2008 was overshadowed by the severity of the recession. The term I liked to use though was economic adjustment. This was going be around for a long while. It did one important thing for me and that was to reaffirm what my intuition was telling me. Keep living your dream!
I had had a very successful 26 year career. And was happy with my accomplishments and most importantly despite the battles won and lost had made the job work for me. So when Sharptail season came around in September there was no way I was going to cancel my trip to work overtime trying to impress everyone with my dedication to the cause. I had given my pound of flesh. This was a perfect storm the course of which I couldn't change. Regardless of the circumstances I had stayed willingly for 26 years. My choice. This required a lot of tolerance and a keen sense of survival that revolved mostly around keep your mouth shut do what you're told and make a lot of money! For that reason I can't fault anyone except myself. Actually I could but what purpose does that serve? None that was relevant to my future.
Tom and I hit the road again traveling together this year as Phil had dropped out. The conversation naturally hovered around the economy and our survival tactics. We reviewed each other's scenario's and talked about transition plans given making any major changes in our lives. Both being single at about the same age we had a lot in common approaching retirement. Everyone's situation is different but we discussed what drives the cost of down sizing your life and how to deal with it. The idea of consumerism was a topic we talked about as the miles flew by. That being the idea that you're working because of the requirements of your life style. We laughed about this travelling down the road with over a hundred thousand dollars worth of gear in guns, dog's, and related equipment including the vehicle and trailer. But more seriously we thought there was a major opportunity to get the cost down given a look at housing and taxes for example. I'll talk more about this later but here's where I knew I had a life changing opportunity.
We arrived as the sun was going down and unpacked. We then ran out to the airstrip west of town letting the pup's stretch their legs. The sounds were familiar with cattle and occasional flocks of geese making their presence known across the landscape. Life was simple here. Far removed from the place we had just come from and subjects we had discussed. When we got back it wasn't long before Willie, our German friend, showed up and brought us up to date on the local news and told a few jokes as well. This was a little town and usually the big news centered around who was running the cafe and whether or not the hash browns were cooked right etc.. Or what the people who run the bar were doing. Who's house was for sale and what so and so's house brought at auction recently. It's what I would call a low stress environment! We talked about our usual plans to go out for dinner for the week and said good night to Willie. Tom and I were left to decide on the next mornings hunt agreeing I'd start "West of The Windmill"
again with Tom starting to the east.
I was carrying a new 20 gauge sxs this season. Part of that consumerism problem I talked about earlier! Actually I had waited almost 2 years for this gun. An RBL from Galazan and crew. I had had the stock bent and a leather pad applied as well so what I now had was a real nice five thousand dollar shotgun. After a couple seasons with my 12 gauge Gold Label I wanted a smaller gauge for Sharptail and Quail. Actually I had been shooting this new gun very well. The cast off for me was a noticeable advantage. Tom dropped me off and headed east across the road a half mile. I decided to run all 3 dogs here but was going to do it backwards. This meant I would start on the south side of the section line road and work the small hills and adjacent edges of the wheat stubble and standing soybeans to the west. The pup's got birdy around the hill tops and were tracking moving birds but couldn't come up with a point. The birds had either out run them or had flown earlier. We approached a small slough and a nice group of Mallards came off the water almost hidden in the cattails. It was a pretty picture early in the morning. As we headed down the side of the soybeans I saw something at the end of the field sitting in the cut grass at the end of the field along a slough. As we came closer that being still about a hundred yards away I could see it was a bird. It had its neck stretched and looked white like a gull or something. We walked closer and got within 50 yards and the bird takes flight. It was a Sharptail! The way the sun was catching it made it look different as it faced into the light. And it looked much larger with it's neck extended as well. Interesting. We made our way around and headed north toward the prairie and adjacent alfalfa to the west of it. As we approached the alfalfa from the southwest I again saw what this time was at least 30 birds all in the same pose with necks extended looking about in the short alfalfa. The sun was also playing the same trick illuminating their white fronts making them look like another bird but this was a large group of Sharptail feeding on grasshoppers and the greenery. We got much closer than expected. Maybe 60 yards before the group flushed to the east. The pups began working the scent as I walked along the edge of the prairie. Not paying attention I had two birds flush within range as I walked along not suspecting any more were left but that's Sharptail. When you least expect it there's one more! We worked the prairie to the east and din't get into scent until the far east side when the dog's started working birds. I quickened my step and got within range of the pup's only to have another large group flush wild a hundred yards ahead of them! A little touchy this morning I thought. So far I'd seen a lot of birds but we hadn't been able to close the deal. We got to the end of the run and waited for Tom who had picked up 1 bird. We were off to the " Honey Hole a few miles east and on the way down the section line road out comes another group of Sharptail walking out of an adjacent hayfield and crossing into the pasture to the south! We just laughed. They had definitely won today outsmarting us in the air and on the ground. Oh well it was interesting seeing them in that light as they were feeding in the field.
