Signed up for Medicare yesterday (a sobering experience!) and am finishing-up on the processing of a small deer today. After that I'll be at loose ends again for a while (which is hard for me). Saw a great video on steelheading in Michigan this morning on the Pierre Marquette and it got me to thinking....how is Michigan for ruffed grouse hunting (as compared to, say...Minnesota)? A fellow has to be thinking about where he's going to settle for that last great segment of life, someplace where he can cast his flyrod and carry his scattergun in the beautiful deciduous woods. Now... I think Gretchen Whitmer (and politics in general) in Michigan is pretty abysmal, but as an old codger (mostly retired & just recreating there), what does all that really mean? It looks like Traverse City is the only city of any size in the region, is that a decent place? Minimal crime, good food, & decent doctors? I realize the weather can be pretty crappy in winter but that's what Arizona is for, right?
I live in Houston TX right now. Grew up in NY. Spring 2024 Im moving to Stanton MI. Have a place on Nevins lake. I much prefer the cold over this miserable humidity. I hunted the UP this year without a dog. I also hunt Pittsburg NH every year. Ive only hunted MI once but walked up twice the number of birds that I did in NH. I'll get a dog early 2024. Thinking French Britney. Traverse city is about 2 hrs north of our place. You are right, Whitmer sucks. If MI didn't allow machine guns, the move would have been a hard decline. Medicare for me next year. My wife likes Traverse City although she hasn't visited Traverse City in a long time. Love the small town feel of Stanton/Greenville. Much slower than the Houston area. I think its going to be a GREAT place to spend retirement.
Lots of good grouse hunting in the upper Western counties of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Leaving politics out of the equation, Traverse City, Charlevoix, are high dollar areas, lots of Chicago yuppies, but get away from those cities and get to know some of the locals, you'll be fine. One of the best high end gun dealers, Brian Belinski, has a first rate gun shoppe out on Airport Road, and master cane rod maker Bob Summers is on the Boardman river. Oleson's meat market is one of the best in the State, and don't miss a morning coffee and bear claw pastries downtown Traverse City at Stacey's Cafe- good for local gossip too. RWTF
Gentlemen....thank-you all! This was somewhat tongue-in-cheek but... I am seriously looking for the last good place for myself and my immediate family. Colorado (as is much of the West) is going California on me at such a high rate of speed anymore (which really bugs me). Hunting the public lands out here is also getting very crowded (at least compared to what I've been used to for the last 30-years or so, this year was pretty tough). Classic old guy lament, I suppose. My wife is more-oriented towards cooler climates (really, I could go anywhere that wasn't crowded & totally commie) and a somewhat slower pace is always appealing. The usual balancing act, right?
mc: Arizona would be only for small (month-long?), bird-hunting breaks (nothing permanent). I was doing a fairly big job at Sky Harbour in the early 2000s for several years and really enjoyed hunting the desert down there for quail.
Lloyd, I forgot to mention that Del Whitman, a very good gunsmith and my go to, lives just a couple of miles west of Traverse City. Very convenient I'd say! Plus, it would be great to have you among us! Karl
Lloyd, I think you will miss the big water, and the big public ground in Northern Minnesota, not just the one you are familiar with. The immediate problem might be the Minnesota winter, which, until you’ve done a good one, is hard for civilians to wrap their head around. The temp was 5 degrees this morning, it is about the same, now. Balmy, to the regulars. Wood heat is my friend, now that elected officials are tilting at the energy windmills.The politics are going to be a wash, same old nonsense in both places.
I saw what happened at Ron’s place, very disheartening, but, not sure a move would make it better. Higher ground, might, but, that applies anywhere.
Best of luck, hard decision to make, but, I’ll see you wherever you end up.
Few random thoughts..My wife and I recently retired in northern lower Michigan, but still have a cottage on a Pere Marquette feeder river that receives all the Great Lakes fish runs. The pressure on the PM has exploded in the last five years. It’s still a great river, but the drift boat traffic has gotten out of hand. The bird hunting can be good, but again being between Grand Rapids and Traverse City the uplands receive a good amount of pressure. Real estate prices have really gone up on the west side of the state also.
We have bunch of common ground with us both being outdoors oriented & living the blue overcrowded place our beloved Colorado has become. Like you I signed up for Medicare last July myself & you're right it is a sobering experience realizing that I'm now officially in the ranks of being a senior citizen. Be aware that there will probably be some unforeseen potholes in the transition from your old insurance to Medicare.
