Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    Yes, I have it.  It's kinda long to type in here.  If there are a few
    particular towns you are interested in I will include it here. 
    Otherwise, give me your mailstop and I will send you a copy.
    
    Mark,
    

I'd sure appreciate a copy of that!

  Larry Ouellette ACO/P59

    Larry, I put that in interoffice mail to you just now.  No promises
    on how long it might take to get there!
    
    You know the state only provides the list of towns and the number
    of stocking sites in each town, no specific info on where those
    sites are.
    
    good luck,
    Mark
    

    
    Mark -
    
    I'd appreciate both.....
    
    For the list, I'm at HL01-1/Q05.
    
    For a few....   I live in Brookline NH (about 12 miles west of
    Nashua...).  I know there weren't any Brookline drops last year - but
    there were three in Milford.  So....  Until I get your list - anywhere
    in the Brookline/Milford area will be appreciated.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Dan

    Dan I will send you a copy as well.
    
    There are still 3 sites listed for Milford.  Also this year Mout
    Vernon has 1 site and Lyndeboro has 1 site.
    
    good luck,
    Mark
    

    re: -01
    
    Mark - thanks for the info - I think I know were two of them are in
    Milford.  Mout Vernon.....(???)  I'm not sure if there was one there
    last year........
    
    Regardless - Time to start asking my springer spaniel if he wants to
    go hunting......   When I do, he goes crazy and jumps in the bed of
    the PU........
    
    Dan

    Dan, did you go out this morning?  
    
    My lab and I went out with a friend and his springer.  I dropped a
    cock within the first ten minutes of the hunt.  While we were looking
    for it a hen flushed and I took it.  I had my two birds in the first
    15 minutes but we couldn't find the cock.  It had dropped in a thick
    tall grassy area with a ditch in it.  It wasn't that large and I
    couldn't figure how the two of us with two dogs couldn't find it.
    Anyway, we looked and looked and finally decided to hunt on a little
    and then come back.  I think we put up 8 pheasants in all.  Anyway,
    we came back and started looking for the cock again.  Finally my
    Lab got birdy standing in the water next to me.  She stuck her nose
    under the water for maybe a minute, then she stuck her head under
    can come up with the cock!  I don't know how that bird got completely
    under the water, under a matt of pushed over grass.  Only thing I
    could think of was one of us stepped on the bird or right next to
    it and pushed it down.
    
    Anyway, it felt great to be out with the dogs again.
    
    good luck,
    Mark
    

    
    Mark - 
    
    First - Sounds like you (and your dog...) did all right.  
    
    On me....................   I tried Milford on 10/1.   I did hear a
    cople of shots - and saw one pheasent one hunter missed - but that was
    about it.    If anything else - my springer had a good time (spent all
    his time "springing"..........).
    
    Just out of curiousity - what time did you start?
    
    thx
    Dan

    Dan, I was in Milford too.  I must have finally been at the right place
    at the right time.  I found out last night my partner and his spring
    put up three more cocks after I left.
    
    mark

    I'll be stumping around in Milford tomorrow morning 10/5 near the dump
    looking for those flushed birds.
    
    Ray
    

    Ray, how did you do this morning?
    
    Mark
    

    Spent a couple of hours wandering around with no luck.  Not too many shots 
    either, but I'll be back out there again this week.
    
    Ray
    
    

    I did alright there Friday, but the birds definitely outsmarted us
    on Saturday.  We (3 guys, a springer, and a lab) found 2 cocks Saturday
    morning.  We flushed one 3 times, the other 4 times.  Only once was a
    decent shot offered, and the guy missed that one.  Those birds learned
    the game fast.  Oh well, chalk one up for the birds.
    
    Mark,
    

    
    Since someone offered up that they were hunting in MIlford near the 
    dump, would you care to be more specific, I have been looking for a
    place to hunt pheasants, its been awhile since I have seen them (since
    moving up from MA).  If you don't want to be more specific, it is 
    understood, 
    
    --Bob
    

    Just past the dump on North river road (about 200 yds.) on the left is 
    a series of cornfields.  Just park on the the right side of the road and 
    walk in.  I'm not sure the stocking dates, but I do know they stock for
    the opener.
    
    Ray
    

    
    Ray, 
    
    Thanks for the location, I will have to check it out.  From your 
    description this sounds like someones farm. Whom do I need to ask
    for permission to hunt this land??
    
    --Bob
    

    re: -.02
    
    Also - You can't miss it...   Signs were put up by the Fish&Game
    
    It is also my understanding that last week was the last drop.....
    
    (Sunday afternoon, about .5 mile or so west of the Fish hatchery it
    sounded like a battle zone..........  For what ever reason, a bunch
    of pheasants were found right off the road.   I heard the shots/saw
    the pheasants flying away, but thats as close as I came to getting
    one).
    
