How did you fellas do?
I think the stocking program is a joke, if you dont hunt the day after stocking you will never get a shot at one of the very few birds that are put out.

This was the worst year I have ever had. The quality of the birds is very piss poor, I find so many birds behind peoples houses, without and out by the road where you can't hunt for them because the state did a horrible job stocking them. Even though I had two young pups I still had my 12 year old that found birds as well as the pups but this year was awful.

Not sure where you hunt or if you have a dog but I found the season to be about average. Re: the stocking program; MA puts out far more birds than the other N.E. states (approx. 40K) I never hunt SE wma's (Crane, Miles Standish) in the a.m due to crowds and almost always get birds after the crowds have gone. I have talked to groups of guys in the parking lot and heard the "no birds stocked today" gripes, and literally walked around the corner to my dog on point. They are there you just have to put in your time and work a little harder. Buy some Filsons and hit the brush with a good dog.

P.S. Reel C - I'm sure the state is not stocking those birds close to houses! Those birds are no doubt pushed there by the guys who never see them (read NO DOGS) or don't shoot straight! That being said we did have a lot of birds flush into trees this yr. but just when you start thinking the birds are not flight conditioned you get a rocket that is up and gone before you can blink. Go figure? Buy the way, just a reminder for a lot of you out there; it's called WING SHOOTING not tree shooting or ground shooting!:smash: :af:

I hunt Crane b/c it is 12 minutes from the house,I also have a pretty darn good dog.
The people that are doing the stocking do a poor job all the birds can be found in the same locations all of the times.
I always give the first wave of hunters a few minutes head start I just dont want some yahoo to shoot me in the back.

Big Cat - I agree that it would be nice if they would scatter the birds a little more but I guess the field areas are the logical release areas. I usually hunt Crane 1/2 times mid week; never on weekends and get almost all my birds in the scrub and fringe areas. Like you I stay away from the crowds and don't usually get out until after the initial barrages! A lot of guys are already leaving while I'm going out. ( You may have seen my old red Jimmy right at the entry!) Arrive late and stay late works for me. I'm sure if you're a Crane regular you know what days the birds go in and that certainly leads to crowds on those days and few birds on others. I don't think there's an easy solution to this because if they varied the days a lot of the birds would just go to the predators and a lot of guys would really be bitching. I don't see much of a solution except we all more to S.Dakota!

Sokin, yep I know were you park I park down the road at the last telephone pole black dodge, I just came in from my morning walk and come out just were you park. The dog and I walk the back trails 2- 3 times a week about a 3 mile hike,haven't found and holdovers yet, but did see a fawn deer this morning :D

Am a western mass guy and the wma by my house the birds where stocked right behind houses. I do have dogs and they are pretty good I would say. Matter of fact about two weeks ago my dogs where down at the Crane wma trying to qualify for nationals. They come from a well known breeder Brain Hayes out of RI might of heard from him. My dogs arent some backyard breeds dogs. The line about filson cloths come on. You should know that you don't need filson clothing to go hunt. An secondly Filson isn't that good compared to the Danher products.

R.C. - If you say they stock the birds behind houses in WMA who am I to argue; this is MA and there are houses everywhere but if I thought they were releasing birds too close (-500 ft.) to houses I'd be calling the district office. Glad to hear you have a couple of good dogs; hope they qualified and learn to find a few more birds for you next season. I just pal along with my not quite a backyard breed, ill trained llewellin setter a few days a week and shoot lots of birds. :) P.S. The Filson comment was meant as a hint to hit the heavy cover where they excel; buy your gear at walmart if you like but my Filsons have served me well for over 30 yrs. and have stopped everything from briars to #6's. If they weren't the best they wouldn't still be in business after about 100 yrs.

Hey am not bashing you or anything buddy but I just took it the wrong way this morning, I just felt the way you where saying things if we where some redneck idiots that don't know how to hunt upland birds. Those setters you got are the best out there, but I hate long haired dogs and therefore will always own the Elhew Pointers. All I was trying to say is just like fishing you don't need the best gear to be a good hunter although all my hats are filson.

RC- No problem; rereading my post I guess you might have taken it that way; no slight intended:rolleyes: Just been in a stir the pot, ballbusting mood since the end of bird season. I'm not a deer hunter so I go into a "funk" until goose season rolls around.:( I hear what you say about the long haired dogs, I had to give my Lew a crew cut after the 1st day she picked up so many burrs; but she sure is pretty and as they say "life is too short to hunt with an ugly dog". My buddy hunts pointers and my brother is a GSP fan and they sure are easier in the maintainance dept. As you know dogs are the name of this game and although everyone has to start somewhere I'll admit to harboring an intense dislike for "walmart walkers" who don't hesitate to shoot a bird on the ground, out of a tree, in front of your dog, etc. I can't count the number of times I've been in heavy cover w/ the dog only to come out and find I have a couple of partners"stationed up waiting for a flush! My lew does have some decent lines; she is out of King Lewellin's in Arkansas and has the same sire as the late "Hank" from the Hunting With Hank show. Although we have had a couple of Brit's and a field setter watching Hank work was what made me go for the Llewellin. At 4 yrs old this season she really came into her own, great nose, solid on point, circles birds naturally, etc. If only I could teach her to shoot! Again, sorry about any misunderstanding and good luck with your dogs. John P.

I had an OK season, found my share of birds. I own a GSP, she is a year and a half old , but a decent hunter.I got her out of New Jersey, from the Hidden Hollow Breed. My Dad got his last dog from there and she was excellent. I hunt Myles Standish, and I've been hunting there since I was a kid. Your right about the stocking....it's ok but not great. I just wish the season was longer...before you know it, it's over, and you have to wait another 10 months. Any of you guys know where I can find some birds for training? I'm looking for some quail if anyone knows of anywhere. I heard last year wasn't very good for getting game birds...I couldnt find any.Here's a pic. of my pup..

Here is my girl Rory. She is a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. I got her from a breeder in Western PA. She is only 6 months old, and her training is coming along nicely.

'DOH, SHE BLINKED!!!!

Thats better......

Here is a picture of my Labrador Retriver Liberty Bell heading out for a day of striper fishing.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/bigcat988/Picture_027.jpg

There is a game preserve / dog training club in Berkley. The name of the place escapes ,e right now. Pick up a copy of "Blacks Shotgun Journal", it is like the yellow pages of shotgunning. There is also the Addeville Game Farm in RI.

Lets see if this works. This is my fathers Brit " Bode."

Last yr. MA offered an opportunity for hunters to extend their season by buying birds and stocking them at selected WMA's. I'm not sure if this will be available this yr. I contacted the SE district office last yr. and had an application mailed to me but didn't take advantage of it. They had a list of bird breeders you could buy from. For those interested it might be a good idea to call and check it out. I would be careful about buying quail or pheasant for training purposes as I think it is illegal without a permit. ;) You definately cannot shoot the birds out of season even if you buy them.

If I buy them I eat them. Who said you have to "shoot" them?:eek:

Those are the best ones outfished. No bird shot in them and some of them you can already buy cooked.