Like you I've also been considering moving someplace other than here, but the big question is, where it is any better? It's the old deal of, Is the grass actually greener on the other side of the fence? I never really understood the snowbird retiree thing until recently & now find myself thinking that might not be too bad of a lifestyle. The biggest issue is maintaining two places in different locations. I'm tired of the cold & snow even with our fairly mild winters here on the front range. My idea is to throw my snowblower in the back of my pick-up and drive south until someone asks me, What's that thing for? This is when I'll know I'm probably within 200 miles of being far enough south.
My thinking is. I can play around with my double guns just about anywhere and can travel to good bird hunting destinations on an as needed basis. You can find decent fishing just about anywhere by modifying your methods & adjusting accordingly. In some ways I envy our friend who just pulled up stakes & moved to Maine. I could see myself living there in the warmer months but wouldn't want to winter over there.
Good luck with your choices & let us know what you decide!
Maybe, convince your son to do a summer road trip on college break, and just head a bit north to Wyoming and maybe Montana for a look around. Tons of elbow room, low pressure public access, and one really doesn't have to worry about crime in a Constitutional carry state. It's not that a person has to have a wild west mentality, more the bad folks think twice, knowing every vehicle and home has the tools available as needed. There are probably many modest to extravagant houses, on modest acreages, within touch of larger town services, and big expanses of fishing and hunting that cannot be developed. Lots of folks want to be in the mountains, but foothill areas can give quick access to big and small water, upcountry and the plains. All manner of game bird access, except for those hardwood forrest grouse?
Thank you all. My wife and I are in the early exploratory stage of all this. It's really hard to uproot from anywhere after 30-some years (and I'm really only willing to do it one more time). The short-term plan is to live in various places for a few months first just to see how it feels. Northern Maine is actually already on the list for a late summer/early Fall extended visit, and perhaps Traverse City after that(?). The number of variables are immense, of course, and I'm looking for that magic combination of ruffed grouse and trout, but work, health, and even family variables hold very large sway over any decision. We also still have the place in Minnesota to figure out. Oh well, good problems to have.
If you want to settle East of Grayling, the Atlanta area comes to mind. Lots of good outdoors minded gun owning folks on our "Sunrise Side "too. Used to deer and partridge hunt on a few of the Club Country lands near Mio, with our Greenville area MSP Lt, and Lakeview Post Cmdr.. He grew up in Mio, and after his "30 and out" with the Staties, he and Barbra retired there. RWTF
Sometimes the "expectation is greater than the realization". I've experienced that several times in my life! Karl
speaking of expectations.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIQVG0Bcu6w
i'm about to start the process of settling all my accounts in north east texas, and moving for better/worse to 7,000 ft elevation in the mountains of southern new mexico...decisions like this are always a subjective/balancing proposition.
best regards, tom
"it's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards." lewis carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Lloyd, The Steelhead runs are terrible and all of the grouse are long gone from MI!!! 😝. In all seriousness we still have good grouse hunting in the Lower Northern as well as the UP. As mentioned already TC, Potosky and Charlevoix have all gotten a tad over priced but other areas can be found w/a decent cost of living near by. Great healthcare, restaurants and other amenities are in those areas.
Fly fishing, and bird shooting'? I would love to retire in Alaska, but not during the the long night. Best wishes on finding a suitable retirement location Lloyd. I hope all the variables work out for you.
I grew up near Kalkaska. Hunting and trout fishing are both better in Colorado. I prefer the way CO runs big game seasons (multiple seasons, draws) and we simply have more species. Deer season in MI is a complete free-for-all and you have no realistic chance at an elk tag. Western hunting in wide open spaces is just more fun (in my opinion) than sitting in a blind or tree stand. Catching big trout in MI is mostly an after dark pursuit. On an average day you will do better on the Arkansas or the Platte than the famous northern MI rivers. Invasive species screwed up the smelt which screwed up the steelhead. MI does win on overall fishing because there are so many lakes to chase panfish, bass, and so on. You can even try for sturgeon in a few places. Bird hunting is probably a tie, CO has no ruffed grouse, but same as big game, CO has more species. You can't shoot doves or cranes in MI. The Munson healthcare system is for shit. You'd need to go U of M for anything critical. Ironton MI is an underappreciated area and river. The Drummond Island area is nice.
