Fall Bird Camp

Well Dave the River was a drive by, although a pretty drive by. And we're happy to leave those birds to the Indians and the 2 limit a day hunters.

The sign....well how could you not take a picture of a cool sign like that? You won't find a business like that here in FL. Nooooooooooo sireeeeee
 
You like my top knot Tim? I thought it was pretty cool. I've got a sage grouse feather in there and two sharptails. The sage grouse feather came from a biiiiiiig male I shot and the white sharptail came from my first sharptail I shot. The Sharptail tail feather I added because we were having a tough two days finding birds. Once I put that feather in, we started finding birds like crazy. So now my top knot stays like that until I add more to it. Can't mess with juju except to make it better doncha know.



We hunted with a friend who has pointy dogs. Other than trying to keep up with the two long legged men, hunting with pointy dogs was a nice stroll around a bunch of pretty fields. It was a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE difference from hunting behind a flusher. It was really neat for sure and I enjoyed it because it gave me lots of time to enjoy scenery and chat and listen to stories being told. But I do also like that when we're done, we're done. Drake is with us and there's no waiting on the pointy dog to get back, or heading back out a mile because a pointy dog went on point and will stay that way til we get there. That said, if I had the time and means I'd have me a pointy dog as well as a lab. They sure were fun to watch and hunt behind.

I don't know about Steve but I've never cold smoked sharptails. In fact this year was the first year I ever had sharptail and it was absolutely delicious.
 
There is even a big difference between pointers in large tracts of prairie grass and the tight thick cover I normally hunt. Its a more down and dirty form of hunting I do. Its actually best for a flusher but I like pointers so I make it work. Deuce rarely gets more then 75 to 100 yards away, smaller properties and patches of cover.

Last weekend I had shots at 6 or 7 roosters and only 2 held for classic points. Too much pressure around here for pheasants to sit tight. Most are tracked and relocated several times before I get into position to cut them off or pressure them enough to get them to stop running and flush. I love it when they hold and its a perfect point. I usually only get that a couple times a day. That should get better as Deuce gets more experience on how hard to push them to get them to hold.

Tim
 
Hi Dani, Almost missed your post, been on the road for 4 and 5 day weekends for about a month now. I am beginning to feel like a vegetarian in training. Poor hunting in Minn., Wisc. AND N.D. Sure hope this weekend will change that with all my wiser and much older mentors on the river. Seriously having a great time and it sure looks like you are too. Keep it up, each day out in the field is priceless. Those dogs sure make lying upside down look good, give that boy a treat from us.
 
Dani, I don't know if Steve and his brother ever made it to another great combo, the Triangle Motel and Gun Shop in Lewistown, before it closed several years back. The owner was a side-by-side aficionado who sold me my favorite 16 gauge. The sign got a funny look from non-hunting tourists but I loved the place.


As for sage grouse, I consider them to be an acquired taste...one that I never acquired.
 
Tim I saw the difference too. We hunted with a guy who has 9 pointy dogs and he runs 3 at a time depending on where he's hunting (one long range, one medium range and one short range dog). And that long range dog had productive points over 1000 yards away, when he'd stay on point for fifteen minutes. Most of the time, the long range and medium range dogs were out of sight, over a hill or around the corner. It was very impressive to watch and I had a great time watching them. But there were times when we were standing on a hill, watching that long range dog out half a mile or more, watching him run, and we'd be thinking and saying "Don't go on point. Pleeeeeeaaaaase don't go on point."

Tom, Steve said your practicing vegetarianism should make you feel right at home and looking forward to Nowak's carrot casserole. Hope you guys get onto the ducks this weekend. LOTS of them.
 
Triangle Motel and Gun Shop. Sounds like a fun place to visit to me. And Steve said he never got there. We are looking for a bar though where we can buy hunting licenses in. Steve told me about the first time he went to Montana and he bought his hunting license in a bar. Ever since I heard that I wanted to do that too. Not many folk in FL can say yup I bought a beer and a hunting license in the same bar.

The sage grouse that we killed were all full of grass, alfalfa, and hoppers. And we cooked them by chunking them into two inch cubes, dropping them into a bowl of Worcestershire sauce, melted butter and garlic and then grilled on a smoking hot grill, no more than two minutes per side (less on skinnier pieces) and they were deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious. If folk don't like em that way, then that's fine. More sage grouse for us
 
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Sorry I missed you this trip. Here's as close as I can get you to what your pup will be experiencing...including a chicken flush by my cocker...in a couple of weeks:

https://vimeo.com/143094966
 
Man.... I didn't realize there was so much carrot hate out there! I noticed though, the guys that will be eating it are not bad mouthing it. .
 
Phil, My favorite veggie brand is MBSOE.......made by someone else :) Looking forward to it. We will have enough meat to satisfy anyone.
 
Thanks Dave for the beer joint licensing place! I shall remember it for next year!

Joe, nice video. You've got some good looking dogs there. Perhaps next year we'll be able to meet up.

Drake decided to get some for the girls yesterday.

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And a bit of phone mail

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Dani, thanks for post.

This is the last fall where I will be financially obligated to others. Next fall I am thinking a real road trip to the States. Might have to drag my dad along. Cross the river into Eastern WA. Then back into ID and further East on US 12. Maybe by then his hip will be better and he can get out and walk a little.
 
Congratulations on the getting out of debt soon Ray.

I think a road trip like you describe would be an excellent way to "celebrate" that accomplishment. If you and your dad do it, take lots of pictures!
 
Thanks Paul. Steve does take some vry nice pictures

Another report card. Drake's really learning the ins and outs of pheasant hunting and apparently doing quite well. Wish I were there to see how well he's working now. Who knows, perhaps the boy will still be spry enough next year to go next year. Plus, they're seeing neat old things.

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