Good Bit of News on Grouse in Connecticut

For the first time in long while I saw a hunter harvest a grouse in northwestern Connecticut.

This is hardly a scientific study, but hopefully this is a good sign for the comeback of a significant grouse population in Connecticut. Grouse populations fluctuate based on a mostly mysterious 10-year cycle that is about at the peak right now.

I had previously written in this blog about the decline of grouse populations in Connecticut. The difference between grouse populations I observed hunting in New Hampshire compared to Connecticut was stark. I had even hinted in earlier posts that I had my concerns that grouse were all but extinct in Connecticut. All of this is anecdotal, but I'll be happy if my previous posts were wrong, and grouse are able to again thrive in Connecticut.

Trail Cams Take Hunting Technology Too Far

It’s a fine line between preserving the traditional sport of hunting and the modern technology that is available today. Big game hunters today are not hunting with Hawkens flintlock muzzleloaders or recurve bows with wooden arrows and stone arrow tips. Heck, for their time, those tools were significant technological advances over spears and clubs. Hunters today are using high powered rifles with scopes and modern high performance ammunition, or compound bows with carbon arrows equipped with mechanically released broad heads. Modern accessories like modern camo patterns, calls, scents, and tree stands add to the technological advances available today. I have taken advantage of all of this modern equipment at one point or another. It might seem a bit hypocritical for me to come out against a particular piece of technology when I’m out there hunting with modern equipment. However, I believe there is a line. The line is different for different people, so the debate will rage on, but I content that trail cameras take the first step over the line of too much technology in deer hunting.

Trail cameras are cameras that are attached to a tree. They are motion activated to take digital photographs of any passing animal.

Why do I pick on trail cameras? What’s the difference between trail cameras, and a piece of equipment like the new modern rifle equipped with the latest and greatest optics? The biggest difference is electronics. Electronics is the line I draw in modern hunting. I content that no piece of hunting equipment should need batteries.
I’m not alone in drawing the line with electronics in hunting. Connecticut turkey hunting regulations allow all types of calls except electronic calls. Other states have disqualified the CVA Electra muzzleloader from the black powder season. The Electra uses a battery-operated mechanism to create a spark to ignite the powder. It's evident that hunters and hunting regulators are uncomfortable with electronics in the field.

Trail cams are certainly electronic and battery operated. Some of the more advanced models can actually use a cellular signal (when available) to email pictures to the user. Some also utilize photovoltaic cells to recharge their batters with solar energy. The user does not even need to go into the field collect the pictures! Using trail cameras takes out much of the skill of scouting and evaluation that is a big part of deer hunting. Despite the fact that popular hunting magazines like Field and Stream and Outdoor Life tout the use of trail cams, the wisest woodsman is able to pick their hunting spots based on their superior knowledge of the area, advanced scouting, and animal knowledge. These should be skills that are acquired after years in the field, not from a few hours in front of the computer screen.

The debate over technology in the field will continue. For example, hunters in many areas are currently in debates about the use of crossbows during the archery season. Different people have different criteria, but for me, keep the electronics out of the hunt.

2009 Connecticut Pheasant Hunting Opening Day

Maybe it was the spot we decided to try. Maybe it was the fact that some other popular spots in the area were not stocked this year. Maybe it was the nice weather. Maybe there is increased interest in hunting these days. Whatever the reason, it seems that there were more people than ever in the woods on opening day of the 2009 pheasant hunting season in Connecticut. More hunters than pheasants roamed the Connecticut woods. There was even an accident in one of the Connecticut pheasant hunting areas. A hunter was hit with bird shot from another hunter firing at a pheasant.

Once the crowds thinned out, and we were able to find a decent place to hunt, it ended up being a good day.

Based on the size of the birds I saw, it appears the birds may be larger than in previous years. This is good news since some of the birds were pretty scrawny in past years.

Even if there is only a slight chance you will hunt pheasants this year, consider buying your tags. The money from the sale of pheasant tags goes back into the fund to support the purchase of pheasants for the next year. As Connecticut becomes more and more developed, your tag purchase can help support and preserve hunting in Connecticut.

Stanley Golf Course -- New Britain, CT

Golf Shop 860-827-8570
Tee-Times 860-827-1362
Whinstone Tavern 860-827-0022

Stanley Golf Course
245 Hartford Rd.
New Britain, CT 06053

http://www.stanleygolf.com/

It's approaching the end of the golf season in Connecticut, but pleasant golf can still be had with little luck in the weather department. I was fortunate enough to get a great day for a scramble tournament at Stanley Golf Course in New Britain, Connecticut.

