Hook-n-Trigger Guide Service

Hook-n-Trigger Guide Service Fishing guide, bow fishing guide, upland game hunting guide, nuisance animal damage control (trapper), consultant, licensed marriage and family therapist.

I have a multi-faceted business including multi-species fish guiding, and upland game bird guiding in Minnesota with my two beautiful Gordon Setters - Sam, and Junie.

We have access to the private land across the road. No pheasants there. But Bogie says there are across the road…where w...
11/17/2025

We have access to the private land across the road. No pheasants there. But Bogie says there are across the road…where we can’t hunt. 🤣

My last couple days of guiding have been acting as a teacher - which I always do naturally, but in this case, it was a s...
11/07/2025

My last couple days of guiding have been acting as a teacher - which I always do naturally, but in this case, it was a specific request by my clients - so i offered more and answered questions.

They wanted to know the full gammet: what it’s like to hunt with setters, how I manage and train my dogs from the truck to the field, how to find the proper cover and grouse, what to in wild bird situations, forage species, tree identification, how to use OnX, and more.

In both cases, we had a really enjoyable day in the woods.

Yesterday - Junie was the star of the show. Indeed, all of the dogs found birds - but I’m especially proud of her. She slammed a grouse point… then was rock solid through the flush and shot. Here - Dominic poses with the grouse he harvested. It all came together for Junie as a great experience!

We are still moving woodcock regularly - but season is closed. Still fun, and good work for the dogs.

Grouse - we are having to work for, but yesterday, we found birds every time we stopped. All those were new spots I’ve never been - so it was a learning day for me too.

I enjoy helping people be more successful. If you’d like that kind of help, look me up.

Hook-n-Trigger
218-232-6067

Had a weekend bow hunting in the farm country of Minnesota, and stopped on the way home to exercise dogs. Many of the ro...
11/03/2025

Had a weekend bow hunting in the farm country of Minnesota, and stopped on the way home to exercise dogs. Many of the roosters in that piece slipped out on Sam and I - but not this one! When all the others left, i had a feeling and was patient, stood my ground, until he could no longer stand it.

Such a beautiful bird… my first of the season, and sure to not be my last.

We’ll be back when deer tags are filled, or deer season ends. December is my favorite time to chase roosters!

Hook-n-Trigger Guide Service
218-232-6067

A first grouse with Grandpa’s shotgun.These are the kinds of things that we will dream about while we scale back our bir...
11/02/2025

A first grouse with Grandpa’s shotgun.

These are the kinds of things that we will dream about while we scale back our bird hunting for just a bit. A half million deer hunters will take to the woods on Saturday- much of which is the public land we hunt. We don’t really want to interfere, or be interfered with - so we will hunt select spots on select days. And we will also be trying to fill our own deer tags.

But there’s lots of upland bird season left as late November and December can be outstanding. Tge dogs and I like to track grouse in the snow… especially when they start to group up.

I have a few select dates open for November/December - And also, booking for 2026.

Hook-n-Trigger
218-232-6067

Had a day to myself yesterday ; I took the dogs scouting some new country. Everybody had a good run - and I put on a doz...
10/31/2025

Had a day to myself yesterday ; I took the dogs scouting some new country. Everybody had a good run - and I put on a dozen miles

Bitch Power!

Junie slammed to a point over and over - mostly on woodcock. By the time she was done - she’d contacted 15 wild birds. At the end - I shot one over her and she executed all her steps the best I’ve seen her do.

Valia worked the same cover as Junie and found 7 more. I shot one over her too. The girls had their day, and because of the cover , were more productive than the boys.

I switched areas and began scouring some remote grown- over logging roads. The aspen was nearing maturity, but there was very thick brush underneath. Way way back - Sam and Bogie found grouse and woodcock on swamp edges.

It was one of those days when the country makes you curious… you keep going, and find yourself miles from the truck, exhausted. You hate to re -walk the same thing - so you cut across wild country making a bee line for the truck.

Along the way , Bogie began acting funny. Somehow, his bell cadence changed. Then he barked. Then, charging out of a young clearcut came this big ten point whitetail, right past me - maybe ten yards off! The rutting odor in the area was pungent. My nose was filled with it when i crossed his v***r trail.

The image of that buck is now etched in my mind, and I think about him. Alot. I’m compelled to hunt that specific buck. On his turf. On remote public land.

More scouting is in order, and I need to think about some stand locations. With my schedule / there just isn’t much time. But try, I must. Perhaps that buck and I will meet again soon… Then I’ll have to conjure up a way to get him out of there. I’m thinking, in pieces.

Good luck to the big game hunters, and keep us in mind for your upland bird hunting needs.

218-232-6067

I’m getting more and more clients who want to pursue the Spruce Grouse as a bucket list bird. Often, they want them for ...
10/30/2025

I’m getting more and more clients who want to pursue the Spruce Grouse as a bucket list bird. Often, they want them for a personal goal of getting all the upland species, or they want a good specimen for their personal display/museum.

The “sprucie” is a challenging bird I’ve encountered in Minnesota all throughout my life , but also throughout Canada in Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia, and in Alaska too.

Some may scoff at the word “challenging.” Often called “the fool hen” , they can be notorious for being on a roadside eating gravel… then flushing up into a tree. You can kill one that way, if that’s what you want to do. But you just might also drive 200 miles on gravel roads and never even see one!

To me, it’s funner to go hunt them on their turf, with the dogs, and on foot - exploring the black spruce, jack pine and tamarack bogs that are more common in the arrowhead region of Minnesota.

On this hunt - Mickey from North Carolina joined me, with his friend Robbie. We moved 26 Ruffies and 7 woodcock the first day. 21 Ruffies the second day. Finally, on the third day - Old Sammers found this young male out on their turf , and Mickey collected it. The second day- it snowed and blowed all day long!

