Go West Young Man

                                           As summer advanced into August I had been researching options for western bird hunting trips wanting to stay on course with my objectives to increase my days in the field with the Setter's. I had sent for several maps of the Dakota's, Kansas and Montana along with guides to the States walk in areas outlining all state and federal land open to hunting as well. There were lot's of options and the birds on my list were Pheasants of course,Sharptail Grouse,Hungarian Partridge,Prairie Chicken's and Quail. Since scouting new territory can be quite a job and having a crew of young but promising bird dog's I decided to check with my friend Tom who I knew had plans to head for North Dakota in the fall.
                                          I called Tom and since we both seemed to be in the same boat with young dog's hunting in an area familiar to at least one of us made sense to me so when he said sure you're welcome to come out and stay at my place I thought that's great. However we would be on our own which was fine as Tom was traveling with his buddy Phil who also had his own dog.
                                           Sharptail season was the second week of September so I packed up the Jeep and loaded the Setter's for the 12 hour trip to North Dakota. We followed each other stopping for gas and letting the dog's out periodically chatting in between by cell phone as we went along. I was anxious to get my dog's where I could see the results of all the time I had spent on their development individually and running them together. It would be as new to me as the Setter's as I had never hunted North Dakota before nor had I hunted Sharptail Grouse. We all had a lot to learn.
                                            Upon arriving around 9pm that evening in the little town where Tom had purchased his house it was difficult to get a feel for our surroundings but we were in the middle of prairie pothole country with gentle rolling hills and lots of water everywhere making it a very popular destination for waterfowl hunters. This little town of less than 200 was quiet now being weeks away from the waterfowl season that brings most of the traffic here in the fall. As Sharptail hunters we were very much in the minority which was fine with us of course! After letting the dog's out and unpacking we gathered around the living room table to discuss the opening morning plans. Dog's were welcome in the house so they found comfortable spots around the room as well. Tom suggested we all go over to his section and hunt the pasture and adjacent hay field as he had seen birds there earlier in the summer when walking the property with the Realtor. There was plenty of room there for all of us to split up and hunt with our own dog's. So that was the plan for the next day. Before turning in for the night I took the dog's for a walk around the block taking in the sounds of the town which were few. Someones T.V. a dog barking a few blocks away and the distant sound of cattle on the outskirts of town someplace. No traffic. We could walk down the middle of the side streets not all of which had street lights. Main street was a bank, senior center,cafe,small grocery,bar,post office and a little building marked "Public Library". Other main street attractions were an insurance agency,VFW post,sign shop and further south a Dairy Queen right out of the 60's. As we approached what would be our home for the next week I thought as I looked at the 4 bedroom house with attached double garage Tom had bought for nine thousand dollars" I get it". But it would all make even
 more sense after tommorow!
                                           Phil and I being early risers had breakfast and coffee going ahead of Tom but we were all set to go by 8:30. We headed out with Tom in the lead for the 15 minute drive to his section on the eastern border of the county. After arriving we agreed I would take the northern part of the section. A hay field with short cover. Tom and Phil would hunt together a half mile away.
                                           I let out all 3 dog's in what was short cover totally in the open on the side of a gently sloping field. Having run them together many times and knowing they would back each other with the exception of Mick breaking the rules once in a while I rolled the dice! We had birds in the air almost immediately as a covey flushed wild when we entered the field. Then after the dog's converged on this strange new scent they were off casting about and soon came to point seemingly on different birds but it was a group spread out in close proximity and I moved in that direction when they all flushed taking two shots but bringing down only one bird. This open cover shooting was an adjustment somewhat as the Sharptail weren't allowing me to get as close as Pheasants for example so the shots were longer in nature but unlike Pheasants it didn't take much to put them on the ground. The dog's bumped some birds learning how to handle them and I missed a few myself but as we crossed into the adjacent pasture Beau did a beautiful job working a bird and coming to point in sparse cover which I brought down.
                                          For an opening run I was very impressed. We had two birds in the bag and the dog's had eventually figured out how to handle them making some nice points but my shooting needed work. I clearly wasn't used to this longer open field shooting. I was also on this run introduced to being "Sharptailed". When you walk into a point and use both shots from your sxs then as your standing there wondering why you might have missed the rest of the covey takes off!

Tom and Ida after our opening run 2003

We took a break and shared notes on the run with all of us encouraged by the number of birds we saw missed and shot! I was anxious to get my dog's on birds again so we headed out to find another run. The public access program is referred to as PLOTS or plots of land open to sportsman. These areas are marked with a yellow sign by the State Fish and Game who leases it form the landowner.

A typical PLOT sign as seen throughout the State

These areas represent a variety of cover for different species. I was familiar with other states walk in programs but the people I hunted with avoided them saying they received to much traffic however my attitude is that the birds don't know it's public access and a lot of hunters are just to damn lazy to walk the cover and find the hidden pockets you can't see from the road sitting in a truck! So the Setter's and I covered a lot ground that week getting a feel for where these birds lived what they ate and how they acted.
At this time of year the crops of the birds were full of grasshoppers,bits of alfalfa and a yellow flower that grows around the grassy areas. Alfalfa was by far the preferred cover as this is where they had raised their broods. High points were common haunts as these often were near mating grounds and the birds would always be within close proximity to such features. The dog's quickly learned to cautiously approach hilltops and rises in alfalfa fields.
                                   I let the dog's run as big as they wanted and when a covey would hold was rewarded with the most beautiful sight. All 3 Setter's spread out on point in the open cover!. This became what I was really after. The picture. The moment. I hunted for it over and over again.
                                    North Dakota. The people. The country. The birds. I was really starting to "get it"!