Stanley is one of the better public courses in central Connecticut. On this beautiful September day the conditions were excellent. The course was green all around. Fairways and greens were in good shape.

Stanley is a good course with challenging and score-able holes, but what sets Stanley apart are the carts. The golf carts at Stanley are equipped with GPS units. The units tell you everything about the golf course. All you have to do is drive up to you ball, and the cart tells you how far your drive traveled, how far to the pin, how far to the front of the green, back of the green, sand traps, water, etc. It even gives tips on how to best play the hole. When you first hear about the GPS it sounds like something unnecessary, and perhaps to some extent it is. We've all been playing golf for years without GPS. However, it is definitely a fun feature. Even without the GPS, Stanley would be a fine golf course, but I would recommend checking out Stanley Golf Course to try the GPS.

Campground Review: Winter Island Park – Salem, Massachusetts

Where: Winter Island Park

50 Winter Island Road

Salem, MA 01970

phone 978-745-9430

winterisland@cove.com

www.salemweb.com/winterisland

Many people looking for a beach get-away in the Massachusetts area fight the hoards and travel to Cape Cod. The Cape Cod trip for a middle-New Englander is almost done by default. Although The Cape is nice, for my tastes it’s a bit overrated. Some of the other more popular spots include Rockport/Gloucester, Plymouth, or Newburyport. Others looking for a beach vacation may venture farther north to New Hampshire or the dramatic rocky shores of Maine. All along the North Shore (In local terms, the coast line above Boston is known as the North Shore, south of Boston is the South Shore.) are small spots that can be fun, but with less crowds (Keep in mind that this is a densely populated area. “Less crowds” does not mean zero crowds.). Salem, Massachusetts is one of those interesting North Shore spots. Rich in history (mostly infamous due to the 17th century witch trials), Salem is now a modern port town just north of Boston. Salem has embraced it’s infamous past and offers many activities exploring the sordid history of Puritanical New England. There are even two trolleys that take tourists to the different sites of Salem including the House of Seven Gables, the witch museum, and old graveyard among several others. Although rich in history, Salem is a modern town with shopping, hotels, and restaurants for every taste.
On the outskirts of Salem is a small public-owned camping area and recreation known as Winter Island Park. Winter Island has a rich history of it’s own. Before becoming a park, it was a military-owned island going as far back as the American Revolution. Signs of the military history of the island are still present today. Ammunition bunkers and an old fort can still be found on the island. Today, the primary feature of the island is a large public boat launch. The island also features a lighthouse, a public beach, a picnic pavilion, and a large playscape.
Winter Island Park is not a large park. One could likely walk across the entire park in 30 minutes. It’s not a place to go for a long hike or bike ride. However, take a leisurely stroll along the rocky shore at sunset and you can catch a nice sunset behind the lighthouse.
Camping at Winter Island Park is low maintenance. This is not a park that features tons of organized programs for the kids, or theme weekends. The attraction of Winter Island Park is the beach, rock shore, and open space to enjoy the outdoors. Many of the campers are also boaters, but there are large RV, pop-up, and tent sites available. My family and I spend Labor Day weekend (Thursday through Monday) camping with our pop-up camper at Winter Island Park. We planned on spending at least one day exploring the town of Salem. However, we were having so much fun at the campground that we ended up not venturing outside of the campground for the entire weekend. My 4-year old son spent a lot of time at the large playscape. The whole family enjoyed exploring the rocky shores looking for crabs and shells. We spent one day at the beach. We also used our kayaks to do some exploring. We even flew a kite on one particularly windy morning. We were having so much fun on the island that we never even got a chance to go fishing, although there were several fishermen on the shores near the lighthouse.
My family and I really enjoyed our weekend on Winter Island Park.

Tips:
When camping at Winter Island Park one needs to be aware of the type of camping you plan on doing. The sites right near the shore are not really campsites. They are basically parking spots on the blacktop parking lot near the boat-launch. I suppose these sites would be ok with an RV for boat owners that want to be near to their boats. However, for most campers, you’ll prefer the grass sites away from the boat launch. If you have a large RV, sites 42 to 54 are adequate. However, pop up campers would probably be best served to consider other sites. Sites 54 and 55 give the most room for campers without large RVs. I recommend site 55 for a pop up. This site has water and electricity hook-ups, and is away from the other campers. This site features an entire field in front of your site for recreation. If you have a pop-up and need to consider a site between 42 and 53, go for the corner or end sites. For tent campers, I recommend sites 57 and 36. Be careful of tent site 58 as it is close to the road and has a steep slant.
Don’t plan on relying on the small store at the park. The store mostly just sells candy and t-shirts. However, near the front gate the park sells ices at a reasonable price. It’s nice to be able to buy ice without having to leave the park.
One small negative to the park is the very large power plant that is quite visible across the bay. It visually detracts from the natural setting of the park, but other than that, it’s easily ignorable and did not impact our stay.

