An Afternoon With Beau

                                                     It was the end of October in this our tenth season together when it was Beau's turn to go on a solo run with me. I wanted to give the Setters more individual time this year to appreciate each of their hunting styles and also to give them more rest in between days in the field. These are what I call the bonus years with all the pups turning 10 this season. Grateful for every day we've had together these times are more special now as I know at anytime circumstances could change due to age and the maladies that crop up on us myself included.
                                                     Beau exhibits a lot of style with his head up surfing in the wind in a seemingly effortless gait. Always a vocal dog he howls at me around the house as I reach for my boots or gun letting me know he intends to not be left behind wagging his tail and circling around me. But this season I sensed more urgency in his attitude when he knew it was time to head to the field. I couldn't help but wonder maybe he sensed something unknown to me. Intuition maybe. We'd been fortunate to have had so many great experiences together in beautiful places for bird dog's and myself. Thoughts of when it would change crossed my mind. When would I lose them or as I talked with my long time friend and hunting partner maybe I'd go first. Anyway I thought whatever was causing Beau's increased urgency to hunt certainly exemplified his true passion for finding birds. The responsibility for owning or being owned rather by a Setter like this is to get them on birds as many days of their life as possible because that's what they live for. That's the best gift you could give them and yourself because to see them perform they're magic is a priceless reward.
                                                      So I listened to the howling from Beau on this afternoon as I reached for my gear around the house. As I lace up my boots he stands with his nose in my face making it difficult to see what I'm doing but I don't mind. Molly joins him wagging her tail at this ritual. I'd been doing these solo runs regularly since September so it was no surprise to Mick and Molly when I didn't put a collar on them. They knew it wasn't their turn. Nonetheless the look they give me as I let Beau through the door could break your heart. However I knew they'd be sleeping 5 minutes after we left!
                                                        We arrived at our destination which was a section of pasture bordered by a section of corn stubble. This area holds both pheasants and grouse. The routine is to circle the edges of the corn hunting some small weedy areas then coming back through the pasture. It's a long run being about a 4 mile walk for me but we had plenty of time starting at 2 o'clock with sunset being about 6 o'clock or so. This year I had been doing mostly afternoon hunting for a couple of reasons. First of all I like my coffee time in the morning! Secondly mostly everyone else rushes to get out early so this way I don't see most of those assholes. I've noted it makes no difference what so ever in our success locating birds. And I really like hunting towards the end of the day watching the sun set.
                                                         Beau's a big lanky Setter and can really cover some ground which I let him do using Garmin tracking collars on all my Setters. This makes the hunt much more enjoyable for me and the dog's. Silent as well! We headed west into the wind and were into scent right away as Beau pointed several hens a couple hundred yards into the run. Then as we continued west a covey of sharptail flushed wild out of range from the edge along the corn stubble. We were heading to a corner where a hay field met the corn and Beau came over a slight rise and locked up 100 feet off the fence line out in the open corn stubble. This would be a 40 yard shot at best if the bird busted but I was able to get within 15 yards of Beau when a mature rooster bolted moving left to right and fell with a single shot from my Ruger Gold Label. These points are really special as it's a beautiful sight seeing the Setters pointing in the open cover plus there's such suspense not knowing how long that bird is going to hold.
