The first week of the 2012 pheasant season started out with moderate temperatures and wind but after 5 days turned into more typical North Dakota weather. The wind machine really cranked it up for Wednesday and Thursday with sustained winds in the 40 to 60 Mph range. This virtually shut down hunting with only a few brave souls seen out in the intense wind.
Actually for me it was a nice break in the action having been hunting since the first week in September trying to figure out a best strategy to beat the Sharptail firmly positioned in the sea of corn. It sure was easy when wheat was king in this region! So what to do with this unexpected break? An easy question actually. Day after day in the field creates lots of chores on days like this.
Top of the list was cleaning up the Setters. Even though the grooming process is ongoing a thorough job of combing,clipping and bathing was in order. These are not "slough dog's". They are beautiful creatures with silky soft hair that blows in the wind as they surf across the terrain searching for scent. A perfect compliment to the landscape. Big expanses of grass and open pasture is where they belong and perform they're magic. However in season 10 the reality is that the birds have been left with little refuge in those areas due to the drought and the loss of thousands of acres of CRP grass. Whats left if you want to pursue the wild and unpredictable Rooster's is the cattails,weed patches and cockle burr infested depressions within crop fields and edges called "sloughs". In wet years all of these contain water but this year the edges are very muddy causing the Setters to wade into mud to drink and lay about cooling off. After a day of "slumming" as it were they come home totally trashed. Both muddy and full of burrs. So today it's an inside job. Into the bathtub after a thorough combing and clip job. Complete with cream rinse and nail clipping. They know this ritual well and are always glad to be clean once again quickly falling asleep as they relax as the wind howls.
During the first month of season 10 I've worn 4 pairs of boots rotating as I dry them on the boot dryer. I've had all these boots for several years. A couple have been resoled and due to being well maintained have endured the years of walking mile after mile welcoming being oiled after cycles of wetness to drying. They are essential tools in the game of bird hunting. I love good boots as without them you can't play this game. Not for very long anyway. The first time I ordered a pair of custom made boots I was skeptical as to their value but was soon convinced. Along with good wool socks they are as essential as a good bird dog! So today I oil all the boots and replace a set of laces on a pair. The house is taking on the smells of oiled leather and dog shampoo as the Setters sleep soundly raising an occasional eye as I go to and from the front porch where I keep my gear in a storage room. There sit 4 more pair of boots awaiting rotation into the mix.
My favorite Sharptail gun is a 20 gauge Galazan RBL. I also use a 12 gauge Ruger Gold Label and a couple 16 gauge guns. All double's. Today is no better day of course to thoroughly go over all the guns as well. It's fun to rotate through them discovering what I like about each one once again. Kind of like revisiting an old friend if you will. I remember as I go the moments that stand out in my mind as I clean and oil them all. The task stops being a chore and turns into a welcomed walk down memory lane as the wind continues shaking the trees and the windows as well.
Each season I seem to pick a favorite pair of pants which when outfitted with suspenders I wear day after day. The only break in the rotation will be if they don't dry by the next morning. This year its a pair if Filson pants. They will not be washed untill the last day of the season. I have often joked that I believe I have enough hunting pants to last the rest of my life. It's really no joke as I believe it to be true. I patch and repair them until there's no hope. Like everything else there are favorites. But anyway the mud wears off and the blood fades eventually. I check the pockets removing any debris and replace the batteries in my Garmin receiver reattaching it to the belt strap and replacing it in the right pocket of my pants. The Garmin collars are hooked up to the charger as well. I hang the pants up today on the front porch coat rack. My objective is to clear the dining room table if only for a day. The nylon mesh hunting shirts go to the wash of which I have 4. My leather vest is cleared of debris and extra shotgun shells. I then check to make sure my spare Jeep key is where its supposed to be in the zippered pocket on the inside. Check.
My shell /game bags are next to get the once over. I prefer not to wear a vest so I rotate between two bags I set up for whatever guns I'm using. This means 3 gauges of shells and in addition both lead and steel shot. It can make quite a mess out of the shell bag and the back of the Jeep as I switch from one to the other. The Jeep will wait for another day but I make quick work out of emptying the bags and sort the remaining shells discarding feathers and spent shell casings.
To the smell of clean dog's, guns and oiled boots I now add a little Murphys Oil soap to a bucket of hot water and scrub the vinyl floor on my hands and knees. The mop sponge is worn out so its on all 4's as I cover the whole downstairs. Not such a bad job really. The water turns dark quickly as the fine dust from that black slough mud comes off the floor. This is designed to be a hunter's house. Lived in and enjoyed by both hunter's and dog's. I'm just a little lemon oil on the woodwork away from enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee now. All the time I can hear the wind gusting leaving no doubt there is nothing else to be done on this day.
The Setters are all curled up and as I stop to pet them can feel the heat they generate as they dry out in the fetal position each one in their chosen spot. It's the first day of this intense wind and we've made good use of the time setting ourselves up for a break in the weather come Friday. One of the things I enjoy and laugh about as well is how I seem to have adapted to a dogs life. I'm talking about the afternoon nap time. There's a definite routine to it. And I join them as they sleep away the afternoon with "Winds 40 to 60 Mph".
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