Cold Snap

Many people are puzzled by why I would want to live in this God forsaken place. Coming from the beautiful rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin's driftless area I understand the look of puzzlement on the faces of people I meet when I say, 'Yes I live here". Even though it's like living in a fish bowl some days after a few year's now I've learned to accept the curiosity of my neighbors and just plain don't care about what anybody else thinks about why I'm here. That's the guy with the bird dog's they say.

Hunting the "Cold Snap"

But for someone like myself there are definite advantages to calling this place home. Observing the wildlife throughout the year and scouting my hunting area tells me where broods are at in the spring for example. As I was relating to my neighbor a couple weeks ago this is an important part of being successful in the fall. Land use changes and birds locate to desirable cover to nest and raise their broods so logging their location throughout the spring and summer determines where we hunt. As the harvest then allows us to get into areas I know had a successful hatch we work our way through our inventory of possibilities that suit the type of cover I like to hunt with the setters. We avoid the areas that get a lot of pressure opting for the out of the way spots that I know hold a few birds. Again by watching the harvest progress on a weekly and daily basis this allows us to hunt those birds that have not seen any hunting pressure on a more regular basis.

Another key advantage combined with scouting broods and tracking the harvest is timing our hunts with weather conditions. When you plan a hunting vacation a year in advance you're at the mercy of many factors including access,hunting pressure,bird populations and weather,wind ,rain,snow and extreme temperatures both hot and cold. So I hope it's becoming more clear why I actually choose to live here! Combining the knowledge of where birds are likely to be, at what time of the year,week, and day with the advantage to hunt them in optimal conditions for success is what a passionate bird hunter lives for or at least I do. Because I can. I decided a long time ago that I was going to live focused on what was within my reach and means today not working my ass off till some time in the future when I was too used up to live my dream.

That brings me to the purpose of this narrative which is hunting the periods of significant temperature changes. Most people I know are fair weather hunters or skiers. In fact I've shared the chairlift many times with people on some pretty extreme weather days both cold and windy that have said "If you wait till the weathers perfect you're just not going to get in many days skiing!". And how very true that is. It also applies to bird hunting. But the advantage in bird hunting is that the birds change their habits when the temperature dips. So instead of looking at the forecast and saying not today we say "Hell yeah let's go!"

A cold Dakota morning in fresh snow.

On one such day a couple weeks ago the temperature dropped to single digits from a period of pretty mild overnight temps some of which weren't even freezing. It was time to run Mick so I picked a spot close to a half section of standing corn that had a couple acres of heavy weedy cover close by and some water and cattails across the road. Refuge from the cold and wind was this morning's formula with temps in the single digits. My fingers were cold in short order but I prefer to wear light shooting gloves anyway. I had my head ban on to cover my ears and a couple of layers over my wool long underwear. Luckily the jacket I chose had a tight fitting collar to keep the wind out as well which was 10 to 15 mph and enough to remind you  this is the real deal. It's cold! Mick was birdy immediately picking up scent as we walked up to the weedy patch. Shortly after he came to point on a hen tucked in on the edge of the adjacent bean field which I flushed for him. I can't recount all the times the setters have been on birds right out of the Jeep in the past. That's why I've learned not to release them until I'm loaded and ready to go! We continued on through this 2 acre patch just right for Mick although some of the cover is pretty thick but he makes his way at his own speed. He picks up scent again about halfway through and heads on a line towards the road and the edge of the cover. A hundred yards into this track he turns to the north into the wind and stops head high straight ahead. As I approach he goes rigid meaning I've got em R! I cautiously move ahead with my 20 gauge sxs and a long tail rooster bolts straight away to the right falling with a single report. Mick gets to the bird before me and stands with his tail wagging. Well done Mick I say scratching his ears. I take note again of the cold but that's why these birds were in here this morning instead of the standing corn. That's been the battle all season with crops put in late and virtually all the corn standing 4 weeks into the season. We then hunt the other side of the road and Mick works a group of hens then moves ahead working what turned out to be another rooster on the edge of the water but when he came to point I chose the wrong position and forced the bird to fly over the water. Not a chance of me getting wet today I thought as I watched him fly away. By the time we worked to the end of the shoreline and back to the Jeep a half mile south Mick was played out but had done a great job once again on the season's first really cold morning. That spot was a  good call I thought as we made our way back home for a cup of coffee and a bowl of bean soup.