                                                        We continued on and circled into the pasture busting another covey of sharptail without getting a shot. Some days are just like that. On this particular run they sometimes will set down within the pasture again but not today. All the birds flew far to the west across the road and into the adjacent hills. Beau was casting back to the east now as we headed for the southern edge of this run which has a little brush and cover along the edge. Not much but enough here and there to sometimes hold birds. This area when viewed from the road would be overlooked by 90% of hunters because it doesn't look like much unless you've walked the ground and know the pockets of cover are there. More time on your feet not on your seat (Fat Ass) applies here. There's nothing easy about hunting these spots it just takes walking mile after mile.
                                                        A quarter mile up this edge Beau became birdy casting out into the pasture and back towards the fence line indicating we maybe had some birds feeding in the pasture. It wasn't long before he slowed with his head high and eased to a stop looking up the fence line ahead where there was some scrub brush visible. Head high looking forward usually means he's pointing at some distance. I love this Setter as he never wants to push birds but that means you've got to know the signals and read the situation. Here it meant I had birds but up ahead quite a ways probably in that little bit of cover on the fence line. The right way to do this is to walk slowly ahead but don't stop until they flush. Go right past the dog and continue walking in a line with where he's looking. I know this because many times I violate the rule by stopping to look around and that's when the birds bolt causing you to lose valuable yards which can make or break a shooting opportunity. Then the birds have no hard and fast rules about sitting still of course just because your dog's on point! Today however I walked past Beau with head high and proceeded for the patch of cover getting within 15 yards when 4 rooster's  flushed. Two to the south and two to the northeast. I swung on a rooster to the south slightly to my right and brought him down in the adjacent pasture. This all happened so fast I didn't have an opportunity for another shot but knew we maybe had a shot of finding another bird up ahead. Every time I hunt this dog I remark to myself how I love his style. So cautious and patient. He's taking me hunting I laugh to myself glad to have made the shot for Beau.
                                                     We worked another quarter mile to the east when Beau picked up scent again along a waterway in the pasture. He played cat and mouse with a couple hens that just wouldn't fly and I decided after this game had gone on for a good while ending with the hens flushing wild that this would be a good time to take a leak. Right in the middle of the process Beau goes on point 40 yards in front of me but by the time I was zipped up and ready a rooster flushed wild before I could get close." I'm sorry I thought but those hens had caused me to lose focus Beau". Well it wasn't long before he was on to scent again in the same area as he circled back towards me and picked up a track going under the fence and into a hay field. He was clearly working a moving bird and I watched a little then climbed over not wanting to squander another opportunity. Beau was 75 yards in front of me when he abruptly spun slightly to his right and pointed with his head down to the ground. This meant that bird was right there! I hightailed it to him as fast as I could and without stopping! Amazingly I walked right in and flushed yet another rooster from a patch of foot high alfalfa. The bird flew straight away to the north and fell with one shot! Always be a believer I said to myself. It's interesting how many 50 and a hundred yard dashes I do in the course of a season sometimes several within the same hunt! But if you don't pheasants will just out run you and your dog if you don't let them do what they have to do to get them pinned down. We recovered our bird and I gave Beau kudos for a great job handling these roosters. Neither one of us was tired out and the weather was really nice with sunny skies and temps in the upper 40's with little wind. I checked the time and it was a little after 4 o'clock so I decided we'd head to a favorite grouse spot to end the day. What fun we were having. That's the beauty of hunting in North Dakota as the prospect of a mixed bag of different species really can make for a full day. Both for you and your dog's!

