I planned this to be as much a scouting trip as a hardcore hunting venture, and by 3 I was prospecting some state land around West Branch. Got out and walked with my gun a couple times, but didn't move any birds. I wasn't especially impressed with the terrain, anyway.
I decided to drive on toward Grayling to hunt the next morning before fishing on the Au Sable in the afternoon. Once again, good cover was hard to find (I know...in the HEART of Michigan grouse country...). I knew of some popular bird areas near where I had camped, but I wanted to find something a little off the beaten path. I drove around about as much as I hunted, and once again I found no birds and no promising covers. At least I was able to eliminate a few parts of the map as possible hunting grounds.
I did eventually flush a grouse--but only when I was walking off the river with a rod instead of a gun in hand. I had a heavily weighted streamer on my line, and I'm sure it could have taken out a grouse, but I restrained myself. There's determined, and then there's just plain pathetic.
Speaking of pathetic... the trout had ignored me as well, aside from a quick nip to a streamer near the end of my wade. I've had some good days in early November, when browns (perhaps hoping to pack on some weight for the coming winter) couldn't stay away from deeply fished streamers and nymphs, but Monday would not be one of them. At least I could enjoy the tamaracks putting on the season's final arboreal color display.
Despite having had next to no fish or game contacts. Disappointing, but still an occasion for gratitude, as I was reminded that few of my outings this year were like that.
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