When it comes to mixing business with pleasure, getting the Team together at a First Class hunting lodge during bird season is a great corporate retreat idea as well as a great adventure. And Northern Maine has some of the best, most challenging bird hunting opportunities in America.
Bird Hunting in Maine
Just select your favorite frustration: pheasant, the notorious and elusive Maine partridge or locally known as “pah-tridge” – known to zoologists as the Ruffed Grouse (but who ever said “Bye bye, Dear, I’m off to do some of that Ruffed Grouse hunting…!”)? Quail, Fall and Spring wild turkey (that’s the bird, not the bottle), Woodcock (way tougher than pah-tridge!) even the legendary Snipe (no, really! The real bird – not the invisible Scout camp variety), ducks, Canada geese and a lot more.
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Pah-tridge (get used to it), pheasant and quail seasons run concurrently from Oct.1 thru Dec. 31 this year. Other bird seasons and the specifics on Spring/Fall wild turkey vary as to region, legal weapons, sex of bird, bag limits, hunting hours, etc. The Maine Fish and Game Dept. has posted all the dates, licensing requirements, fees and a lot more intel you may need right here.
When scheduling dates for your Team Building or Corporate Retreat, remember Camp Katahdin is unique being a “commercially zoned corporate entity” – which is Legaleeze for “No Closed Season on our farm-raised pheasants! Pheasant Hunting Year Round! You don’t even need a license!” How great is that?!
Camp Katahdin and corporate retreat guests
Corporate Retreat Ideas
Considering Mother Nature’s fickle ways, if you make your trip in October there’s a darn good chance you’ll be hunting during the Gorgeous Season; Autumn in New England is its own self-sustaining legend. Walking the Maine woods this time of year with comfortable daytime temperatures mixed with blazing colors borders on something indescribable.
That alone is worth scheduling your Team or Corporate retreat pronto! If this is your first time in Northern Maine, do what the natives do: check the weather in advance of leaving for your hunt to make sure you pack and equip yourself accordingly.
Hunting Trip Tips
Do not fail to remember: comfortable hunting footwear. Bird hunting means walking (unless you’re one of those Barc-O-Lounger duck hunters). Even then, as the Big Day approaches, be sure to check frequently. As Nate Humphries, Camp Katahdin Adventures Uber Guru, reminds us: “If you don’t like the weather, give it a few minutes.” And that can even count for the weather you like, too!
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Since we’re talking Bird Hunting here, a couple words about shotguns: Bring one. Maybe two. Or as many as you want! The point being: if you plan on hunting Whatever’s Open, that could mean days of pheasant then woodcock or pah-tridge then quail.
Personally, I’ve always preferred a 20ga for the smaller birds and 12ga for pheasant, grouse, wild turkey.
As the Old Sage advises: “The bigger the bird, the bigger the bore.” Legend has it the venerable (now comparatively rare) 16ga was the all-time best all-around intermediate bird gun. Not quite enough for Canada geese, a tad too much for dove. Perfect for anything in-between.
So, if you have one of these classic beauties like a vintage Ithaca pump or Fox B double-barrel, consider yourself fortunate and bring ‘er along. (Then let me borrow it for an afternoon!)
Make sure your hunting lodge accommodations have a range access; better yet, their own on-site range, skeet and/or sporting clays course. Like Camp Katahdin’s bodacious Shooting Pavillion. It’s always a good idea to get in some “warm up” shots if you haven’t been to the woods or range recently. Being intimately familiar with Old Betsy will only mean the two of you will perform better (So to speak).
Hey! It’s that time of year – so don’t sit on your…hands! Grab the nearest telephonic instrument and contact Nate Humphry to book your Team’s dates at Camp Katahdin! Nothing builds camaraderie, productivity, morale and memories like a bird hunting outdoor adventure in the woods of Northern Maine.
Drop us a note here or call us direct at 1-800-621-8203
We are expert Corporate Retreaters. We put together this free guide available for download:
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Corporate Retreat Ideas: Great Team Building in the Great Outdoors
Hunting Lodge, Corporate Retreat, Sport Shooting: The Camp Katahdin Story
