Not just another bird hunt

One of my fondest memories of childhood is going bird hunting in southwest Idaho with my dad and uncle. Hunting quail and pheasants from Council to Weiser, stretching along the endless miles of railroad tracks, the hundreds of acres of cultivated farmland and CRP fields, and jump shooting waterfowl in stock ponds and slack water in the Weiser River drainage. All of these things are events that I remember when I think back to those days over 20+ years ago.

This past Thanksgiving I was fortunate enough to have my dad come down south and visit us.  As things worked out we were able to make it out bird hunting one day for a few hours.

It was different this time as I was the one with the dog, but luckily my pooch didn't embarrass me too badly in front of the old man.

 But as much as they were different they were still the same, father and son were out hunting together again.  We got into some quail and a few pheasants but never were able to get a shot, and that was ok with me, because I was happy just to be out with my dad again hunting.

A day in the corn field

The corn has been cut and chance is in my favor because I'm lucky enough to catch it in the transition mode between waist high stubble...and being plowed. Farmers around here don't leave the fields in prime pheasant hunting condition long. Also unfortunately there is no snow. So going by yourself and your gun dog in these conditions is mostly an effort in futility.  There is always some missed corn though which is why the pheasants are still hanging around.

The best way to hunt this kind of cover is to push them from one side of the field to the other and have a blocker to keep them from running out of the field. Roosters love to run...and boy can they. If you are ever privy to seeing a king on the run you'll see why your usually left in the dust. I could hear them cackling and even saw them relocate a few times. We worked the areas where we saw them and Kati got their scent but they were no where to be found...ghosts in corn stubble.

It was a good morning hunt even though we came out of it empty handed. Wiley Rooster wins again.

Opening day 2011

The anticipation and the sleepless nights were finally over, opening day of chukar season was here. When I awoke from slumber and stammered out of bed my game vest was full, it was weighing me down in fact, or maybe I was just really tired still.  Dreams of feathers were still floating through my head. Dawn was a few hours away.

I had made a plan to hunt a new area based on my pre-hunt scouting in Google Earth and using my land use maps from Hunting GPS Maps. It was still pitch black out but my GPS said I was where I was supposed to be, so I parked the rig. There were a few sets of headlights coming up the road so I was thankful I got there early, they continued past probably on route to their secret honey hole.

After I got Kati out and put her boots on we headed out.  Luck was in our favor as it was overcast with a slight breeze blowing which helped keep it cool, and gave us a good chance of scenting some birds.  Still it was around 50 degrees out, which was pretty warm for 6 in the morning. I could see the silhouette of the ridge I had scouted. Trust your dog...trust your GPS...in that order, was there doubt in my mind?  A little, but this helped build confidence for the rest of the day. We dropped down into a dry creek bed, then started up a finger towards the distant ridge, it wouldn't be too bad, less then 1000-ft elevation gain.  I didn't see one bird for the first 1 1/2 miles, but I ran across this little guy.  He was only a couple feet long but he had the backbone of a full grown bull snake and stood his ground.

We moved on and let him to his business.  Finally getting into some birds I learned my shooting left something to be desired, pretty sure I should have hit the trap club a few times before the opener.  Kati was working hard as it started to warm up.  We were getting into huns and chukars, and they were all the way up on top were it was the coolest.  Some intermittent cool showers helped revive us as we pushed forward.

We kept working along the top of the ridge till the clouds broke and the sun started showing it's ugly mug.  We found a nice spot to take a break before we headed back.  Tranquility was the word the best describes the feeling as we sat there gazing out into the hills.  Up atop the world with no one in sight, no signs of civilization, no sounds of the hectic world I left behind a few short hours ago.  This is what makes all the hard work worth it.  To revel in something that few will experience.

We started back along the ridge from which we'd came, and headed down into the draw. It was a great first day of the season, we tested our stamina, our patience, and our trust in each other.

First feathers

It's Friday afternoon and my 5-year old son wants to go hunting...you don't have to twist poor old dad's arm, let's gear up!  Orange vest, water, hunting boots and toy shotgun, I think we're set!  Grab the pooch and we're ready to kick up some birds.  My son has no idea what to expect, as this is his first time going hunting with me, but as soon as we get to our hunting spot he's out the door and ready to wear out some boot leather, good thing it wasn't far. I could tell he was in his element already, even though some of the grass and weeds were taller then he was he pushed forward, not once dropping his gun to the ground.  As soon as we stepped out we were on the quail and so was Kati.