It was a challenging hunt, and not for the faint of heart, or out of shape hunter. We marched 8-12 miles a day - through remote forest when we had the energy, and on trails when we needed a break.

It’s a great adventure when you look at the overall experience - and this bird was the icing on the cake.

Let me know if I can help you with such an adventure.

Hook-n-Trigger Guide Service
218-232-6067

In today’s post, Focusing on Miss Valia (2)- who had a helluva hunt yesterday. She’s young yet - and we are working to g...
10/28/2025

In today’s post, Focusing on Miss Valia (2)- who had a helluva hunt yesterday. She’s young yet - and we are working to get her solid, but she had a lightbulb moment yesterday and we went 4 for 4 on woodcock and grouse on a short hunt. She stayed solid to wing and shot, and found all the birds. That was a good note to end on!

Woodcock migration seems to be peak here. All the dogs are pointing birds like crazy! You know there’s a lot of birds when you point / flush multiple doubles … then more get up at the shot. I love days like these!

Hook-n-Trigger
218-232-6067

Enjoy these cool photos of Junie. Lots and lots of points every day!
10/28/2025

Enjoy these cool photos of Junie. Lots and lots of points every day!

Hunted 5 straight days - some guiding, some dog work with my sweetie and dog family. The more I go - the more pockets I ...
10/27/2025

Hunted 5 straight days - some guiding, some dog work with my sweetie and dog family.

The more I go - the more pockets I find. I can’t stress enough that if you want to find grouse - you need to be in the right cover. And - you likely need to put some miles on those boots! We put 8-12 miles on, 3 consecutive days , to find 20 -35 birds a day , between Brainerd and Ely.

Helped this Feller to get his first Spruce Grouse! Congratulations Mickey… you worked hard for that bucket list bird!

Meanwhile - we are working our young females Valia and Junie - on woodcock that are migrating through, and readily available.

Trying hard to play hard. It comes natural to me😜so I take every opportunity to shoot a duck or harvest some mushrooms.

Deer season is soon to be upon us. We pause during that time - but will be back at it soon.

I have some limited openings for grouse and pheasant hunts in November / December. And of course, booking for 2026.

218-232-6067

Working Junie and Valia in the yard on a beautiful fall day - on pigeons and a recently harvested grouse.Valia’s tail is...
10/14/2025

Working Junie and Valia in the yard on a beautiful fall day - on pigeons and a recently harvested grouse.

Valia’s tail is a little funky… she had an infection and needed to be cut close for treatment - but it’s coming along nicely.

Had the pleasure of spending a couple days hiking the north woods with Roark. The weather and leaves were splendid. Wood...
10/10/2025

Had the pleasure of spending a couple days hiking the north woods with Roark. The weather and leaves were splendid.

Woodcock were plentiful in select places; the grouse - we had to work for. And at times - the upland hunt turned into a waterfowl hunt. My hunting area is ripe with beaver ponds and back country lakes - which makes “jump shooting” a fun diversion. Our Gordon Setters love retrieving in the water.

On an unrelated subject - I’m not much for small talk. Roark rode with me and the dogs for two days… picked him up at his hotel, and dropped him off at the end of the day. Lots of time to talk - and we got into deeper level, more intimate conversation - rather fast. A pleasant surprise for me.

It was sure good to see someone so happy to simply go on a road trip, hike the woods in a new part of the country, and follow the dogs - anticipating a flush. That’s what it’s all about.

Hook-n-Trigger Guide Service
With Captain Tim, Ole Sammers, Bogie, Valia, and Junie too!

Chasing Ruffed Grouse, American Woodcock, Spruce Grouse, and ducks too!

218-232-6067

It was a full week of enjoying fall to the fullest. Despite the heat - all the dogs got chances every day on wild birds....
10/07/2025

It was a full week of enjoying fall to the fullest. Despite the heat - all the dogs got chances every day on wild birds. We crate and rotate, with plenty of water, fans, and leave the truck running with AC blasting if we have to.

We are finding birds just about everywhere we go - but finding the right habitat is crucial. Even much of the most prime habitat is so dry - birds are scarce. We are finding that water is super important - so creeks, drainages, beaver ponds, etc have been key ingredients.

Found a place we now call Nirvana. It’s very low, beaver have clogged up a culvert, and it literally leaves water running down the center of a logging road. I scratch my head - wondering where the water is coming from? But I’ll tell you what - the birds sure love it! We contacted 15 woodcock and 5 grouse in a couple hours in this one spot - a six year old Clearcut jungle mixed with alder, buckthorn, and high bush cranberry.

I’ll be taking my client there tomorrow. Shots will be fired!

Sometimes people don’t understand how a seasoned guide can charge what they do. What they don’t think about is the endless hours of scouting, hiking, driving, ruling out places, marking and saving others, dog training, vet bills, fuel, wear and tear, and so forth. I’ve gone and done all that for my clients ( for decades now)- so all they have to do is show up and have a good time. If you have the time and resources to do that yourself - then you sure don’t need me - but if you don’t, then my dogs and I just might come in handy!

If you are interested in a guided upland hunt - give me a call or shoot me a message.
218-232-6067

I’ve thrown in a bunch of photos from the weekend. We played hard and harvested a little - grouse, woodcock, woodduck, and cranberry. We even transplanted some choice maple trees.

FINALLY - it cooled down . Leaves are dropping, visibility is improving. Guiding and hunting kicks into full swing!

Play hard, and enjoy fall to the fullest!

Address

23795 Cuyler Lane
Deerwood, MN
56444

Telephone

+12182326067

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