This past September, we began our yearly fall adventure to Big Sky Country. A land of vast sage brush prairie to chase probably my most favorite bird ever: the sage grouse. A land of vast grass prairie to chase my other probably most favorite bird ever: the hun (and then of course sharptails and pheasants are hunted as well...sure can't leave them out).
Drake had just turned 11 and Miss B was 2 1/2. We decided this year that we would do something a little different. We would stop in Nebraska and see if we could check off one more bird for my, Drake and B?s list: the Prairie Chicken. We thought it would also be a very nice stop for the dogs and for us. It takes us about five days to get from my house in north FL to our Sage Grouse stomping grounds in MT. Stopping in NE, we thought, would let the dogs stretch their legs a bit, wear off some of their energy and get us out of the truck. So that's exactly what we did.
We got some outstanding advice on where to start our pursuit of the prairie chicken from longtime member Mike Livingston. When we pulled in and set up camp at the fairgrounds we were very much anticipating the next couple of days. The next morning dawned GORGEOUS and our spirits were high with anticipation. The dogs were excited with something new.
It had been warm, borderline HOT, in Nebraska that early in September so we had to take care that we had plenty of water for the dogs. I was surprised when we were driving through the areas that we would hunt at just how lush and green everything was. We talked to a rancher and he said that we hit Nebraska on a 100 year rain event year. His dad has lived in that area his whole life and was 85 years old and had never seen the land so green and lush that time of year. It was beautiful but we soon learned that it provided another set of challenges. There was so much food and moisture that the birds could be virtually anywhere.
We started walking and I was looking around thinking, how the heck can we possibly find birds in a place this vast with just two dogs? Off we went though.
We released B and Drake and they began burning off the excess energy they built up in the truck on the drive up. B is a young speed demon and off she went. Drake is a seasoned veteran and knew he should pace himself. As I mentioned though, it was hot in Nebraska so it didn?t take long for both dogs to warm up and we were very happy to find water tanks for them to cool off in. And chase snipe around and get the dogs fired up even more.
After some snipe chasing and shooting, a beautiful badger point and lots more walking, the dogs began to act a little different. Not just because they were hot either. Steve and I had split up a bit, walking several hundred yards apart, me with Drake and B running and working mainly out in front. Suddenly she began working a lot more deliberately and she froze into a point near me. Before Steve had a chance to get all the way over to where we were, she charged down the hill and up went a whole flock of chickens! About 15 or 20 of them! And off to the horizon the chickens and B went. I couldn't blame her. New birds. New scent. The last three days spent in a truck. Bird fever can be tough to overcome, especially when it is a whooooooole bunch of it. Steve saw the birds and kind of began working that way, but I figured c'mon Drake let's get you a good snootful of some new delicious bird smell. He had been working some scent, but not like he does when it is strong. And when we got to where the flock flushed, boy did he turn on. Into the grass he charged, working it hard. Much to my surprise, he put up TWO MORE chickens, both of them flying off in totally different directions. An even bigger surprise to me was that I doubled on them!
Steve came over after hearing the shots while Drake was working for the downed birds. He was shocked and surprised and thrilled for me when he realized I doubled on my first ever prairie chickens in the same place as B's first prairie chicken point (somewhat brief though it was) and Drake's first flushing of prairie chickens. That portion of our trip was a MAJOR FREAKING SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!! There was much crowing and celebrating and loving of the dogs for jobs well done. Also a nice long rest to cool them off, because as I said before...it was hot.
After a good long watering and rest for the dogs, we decided to push on and make a big circle back towards the truck. Not much time later, B slammed onto point and stayed there. Drake has learned very well what it means when that silly girl freezes up like that and so it was a challenge for me to keep him from rushing in there before Steve and I were close enough and ready to shoot. When we got in there, Drake waiting impatiently to get in and put up some birds, the flock flushed (a bigger one than the previous flock) and I finished out my grouse limit and Steve doubled! We were on fire!