There is nothing like quail to make a gun dog go totally insane.  We made our first push through the covey of quail and then continued on along the irrigation canals in hopes of pushing up a rooster.  Wiley rooster had his own plans though and was on the run.  Finally towards the end of a canal he gets up out of range and with a few cackles he's sailing away to his sanctuary next to the farmhouse.  On our way back to the rig we pick up a few more quail.  One of my sons new found interests...picking up spent shells.  I always try to pick up shells when I'm hunting, because I know I miss a few myself, and my son picked up on it quickly.  All in all we had a great few hours of hunting.  And like always, some very interesting questions.

This was one proud boy, and in my eyes he's the one that bagged the birds today, I was just along for the ride.  I think I might have made a hunter out of him today.

"Dad, when are we going hunting again?"

New adventures

Dove season in September was miserable as usual.  My number one recommendation...lots of water for you, your guests, and your gun dog!  One of the lures of early fall dove hunting of course is coming off a long hiatus of no gun action, and with doves there is usually quite a bit of engagement, they aren't too bright.  Another reason I like to get out is that it is a good time to take the young kiddos out.  This was the first time I took my 6 year old with me.  They are short walks so that works good for them.  Like the other kids when I took them out she was most interested in...well, pretty much everything, and lots of questions.  But that's ok with me, that's all part of it.

Wait a minute, what are all these beans doing out here?  Are these the same beans we eat?  Why are they purple?  Does the dog like to eat these?  Can we feed her one?  Good times, I love it!

40 year old bird man

I celebrated my 40th birthday last Saturday with some grouse hunting, some delicious homemade pizza, and a magnificent cake!

First things first I took my 9 year old daughter out grouse hunting up in the mountains.  Unfortunately we didn't have any luck, we put on about 6 miles and only flushed two blues.  We had a great time trudging around out in the woods though and saw some incredible country.

Then it was back home to my birthday dinner.  We don't have many traditions around our house, but one we do have is the person whose birthday it is gets to pick what they want.  I chose my wife's homemade pizza.....cause it's killer!  You can check it out here at Jess's Pizzaria.  Her pizza hit the spot dead on after a long day of running up and down the slopes.

Then came the biggest surprise of all, my birthday cake!  I have to admit it's rare that I get surprised, just ask my wife, I always seem to figure it out beforehand.  But I was totally caught off guard by this incredible cake my family got for me.  This was the best cake I've ever gotten, and truly iconic considering it was the beginning of bird hunting.  Thanks to my family for a great birthday!

Rattlesnakes

I have yet to run across a rattler while bird hunting, but there is always that chance.  I've never seen a dog firsthand that has been bitten, but I've read plenty of stories and seen pictures.  It's an ugly situation.  Last year I took my Vizsla to rattlesnake avoidance class as a safety precaution.  Luckily I never had the chance last hunting season to see if it worked.  This year the rattlesnake clinic came up again so I thought it was a good idea to do a follow up session so that it would really be ingrained in her.....it turned out to be a waste of $40.  She wanted absolutely nothing to do with the snakes from the very first station.  The first five stations they had set up were live snakes (bull snakes), which are fairly similar to a rattlesnake in appearance.

They also had sound stations set up playing a continuous loop of a rattle.  The last station was a combination of all the elements.  She passed with flying colors.  I'm fairly certain she will have nothing to do with any snakes if we come upon them in the field unless they completely take her by surprise.

A mouthful of feathers

I was working with the dog today on retrieving and it got me thinking about how many times my dog has actually fetched up a bird and brought it back to me. If the bird was crippled and still alive the chances were more in favor that I would be the one doing the retrieving after she located it. Not sure why, but she's not too excited about retrieving live birds, a good reminder that I should be doing my part in making sure they get put down if I hit them, a good clean kill, which isn't always as easy as it sounds.

I remember one instance in particular...the day was a typical late season hunt which basically boils down to it being cold, cold, and colder in the chukar hills.  We had just got done making a 5 mile loop through the hills and were on our way back down to the rig when Kati started getting birdy.  It wasn't long before she was locked up hard on point, her body was shaking and rigid...exciting stuff for sure.  I hadn't really been taking any pictures, so I took a chance that the bird would hold and was able to snap a few photos.  Just a quick note that this is also back when I was somewhat in doubt when the dog went on point.  It was just one of those things that truly amazed me since I had never really been around a pointing dog before.  The fact that she knew a bird was there and I couldn't see it was something I just couldn't comprehend.  Those times are gone now though, a word to the wise...always trust your dog!

