Hunting Dogs

I was desperate, so today I did something peculiar. I took the family pet dog pheasant hunting with me. I had the day off today for Veteran's Day, but none of my usual hunting companions had the day off. So, it was either go it alone, or take a chance with the dog. I have not had much luck this year flushing birds alone, so I took the chance. He's a 100% mutt, and certainly not any of your standard hunting breeds. Up until today, he was a total hunting rookie, although we have taken many walks in the woods together in the past.

Surprisingly, he did quite well! He was far from your ideal hunting dog, but he certainly helped my hunt with little issue. He stayed close to me. He was constantly looking back to check on me. He came back easily when called. He kept his nose to ground. He got into the bushes and covered some ground for me. He definitely coverd more ground than I would have alone. He did tend to stay on the paths more than you would like from a hunting dog, but was not stuck on the paths. Whenever something caught his attention he did not hesitate to jump into the thicket. He even passed the biggest test -- gun fire. I fired two shots while he was at my side. He was a little skittish when the gun fired, but he was not overly scared and did not leave my side. Within 10 seconds he was back to prancing around as if nothing happened. After some heavy work, he was pretty tired. He's sure to sleep well tonight. I think he enjoyed the trip, and I know I had more fun with him there with me.

Now, I'm not saying that everyone should go ahead and take their house pet into the field. However, your mutt dog may surprise you if given the chance. I'll be sure give my dog another chance out before the season is complete.

Gear for Connecticut Pheasant Hunting

Yesterday I spent all morning hunting pheasant in wet conditions. There were periods of light rain, but even when not raining, the fields were wet from consistent rain the previous day. Despite the rain, the temperature was warm, so getting cold was not a big issue. It was a perfect day in the field! Despite this fact, the less-than-ideal conditions got me thinking about gear (other than the firearm) for pheasant hunting in Connecticut.

Pheasant hunting in Connecticut is unique. It is not like classic pheasant hunting in South Dakota. Pheasant season in Connecticut starts in October and runs through November. Although it can get cool, the early fall season is warmer than the late fall deer hunting season. Unlike deer hunting, pheasant hunting involves nearly constant walking. Therefore, the cold is not as big of an issue. The factors to consider in pheasant hunting gear is mobility, protection from brush, and water protection.

Outfitting yourself for pheasant hunting in Connecticut is really pretty easy, and does not require any special gear, besides the orange vest required by law. You could go out in jeans, a flannel shirt, and hiking boots. However, if you plan on spending any significant time chasing birds, you may want to invest in some specific gear. The first thing to consider is foot wear. Snow is not usually an issue in Connecticut pheasant hunting (although it's not unheard of), but water certainly is an issue. Even on dry days, the grass you'll be tromping through will be wet, especially at sunrise. You want something with some water resistance. Regardless of how waterproof a boot claims to be, after a full day walking in waist high grass during rain shower your feet are going to get wet. Therefore, although waterproofing is a consideration, I consider comfort and weight more in my pheasant boots. Remember, pheasant hunting involves a lot of walking. If you're feet are likely to get wet anyway, I'd rather go with the lighter, more comfortable boot. I prefer lighter waterproof hiking-style leather boots as opposed to the more rugged work-type boots. Both will get the job done, and it's really a matter of personal preference. I've seen some guys wear the high ankle rubber farm boots. I'm not a fan of those type of boots when a lot of walking is involved. The boots I use cost me about $60.

Pheasant hunting ofter requires getting into some serious thicket. Although jeans would be OK, the extra protection provided by hunting pants specifically designed for upland game hunting can be useful. These pants have an extra layer of material on the front that is useful for turning back briers. You can get a pair of these pants for around $40.

I like to layer my shirts. The weather this time of year is unpredictable. Some days can be warm where you only need a light shirt. Other days require long-johns and a sweatshirt. I typically go with a t-shirt and a chamois shirt. If it gets too hot I can remove my shirt and store it in one of my game bags. I try to avoid wearing too much clothing on my upper body because I want to have mobility to be able to swing and shoot freely.

A good field coat can make your time in the field easier. In addition to providing protection from the rain and brush, a good coat (or vest) is a handy tool. A good field coat will have many pockets for carrying everything you need. It will also contain several game bags to hold the harvested birds. Most that are specifically made for upland hunting will have built in rings for holding shot gun shells. Some also have padding in the shoulder area. When deciding on a field coat, again consider mobility. You don't want something that hinders your movement when you swing to take a shot. The coat I bought was on the expensive side. It was around $100. However, a coat like this only gets better with age as it gets more broken in. I expect this coat to last for years.

Although none of this stuff is essential for a day in the Connecticut woods, spending the $200 or so required to pick up these items will make your time more enjoyable, and perhaps more successful.

