October started off warm and dry, and I quickly learned how tough that can make things. We walked a lot of miles with not much to show for it — I wasn’t sure if it was me, the dog, or just the conditions. Probably a bit of all three.

Things turned around in the second week when the rain finally came. The ground softened, and Tilley started locking up on woodcock in the low, wet spots of some of our coverts. It felt like we were finally figuring it out together. Grouse were still tricky — they moved deeper into the thick stuff when the wind picked up, and we had to work harder to get into range. I missed a few shots I should’ve made, but I was just happy to be finding birds.

By late October, the cooler, wetter weather brought in more woodcock. Tilley was steady and sharp, and we had some great hunts in the alders and old apple orchards.

On the fishing side, the salmon season had been pretty slow — low water kept fish from moving, and most days felt like a long shot. But the same rain that helped the hunting also brought the rivers up, and the last couple weeks of October gave us a few good days on the water.

All in all, it was a month of learning, adjusting, and appreciating the small victories.