I walked up on her and the first bird flushed, but it cut back to the right and behind the rock outcropping along the ridge line.  I got a shot off, but I was way behind as it sailed away across the drainage.  Then another burst from cover and headed the opposite direction out into the the open...out into space it seemed like.  My first shot was behind, but the second was true and brought it down as it sailed 100+ yards down the mountain.  That little red dot on the road below, that's my car.

Kati took off down the slope chasing the bird while I thought 'oh crap' I got some hiking to do now.  I didn't really even pay any attention to the dog as it was apparent that she was on a mission, and we were both headed in the same direction anyways. I was though concerned about my own footing, slick icy rocky hillsides are a little tricky to navigate.  I was working the side hill and on my way down when I noticed her running back up the mountain with something in her mouth.  I was fairly shocked, but grabbed the camera and started snapping pictures as she came up.  I could hardly believe my eyes as she got closer and I could tell she had a mouthful of feathers.

These kind of experiences easily make trudging up and down chukar hills worth it.  Point, flush, and retrieve.  A hunter can't ask for much more from his bird dog.  This ranks up there as one of the best moments I've had with Kati.  She never ceases to amaze me.

Only one more month till grouse season opens.  It seems like forever.

Changing of the collar

Every year I've gone through the same ritual with collars before hunting season...getting a new one.  From the start I have been getting an orange dayglo collar similar to the following picture.

Don't get me wrong, this is a great collar, and very durable.  The one problem I have with it though is that it's not so orange anymore after a year, it's more of a light pinkish color.  It's cheap enough that it hasn't been a big deal just replacing it every year.  But this year one of my favorite websites for ordering upland gear was having a sale on them, and the collar came with a free engraved nameplate that was riveted to the collar.  One less thing dangling and clanking around on her collar...sold!

I went with a different type of collar this time.  It's called a Leather Feel collar.  It feels like leather, but it's made out of nylon, so it is durable...and most importantly, it is not supposed to fade.  Check back in a year, and I'll give you the skinny on how it's held up.

Here's my proud pooch with her new jewelry on.  You'd think she just got herself a new prom dress with that look!

So it begins...

I'd love to say I'm one of those hunters that keeps their pooch conditioned all year long, but unfortunately that isn't the case.  Luckily my Viszla is somewhat high strung so she manages to stay slim and trim on her own.  She did seem to fill out a little bit more then usual this winter which is something that just comes with age anyways, whether it be dogs...or their masters!  Kati is my first hunting dog so I've been kind of learning on my own as I go.  I'd have to say though that bird hunting is definitely a passion of mine now.  I love watching my dog work in the field, you just never know what might happen while you're out there, but one thing is for certain, both you and your pooch need to be in shape!  Bird hunting is all about covering ground, horizontal and vertical.

Due to logistics I can't get out in the field or really away from the house with Kati during the week, but I won't let that restrict training.  I just have to make use of what I have which is about a 40 yard stretch of yard...sounds like sprints to me.

We just started this week, and I usually have to wait till about 9pm at night just so it's a little cooler out.  I have her run 25 sprints which amounts to roughly a mile, and we get it done in about 10 minutes of just playing catch with the ball.  She enjoys it, and I enjoy it so it's a win win.  I think catching the ball helps with her reflexes too, she anticipates where the ball will go when it bounces off the fence, truly amazing to watch.  Between the heat and the cardio work it usually wipes her out pretty good, but we're only just beginning so it's understandable for sure.

 

I will definitely ease her into it as conditioning should be done, but my hopes are to get her a lot more conditioned then I have in the past before hunting season.  The cheat grass is a nightmare out there right now, and the wild birds need their space.  I look forward to getting her out in the field next month though so she is acclimated to what she needs to be doing before the season starts.  In the past I have usually spent the first few weeks of hunting season doing this which is really my own fault, and I attribute it to many personal matters that have plagued me the past few seasons.  But things have changed now and I actually have the time and resources to devote to the passion I have come to love...upland game hunting.