I can't speak to Michigan, but if I were looking to move to someplace to retire from where I now live, I'd consider north-central Pennsylvania, somewhere just north of I-80 near a town called Danville. Great medical care (Geisinger Health System), good fishing (Susquehanna River and numerous feeder streams), grouse hunting in the nearby state forests and a couple of universities within a short distance for intellectual stimulation. Plus, rural Pennsylvania is still pretty conservative and it's likely to stay that way for a while.
I can't speak to Michigan, but if I were looking to move to someplace to retire from where I now live, I'd consider north-central Pennsylvania, somewhere just north of I-80 near a town called Danville. Great medical care (Geisinger Health System), good fishing (Susquehanna River and numerous feeder streams), grouse hunting in the nearby state forests and a couple of universities within a short distance for intellectual stimulation. Plus, rural Pennsylvania is still pretty conservative and it's likely to stay that way for a while.
What difference does it make how conservative the rural part is, when the cities elect an actual brain damaged senator to office?
The platform he ran on looked like state sponsored economic suicide.
I can think of a number of third world countries that have better long term fiscal planning and goals.
Having made the move from MN to NC I will tell you this. I traded a brutal winter, and surprising to most a humid, buggy summer for much more reasonable seasons. The spring here is a delight, not a muddy, sloppy mess. I lost the instant access to great grouse and pheasant hunting. I have found that I can return to MN for 4 to 6 weeks in the fall to get the best the of grouse and pheasant seasons, Oct. and part of Nov. plus firearms deer if I choose. I did not choose deer this year as the weather was bad. I hold out the option though. NC has reasonable if not good trout fishing, no steelhead, but some "toothy old men" none the less! Would I move back? Nope, I would be too old to want to deal with the winter after I don't hunt. I would consider MI to have an equally brutal winter/ buggy humid summer, can't say though. I will say if I had not moved I would be satisfied to finish up in MN. One final thought I'm considering, motorhome!
Dogon: As far as the "potholes" in Medicare that you mention, one showed up here yesterday in the form of a rather large bill. The real reason that they barrage you with notices before you turn 65 is that they can't wait to pick your pocket to help pay for the folks who can't or won't (who says we don't already have socialized medicine?). Whatever the fine is for not signing up on-time, if you've ever worked for a living it's likely much-less than what they'll be gouging you for, and... for questionable service at best. You actually have to submit a form to be given permission to use other (not government sponsored) insurance. I knew I smelled a rat here. The more I learn about it (Medicare) the less I want to have anything to do with it.
Chief: After having been fishing in the mountains of western North Carolina, I can certainly see the appeal. Winters alone would be a good reason to relocate. There's a reason why I only hang-out on the Lake-of-the-Woods in Fall and Spring.
MC might not be that bad Lloyd. I switched on 1 Nov. On 28 Nov I had shoulder surgery and am in a sling right now and for the rest of this month. But so far as MC is concerned, it has been confusing, but so far has worked just fine.
I'm 71, and have been on Medicare for several years, now. I haven't one bad thing to say about it, so far. I was hospitalized in August and September of 2020 for 27 days, 14 of those in ICU, most of those on a ventilator, 6 more in a private room, and 7 in rehab. Total out-of-pocket expenses for me was less than $300, which had something to do with the ambulance trip to the ER. How it could have been any better than that I don't now.
Stan: I'm pleased to hear that, thank you! Out here in the Rocky Mountains, many of the better local physicians don't take Medicare any more (or at least limit it's use). I'm quite used to paying my own way for the peripheral stuff anyway (dental, optical, etc.) and I've been blessed with good health (& good luck) overall. It's not so-much the program that I object to, it's the clearly devious & then heavy-handed tactics used to get you into it. My fear is that one day (maybe even now?) our healthcare system will devolve into a 2-tier process, separating the well-heeled from the not-so. The little work that I've had done over the years was never covered by any regular insurance (from laser surgery on my eyes, to "experimental" treatments for Lymes disease, to stem-cell therapy on my lower back) and had to come out of my own pockets anyway, which is why I have a well-funded HSA and an ever-more cautious nature now. Most of the medical technologies I've had to avail myself of in the last 20-years or so were always deemed "elective" and never-mind their effectiveness. That sort of "we-know better" controlling mind-set never sets well with me. I haven't truly figured out how I will go forward from here, and I haven't given up on Medicare just yet, so...we'll see, I guess. Still figuring out all the options.
Last Friday I had bilateral rfa on my lower back I did have to pay 600 but medicare and my supplement covered the rest .the out of pocket was for an additional range.
