
Has anyone else been pat hunting this fall and are you able to add to this pathetic report? I'm beginning to think that the predator populations are getting dangerously large and are on the verge of wiping out the small game hunting in this state. Any comments?