Invigorated now by the cold the afternoon would belong to Beau today. Sunset was around 5 o'clock so I wanted to spend about three hour's on our next run. This again was an area with a half section of corn still standing so the strategy was the same. This was a day we would try to catch the birds spending the afternoon in the heavier cover versus staying in the corn all day. This I hoped would hold true for both pheasants as well as sharpatil grouse. The prospect of a mixed bag makes North Dakota hunting really exciting as well as extending your hunt beyond a limit of one species.

Beau and I arrived at our destination a good 20 miles from home and with the wind coming out of the north we walked to the south end and started our run skirting some cattails directly across from the corn. Beau again was into scent right away as well not to my surprise this time. He came to point a few moments later as a group of a dozen hens scattered in all directions after fighting their way out of the heavy cover. I was encouraged to find them as I thought at this time of day. Even though the sun was out it was still extremely cold with the wind still at 10 to 15 mph. Steady. We continued working along the south edge when we came to a run of cattails somewhat narrow and running along a low ridge. Beau became birdy working 20 feet across from me in and around the cattails. Working his nose to the ground we had a running bird I surmised. Suddenly behind me a sharptail took flight! I spun around and fired. Missing. Then Beau continued on still working in the same manner. He stops then right on the edge where the cattails meet the grass of the adjacent ridge. I walked ahead a few steps and another sharptail takes off from the heavy grass ahead of me flying right to left. I fire at 40 yards and the bird falls. Beau crosses and locates the bird in the tall grass. We've hit this run on the right day I thought and despite the intense cold I'm glad to be here!

We moved on covering a line along more of the same heavy cover with no birds. I then decided to circle to the north and come back to the west working the opposite edge along a bean field which had two sloughs adjacent to heavy grass we were working. My thinking being any birds that were feeding in the bean field would today be in the heavy cover of the sloughs at this time. We approached the first slough right on the fence line. Beau worked into the wind and was startled when a hen busted wild right in front of him. He looks at me like "Hey don't blame me that bird came from nowhere"! No worries I thought. Then a few seconds later he's on point not 10 feet from where the hen busted. I take a couple steps forward and a long tail rockets up high right past me crowing all the way! I fire before he levels off and he drops as Beau locates him a few feet away. Wow was that exciting or what I thought. Two more birds flushed as well but I had my back turned so I'm not sure what they were.

After gathering ourselves we continued around the 3 acre area of heavy cover without another bird. We walk west along the fence line towards the next slough which is a little larger. Beau works the edge in a counter clockwise manner and pick's up scent about half way around. He comes to point and I flush a hen right on the edge. Then he still acts birdy and within 20 yards is pointing again in some heavy cattails. I see him from the edge and walk straight at him. Another long tail cackles into the air and I again drop him with a single report from my 20 gauge sxs. This time on the ice right in the open. I pick up this bird and we again take a moment before making our way around the slough. Just as we were coming to the end Beau was again working scent in and out around the edge and another sharptail flushes to the left at 30 yards. I again drop the bird on the ice in the middle of the area and we repeat the celebration! Suddenly I'm not so cold anymore although my game vest is getting a little heavy!

We're a quarter mile from the Jeep now with a limit of roosters for the day and 2 sharptail so our opportunity on this run is for one more sharptail. Having been at it for most of the day I opt to just walk the fence line back to the Jeep. I've observed this population of sharptail many times at this time of the day feeding in the bean field and roosting in the adjacent grass for the night so this was a good call I thought given the extreme cold as well. We came to the crest of a hill and Beau became birdy again slowing up along the edge ahead of me. I quickened my pace but a covey of sharptail busted from around some bushes and out of range. Hoping for stragglers I approached cautiously and sure enough another bird flushed right on the edge straight away! Again I fired and the bird was down with a single report in the tall grass. I called Beau over and he located the bird for me in short order. What fun I thought. Right place. Right time. Right temperature!

With an eighth of a mile left Beau worked another half dozen sharptail on the edge as I watched them fly off to the hills. It'd been a long week and I'd run him more than planned but he was always a willing participant along with myself. Mind you days like this happen only a few times a season and certainly are not the norm but the advantage is that living in bird country allows you to seize the opportunity of the "Cold Snap!"

End Of The Day

As the season continues conditions change in many ways. The harvest removes cover shifting birds to adjacent havens of cattails and heavy grass wherever they can find it. The wind and cold together become a more dominant foe to the hunter and his bird dog's creating yet more advantage for the birds. As a result fatigue is now more of a factor with terrain more difficult to walk being icy and snow covered at times as well.