Dogon: As far as the "potholes" in Medicare that you mention, one showed up here yesterday in the form of a rather large bill. The real reason that they barrage you with notices before you turn 65 is that they can't wait to pick your pocket to help pay for the folks who can't or won't (who says we don't already have socialized medicine?). Whatever the fine is for not signing up on-time, if you've ever worked for a living it's likely much-less than what they'll be gouging you for, and... for questionable service at best. You actually have to submit a form to be given permission to use other (not government sponsored) insurance. I knew I smelled a rat here. The more I learn about it (Medicare) the less I want to have anything to do with it.
The potholes I've experienced so far are resulting from the cut-over from my old insurance due to how slow the invoicing & billing process is in the medical industry. I started MC July 1 and since then have been getting bills for the full amount sent to me as late as last month which were invoiced back to January that my old insurance denied payment on because I was no longer insured with them. I'm also going through a hassle with MC approval for my CPAP that I've used for a few years now. IMO, it should have been a simple cut-over to MC. MC is now requiring me to do another overnight sleep test before they'll approve paying for something my doctor says I need and sent a prescription to MC for. I'm hoping the road will smooth out once I navigate through these potholes.
On the positive side. Everything I had done medically since July 1 has been paid without any hassles!
When I moved to Mn. from NC in 99 one of my neighbors I quickly got to know was from Co. a PhD who worked in Research and his wife a nurse was from Wyoming. Had the largest Royal bull hanging in his living room I have ever seen. I asked him why he moved from Co. to Mn. and he said there were too many foreigners moving in and he had to escape. Caught me off guard because I really couldn't see him being racist but couldn't think of anything else so blurted out Mexicans? He looked at me horrified and said hell no, Californians! That was more than 20 years ago. Couple of years ago he retired and moved to Kentucky where one of his daughters lives to be near the grandkids. Guess a lot of people retire to be near the grandkids.
I was in Western NC for 3 years of my twilight duty and stayed there for a couple of years after retiring from the Navy working for a VAR. Covered a lot of the SE. Everyone thought I was crazy for moving to Mn. from Western NC. They may have been right but pretty sure I shot the last grouse in WNC so moved to where they were. Besides the head hunter was really good and made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
Was stationed up and down both Coasts including living in NC when in the Tidewater area. One of my sisters lives in Raleigh and we moved my mother from Fl. to be near her when she had a stroke a few years back. Was there in August for her 85th birthday and knew it was going to be hot and humid but it caught me off guard it was so brutal. I'm spoiled now.
There was a time people had a summer home where they established relationships over many years and then would go to Fl. in the winter for a few months like my mother on the East Coast. Or Texas in the MidWest or Az. usually from the West. Not many people can afford to do that these days . On the East Coast they would drive back and forth between the North East and Fl. and many of them realized NC was the perfect place. We called them halfbacks, they made it halfway back. And ended up staying, some might call them Damn Yankees because of that as well. I was usually referred to as just being from Up North.
Kind of figured I'd end up going back "home" in the Twin Tiers of NY/Pa. when I retired. NY is out for many obvious reasons. And North Central Pa. is not what it used to be. With fracking many of the roads have been paved. And people. They are everywhere now Potter and Tioga Counties are not what they used to be. And people. Everywhere.
I have 5 months before I have to worry about MC although getting all the messages about it from work already. Still working and likely will for a few more years. I lose Tricare once I turn 65 and don't get Tricare for Life until I retire for good. Working at the #1 ranked hospital in the Country if not the world my medical combined with Tricare is pretty good. As is the care, would be hard to give that up. With hospitals in Scottsdale and Jax there are options but don't see myself living in either place. Well maybe Az. for a month or 2. Eventually. But Mayo doesn't take Medicare at those 2 locations unless you are a resident of the State.
I don't think there is a perfect place to retire to, give and take to all of them. After 6 heat strokes being in some damn sandbox or around one I couldn't wait to get back to someplace where I could pee my name in the snow. Now that cold hurts my bones and joints. In the morning this time of year a cup of coffee and tell myself to suck it up buttercup, there are a lot worse places to be. But still look and think of other places this time of year. Overall I consider it a well kept secret and great place to live and hope the word doesn't get out. Don't need anymore people here either. Well Lloyd you already go to LOW and have history so are welcome anytime There are steelhead on the North Shore but Superior being the largest, deepest, and coldest freshwater lake in the world it is pretty sterile and the steelies are relatively small.