The Honey Hole was named such after we first discovered it held birds the first year we hunted N.D. This spot had all the elements Sharptail liked and they were always there. Some years in greater numbers than others but it was always a nice run. I especially liked it as for years there was a section of alfalfa with rolling hills I could really let the Setter's run big in. That's what we did on this day as Tom took the back side along the crop fields. The pups cast down towards the closest edge right away and picked up scent almost before I was in the field. Beau then pulled up on point with Molly right beside him. Mick was to the right and behind about 20 feet. I trotted closer getting barely within range when a single took flight. I instinctively shot and the bird tipped over. I couldn't believe I had made the shot but had broke a wing and Molly quickly had the bird. What a start to our run! We were once again moving west. The dog's were really out there but it was fun to watch as they cast about looking at each other for any sign who might be birdy. It was Beau again as they approached a rise in the middle of the field. This was short cover about 6 to 8 inches with bare spots as well. The Setters were strung out right on the crest of this rise. I had well over a hundred yards to go and hustled as much as I could. I got within range but coming from behind them I now had to get up above them as the birds were on the other side. The trick is to get there before their lookouts see you and bolt! I was lucky as I made it to the top without any birds flushing. I walked forward still no birds. A few more steps and the covey busted at the bottom of the rise again a long shot but I managed to down another bird straight away. Winded I let the Setter's locate the bird and took a knee while I let my breathing catch up. That was quite a sprint I had done with the mid morning sun now causing the temperature to slowly rise. This was definitely Beau's game. Molly can easily run with him but Mick's pace is a little slower and he can easily get his nose out of joint if he keeps getting beat to the birds. But so far so good! We were 300 hundred yards from the backside of this run which has another small hill running north and south with pasture and wheat stubble to the west of it. We headed that way and came around the backside from the south end of it. The pup's worked the top having learned the birds like the high ground. They were birdy casting back and forth and down the sides. Finally we reached the end and Mick worked ahead oblivious to the rest of us. This is when you really have to watch him because he's usually right. I have learned this many times. Follow the dog! Especially Mick! Sure enough where the grade sloped to a level he freezes. As soon as Beau and Molly see me advancing toward Mick now steady on point they stop heads up waiting. Micks head is pointed at the ground so he's close to this bird. I walk all the way up to him and kick the grass. Nothing. Then a Sharptail bursts into flight slightly to my left flying left to right. I swing with my RBL and for the third time today a bird falls on the first shot. Beautiful. That was Mick's retrieve. He proudly did the "walk" showing off before lying down and giving me a dog smile with tongue hanging out. It's not uncommon at all for the birds to move a little between the time the dog's pin them down and when I get there which was the case here. Tom had had a good run as well which validates the name of the run I guess. It'll always be a favorite place.
Later in the week I decided to hunt a large waterfowl production area with hills around a small lake. I like the fact that the RBL can shoot steel as well as I hunt a lot of this cover for Sharptail and Pheasants. I made up two pouches as I carry shoulder bags. One for steel and one for lead making it easier as we moved around throughout the week. I had to walk back in a mile to get to where I wanted to go. We began working these hills around the water thick with buffalo berries a small low bush that provides both good cover and food. I again had all three Setter's on the ground. We had gone quite a ways when I saw us coming to a high point that flattened out on top about a hundred feet in diameter. This had Sharptail written all over it. Plenty of short cover. A nice high spot and grasshoppers everywhere. It's funny I think the Setter's saw it the same time I think and all started working up the sides of the rise. I hustled my butt up the side of the hill. They had just gone over the top and were out of my sight. I was 10 seconds behind them. I got to the top just in time to see them all on point in the open looking at a circle of thorn bushes in the middle of this flat area. Incredible. But not as beautiful as the sight of a whole covey rising in all directions with my next step! What made this so memorable was the way the birds rose into the air. They came up looking down at us as they turned and flew showing us their full profile. I got my bearings finally and took my shot at a bird going high before it turned into the wind. It fell to the ground off the side of the hill. A nice mature Sharptail. It was an incredible flush. In fact I return there every year hoping maybe it would happen again that way. Just one more time. But it hasn't not yet anyway.
We had our usual night out with Willie and Joann and visited with everyone we had now come to know as well. The food wasn't very good but the people made up for it. One of my favorite guys there is "Eddie" he's just the nicest guy a retired Detroit auto worker who moved back to N.D. years ago. He's 93 and looks 63. Mind as clear as a bell. Then there's "Honey Girl" she grew up with Willie and Joann and we kid Willie about having once dated her. I never dated that woman he says I just gave her a ride home once! She's a pain in my ass! He says this all in his German accent of course. Laughing the whole time. She seems awful sweet on him!
We had pretty good weather with no extreme heat which was nice and were reluctant to leave knowing what waited for us. A whole lot of gotta do's. We talked again on the way home about the economy and how to deal with the shit storm we were in. The thing we both knew is that there's more than one way to live and be happy. We saw people doing it everywhere we went. Living simply. No mortgages. No fancy houses. Just simple pleasures. That suited me just fine!
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