Well, I finally pulled a permit for a property in GA that is pretty well managed for quail that we had been trying to get for about four years. I had plans to hunt there with a friend but he cancelled last minute with the flu so it was just Belle and me off on our adventure. I live about five hours from this WMA so I got up earlyish so that I could be there mid morning.
As we were getting close, I began getting excited. Woodcock opened up on the day of my one day permit. I was seeing lots of creek bottoms that looked great for woodcock so the possibility of quail and woodcock in one day was exciting. When I pulled up to the check-in station, there was a packet waiting for me for my quail hunt. A young lady who was manning the check station (and carving a german short hair out of wood to keep her occupied during the long boring day) let me know what I needed to do and gave me a few general locations on where to give a try for quail. I learned that at Di-Lane, the university (I think University of GA but can't recall for sure off the top of my head) bands and collars quail so they can do studies on them. I was told not to worry about shooting a collared quail, we actually want you to. So, I jumped back in the truck and Belle was excited about hopefully getting out. When I picked up the GPS collar to turn it on and get it and the handheld in sync, I noticed it didn't charge on our drive up.
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH
I have a bell in the truck that used to be Steve's dog Thud's bell and I though perhaps that would work instead of the collar. Turns out that my Belle was scared of that bell and all the noise it made, so that idea was out. As a result, I spent an hour driving around the WMA charging up the collar and seeing what there was to see. There was lots of pretty area to see and it made it tough to pick where to start.
After driving around for the hour, I checked the battery status on the collar and it was half charged. That's enough for a half to 3/4 day hunt so we headed back to one place that I thought was so pretty that we could walk a fire break with woodcock cover on one side and quail cover on the other. I thought the grasses in the quail cover was a little thick and plenty tall so I really wasn't expecting much but you never know. We walked for about 45 minutes along that fire trail. Belle was so thrilled to be back in the woods again and she was running around like a demon. During our walk I hadn't seen her for a bit (not surprising given the tall quail grassy area) and so checked the handheld to see how far out she was and it says that the collar is no longer connected to the handheld.
AAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH
During my efforts to figure out what went wrong, I saw Belle jump over a log so I wasn't concerned and we continued our walk. She came back to me for some water and the collar reconnected. Well, through various water breaks I realized the collar would lose connection about 50 ft from me. Overall, I really wasn't concerned but if she went on point in that environment I would never know cuz I couldn't see her. Same as if something happened to her and she never cried out. She is a very quiet dog usually and I don't know that she would cry out if she were really hurt. I decided that I would begin working my way to a field with really short grass on the way back to the truck and try a little more of the woodcock cover than quail cover. It was pretty open and I'd be able to see her better.
It was only about 60 degrees out but it didn't take long for Belle to begin heating up. She would try to lay down in the smallest little mud puddle she could find to try to cool off. She finally found one that suited her purposes not far from the truck.
When she stood up, she was FILTHY. Generally it doesn't bother me if she wallows in a mud puddle because she generally runs it all off before we get to the truck but there was no way that was going to happen when we were so close. Sooooooooo I figured okay, let's wander down by the creek for a while. It will be cooler because it is totally shaded, less mud and more water in the creek (maybe she will wash some of that mud off) and who knows, maybe we will find us a woodcock.
If you search really hard, you might see her flying through the woods here.
I was a lot more comfortable letting her run there since I could keep an eye on her. I started walking the creek shore when I heard the oh so distinctive sound of woodcock flushing. I never saw it but Belle's afterburners had kicked in. I called her back but at the same time, I took a step and had a woodcock flush from between my feet. I did try to shoot it, of course I missed but I watched where it went down. When Belle came back, she ran right over another woodcock. I am not sure she smelled that one but she took off like a light after it as well. I called her off her chase and she turned around and came back to me. I had her begin working the area where I saw the woodcock go down. She was pumped so I really didn't have much hope she would actually point. As far as I know, these are the first woodcock she's ever smelled so she has lots of leeway in her pointing but I could hope. And my hoping actually worked! She slammed into a point and the bird was holding tight. I started walking in and the bird flushed high and away.
I got Belle her first woodcock!!! She even picked it up for me!!
She was way too pumped for anything more than a quick snap of her and her bird. We kept working and she had a couple of more hard points. They were unproductive but one had a bird that I watched get up before Belle got to it and she didn't see it get up. So, I know that she was beginning to put the "point this tasty smell" game together. The light is turning on. She will get there.
We got back to the truck to go walk another pretty area that I was curious about and vehicles couldn't drive down.
Dove season wasn't in, unfortunately. Belle had a few good points on doves though she crowded them too tight and they busted out of there. As we were walking through the woods, I ran across a very small plot.
They were the only two residents that I could find in that plot. I don't think it is totally forgotten about as a cemetery because it was kinda open but likely not frequented by many.
The sun was going down and Belle was beginning to show signs that she was ready to quit. She'd run for about six hours, which since she hasn't done any kind of running/exercise like that since early August, that was plenty for her. We sat for a minute for a drink and to enjoy the quiet of the woods.
Then it was time to head back to the truck so that Belle could have some dinner, I could change and decide whether to stay the night or just begin heading home. It was barely five o'clock and I wasn't tired so I decided to begin the five hour trek home. I was taking too long and she kept trying to get me to hurry up.
It was a nice day. Frustrating in some ways but there are usually ways to get around your frustrations or limitations, if you look for a solution. We did and it turned out well. Five hours each way is a long way to go for a single woodcock, but it was worth it. Belle had another nice first. PLUS, FL doesn't open for woodcock until two weeks after GA so it was a fun jump start to our season.
We headed off into the sunset, tired but pleased we had made the trip.
