upland hunting Newfoundland

[Spear]

Anybody here upland hunt with their dog in newfoundland. I have a Brit and am curious what I am getting into.

[crockett]

My buddy moved to St. John's with his yellow lab. They hunt grouse (spruce and ruffed). I was up near Gander for work this winter and was talking to some guys who go across to Labrador and hunt ptarmigan out on the tundra with pointers - according to them it's their favourite hunting, bar NONE! Nice open country. Sounds like fun!
-Croc

[BdBHunts]

Going out for a bit, will post info when I come home.

[BdBHunts]

Are you planning on moving here?

If you like to see your dog get out and work birds then there are places you can do that, ptarmigan country.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o2/bdbhunts/th_DSC001201a.jpg (http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o2/bdbhunts/DSC001201a.jpg)
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o2/bdbhunts/th_DSC01717.jpg (http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o2/bdbhunts/DSC01717.jpg)

There is your typical thick grouse habitat as well.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o2/bdbhunts/th_DSC01335.jpg (http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o2/bdbhunts/DSC01335.jpg)
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o2/bdbhunts/th_DSC01334.jpg (http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o2/bdbhunts/DSC01334.jpg)


I was up near Gander for work this winter and was talking to some guys who go across to Labrador and hunt ptarmigan out on the tundra with pointers - according to them it's their favourite hunting, bar NONE! Nice open country. Sounds like fun!

What were you working at in the Gander area? I work in Gander and live 40 minutes west of there. Did you notice all the small ponds and bogs along the highway, there is no shortage of accesible water to work retrievers. If you have any contact info for those fellows with the pointers could you pm it to me, it is good to know others that are into the same kind of hunting.

Jeremy

[Liam]

Hey

Nice to see others here into Upland from Newfoundland. I'm on the West Coast (Corner Brook area). Originally had an English Springer, but am now a GSP convert (12 wk pup).

Any more of you out there? I was beginning to think I might be the only one!

[BdBHunts]

Pop lives in Deer Lake, was out snowmobiling there the end of March. You got a good bit this winter, any snow left or is it just in the hills?

[Liam]

Yes, we did get a fair amount of snow this year. Scattered amounts remain in the hills but from what I can see not very much. Marble Mountain is also losing the snow fast, when I drove by yesterday next to nothing remains. I guess with the rain today anything remaining will soon be gone.

[BdBHunts]

We got snow here.

[Gramps]

My Lab Buddy (2 yrears old) and I would love to do some bird hunting in NL. Our son is a biology prof at MUN and we visit St. John's regularly. We would have hunted there this fall but Buddy had his hock torn up in a traffic accident a month ago. He's coming along but will not be sound enough to be hunted much this year, if all goes well with his rehab.

Buddy has had some limited experience flushing and retrieving Pheasants and Ruffed Grouse, and he has retrieved a handfull of ducks and geese over water. He also flushed a flock of turkeys for me last fall allowing me to harvest a hen during Ontario's first fall turkey hunt since turkeys were reintroduced to Ontario in about 1987.

Our son has hunted in the past but after 7 years in Australia, and 2 years in N, his "paper work" is no longer in order and he just hasn't connected with any serious hunters. So, I would be interested in hearing about opportunities to upland bird hunt in the St. John's area; especially from retirees'.

[crockett]

What were you working at in the Gander area? I work in Gander and live 40 minutes west of there. Did you notice all the small ponds and bogs along the highway, there is no shortage of accesible water to work retrievers. If you have any contact info for those fellows with the pointers could you pm it to me, it is good to know others that are into the same kind of hunting.

Jeremy

I was there to give a presentation at a biology meeting down at the Indian Bay Ecosystem Station. We went in by ski-doo right from town, so Yeah - I did notice all the ponds and bogs! lol! The guy I talked to about the pointers was a conservation officer there for the meeting. I think that he was now living in Cornerbrook, but he was originally from Labrador (not sure where). I'm not sure if he still had the pointers or not, he seemed to talk about it like it was something that he used to do (pre kids maybe?). I'll ask my buddy who works with all those guys - he'll know if there are any guys around there still into it.
-Croc

[BdBHunts]

Gramps the second picture I posted is 2 hours from St. John's. I am always interested in meeting and hunting with others, we are a dieing breed. There are dogs that they use on the southern Avalon that are a type, not a breed, which jump from the cliffs to retrieve sea ducks. That I would really like to see in action.

crockett I may have talked to the man from Cornerbrook regarding running dogs. All that water makes it a little harder to duck and goose hunt though, so many places for them to land. Last fall was milder than normal and the small ponds didn't freeze up until late.

[crockett]

Last night I was in the magazine shop and flipped through the current issue of "Shooting Sportsman" - there is an article in there about ptarmigan hunting in northern Quebec, which is, of course, not different from ptarmigan hunting in Labrador except the birds cackle with a different accent. I hear that they taste the same though - lol.
http://www.shootingsportsman.com/magazine/2009/may
-Croc

[Labradorian]

I grew up in Labrador and spent a lot of time hunting there. When I went to university in St. John's I gave it up. Now I am getting back into it. I spent last year looking for hunting places around St. John's and doing a bit of hunting without a dog. I will do the same this year since my britt puppy is scheduled to be here in mid Jan. Next year will be a fun hunt.

[BdBHunts]

If you are on the Avalon there are hunters in your area that you may be able to hook up with that have dogs. I am heading out on Saturday and maybe Monday and Tuesday as well, I'm in Central.

[Spear]

I am looking for pigeons to warm up my Brit for hunting next week and beyond. Anyone know where you can get pigeons in St. Jonn's?

[Labradorian]

I am looking for pigeons to warm up my Brit for hunting next week and beyond. Anyone know where you can get pigeons in St. Jonn's?

Quidi Vidi Lake?

I was wondering the same actually. Of course this time of year it is ok to take your dog out on the barrens for ptarmigan or the woods for some grouse.

Where did you get your brittany? I just put myself on a waiting list for one from Sask. I haven't seen many britts in NL.

[Prisoner]

Yea a lot of pigeons in open public places just waiting to be picked up but there are still a number of people who would take offence to that.

I got my brit out of Ontario. I would suggest that Saskatchewan is a great place to get a brit from, just wait it out. They hunt a lot of open land and I think a pointer like a Brit is well suited to that sort of hunting.