Everyone waits all year for fall to come and with it the anticipation of season openers. For me these days mean something different. More people. More hunters. The stark reality that every year all of them are competing for opportunities to hunt less and less quality habitat. So what do I wait for? November.
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Early November as the snow geese start moving in.
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This period of time is when the overwhelming majority of hunters give up upland pursuits for another year and focus on stuffing their pie holes in front of the big screen. Seconds anyone? Need another beer? I wait all year for these days. Suddenly it's quiet in the field. Out of state license plates become scarce. As we walk along I pick up trash when ever I can. Spent shells, plastic soda bottles, candy wrappers and beer cans, These are blemishes I quickly tuck into my pouch. I wonder what people were thinking. The answer is they weren't. The walks we take are often times chosen because we can keep boots on the ground for long periods of time in one area. We hunt it all. We're not cherry pickers hopscotching the countryside. There are birds in every square mile but where and at what time is the question. November is best suited for these needle in the haystack pursuits. We load up and I say, " Lets go find a bird". The fall field work changes the opportunities daily. The corn harvest reveals what no one could have anticipated in October.
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Following the harvest and hunting the edges.
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Day after day I experience incredible shooting rotating through my inventory of favored runs. We are alone out here. The only sounds are of geese and ducks moving overhead as we walk mile after mile sometimes breaking for lunch other times just carrying on checking here and there for what the harvest has revealed. My setter Beau rides along and waits patiently as we hunt. He's approaching 14 now and doesn't like being left alone. I enjoy the look on his face knowing he gets to load up in the Jeep once again. My lab pup just turning 18 months makes progress with every bird contact. I can see the changes in her as she adapts to our routines. Her development has been a journey for both of us. She's leading quite a life working birds day after day. Despite the challenges she faces learning to control her exuberance I laugh every day at her efforts to get it all right. Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't. No worries. We'll just keep walking into the wind. November's good for that too.
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| B at 18 months on one of those November days we got it all right. |
Early fall was warmer than normal so the birds had no reason to use heavy cover. They lived in the unharvested crop fields leaving people to question their numbers. That's a good thing. In November this pattern is broken by changes in weather and the field. Suddenly the wind has a bite to it and the sky turns grey more than blue. First ice forms. These are days for real hunting. Occasionally you will see gang hunters on weekends driving around more than hunting. I think to myself why haven't they discovered what this is really about? So it goes as they pass on their version of reality to their children. I flee at the sight of them. Some days I shoot only one bird and am thrilled to have experienced taking that bird in beautiful surroundings one on one. Fair chase. Those are good days indeed. Then we go again the next day and the next looking for those perfect moments. My pup has taken to bringing me my boots if she thinks I'm slow to get ready. November is the month to be thankful for indeed.
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| Beau poses on a classic November day in his 14th year. I'm incredibly thankful for my time with this dog. |
While there are no limits on perfect moments they are fulfilling. They can be very different by definition and not always culminate in the taking of a bird. Beautiful points, flushes and days your pup gets it all right. Tracks in the mud and snow letting you know a population is alive and doing well. November is special in all these ways because we know it won't last much longer so every day becomes more precious as time passes. We watch the forecast wondering when the hammer will drop because it always does sometimes more dramatically than others. The Jeep needs a cleaning inside after weeks of hunting. I try to keep it organized but it's a battle. Gear changes from day to day in and out. Mud and feathers everywhere. Water jug, shell case and skunk kit packed in between the dog kennel and my waders. Extra gloves,socks...somewhere. A spare whistle hangs from the mirror. I know it's all going to end soon. November that is. How will I feel? Lucky knowing we were here one more time!
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| So Long November! |