And Belle was one happy, happy dog. I mean what more could a girl ask for? Feathers during the day and her toys to curl up with in contentment after a long fun run through the woods?
Dani
As we were getting close, I began getting excited. Woodcock opened up on the day of my one day permit. I was seeing lots of creek bottoms that looked great for woodcock so the possibility of quail and woodcock in one day was exciting. When I pulled up to the check-in station, there was a packet waiting for me for my quail hunt. A young lady who was manning the check station (and carving a german short hair out of wood to keep her occupied during the long boring day) let me know what I needed to do and gave me a few general locations on where to give a try for quail. I learned that at Di-Lane, the university (I think University of GA but can't recall for sure off the top of my head) bands and collars quail so they can do studies on them. I was told not to worry about shooting a collared quail, we actually want you to. So, I jumped back in the truck and Belle was excited about hopefully getting out. When I picked up the GPS collar to turn it on and get it and the handheld in sync, I noticed it didn't charge on our drive up.
AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH
I have a bell in the truck that used to be Steve's dog Thud's bell and I though perhaps that would work instead of the collar. Turns out that my Belle was scared of that bell and all the noise it made, so that idea was out. As a result, I spent an hour driving around the WMA charging up the collar and seeing what there was to see. There was lots of pretty area to see and it made it tough to pick where to start.
After driving around for the hour, I checked the battery status on the collar and it was half charged. That's enough for a half to 3/4 day hunt so we headed back to one place that I thought was so pretty that we could walk a fire break with woodcock cover on one side and quail cover on the other. I thought the grasses in the quail cover was a little thick and plenty tall so I really wasn't expecting much but you never know. We walked for about 45 minutes along that fire trail. Belle was so thrilled to be back in the woods again and she was running around like a demon. During our walk I hadn't seen her for a bit (not surprising given the tall quail grassy area) and so checked the handheld to see how far out she was and it says that the collar is no longer connected to the handheld.
AAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH
During my efforts to figure out what went wrong, I saw Belle jump over a log so I wasn't concerned and we continued our walk. She came back to me for some water and the collar reconnected. Well, through various water breaks I realized the collar would lose connection about 50 ft from me. Overall, I really wasn't concerned but if she went on point in that environment I would never know cuz I couldn't see her. Same as if something happened to her and she never cried out. She is a very quiet dog usually and I don't know that she would cry out if she were really hurt. I decided that I would begin working my way to a field with really short grass on the way back to the truck and try a little more of the woodcock cover than quail cover. It was pretty open and I'd be able to see her better.
It was only about 60 degrees out but it didn't take long for Belle to begin heating up. She would try to lay down in the smallest little mud puddle she could find to try to cool off. She finally found one that suited her purposes not far from the truck.
When she stood up, she was FILTHY. Generally it doesn't bother me if she wallows in a mud puddle because she generally runs it all off before we get to the truck but there was no way that was going to happen when we were so close. Sooooooooo I figured okay, let's wander down by the creek for a while. It will be cooler because it is totally shaded, less mud and more water in the creek (maybe she will wash some of that mud off) and who knows, maybe we will find us a woodcock.
If you search really hard, you might see her flying through the woods here.
I was a lot more comfortable letting her run there since I could keep an eye on her. I started walking the creek shore when I heard the oh so distinctive sound of woodcock flushing. I never saw it but Belle's afterburners had kicked in. I called her back but at the same time, I took a step and had a woodcock flush from between my feet. I did try to shoot it, of course I missed but I watched where it went down. When Belle came back, she ran right over another woodcock. I am not sure she smelled that one but she took off like a light after it as well. I called her off her chase and she turned around and came back to me. I had her begin working the area where I saw the woodcock go down. She was pumped so I really didn't have much hope she would actually point. As far as I know, these are the first woodcock she's ever smelled so she has lots of leeway in her pointing but I could hope. And my hoping actually worked! She slammed into a point and the bird was holding tight. I started walking in and the bird flushed high and away.
I got Belle her first woodcock!!! She even picked it up for me!!
She was way too pumped for anything more than a quick snap of her and her bird. We kept working and she had a couple of more hard points. They were unproductive but one had a bird that I watched get up before Belle got to it and she didn't see it get up. So, I know that she was beginning to put the "point this tasty smell" game together. The light is turning on. She will get there.
We got back to the truck to go walk another pretty area that I was curious about and vehicles couldn't drive down.
Dove season wasn't in, unfortunately. Belle had a few good points on doves though she crowded them too tight and they busted out of there. As we were walking through the woods, I ran across a very small plot.
They were the only two residents that I could find in that plot. I don't think it is totally forgotten about as a cemetery because it was kinda open but likely not frequented by many.
The sun was going down and Belle was beginning to show signs that she was ready to quit. She'd run for about six hours, which since she hasn't done any kind of running/exercise like that since early August, that was plenty for her. We sat for a minute for a drink and to enjoy the quiet of the woods.
Then it was time to head back to the truck so that Belle could have some dinner, I could change and decide whether to stay the night or just begin heading home. It was barely five o'clock and I wasn't tired so I decided to begin the five hour trek home. I was taking too long and she kept trying to get me to hurry up.
It was a nice day. Frustrating in some ways but there are usually ways to get around your frustrations or limitations, if you look for a solution. We did and it turned out well. Five hours each way is a long way to go for a single woodcock, but it was worth it. Belle had another nice first. PLUS, FL doesn't open for woodcock until two weeks after GA so it was a fun jump start to our season.
We headed off into the sunset, tired but pleased we had made the trip.
And Belle was one happy, happy dog. I mean what more could a girl ask for? Feathers during the day and her toys to curl up with in contentment after a long fun run through the woods?
Dani
all the best.