The number of runs and days without a bird in the bag increases but it seems every day has it's opportunities to do so. I experience day after day of excellent shooting followed by days when the wheels just seem to fall off. But like a runner that needs to get outside and put on miles everyday following your dog mile after mile is an addiction in much the same way. It feels good just to feel the sun on your face and watch your dog work birds so you're not concerned about numbers any more. It's about just being out there now. Seeing tracks in the light snow revealing where the birds are living and the cover they're using. I'm relieved walking new terrain to notice the tracks confirming populations surviving and doing well. I think about future possibilities and hope for next year's hatch. But with each passing day all the birds are more wary and spooky it seems so with populations at a low point putting a bird in the bag is more of a celebration now. We focus on the moment. A point on a bird is a win and something to cherish regardless of whether or not it results in a bird being taken.

Yesterday I took both Mick and Molly on short runs about an hour long in cover they could handle and both Setters pointed several birds. It made me think of their younger days and the miles we would cover but regardless of age nothing has changed their individual style of handling birds. I'm so glad to still be able to  watch each of them work these birds and recall the skills they have that have made us such a great team in the field. It was 14 degrees in the afternoon and a little colder for the morning run with winds 15 to 25 but I just had to be out there and so did they. It's what we do together. In both runs we had roosters pointed but they ran out ahead and flushed letting the wind quickly carry them out of range. A victory still for having challenged them on such a day. Both dog's had some great points on single hens holding tight as well.

So it's about the moments. Feeling the sun in your face. The wind as it blows. Old dog's still working their magic. Wildlife moving around you. The geese,ducks,deer and predators all sharing the same spaces as you make your way. Then the sun starts descending putting on an incredible show yet another reward and moment reminding me that a good day can be measured in many ways. I then reflect on the last several year's of my life and think how truly glad I am to be here as a distant rooster crows signaling another beautiful "End Of The Day".

Big Grass

Beau and I took a walk in a beautiful section of grass bordered by water and harvested bean fields the other day during the first week of November. As I watched him cast out into the grass it was like

de javu. For years we would hunt this type of cover almost exclusively avoiding the cattail sloughs and water bogs leaving those for the masses of group hunters hoping to surround and ambush birds in the thick cover.

Beau just put his nose to the wind and followed the scent as he held his head up high. A beautiful sight and experience I miss so much now that most of the CRP acres are forever gone in this part of the country. This is our game. A needle in a haystack I call it.The birds are free to run and try all their tricks to out maneuver the Setters. That's what makes it a great game to play. The odds are really in the birds favor challenging us to a duel on the prairie. As the sun beamed down on us I could see Beau's coat shine in the light and see the silky texture of his hair blow in the wind. Clean and beautiful. No mud and masses of cockle burrs to contend with.

Our path is not in a straight line. After all birds don't stick to a straight line now do they? There is no whistle blowing. No sounds from a dog yelping from being shocked for getting to far ahead. No talking. No yelling. Just a dog surfing the wind back and forth across the landscape. Silent. Natural. I stop as I watch Beau circle trying to determine the direction a moving bird took then making eye contact with me as he passes. Searching.

Finally he takes a line towards a depression with head high taking in scent. This bird has chosen a path and Beau's found it. He slows as we approach and skirts the edge of the cover then heads south. The bird has continued to move and I stay close as Beau moves ahead casting back and forth to determine where this birds headed. I look ahead and we're moving towards a wind break planting of trees about 3 feet high with waist high weeds in between the rows. Heavy cover.

Beau is tall enough so that I can easily see him in this cover. I'm concerned this bird will run down a row and into cattails to the east but Beau is casting in a circle again trying to pick up the scent and cut the bird off. We've been pursuing this bird for about 200 yards I suspect. Beau comes around in front of me as I stand and watch him taking in the scent heading west toward the water. I can tell he's picked up this bird again as his posture changes slightly and he slows a bit. Cautious. Then suddenly the moment comes and he stops crouching slightly. This usually means he's quite close to the bird an occurrence common in heavier cover with the birds tucked in tightly. I'm only 10 feet away and pick my line of approach to the west. Beau's looking into the weedy grass right in front of him. I take a quick step ahead kicking the grass and a mature rooster fights his way above the cover. This was a classic pursuit and I don't hesitate firing a single shot from my 20 gauge sxs quickly bringing down the bird.

As I pickup the bird I can't help but reminisce a little about all the birds we've taken in similar surroundings. It just doesn't get much better than this I know all to well.  I then let Beau inspect our bird before putting it in my vest. I look down at him in his eleventh year and can't believe how lucky I've been to have hunted behind such a dog. Again I smile also glad to have found where we really belong together. In the wide open spaces...  of the "Big Grass" country.