    Dan
    
    

    I'm not sure of the farmers name.  I think he is the one that lives
    across the street, but I'm not sure.  You don't really need to stop
    and ask for permission, though I'm sure the farmer would enjoy it.
    That area is heavily hunted by a lot of different people.  It is
    really amazing to have a hunting area that close to such a populated
    area.  In fact, there are places where you can see the golden arches
    of McDonalds while you are hunting.  A little strange....
    
    As far as I know, that area has been hunted heavily for years without
    any real problems.  The only problems I have been aware of is a few
    people were careless about parking their vehicles and blocking access.
    That seems to have gotten better.  Let;s keep it problem free.
    
    Mark,
    

    If any of you other die-hards are still hunting the area behind the
    dump in Milford, I would advise you use extra caution.  Our hunt
    yesterday was cut short when my partner's springer stepped in a
    steel leg hold trap up on the bank of the river.  Luckly, she will
    be OK, but it was not a pleasant experience.
    
    Mark,
    

    in regards to my last note, the trapper has now pulled his traps
    from that area so it is safe for your dogs until the 1st of the year.
    I wasn't aware of this, but in NH the trapper is responsible for any
    damage to domestic animals caught in the traps, so he will be paying
    my friends vet bill.
    
    Mark,
    

    BOY, it felt good to be out hunting with the dogs this morning.  The
    dogs (my Lab and partners Springer) worked like champs.  We even found
    some birds.
    
    The game warden handed us a questionaire to fill out and return to the
    F&G if we wanted to.  There are 24 questions about your preferences for
    stocking schedules, sites, etc.  I also asks if you would be willing
    to serve as a F&G Pheasant Program Volunteer.
    
    I will make copies if any of you other NH pheasant hunters would like
    to provide your $.02 worth to the fish and game.
    
    Mark,
    

    
    I also got out yesterday, saw lots of birds, problem was other people
    were shooting them. Oh well, gotta find a dog to hunt with, it sure
    is hard without a dog.
    
    Does anyone know the stocking dates, even guesses at them. They had
    obviously stocked for yesterday, any idea if they will stock for
    this Saturday and any other dates??
    
    --Bob
    

    They stock once before the season opens and three times during the
    season.  Generally, I think they stock prior to the first 3 weekends.
    
    Mark,
    

    
    In 91 the F&G handed out questionaires to some pheasant hunters, got
    mine via this notesfile (.-2?).  anyway, the finally got around to 
    distributing the results. Either they did not hand out many
    questionaires, or the NH pheasant hunting population is pretty
    apathetic, there were 174 surveys returned. Here's what it says:
    
    * many hunters believe there is too much pressure at the sites on
    opening day and over crowding is a problem. Only two felt that stocking 
    should be terminated.
    
    * Most pheasant hunters hunt other species
    
    * Forty percent of the hunters surveyed own dogs.
    
    * Seventy five percent of the hunters like teh quality of the birds and
    did not have a preferance of hens or cocks
    
    * Two-thirds of the hunters are willing to pay more for birds
    
    * 12-15 percent harvested 3-6 pheasants per season
    
    * Over 40% are willing to travel up to 75 miles to a quality hunting
    site
    
    * 50% would like to see more in-season stocking and 50% would like
    the stocking schedule to remain the same
    
    * The majority (57%) of teh respondents are against a tag system.
    (note: What do they mean by tag system?)
    
    * The majority (62%) of teh respondents are against using pheasant
    license money on habitat improvement
    
    * Over two-thirds of the hunters believed that site locations (as 
    opposed to just towns) should be published.
    
    * One noteworthy suggestion was to stop dog training at the pheasant
    stocking sites three days prior to opening day.
    
    

    Bob, thanks for posting that.  I too filled in the questionaire, but
    I haven't gotten the results yet.  Hopefully, it's in the mail.
    
    I think it is too bad it took them 18 months to process the results.
    I don't know what others found this past season, but I was VERY
    disappointed and would have answered the survey totally different.
    1st I think they increased the license fee too much.  Personally, I
    own a dog and I am commited to hunting it, so I will pay it (and more).
    What worries me is it is too expensive for the occasional hunter that
    doesn't have a dog, but would like to get out and bird hunt a time or
    two during the season.
    
    Secondly, there wasn't a single bird still present on any Saturday of the
    season where I hunt.  They were all stocked early in the week during
    the middle of the day, so they were all taken by friends of folks living
    near the stocking areas who saw the stocking truck.  I'm not in favor
    of heavy stocking just for the weekends, but I do think the working
    guy deserves a chance.
    
    Mark,