Good luck and hope you make it through the MC minefield! If you find that perfect place to retire please let me know I'm worn out from that mental exercise.
...I don't think there is a perfect place to retire to, give and take to all of them....
Lots of truth to that statement. But after a lot of agonizing we pulled the trigger a month ago on 50 acres of "Up North". It will take 18 months or so to get there but we are going. Lots to build in the meantime.
...I don't think there is a perfect place to retire to, give and take to all of them....
Lots of truth to that statement. But after a lot of agonizing we pulled the trigger a month ago on 50 acres of "Up North". It will take 18 months or so to get there but we are going. Lots to build in the meantime.
Congrats to you and the wife!
I don't agree with you on several posts on another website about wolves, along with other things related to it. But after you posted on that site and understood the dog wolf encounter at Isabella I realised you may understand it better than I thought. It is complicated. And was surprised that you are originally from the SNF IIRC. I have too many wolf encounters to get into a pissing contest with someone about it and had one near Isabella when the other person had one as well.
Before we went into Desert Shield JAG came on board and if you were married had to do a Will. It was an eye opener, Chit is getting real, before that I was invincible. Would not made it where I did if I didn't think that.
In Nuclear Power School in the 70's which was my start I went to Daytona Beach one weekend and met 2 girls from Tn. and spent the week with them until we all ran out of money. Went to Captain's Mast for it and the Captain said I was unreliable. An officer that was there from Wi. representing me that at the time and didn't know me personally said Skipper I think there are 2 young ladies from Tn. that would disagree with that statement about being unreliable. I was busted although Steve went on to be what he was deserving of him, 2 Star Upper half Admiral. I think he may be German?
I led my men into battle without much issue. Except for a good friend from Alaska that we fished the chalk streams in England before Desert Shield. Scud missile broke a steam flange loose in the machine shop and didn't even hit the ship but was enough to cause the flex gasket to break free. I held him in my arms as he was dying and the steam replaced the oxygen in his lungs and he couldn't talk. Or scream. But his eyes could scream and as I peeled his coveralls from him and the skin came off with it. It is burnt into my mind even if I don't want it to be. There are a few others but that one hurts and haunts me the most. And wakes me up at night to this day. And night sometimes it blurs together. Tonight is one of those nights and I read your post hours ago. Not your fault. Mine.
Enough of that and it is a memory I try not to think of. At the same time today is exactly 45 years ago that I went to boot camp. Dec 7 who the hell goes active duty on Dec 7 in the Navy?! Someone that cares about Heritage. Country. History. Honor. If someone doesn't understand it can't explain it to them.
Same as moving to Mn. from NC. My father had just died of cancer and figured I wasn't smart enough to cure cancer but could help support those that could. Soon found out the world of research is ugly as sin as I am sure you are well aware. Lots of begging and politics. I ended up in the Patient Support shield which to me is more rewarding in the long run. I hate begging and the whole grant money and Federal regulations. Just get it done. Rules be damned. Real life doesn't work that way though. Can only bypass the system to a point that the extent of the law that allows it. And do NOT pass that point no matter how much you want to. Needs of the patient come first in practice, not research, which is why we are ranked #1. But is also frustrating at times if I could only...
More than a bit jealous of your move "Up North" and congratulations!
Have considered it myself, a lot. Listened to the ambulances run from Grand Marais to Duluth every night when I stayed at the Satellite Inn on the border of Lake and Cook. Helped Marilyn with the books before she passed away. And helped her husband who was on dialysis until the end. Ended up on the Gunflint with Lauana and Carl eventually. Lauana taught Donnie who was Marilyn's son and now runs the well pumping business down at what used to be the Satellite. An hour and a half away but that is SNF. Larger than most realize.
The original homestead at Schoder they sailed out of Duluth and went North and landed at what is now the Lake\County border. Grandpa built the house out of the remains of the boat.
Get up the Gunflint Trail with Carl and Launa and it gets even more interesting. I have standing reservations for the 6th year in a row running now. After I hunt the Sunset Country in Canada the week before. Hopefully my custom ordered Iside through FAIR will be in by then.
Double triggers suck come Mid October just saying. But work as a single shot.
Some years are better than others. By 1330 you might be done considering the right conditions with one dog and 2 people.
