This week saw a lot of crops being harvested exposing more birds and the fall migration of thousands of snow geese. Early in the week I had a day where nothing went my way just so you know it's not always easy to get on birds at least in a fair chase sort of way meaning no gang hunting or shooting from a vehicle like the shit birds would do! On this day the birds would not sit still. The Sharptail would take off 200 yards ahead and the dog's just wanted to run big frustrated by it all. My afternoon hunt on this day netted one Sharptail the Setter's finally pinned down in wheat stubble. I would also add that I had one point on a Rooster by Molly that I hit but we lost it. Get the feel what this day was like? Saturday came around with a hard frost over night and a foggy morning. I decided to wait until the sun burned off the fog as it was still deer season out there. Safety first. So at 10:30 a.m. I unleashed the hounds in an open wheat stubble field then made a round through a pasture back towards some tree lines adjacent to some recently harvested sunflowers just to work the edge off the Setter's. This 3 mile walk netted us one wild flush on a Rooster so I worked back to the Jeep and watered the pup's. I decided to put up Mick for a rest at this point and headed across the road to hunt Molly and Beau in some CRP. Within 10 minutes we were once again working birds as Beau came on point with his head held high and Molly pointing with him side by side. This was a beautiful sight as Beau arched his head up high over the grass to catch the scent. I walked in front of the dog's and nothing flushed while they remained rigid. I paused and turned to look at Beau's line of sight and turned back when all hell broke loose with a 3 Rooster flush! I swung right on the first bird connecting with a good hit then left for the double! Both birds down! I wondered for a moment what that must have been like for the dog's as the drama unfolded. The sky was now clear except for the thousand's of snow geese making there way across the landscape. I couldn't help being thankful that yes sometimes it all works out perfectly.
Molly and Beau worked several more birds but we didn't get another Rooster opportunity here so we headed back to the Jeep and on to the next spot for Mick's run. Two miles up the road I let Mick out and he was birdy right away working an area relentlessly for a point on a Hen. The good news is that Mick will not leave an area if he knows it holds a bird. I first experienced this in Kansas with him year's earlier when after a point on a covey by all 5 dog's we had on the ground we had recovered the birds and started to continue on when I realized Mick wasn't with us. I finally walked back a hundred yards or more towards the brush the Quail had come from and as I got closer saw Mick was on point in the exact same place pointing two stragglers from the previous covey flush! They were under a log and I missed both of them as they flushed when I approached. I have learned to trust Mick as a result ever since and as My friend Bernie say's the "Top Ten Rules of Bird Hunting" are all the same "Follow The Dog!"
Anyway after Mick worked that Hen we continued on a couple hundred yards in light grass and he came on point just where it bordered some heavier cover. I walked ahead to flush and Rooster number three fell with one report from my Gold label. Now at three Rooster's on the day I looped back toward the Jeep and 100 yards from the Jeep Mick made an abrupt turn and froze. I walked right up to him and flushed a single Sharptail which flew straight away. An easy shot as the bird tumbled to the ground. Mick recovered the prize doing an excellent job on his run and I could tell he liked the one on one time. We then cruised home to take a break and grab a bite to eat before returning to let Beau work some wheat stubble we had seen some Huns fly into earlier. We headed out into the wheat stubble and Beau made a wide cast then suddenly caught scent slowed up then took a few more steps and did an abrupt turn and crouched down in a rigid point! This usually means " Holy shit these birds are right here boss!" Unfortunately I was a little to far away and as I approached the birds bolted just out of range. I worked the area for another 45 minutes trying to pin them down again but they flushed wild on us the second time in open sunflower stubble but it was a joy seeing Beau on point holding the birds in the open. He's just got so much style I love seeing him work. The great thing about him is that he hardly ever will crowd a bird and is very cautious. All he needs is just a little wind and we're in business! The sun was starting to set and I wanted to run Molly solo so we headed for the Jeep. For Molly's run we headed to the west end of the same section to hunt the edges along the alfalfa hoping to catch the Sharptail near the high spots. The geese were really moving heading back from the feeding fields to the water for the night. Molly had a smile on her face as I let her out knowing it was her turn. 200 yards from the jeep Molly did an about face on the edge of a wheat stubble filed adjacent to the alfalfa and locked up solid. This was right where I expected the Sharptail might be as they worked their way back towards the grass for the evening. I was right as 4 Sharptail exploded twenty feet ahead of Molly as I approached. I was carrying my RBL 20 gauge and took one bird as it swung to my right in front of me. Molly quickly located the down bird and we continued on as the sun was fading in the west. As we approached the Jeep along the edge of the CRP where it met the alfalfa a jackrabbit took off from a tuft of tall grass. Molly ran ahead to inspect and ran right into a mature Rooster right in the same spot! She looked surprised as it flew off confused by the two scents in the same spot. A funny sight. It was now the time when you could see fire coming out your barrel so I unloaded and made the walk to the Jeep thankful for the great day we all had. It was really fun to see all the Setter's work birds on their own and I'm glad I took the time walking the extra miles with them one on one. It's just such an opportunity to be able to do this day after day and confirms to me I was so right in coming to "Bird Country!". When I'm older and can no longer walk behind a dog I'll be glad for every mile I walked behind these Setter's. That I am sure of!
No comments:
Post a Comment