In 2000, the Grouse Point Almanac (now the Upland Almanac) published a collection of 20 Burton Spiller grouse stories entitled “Grouse Feathers, Again“. Of the 20 stories, two were previously unpublished gems provided by Spiller’s daughter. The other 18 were published over the years in Field & Stream, The National Sportsman, Hunting & Fishing, and Outdoors.
If you haven’t read anything from Burton Spiller, this book is a great way to get acquainted to the “Poet Laureate of Grouse Hunting”. The man was an unbelievable grouse hunter from Maine and New Hampshire, and wrote books on the topic throughout his 60-plus year hunting career. While his first two grouse hunting books (Grouse Feathers, More Grouse Feathers) were written in the 1930’s, this collection includes many Spiller articles written in much later years.
In my opinion, “Grouse Feathers, Again” shows the incredible growth of Burton Spiller as a hunter, but more importantly, as a writer. Unlike those earlier books (which are incredibly popular), this one is categorized into focused topics and each article is written clearly, concisely and to the point. The stories are very valuable to the grouse hunter, especially since they draw from Spiller’s many years spent in the grouse and woodcock covers. Some of them are also very moving. Here’s an overview of the stories:
A Matter of Courtesy – Our courtesy toward landowners in the field is critical to the future of hunter access. Burt spelled out this problem and what hunters must do to stem it. This is one of the previously unpublished stories.
Grouse in the High Places – Burt tells the story of a perfect hunt with a good friend and a solid grouse dog.
Ruffed Grouse for Supper – This article speaks of dogs, grouse habits, guns, and cleaning, cooking and eating grouse.
Not For Sale – Breaking from the traditional Spiller article, this one is a fictional story of a man who won’t sell his most valuable possession, a great bird dog, even in financial crisis. The theme of this story has been played out in several other upland bird stories in the literature, but I don’t think it’s gotten old yet.
Old Timer Goes Along – This is a cool story. Burt’s hunting partner Gene has a son named Old Timer. And Old Timer lives up to his name, in a way, by acting just like his father, or as close to it as he can. Old Timer is wise beyond his 8 or 10 years, but hasn’t been out bird hunting yet. One day Gene is too sick to go hunting, and Burt takes Old Timer along. It’s a very memorable hunt.
More Grouse Dogs – As he has mentioned numerous times in the past, Burt again stresses his wish that a bird dog specialized for grouse hunting be bred. Skills and attributes needed to be a good grouse dog don’t always make a good woodcock, quail or pheasant dog. In fact, many of the qualities are exclusive to a good grouse dog. Burt elaborates.
Woodcock Daze – Woodcock hunting takes center stage here, and in a few other stories among the otherwise grouse-dominated pages.
Lost Cover Grouse – Burt and Gene revisit an almost magical grouse cover after 20 years of absence. The hunt is one to remember.
Red Letter Days with Grouse – Speaking of memorable hunts, this story explains how Burt and Gene took a tip from a native that led them to experience Spiller’s most memorable hunt. “…I had seen….grouse shooting such as our ancestors must have known”.
The Old Percentage – In grouse and woodcock shooting, the law of percentages always catches up.
Fantail Fever – Gene and Burt catch up on hunting old grouse covers they had missed out on during the War.
Better Grouse Dogs – This piece describes Spiller’s ideal grouse dog, and how he would train it. It’s a great resource for bird dog men of today.
Woodcock High and Dry – During a very dry season, Gene and Burt find woodcock in an unlikely spot. As the saying goes, “Gold is where you find it”.
Damnyankee Quail – Burt heads to South Carolina to learn how an experienced grouse and woodcock hunter matches up against quail.
Stalemate – This is an interesting story, and another piece of fiction from Spiller. A hunting doctor finds a way, he thinks, to keep the perfect bird dog.
Day of a Dog – Though retired from hunting, old Jack the bird dog gets his one day of bird hunting with his master each season, for old time’s sake. This is a very moving piece.
The Unpredictable Woodcock – Spiller provides insight on where to find and how to shoot woodcock.
Half-Century Grouse – Burt is passing on his knowledge from 50 years of grouse hunting, to help hunters succeed over the next 50 years. Along the way, he debunks a lot of myths from the grouse “experts”.
Grouse Oddities – Stories of tame grouse.
What! No Grouse Dogs? – Again, Spiller laments the fact that over the years, no one has bred a dog specialized for ruffed grouse hunting. This is the other previously unpublished story.
All in all, I believe that “Grouse Feathers, Again” is a top notch collection of Burton Spiller stories, and a great tribute to the man’s legacy. The introduction provides some interesting insight into Spiller’s life and career. The stories are some of the best I’ve read, and were obviously selected with care. It’s a must-have in every grouse hunter’s library.
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