And the tip of the Arrowhead is not the best in Mn. for grouse hunting by any stretch of the imagination. This year was a perfect storm coming together. Having the right dog and knowledge goes a long ways though. Pup just turned 2 his father is 8. Breed him with a breeder in Duluth a month ago and he texted me last night that ultrasound shows 6-8 pups.
Stud muffin has been around the block a time or 3 and gets more action than me LOL.
His girlfriend and successful breeding this Spring with one of the top breeders of Tollers in the US in Wi. Sue was featured in 2014 Gundog Mag.
He really doesn't care what he is hunting as long as he has feathers in his mouth.
His offspring apparently doesn't either. Watching the breed carry the instincts and natural abilities to generation after generation is the greatest joy I think that I get out of life after watching it for more than 30 years. And contributing to it.
...I don't think there is a perfect place to retire to, give and take to all of them....
Lots of truth to that statement. But after a lot of agonizing we pulled the trigger a month ago on 50 acres of "Up North". It will take 18 months or so to get there but we are going. Lots to build in the meantime.
There goes the neighborhood....
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
Superior being the largest, deepest, and coldest freshwater lake in the world it is pretty sterile and the steelies are relatively small.
Point of correction ............ Superior is the largest, in area, freshwater lake in the world but it is by far not the deepest. There are many deeper. Lake Baikal surpasses them all in that regard, at 5,387' depth. Superior is recorded to be "only" 1333'. That's like the difference between a quarter mile and a mile.
Thanks, Stan, for mentioning one of our Great Lakes. To my knowledge, Torch Lake in our Lower Peninsulae is the deepest next to Superior- measured 381 feet at the narrows in the Northern sector-- I went to a WMCA summer camp on Torch Lake in the 1950's. Beautiful indeed, year orund. RWTF..
...I don't think there is a perfect place to retire to, give and take to all of them....
Lots of truth to that statement. But after a lot of agonizing we pulled the trigger a month ago on 50 acres of "Up North". It will take 18 months or so to get there but we are going. Lots to build in the meantime.
Congrats to you and the wife!
I don't agree with you on several posts on another website about wolves, along with other things related to it. But after you posted on that site and understood the dog wolf encounter at Isabella I realised you may understand it better than I thought. It is complicated. And was surprised that you are originally from the SNF IIRC. I have too many wolf encounters to get into a pissing contest with someone about it and had one near Isabella when the other person had one as well.
Before we went into Desert Shield JAG came on board and if you were married had to do a Will. It was an eye opener, Chit is getting real, before that I was invincible. Would not made it where I did if I didn't think that.
In Nuclear Power School in the 70's which was my start I went to Daytona Beach one weekend and met 2 girls from Tn. and spent the week with them until we all ran out of money. Went to Captain's Mast for it and the Captain said I was unreliable. An officer that was there from Wi. representing me that at the time and didn't know me personally said Skipper I think there are 2 young ladies from Tn. that would disagree with that statement about being unreliable. I was busted although Steve went on to be what he was deserving of him, 2 Star Upper half Admiral. I think he may be German?
I led my men into battle without much issue. Except for a good friend from Alaska that we fished the chalk streams in England before Desert Shield. Scud missile broke a steam flange loose in the machine shop and didn't even hit the ship but was enough to cause the flex gasket to break free. I held him in my arms as he was dying and the steam replaced the oxygen in his lungs and he couldn't talk. Or scream. But his eyes could scream and as I peeled his coveralls from him and the skin came off with it. It is burnt into my mind even if I don't want it to be. There are a few others but that one hurts and haunts me the most. And wakes me up at night to this day. And night sometimes it blurs together. Tonight is one of those nights and I read your post hours ago. Not your fault. Mine.
Enough of that and it is a memory I try not to think of. At the same time today is exactly 45 years ago that I went to boot camp. Dec 7 who the hell goes active duty on Dec 7 in the Navy?! Someone that cares about Heritage. Country. History. Honor. If someone doesn't understand it can't explain it to them.
Same as moving to Mn. from NC. My father had just died of cancer and figured I wasn't smart enough to cure cancer but could help support those that could. Soon found out the world of research is ugly as sin as I am sure you are well aware. Lots of begging and politics. I ended up in the Patient Support shield which to me is more rewarding in the long run. I hate begging and the whole grant money and Federal regulations. Just get it done. Rules be damned. Real life doesn't work that way though. Can only bypass the system to a point that the extent of the law that allows it. And do NOT pass that point no matter how much you want to. Needs of the patient come first in practice, not research, which is why we are ranked #1. But is also frustrating at times if I could only...