Summary of Shot Gun Chokes

With bird season approaching, it's an appropriate time to start to considering upland game equipment.

I found this summary of shot gun chokes on the Kittery Trading Post website. I thought it was a good quick summary and explanation.

The progression goes from least to most choke constriction.

Popular Shotgun Chokes:

Cylinder Bore: This is a straight tube with no constriction at all. It would be the same as if you cut a barrel back four or five inches and removed all the choke in it, leaving just a straight tube.
Skeet 1: This has a .005" constriction and tightens the pattern just a little. It is great for skeet shooting or any type of shooting where the shots are 25 yards or less.
Improved Cylinder: This is tighter than Skeet 1 with about .010" constriction. Great for shots under thirty yards or so or if you want to shoot Foster type slugs in your bird gun.
Skeet 2: This has about .015" constriction and is actually a "light modified". Great for ducks over decoys and some pass shooting under certain conditions. It makes a nice early season pheasant choke for the second shot. Good for almost 35 yards.
Modified: This was the most common choke a few years ago. It usually represents about a .020" constriction. All the guns either came with a full or modified choke. It is midway between the tight and open. (Kind of like ordering a medium instead of a large or small, if you will.) Good out to 35 yards.
Improved Modified: This is a little tighter than modified but not as tight as full. Usually about .025" constriction. Popular with some trap shooters and a good choice for late season pheasants.
Full: This is the standard long-range choke. Usually a .040" constriction. Good for 40 yards or more and was the most popular choke for trap shooting, and years ago, for pass shooting at ducks when we used to shoot lead.

Extra Full or Super Full Turkey Choke: These are the tightest chokes used when you want to put a full pattern on a turkey's head. These will run .045" constriction or tighter depending on the maker. It is too tight for most standard applications but for turkey hunting, it is an excellent choice with the right shot.

Credit given to Kittery Trading Post website for this information.

Wolf’s Den Family Campground, East Haddam CT – Summer 2009

2009 marked a rare return trip to a campground location for my family. Up until now, we have tended to rarely visit the samp spot twice, typically opting instead for the prospect of new adventures at different locations. However, after making the rounds at campgrounds throughout Connecticut and surrounding states, we can finally say we have some idea of what we like. For that reason, we made our second annual trip to Wolf’s Den Family Campground.

You can check my previous post from 2008 to get the full detailed review of Wolf’s Den Family campground.

I’m not going to repeat all the details here, except to say that as far as private campgrounds around Connecticut go, Wolf’s Den is a good choice, especially for the kids. The campsites are reasonably size, and most with shade. There is a wide selection of site choices ranging from the grassy sites close to the activities, to more private sites in the woods. They have enough activities to keep the kids excited without interfering with the relaxed attitude that makes camping appealing to most of the adults.

Keep in mind that Wolf’s Den is a private campground. It’s not a state park, so it’s not situated on some large lake or huge mountain or acres of hiking forest. For the glories of nature you’ll have to find another spot. However, for a quick weekend trip, Wolf’s Den is convenient and fun.

This year we happened to attend during their “Christmas in August” celebration. Santa visited the campground on a fully accessorized Harley Davidson motorcycle. The children enjoyed the “sleigh” rides (a trailer pulled by a pick up), and receiving a wrapped gift from Santa.
The entire family had fun playing in the pool and enjoying the outdoors.

Some tips:

1) There’s a stand of raspberry bushes at the edge of the property behind the pond unknown to most campers. Depending on the time of year, if you venture back there you can indulge in some tasty berries.
2) The people here are serious about their horseshoes. My brother-in-law and I are decent back yard picnic players, but we were out-classed by these players. Many are seasonal campers that play all the time, and also participate in leagues. You had better be on your game if you challenge any of them. You may have heard the expression “never play pool at a bar with a guy that brings his own stick.” I would expand that expression to advise to never challenge people who bring their own horseshoes to a game! Most of the players have their own set. That’s the level of seriousness you’ll be dealing with here. And don’t be fooled into thinking that a woman or old man is a weak player! Most of the women are just as skilled as the men. Needless to say, I did not go very far in the double elimination tournament, losing my first game to an old man, and my second game to an impressive young woman.