                                                 We made a 15 minute drive to a hilly region with crops to the north. These sharptail feed in the crop fields and then like to roost in an adjacent waterfowl production area. They also take refuge in a series of hills to the south heavy with buffalo berry patches and plenty of cover from the wind. Our strategy here is to work the fence line along the crops first for any birds that may have come out to the edge.
                                                  Beau made his way into the run casting along the edge of the fence line and a couple of hundred yards ahead slows at the rise of a hill head high. I hurry ahead and as I get to him a covey of sharptail flushes just out of range of course but I watch as they circle south to the hill country I just described. We continue on and Beau moves ahead another 75 yards and stops again looking right into the fence line not far from where that first covey had flushed. I was able to move right up to him almost when a plump sharptail burst forth chuckling as it flew south straight away. I fired and the bird tumbled into a strip of cut hay as the drought allowed farmers to cut waterfowl production grass this season. Beau easily located our bird and I stopped to admire this specimen of our favorite upland bird to hunt.

                                                   We walked on to the east moving another covey of sharptail in the corn stubble along the fence line. They also flew into the hill country to the south. Knowing we had at least 20 birds in those hills and 2 more grouse to fill our limit for the day we circled that way but not before working a few hen pheasants along a cattail waterway. This took a while and I was checking the clock for time as we had a lot of ground to cover to reach the Jeep before dark. I was now feeling the effect of walking all afternoon as I diligently kept up with Beau working these birds. But I knew this wasn't just any day. Beau had been into birds non stop from the beginning and handled them all very well. We had some birds bust on their own but that's what wild birds do!
                                                    We crossed the fence and into the adjacent hills we went. I love this cover. It's big and the birds could be anywhere making it a real challenge for both Beau and myself. I hunt this by making a big circle around the south end and then coming back through the hills letting the dog range as he will and moving towards him as he picks up scent. I've learned the pattern of this population of birds so I am aware of about where they might be but that's never a sure bet! The first birds I see flush wild off a hill a  few hundred yards ahead. Safety in numbers. I admire the survival tools these grouse have to live in this harsh climate. We walk up and down and finally Beau's got scent around a familiar area. I approach and the bird surprises me and flushes slightly behind to my right. I turn and fire missing. a make-able shot but no cigar. You have to get used to longer shooting with these birds as they go down much easier than a pheasant and as a result I pass up many shots I should take until I get dialed in some days.

                                                   I check my clock and decide to turn towards the northwest gauging our time before sundown. I lose sight of Beau for a minute and pull out my Garmin to locate him. He's 120 yards on the other side of a hill on point! I read the terrain and he's to my right just over the top of the hill which makes sense as sharptail like to be on the leeward side just tucked out of the wind. That puts those birds somewhere between us just over the rise. So I decide to walk up the hill so they can't see me until the last second hoping to get a close shot at the birds. I got 3/4 of the way to the top which was about within 50 yards of where Beau was pointing when I heard birds flushing and sharptail clucking. I looked in that direction and saw two birds coming right at me overhead! I raised my gun to my shoulder and took the first bird at 1 o'clock falling 10 feet from me. Then swung around as the other bird flew directly over my head and pulled the trigger at 10 o'clock. But nothing happened. My gun didn't fire. I had forgotten to reload after the last shot! But that's the incredible shooting you can experience in this hill country. Not every run but sometimes it all works out.... almost!
                                                    We had a good 1/2 mile to go to get back to the Jeep  I was tired having pushed myself beyond the limit of my endurance but not Beau. He just kept working birds. I had all I could do to keep up at this point. We got almost out of the hills when I saw a rock on the hillside and sat down for a minute watching Beau in what I thought was barren cover. Then I looked at the Jeep a ways away yet and when I went to look back at Beau he was on point. Again! But this time in a really odd location. Right on the edge of a dried up pothole with just a little bit of weedy cover about the edge. I got off my butt and took two steps and 4 sharptail busted ahead. I fired two shots missing but mostly to let Beau know I appreciated the effort!

                                                    Knowing I was toast we made our way back to the Jeep but not without Beau pointing two more birds which I also missed but nonetheless an incredible day for Beau and one that I will never forget. Few bird dog's ever really get the opportunity to hunt to their potential. Beau's one of the lucky one's. A text book performance bird after bird. One of my most cherished memories will always be "An afternoon with Beau".
                                                 