Late Season Golf at Gillette Ridge Golf Club

The Facts:
What: 18 holes with carts
When: October, 2008
Cost: Not exactly sure because I did not directly pay, but it was not cheap. This is not the course to play if you're looking for a bargain.
Where: Gillette Ridge Golf Club, 1360 Hall Blvd (Route 218), Bloomfield, CT 06002
Phone: 860-726-1430
Tee times highly recommended

I will get right to the point on this post.

Gillette Ridge was the most challenging golf course I have played in Connecticut.

I have heard others compare it to Lake of Isles (the Foxwoods casino course) in level of difficulty, but I have yet to play Lake of Isles myself to offer a first hand comparison.
The course is also one of the nicest courses I have ever played. This is a high level course. This is not your local muni course. The price will reflect the quality of the course and facilities.
The protection of the greens is demonic. The areas around the greens are covered with traps, cliffs, and impossible rough. The landing areas of many of the greens are also very narrow, requiring a perfect shot to hold the green. If you end up in the sand trap off the edge of one of these narrow greens I might predict that your chances of going over and into the sand trap on the other side of the green are nearly as high as your chances of holding the green.
In addition to the highly protected greens, the holes are long. The tee boxes offer white, blue, and black tees for regular men's play. We played the blues, which were considerably more difficult than the white tees. Many of the tee shots require significant carry over high grass or hazards to reach the fairway. If you are a shorter hitter I would suggest playing from the white tees. Several of the guys in our group that often tee off with irons had difficulty reaching the fairways.
Although the tee shots require some length, the most forgiving aspect of the course is the openness of the tee shots. Once you get the ball out there, the landing areas for tees shots are relatively wide open. The course design gives an advantage to the long hitter, but requires accuracy as you approach the greens.
The challenge of Gillette Ridge made for a fun and unique day of golf. I would jump at the opportunity to play Gillette Ridge again.

Equipment Review: Mossberg 500 Field/Deer Combo Shotgun

This weekend I tried out the Mossberg 500 shotgun. Connecticut only allows shotgun hunting on state land, so I wanted a slug gun to be able to hunt deer on Connecticut state land later in November. I hunt mostly on private land, so my state land deer hunting would be only to supplement my regular private land hunting. Therefore, I was not looking for a high end gun. Price and value were more critical to me than features and appearance. The Mossberg 500 Field/Deer Combo 12 gauge fit the bill perfectly.

The Mossberg 500 will not win an beauty contests. It's a gun that's meant to be used, not to be polished and displayed. The combo pack comes with two barrels. One is a standard field barrel. The second barrel is a rifled slug barrel. The gun comes with a scope, 3 chokes, and 2 cheek plates. It's a pump action that can hold up to five 2 3/4 inch shells. The gun weighs 7.5 pounds. At about $265 it was a great value at Dick's Sporting Goods.

I tried out the gun with the field barrel this weekend while pheasant hunting. I missed on the only shot I had, but that was more than likely user error rather than equipment error. The gun did well in the field. It felt light and maneuverable. I have not yet tried out the slug barrel, but based on everything I've seen so far from the gun, I'm not expecting any issues.

It's early (I've only used it once), but so far I would recommend the Mossberg 500 for anyone looking for a solid working shot gun at a reasonable price.

Best of all: It's made in the USA.

New Lessons Learned from Day 1 of 2008 Pheasant Hunting

After much anticipation, the 2008 pheasant hunting season finally arrived in Connecticut. My group was out there first thing Saturday morning. The season started off well with many birds flushed and taken. There were many shots heard throughout the area, so one can assume that others were also having success.

While shaking off the rust, I made two observations that may be useful on the next pheasant hunt.

1) Consider using different shot gun loads depending on whether you are hunting with the assistance of a dog.

Without a dog I typically use a #7.5 as my first load and a #6 as my second load. I hunt with a double-barrel over-under, so I put the #7.5 in the top barrel and the #6 in the bottom barrel. My thinking is that when a bird first flushes the #7.5 is good for a close shot, but for the second shot the bird will be farther away so you need something with some extra distance, hence the #6 shot. This strategy is ok when working without a dog. Without a dog, you need to do the work of flushing, so you generally need to be relatively close to the bird to kick it up. In that instance, the #7.5 is fine.

However, I have found that #7.5 is not the best pheasant load when working with a dog. Yesterday was the first time I have ever hunted with a dog. I observed that since the dog tends to work out in front of the hunter, the bird is generally flushed at a distance a little farther away than it would be flushed out by a hunter without a dog. Therefore, you need a load with a little more distance. I would consider hunting with two #6 loads, or perhaps a #6 for the first shot and maybe even a #4 for the second shot.

2) Be prepared for a bird at all times. This seems obvious, but it is something that has cost me a bird more than once. It cost me one again yesterday. It was mid-day, and I was hunting alone without a dog. I had been walking around for a couple of hours unsuccessfully looking for birds. I had not heard any shots from other hunters. I came to a river. As I was walking the edge of the river trying to find a decent place to cross, a bird flushed right in front of me. However, I was paying more attention to the river. By the time I got my body and gun in position, the bird was too far away for a high percentage shot.