Since we hadn't walked far at that point, there was no stopping to wait around for the dogs to cool down or to take pictures. We needed to get back to the truck before it got too hot for the dogs to be out safely. We were both flying high though on the success of the trip so far.
Getting back to the truck, we spent quite a bit of time being thrilled on our success but also spending quite a bit of time combing out sandspurs. Apparently the sandhill country of Nebraska comes complete with lots and lots of sandspurs (much like the dunes at the beach here in FL). B, being silky haired, really picked up quite a lot of them and she had one heckuva hair do once I was done with her ears.
That night the poor girl went from having gorgeous silky ears, to having a "bob" once Steve got done trimming the hair down on her ears.
We spent three more days in Nebraska, two more than we anticipated but it was so much fun, though we didn't find lots and lots of birds. And so pretty.
B pointed some gorgeous and neat turtles. What was really interesting was that we saw more turtles than we saw deer in Nebraska, and that included the roadkilled deer we saw. A farmer we talked to said that CWD and blue tongue had done a number on their deer population.
Drake found ducks to flush, even in the middle of nowhere.
Sharptail were found.
B found one hellacious covey of quail that we then spent the next hour chasing singles around, just because. They weren't open yet but the dogs enjoyed working the singles.
I found my Halloween mask for the year.
Lots of fun was had.
B suffered through multiple daily grooming events. Poor girl was raw by the time we left Nebraska. Those sandspurs are evil.
Drake and I again had to deal with cows that seemed to think I was stealing one of their babies. There was a showdown between me and those cows. The cows ultimately decided not to take me on, but Drake and I were quite happy to find a fence to cross to put a little barrier between us and them and I thought maybe I'd need to change my britches. Then we get back to the truck and what do we see?!?!?!? Steve and B are holding court with another herd of cows!!!!! Word must have gotten out on the cow-net that there was a calf thief in the area.
I was sad to see the end come for our stop in Nebraska but the dogs were worn out, so we accomplished goal one. We got B, Drake and me on our first prairie chickens, so we accomplished major goals two, three and four. Steve and I were ready for a couple of "easy" days of just cruising, so we accomplished the last goal. It was a great stop on the drive and a great beginning to our adventures upland hunting. I look forward to this coming fall and our chicken stop.
Drake had just turned 11 and Miss B was 2 1/2. We decided this year that we would do something a little different. We would stop in Nebraska and see if we could check off one more bird for my, Drake and B?s list: the Prairie Chicken. We thought it would also be a very nice stop for the dogs and for us. It takes us about five days to get from my house in north FL to our Sage Grouse stomping grounds in MT. Stopping in NE, we thought, would let the dogs stretch their legs a bit, wear off some of their energy and get us out of the truck. So that's exactly what we did.
We got some outstanding advice on where to start our pursuit of the prairie chicken from longtime member Mike Livingston. When we pulled in and set up camp at the fairgrounds we were very much anticipating the next couple of days. The next morning dawned GORGEOUS and our spirits were high with anticipation. The dogs were excited with something new.
It had been warm, borderline HOT, in Nebraska that early in September so we had to take care that we had plenty of water for the dogs. I was surprised when we were driving through the areas that we would hunt at just how lush and green everything was. We talked to a rancher and he said that we hit Nebraska on a 100 year rain event year. His dad has lived in that area his whole life and was 85 years old and had never seen the land so green and lush that time of year. It was beautiful but we soon learned that it provided another set of challenges. There was so much food and moisture that the birds could be virtually anywhere.
We started walking and I was looking around thinking, how the heck can we possibly find birds in a place this vast with just two dogs? Off we went though.
We released B and Drake and they began burning off the excess energy they built up in the truck on the drive up. B is a young speed demon and off she went. Drake is a seasoned veteran and knew he should pace himself. As I mentioned though, it was hot in Nebraska so it didn?t take long for both dogs to warm up and we were very happy to find water tanks for them to cool off in. And chase snipe around and get the dogs fired up even more.