2009 GE Petit Foundation 5K Road Race

The weather was excellent this year for the 2009 GE Petit Foundation 5K Road Race.

In the second annual race, the organizers improved upon the inaugural effort. There were plenty of vendors, free food, and activities. The kids especially enjoyed the bounce houses, and the ~1/4 mile kids run.

Race results can be found here:

http://www.plattsys.com/results/res2009/petit09.htm

Camping -- New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire

Nearly every year for the past few years I've spent a weekend camping with friends at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This is not your normal camping experience with woods, birds chirping, and relaxation. This is race weekend camping. It's not about the campground. Generally, it's not even about the race. It's about having a good time. After a couple of sub-par years, Loudon came through this year. Several improvements have been made to the track experience.

First off, let me explain racetrack camping. If you're looking for a pristine campground, this is not your place. If you camp in the track owned lots, you are faced with camping in a dirt parking lot. You are tightly packed in. There are no facilities. The advantage is that you are close to the racetrack, and if you’re looking for a party, you are close to other race fans also looking for a party. It’s more about that party and the race than it is about the camping. In order to camp at the track-owned lots you need to have a self-contained camper, and have tickets to the Sunday race.

There are several private spots to camp at different lots surrounding the track. These are mostly private landowners that allow campers for a fee for race weekend. These are not campgrounds. They are fields. The owner usually will bring in a porta-potty, and maybe provide some water. Again, the conditions are not pristine. However, you have more freedom (i.e. tents etc. are ok), and more space.

My group has a unique approach to race weekend. We camp at a private lot across from the track. We get there Friday night, eat, and have some beers. We make a big breakfast Saturday, then pack our coolers for a day at the track. We catch the modified and the Nationwide race. The modified race is usually the best race of the weekend. After the race, we head back to the campsite for some food, then head back to the track camping lots for the party night. Saturday night at X-lot is usually the big party night. Redneck Mardi Gras. This year they had a concert just outside of X-lot. There were tens of thousands of people having a good time at the concert. The band was not a name act, but they were good. They did a lot of covers. It was a great addition to race weekend. Typically, there’s no entertainment for people, so things can sometimes get out of control. The concert gave everyone something relatively peaceful to do.
On Sunday, while everyone else is heading in for the Sprint Cup race, we’re packed up and heading out. We pass thousands of cars waiting in line for miles for the race. We’re heading in the opposite direction. It’s a great feeling. Most people can’t understand why we leave instead of staying for the main race. There are several reasons. First, in all honesty, the racing at NHMS is not the most exciting. There is not a lot of passing or action. Many times it’s like watching a toy train go around and around. Additionally, unlike the Saturday racing, you’re packed into those stands like sardines. The third reason is that we all have to be at work on Monday. After 2 days of partying at the track, we all could use the day Sunday to recover. The last reason is the money. While tickets for all the Saturday races run ~$40, the Sunday race is significantly more expensive. However, this year prices were lowered to a more reasonable level.Our approach is unorthodox, but it has been honed from several years of track visits. The concert was a big improvement to the race weekend experience, and a good time was had by all in 2009.

Quarry View Golf Course -- East Canaan, CT

Address: 30 Allyndale Road, East Canaan, CT 06024
Phone: (860) 824-4252
Cost - Weekdays: $11 for 9 holes, $17 for 18 holes
Cost - Weekends: $14 for 9 holes, $20 for 18 holes
Par 31 (should probably really be a par 28)
9 hole course, executive
www.quarryviewgolf.com

You don't always want a Cadillac. Sometimes the Chevy will do.

Quarry View Golf Course is a small executive course tucked into the side of a limestone quarry in the far northwest corner of Connecticut. This course will not be confused for Augusta National. The greens are in decent shape, but other than that, it's pretty much a nice lawn which allows golf. I don't say that as an insult because Quarry View has adjusted their prices accordingly. They are charging a fair price for their services, and they are not trying to fool anyone. When you visit their website, you see that they are catering to families and beginner golfers.

Quarry View is a great place to take a youngster to learn the game of golf. It's short and unpretentious. The advanced golfer may be a little disappointed. The course claims to have a par 5 and 2 par 4s, but even those are questionable. The par 5 is less than 400 yards, and the par 4s are both under 250 yards. However, if you keep expectations in check, Quarry View is a good alternative to grab a quick and cheap 9 holes. If you have the time and cash, go to a full course. Otherwise, Quarry View can be fun.

One note: Quarry view does not have grass tees on every hole. Some holes have thin mats for teeing off. These mats require special tees, which they sell for a cheap price in the club house. I strongly recommend grabbing a few of these tees before heading out.