Mystery In The Snow

                                               The last day of the 2012 season started out as a foggy morning with everything covered in crystals of light snow like someone had just put a layer of frosting on the landscape. I hadn't decided at daybreak whether or not to take one more walk before signing off on another memorable season with the Setters. I had been shooting baskets over at the community center the last few weeks making up for the miles I was missing once the weather and snow restricted our movement. While this day was still without any noticeable sunshine I decided to head for the gym a block away. Upon arriving I pulled on the door to find it locked and remembered the custodian doesn't open it until after church on Sundays. Having been ready for some exercise I was disappointed and as I made my way home decided in that moment we were indeed going to make our final walk in the snow.
                                                The options ran through my mind of places to end our season. I wanted a big area we could spend the rest of the day which would potentially hold all 3 species,pheasants,sharptail and huns. Having not shot a hun all season this registered as an objective. I also knew we could for sure find sharptail and get them in the air but pheasants were a different story in these winter conditions. While they are always fun for the Setters to try and pin down I had become tired of their antics the last few weeks. The gang hunters take these conditions as their cue to call up the troops and surround shelter belts and sloughs to try and even the score. Not our game. But anyway who could say they wouldn't want to see just one more rooster burst forth from the snow against a winter sky.
                                                 So we traveled 40 miles south and worked a large area with some hills and pasture with waterways bordered by wheat stubble and some corn along with flowers as well. It amazes me how much food is available out there as long as the birds can get to it. The area had some tree rows and we began by walking along them as we made our way into the area. It's always a game of which side of the cover to be on and because I hunt alone my expectations are always low in this situation even with pointing dogs. The birds always seem to know which side you're on and just fly out the opposite direction. Sure enough within the opening minutes and not a quarter mile into our hunt all 3 Setters were pointing a rooster on the opposite side of the tree row! I walked up slowly and attempted to make my way across the brush line when the rooster bolted away easily obstructed from view in the brush. It was a pretty sight with Mick in the lead flanked by Beau and Molly all focused on a spot hidden in the snow and brush. I laughed glad the pups had gotten him pinned down anyway.
                                                  As we continued on I noticed a set of tracks not from my dogs everywhere we went. Once I got out of the sugary blown snow onto more stable ground I could see it was a coyote as I had suspected. This coyote was actually hunting the exact same path and cover as we were. No surprise there! But I thought about the constant battle these birds fight against the daily pressure from these predators. That's why I have such strong feelings about fair chase hunting. Every year I hear horror stories about gang hunters surrounding birds in winter habitat and taking large numbers of roosters bragging about the killing which is exactly what it is not hunting.
                                                So I then decided to head for the edge of the wheat stubble hoping maybe we'd find the coveys of huns I had seen here throughout the season but hadn't got a good set up on. Excuses. Excuses. I know. Anyway with pheasant tracks everywhere as we made our way through the snow to the fence line again our coyote foe had made the same route heading north into the back reaches of our run. A couple hundred yards along the wheat stubble in the open snow I came upon 3 rooster tail feathers just sitting on top of the snow. I was puzzled thinking about how this came to be with no signs of a struggle anywhere close or any tracks of any kind except the coyote who had walked along the fence line edge. I said to myself that's great he must not have captured the rooster. As the Setters worked the stubble casting back and forth towards the fence line I walked another 30 yards and spotted a dark spot about 3 feet in diameter ahead of me. Then as I walked closer the dark spot became visible to me. A pile of feathers. All that was left of a rooster that had obviously lost the battle to the coyote. As I looked around trying to figure out the circumstances under which this occurred I couldn't visualize in my mind what actually took place. A mystery in the snow. A battle between predator and prey.
                                              We moved on with the coyote tracks preceding our every move as we checked all the cover. The Setters were dealing with the accumulation of snow between they're toes stopping every so often to rip the ice from they're feet as best they could. The sun had emerged and we had a beautiful day. The bonus was that I had not over dressed and was comfortable without over heating as we made our way through foot deep snow now a couple miles from the Jeep.
                                              Finally in the middle of this large area on the top of a small knoll with a few bushes Beau came to point flanked by Mick then Molly slightly behind. As I moved up alongside Beau I peered into the scant cover and saw nothing but fresh tracks leading in. I could tell by looking at the tracks that this was definitely a rooster judging by the size. I then moved ahead of Beau and nothing flushed. Mick moved ahead slightly and locked up again with Beau and Molly remaining where they were. As I scanned ahead I could see the cover ended ahead about 50 feet in a finger of light grass out into the wheat stubble. I slowly followed the line of sparse grass to the end and stopped with all 3 Setters solid on point behind me focused on the very end point now. This would be it I thought. A very beautiful point and shot in the open cover to end the season. I walked one more step and a rooster exploded into flight from the very end of the cover falling with a single report from my 20 gauge sxs a favorite gun I carried most of the season. Beau having been in the lead moved ahead securing the bird as we all converged on our final prize of the season taking a few moments to take it all in.
                                              We walked for another couple hours and miles pursuing birds under mostly bright sunny skies and ideal temperatures for a winters hunt. The Setters pointed several more birds including a large group of hens maybe 20 or more I expect. It was just a great sight as I watched for a rooster standing right in the middle of the flush. There may have been one there but I didn't care as we'd already had our moment.The rest was just for the Setters to enjoy and dream about during the cold winter days ahead.