After some snipe chasing and shooting, a beautiful badger point and lots more walking, the dogs began to act a little different. Not just because they were hot either. Steve and I had split up a bit, walking several hundred yards apart, me with Drake and B running and working mainly out in front. Suddenly she began working a lot more deliberately and she froze into a point near me. Before Steve had a chance to get all the way over to where we were, she charged down the hill and up went a whole flock of chickens! About 15 or 20 of them! And off to the horizon the chickens and B went. I couldn't blame her. New birds. New scent. The last three days spent in a truck. Bird fever can be tough to overcome, especially when it is a whooooooole bunch of it. Steve saw the birds and kind of began working that way, but I figured c'mon Drake let's get you a good snootful of some new delicious bird smell. He had been working some scent, but not like he does when it is strong. And when we got to where the flock flushed, boy did he turn on. Into the grass he charged, working it hard. Much to my surprise, he put up TWO MORE chickens, both of them flying off in totally different directions. An even bigger surprise to me was that I doubled on them!
Steve came over after hearing the shots while Drake was working for the downed birds. He was shocked and surprised and thrilled for me when he realized I doubled on my first ever prairie chickens in the same place as B's first prairie chicken point (somewhat brief though it was) and Drake's first flushing of prairie chickens. That portion of our trip was a MAJOR FREAKING SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!! There was much crowing and celebrating and loving of the dogs for jobs well done. Also a nice long rest to cool them off, because as I said before...it was hot.
After a good long watering and rest for the dogs, we decided to push on and make a big circle back towards the truck. Not much time later, B slammed onto point and stayed there. Drake has learned very well what it means when that silly girl freezes up like that and so it was a challenge for me to keep him from rushing in there before Steve and I were close enough and ready to shoot. When we got in there, Drake waiting impatiently to get in and put up some birds, the flock flushed (a bigger one than the previous flock) and I finished out my grouse limit and Steve doubled! We were on fire!
Since we hadn't walked far at that point, there was no stopping to wait around for the dogs to cool down or to take pictures. We needed to get back to the truck before it got too hot for the dogs to be out safely. We were both flying high though on the success of the trip so far.
Getting back to the truck, we spent quite a bit of time being thrilled on our success but also spending quite a bit of time combing out sandspurs. Apparently the sandhill country of Nebraska comes complete with lots and lots of sandspurs (much like the dunes at the beach here in FL). B, being silky haired, really picked up quite a lot of them and she had one heckuva hair do once I was done with her ears.
That night the poor girl went from having gorgeous silky ears, to having a "bob" once Steve got done trimming the hair down on her ears.
We spent three more days in Nebraska, two more than we anticipated but it was so much fun, though we didn't find lots and lots of birds. And so pretty.
B pointed some gorgeous and neat turtles. What was really interesting was that we saw more turtles than we saw deer in Nebraska, and that included the roadkilled deer we saw. A farmer we talked to said that CWD and blue tongue had done a number on their deer population.
Drake found ducks to flush, even in the middle of nowhere.
Sharptail were found.
B found one hellacious covey of quail that we then spent the next hour chasing singles around, just because. They weren't open yet but the dogs enjoyed working the singles.
I found my Halloween mask for the year.
Lots of fun was had.
B suffered through multiple daily grooming events. Poor girl was raw by the time we left Nebraska. Those sandspurs are evil.
Drake and I again had to deal with cows that seemed to think I was stealing one of their babies. There was a showdown between me and those cows. The cows ultimately decided not to take me on, but Drake and I were quite happy to find a fence to cross to put a little barrier between us and them and I thought maybe I'd need to change my britches. Then we get back to the truck and what do we see?!?!?!? Steve and B are holding court with another herd of cows!!!!! Word must have gotten out on the cow-net that there was a calf thief in the area.
I was sad to see the end come for our stop in Nebraska but the dogs were worn out, so we accomplished goal one. We got B, Drake and me on our first prairie chickens, so we accomplished major goals two, three and four. Steve and I were ready for a couple of "easy" days of just cruising, so we accomplished the last goal. It was a great stop on the drive and a great beginning to our adventures upland hunting. I look forward to this coming fall and our chicken stop.
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