About Kevin
Where are you from?
I am from Central Pennsylvania
How long have you been hunting/guiding?
I have been bird hunting for 6 years and guiding for 3.
What do you enjoy most about guiding at Pineridge?
I would say showing people their first grouse and woodcock is what I enjoy most. Besides being out in the field, I love sitting around the lodge and the fire, chatting with people and eating delicious food.
Q&A
How did you get started hunting grouse?
I started with a camera in my hand before a gun. I fell in love with the idea of chasing a dog around the woods looking for birds, and soon after, purchased my first English setter.
What keeps you coming back to the Northwoods each season?
The number of contacts that my dogs can receive in the Northwoods of the Midwest is hard to replicate anywhere else. But I would say the reason I keep coming back to Pineridge is the people. It has become a second home to me.
What makes a great grouse dog in your opinion?
A great grouse dog is an English Setter! In all seriousness, a great grouse dog is one that not only consistently finds birds but also handles them with caution and maturity.
Early season or late season, and why?
Late season all day! I love the cooler weather for both the dogs and me. The sparse foliage makes for the best shooting all year.
What’s one mistake you see hunters make in grouse cover?
Not looking ahead as they walk. To get the best shot opportunities, when the dog is on point, you should be looking forward, looking for the next small opening, and stopping there momentarily before moving on.
Describe a perfect day at Pineridge
We wake up to a hard frost and a cool breeze. Coffee and breakfast fuel us as we load up the dogs and head to my favorite covers. Conditions are perfect, and we have lots of opportunities and maybe even a bird or two in the bag. We arrive back to a roaring campfire and cocktails as we relay our stories with others. The perfect day is capped off with Jerry’s daugther Olivia’s famous homemade white ragu.
Favorite gun to carry in the grouse woods?
My RFM Venus 28 gauge. I love carrying a light gun through the nasty Northwoods covers.
Coffee at dawn or bourbon by the fire?
Why choose one?
A hunt you’ll never forget?
The day I introduced my dad to bird hunting, he shot a beautiful red-phase ruffed grouse in the mountains of Pennsylvania.
One piece of advice for someone new to grouse hunting
Get a good pair of boots and a fuel-efficient car. Finding grouse can be tricky when you start, but the more you walk, the more you will understand where grouse like to be and how to best target the most likely covers for plentiful birds.
Best bird dog name you’ve heard?
Cheese the cocker spaniel.
What makes Pineridge different?
I think Pineridge stands out as a premier hunting destination because of the quality of the people. Jerry and his family are gracious hosts that immediatly make you feel at home and welcome. The guides love nothing more than sharing their love of the birds and dogs. You will not want to leave.