Birds Birds Birds

                                               Living in bird country for someone like myself is as good as it gets but not without it's quirks as I call them. The sport in this area has not been overly commercialized like areas of South Dakota but still draws plenty of out of state hunter's. In these small towns the business is farming and ranching of course and the attitude is "This is how we do things here". You can go faster than the speed limit,burn your tires,light off cherry bombs and M-80's right outside your neighbors window and not expect anyone to get to excited. I would add you can also drive on your lawn, fill it up with junk cars, boats and 4 wheeler's as well.
                                                These quirks as I call them sometimes cause me to look for an escape to balance the scales. Lately I've been researching property in the U.P. of Michigan as a winter refuge close to several ski resorts. What I've come to realize is that those areas are very economically depressed and are playgrounds for people from the cities from the south and west. Property taxes in general are higher and non resident property is classified as recreational and heavily taxed giving the break to the year round residents. This is nothing new but once you really look at it it puts bird country into perspective.
                                                  My assessment is that I've found a sweet spot removed from the commercialized hunting zones with less birds but plenty to keep the Setter's and I busy. Yes there are cultural practices that annoy me from time to time but not as much as I believe living in an area surrounded by the poverty of the north woods country inhabited on the weekends by the "I've got money" crowd from the cities. A sweet spot that no one in their right mind would move to unless you were truly passionate about pointing dog's and prairie birds.
                                                    My perspective was further clarified last evening. It was time for the Setter's to go outside so I let them into the backyard around 6:30. It was a beautiful day. I'd washed the vehicles,mowed the lawn and rode my bike around town in the afternoon. Then later relaxed on the front porch while reading a book surrounded by the Setter's. Two on the couch with me and one at my feet. Beau follows me like a shadow with Mick taking his time to claim his spot closest to me and Molly waiting till she determines my movement is worth her changing her location then making a grand entrance letting me know she's joined the party.
                                                      As I was watching them head out into the yard the neighbors called over for me to join them on their deck for a drink so I splashed some whiskey over ice and headed over. Roger and Pauline laughed and joked about the Goose hunting and scouting they'd been doing with Roger now still out there but not as early in his 78th year. Wow! Then we joked about the neighbor to the west and his new used Snap on Tool truck we suspect he's going to turn into a camper. It's now parked next to his boat and old Winnebago camper that no longer is road worthy. My son Carson had reminded me that I was lucky I didn't have a "Shit Show" in all directions at least! The Setter's were laying in the shade adjacent to the deck just waiting for my return watching and listening to us talk. I said my good byes and was greeted at the gate by my crew with Beau in the lead now howling at me saying "It's about time already! Let's go for a run!"
                                                        So we headed out north of town as it was cooling off now around 7:15 or so with clear skies and no wind to speak of at all. I chose an area we hadn't checked for birds yet and I could tell the Setter's were just filled with anticipation as we traveled down the gravel section line road. This was a hay field of 320 acres surrounded by pasture and corn tucked back in off the main gravel road. I unleashed the hounds and they were quickly on scent with Molly taking the lead and on point in less than a minute it seemed. The other two dog's upon notice after finishing their business joined the "point" focused on a round area of slightly taller alfalfa about twenty feet in diameter. I went in to flush and two Sharptail went up to my left. The dog's then broke and re positioned about 30 feet away and again more birds went up those being the remnants of the covey. How cool was that the pup's would say!
                                                          That was enough given the conditions and temperature to really get the Setter's attention as they cast to the south east and over a rise disappearing from my line of sight with the exception of Molly who was working closest to me. When I didn't see Mick and Beau continue to cast up ahead I knew we had another point probably as I had last seen them heading for a rise and suspected I'd find find them just on the other side staunch on point. Sure enough as I came closer there they were both side by side pointing at the base of the rise. Molly hadn't seen them yet as we approached but with her manner's I wasn't worried about her bumping the birds and as she came within view of her mates she froze in her tracks from 100 feet away. I had quickened my pace somewhat as this was a very pretty set up and wanted to flush the birds for the pups before they ran out ahead. I walked right in as another covey of Sharptail flushed to the north. Beautiful!
                                                          The conditions were perfect for us and the birds bringing us all together at the same time and place to enjoy these moments. The Setter's could sense it as well as myself. With the cool temps I wasn't concerned about them over heating but was conscious we were in the midst of a lot of birds and knew they were working hard. We continued to the east with three more points. Two with all three pup's and Molly on a group of 4 by herself. Of course we also bumped several birds not wanting to hold as we covered the ground as well but over all I was pleased with the Setter's performance and the number of young birds we saw. I called in Mick and Molly and settled them while Beau relentlessly continued to cast about the field. He paused a few more times but couldn't pin down any more birds so eventually joined us for a break on the rise we were standing on overlooking over the area.
                                                             We were a half mile from the Jeep so I heeled the Setter's until I thought we were out of range of any birds that flew back behind us as I wanted to make it back to the Jeep before dark! The Jeep came within sight so I released the pups but not without them working one more bird as we approached with Molly taking the lead and coming to point less than a hundred yards from the vehicle. What a show!
                                                           I watered the Setter's as they caught their breath and leaned up against the Jeep taking in the sunset once again understanding and putting into perspective life in "Bird Country". On one hand there's a few "quirks" as I call them but on the other hand there's "Birds Birds Birds!.