A photographic essay.
by Dale C. Spartas
From the May/June 2010 Issue

Northern Michigan is grouse heaven. So much cover, so much food, so few hunters.

Veterans, the lot of us. Thirty-something years shooting photo essays for Gray’s. Way more than that shooting grouse in these woods. The guns? Veterans all. The dogs, too. Only the grouse are young and fresh.

Northern Michigan is grouse heaven. So much cover, so much food, so few hunters. Fifty miles from the nearest town. Four English setters and another Gray’s veteran: my 14-year-old pointer, Ruby.

It’s rough country, rough cover, rough hunting for ruffed grouse and woodcock. But it’s worth every stumble and scratch and aspen branch in the eye for memories so vivid you almost don’t need photographs.