More than a bit jealous of your move "Up North" and congratulations!
Have considered it myself, a lot. Listened to the ambulances run from Grand Marais to Duluth every night when I stayed at the Satellite Inn on the border of Lake and Cook. Helped Marilyn with the books before she passed away. And helped her husband who was on dialysis until the end. Ended up on the Gunflint with Lauana and Carl eventually. Lauana taught Donnie who was Marilyn's son and now runs the well pumping business down at what used to be the Satellite. An hour and a half away but that is SNF. Larger than most realize.
The original homestead at Schoder they sailed out of Duluth and went North and landed at what is now the Lake\County border. Grandpa built the house out of the remains of the boat.
Get up the Gunflint Trail with Carl and Launa and it gets even more interesting. I have standing reservations for the 6th year in a row running now. After I hunt the Sunset Country in Canada the week before. Hopefully my custom ordered Iside through FAIR will be in by then.
Double triggers suck come Mid October just saying. But work as a single shot.
Some years are better than others. By 1330 you might be done considering the right conditions with one dog and 2 people.
And the tip of the Arrowhead is not the best in Mn. for grouse hunting by any stretch of the imagination. This year was a perfect storm coming together. Having the right dog and knowledge goes a long ways though. Pup just turned 2 his father is 8. Breed him with a breeder in Duluth a month ago and he texted me last night that ultrasound shows 6-8 pups.
Stud muffin has been around the block a time or 3 and gets more action than me LOL.
His girlfriend and successful breeding this Spring with one of the top breeders of Tollers in the US in Wi. Sue was featured in 2014 Gundog Mag.
He really doesn't care what he is hunting as long as he has feathers in his mouth.
His offspring apparently doesn't either. Watching the breed carry the instincts and natural abilities to generation after generation is the greatest joy I think that I get out of life after watching it for more than 30 years. And contributing to it.
I am blessed.
There is a lot of life in that post, Cold Iron.
Those dogs look pretty passionate. I've never seen a toller in real life. Someday maybe. I'm pretty sure they are quite a bit different than anything I'm familiar with. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting on my next pup. It's coming faster than the new house/barn/shop is. I think we have one more big pheasant season here.
From the comments on that video, sounds like they're North of Millinocket which I haven't explored yet. However, Kingfield is a neat town on the way to Eustis/Sugarloaf Mtn and Skowhegan is a decent-sized town along the way to Jackman. Eustis/Jackman are both situated well into logging country and have plenty of birds. From my research Traverse City has a lot going on, way more than Kingfield or Skowhegan, for what it's worth. I'm in Union, ME and it's nice here too.
After watching that video, I now have a hankering for a bolt-action shotgun. Which choke is recommended for that kind of grouse hunting? Of course, there are no grouse in PA.
Whenever I get that hankering I reach for my 16ga Mossberg 190KB. It was only made in ‘57 and ‘58 and has special significance to me because as a kid the first time I was trusted to hunt alone was with my Grandfather’s 190. He only had two shells so he gave me his gun and the two shells and said, “Come back with dinner.” I did. My mother was relieved. My dad and my grandfather were proud and I was one happy kid when I gave him back his gun, the rabbit, and the 2nd shell.
After watching that video, I now have a hankering for a bolt-action shotgun. Which choke is recommended for that kind of grouse hunting? Of course, there are no grouse in PA.
That would make sense. You're definitely in the North Woods if you settle on Caribou or Ft. Kent. There's also a lot of birds between Houlton/Danforth. I've heard there's a little bit of farming near Danforth and sometimes you get open air, shooting opportunities on grouse between hedgerows like you'd see with pheasants. Uncommon but unique for grouse hunting.
If I lived in some of the places you guys do, I'd probably consider moving too. As for me though I'm right where I was bred and born and been all my life. Well except for school and the Army. I already know where the bream bed every summer and who has the best dove shoots, and if I was to move I'd have to learn all that important information all over again. The only problem here is the quail have disappeared. You can still hunt them but you have to go by the place and pick up a box of them to take where you plan to hunt...Geo
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There are steelhead on the North Shore but Superior being the largest, deepest, and coldest freshwater lake in the world it is pretty sterile and the steelies are relatively small.![[Linked Image from live.staticflickr.com]](https://live.staticflickr.com/5602/15649588745_6ccc776eef_z.jpg)
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