A total of eight of us heed the call each year to Maine for sport, adventure, camaraderie all blessed incredible display of fall colors. Our annual grouse/woodcock hunt has been a six-year tradition for my brothers and some dear friends. The last four years have been at the legendary Leen’s Lodge (https://leenslodge.com/), located about two hours east of Bangor.
We arrived in time for dinner this October and then hunted over three days through old logging trails, abandoned farms, alder runs, swamp edges, berry fields and old apple orchards. We certainly put in our steps…if you listen to those silly watches it seemed to range from 9,000 to 16,000 steps a day. Good boots are a godsend. There are no gimmes and you truly earn every shot - but the birds were there! Each day we put up between 18 – 30 birds (not that we got that many shots off), and we were fortunate enough to hit a very small percentage. Some days I limited out, but the first day I was lucky to put one in my bag. It was Mostly woodcock this year but there was few lost grouse on my record. And that is why we come to the Maine woods. It is physically demanding - pushing slash and thick cover at times. But it is real hunting and it holds two of the most challenging game birds.
Leen’s Lodge makes it easy to come together as friends and celebrate the bonds that call all of us North. Scott & Chris Weeks are the ultimate hosts and do their absolute best to make sure you have a great stay. They provide comfortable lakeside lodging, plenty of fireplaces and great guides. Always amazed by the dogs – which are just great stories on their own. The rest is up to you!
We brought some pretty nice wines and fine brown spirits to wash away those missed shots and improved our stories - The jokes and laughter helped as well! The hearty, elevated meals were a great way to recharge. Our birds of the day were served as appetizer. We had woodcock in a whiskey cream sauce and Buffalo style. Grouse were done in a tempura with an Asian dipping sauce. Dinners consisted of perfectly roasted prime rib, huge succulent lobsters and perfectly seasoned lamb chops. Breakfast was made to order with fresh muffins and scones starting the day. But it was the field lunches that were the biggest surprise this year, providing your choice of freshly made, choice sandwiches and the addition of hearty, delicious soups. Scott & Chris are always looking for ways to make things just a little bit better each year because they truly care about the guest experience.
We are already looking forward to next year! BTW, this is just an accurate (or as accurate as a bird hunter can be) description of our latest trip. No promotional considerations exisit – other than me including some of our product pics along the way. I am just a true fan of Leen’s and appreciate what Scott & Chris do for us.