The whole reason for being out there is to hunt birds, so it did not make much sense for me to be concentrating on something else. This lapse definitely cost me a bird.

One final note: Even if you are unsure about whether or not you will go pheasant hunting this year, if there is even a slight chance you might go, please go to the town hall (or on-line) and buy your pheasant tags. Even if you do not end up going, buying your tags helps make for robust pheasant hunting because the number of birds bought is dependant on the number of tags sold in the previous year. The tags are only $10. To me, it's worth the $10 to keep the pheasant hunting opportunities strong for the following year.

Surviving Hurricane Omar in Puerto Rico

Hurricane Omar passed Puerto Rico last night. The island was shut down in anticipation of the storm. The storm ended up being a dud, as far as Puerto Rico was concerned. Just the very edge of the hurricane brushed the eastern end of the island. I was staying in San Juan, so I got a first hand view of the events.
Although I would not wish for a destructive storm, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Based on the storm preparation here (for example, distributing a flashlight to each hotel room in my hotel, dismissing schools and government jobs, closing roads), I was expecting something big. Instead of swaying palm trees, sideways rain, and wobbling road signs, there was just a bit of wind, and well less than 1 inch of rain. Better safe than sorry I guess.
The biggest impact was on the traffic. A main artery from the south of the island to San Juan was closed, so all traffic had to go around the entire perimeter of the island on city roads (with stop lights) to get back to San Juan. It took me 3 and 1/2 hours to get from San German to San Juan.
So, in conclusion, we were fortunate to avoid the storm, even if it meant less excitement.

Fall Hunting Season Arrives

The fall 2008 hunting season has already started for some, but it starts for me next week when pheasant season opens. Posts have been slow on Connecticut Outdoors lately because we are in that limbo period where it is too cool for many summer activities, but not yet into the fall season. That changes next week. In addition to posts regarding the hunting season, expect reviews of new equipment including new boots, jacket, and rain gear that I plan to try out this year.

Sessions Woods -- Burlington, CT

What: Hiking trails, nature center
Where: Route 69, Burlington, CT

Sessions Woods is a state owned property featuring several hiking trails and a large nature center building. The building is used for programs, but also contains a permanent exhibit displaying samples of local wildlife. The highlight of Sessions Woods are the well maintained walking trails. The primary trail goes 2.6 miles through forested property. The trail is wide, and well maintained with crushed stone. It's an ideal trail for an easy hike, jog, or a dog walk. On Saturday morning I did the complete loop with my dog and 3-year old son. The trail contains mile markers, which are especially helpful to joggers.
Along the primary trail there are several side excursions. There is a permanent observation blind on a beaver pond, an outlook fire tower, and a waterfall, as well as several side trails. There are also nature exhibits along the trail.
Sessions Woods is a ideal place for a peaceful walk through the woods.

Transitioning to Fall

Connecticut Outdoors is experiencing a little bit of a slow down as we transition from the summer to fall season.

As we move towards fall you can expect a reduced percentage of posts relating to family day-trips, and a higher percentage of posts on fall hunting.

I still have a few family outdoor hikes planned while the weather is still good, but there will be no more beach related posts, no more camping/campground posts, and kayaking season is also likely ending.

I might also try to throw a few equipment reviews in, which are actually quite popular and generate a lot of hits from random Internet users.

A Day at the Beach: Silver Sands State Park – Milford, CT

Shhhhh. Don’t let too many people know about this little known gem! I hesitated to even put this one on my blog. However, this beach certainly has room for growth.

Credit my wife for discovering this one.

My family visited Silver Sands State Park during this past Labor Day weekend, typically one of the busiest beach weekends of the year. What a different beach experience from the typical Hammonassett-Rocky Neck trip! The park was 100% free. That’s right; no parking charge, no entrance fee. There was ample parking. The beach was not crowded at all, even at mid-day.
The attitude at Silver Sands was laid back. There was none of the strict rules and pretentiousness of other beaches. If you want to fly a kite, go ahead. If you want to bring your kayaks on the beach and do some paddling, go ahead.
Silver Sands beach includes an island a short distance out. This island is accessible by foot during low tide via a sand bar adjacent to the main beach. We used our kayaks to reach the island.
There are some things you will not find as Silver Sands that are available at some of the more popular state public beaches. There is not a changing area, shower area, or bathroom. Porto-potties only. Large waves are also non-existent at Silver Sands. This is good for small children, but may be a bit of a disappointment for older children that enjoy the waves. There is also no food service available on the beach. You will need to pack your own.
Although the water and overall grounds are quite nice, the sand is not the highest quality. There are quite a few small shells that make it a little rougher than some other beaches. I suggest bringing sandals or some sort of water shoe.
Some of these features may turn some people off to Silver Sands, but for me it was a benefit. Silver Sands was a bare bones, simple, back to basics park. Low crowds, low cost, and low stress.

Silver Sands will likely replace Hammonassett as our family beach destination.