Dry

The hunting seems to be picking up each day even though we are in need of some moisture. We’re finding lots of birds but not getting as much good dog work as we’d like. Too often the boys are walking right into them before they catch scent. But sometimes the coveys are so large they can’t help but catch a good whiff and lock up tight. Those flushes are way exciting for both me and the dogs.

We’re still having to get off the hill early because of the heat but it’s getting better. As we all know, it doesn’t take much to make a hunt very satisfactory. I had one of those gratifying moments today. We’ve all seen are pups make some great retrieves and this one wasn’t any more spectacular than most. But being toward the end of the hunt on this dry day and watching Grady get this chukar was a perfect end to our hunt.

Grady and I were nearing the truck when one of the chukars I had shot jumped out of my vest and started down the hill. Obviously I did a poor job of dispatching it. Grady was still out a hundred yards or so hunting and I called him back and told him dead bird. As usual he ran out twenty or thirty yards in the direction I pointed, but I had to call him back and point at the brush the bird actually jumped in. He got scent, but being tired from the heat, he started following the scent slower than usual. Pretty soon I saw the chukar running down the slope over 100 yards away. Grady was slowly working his way towards where I saw it and would once in a while lose scent and relocate and start following again. I’ve seen this hundreds of times before but usually the dog is in hot pursuit. Grady seemed to know there was no hurry and he was too tired to run. After a while he slowly made the long trip back up the hill to give me the bird. I mean the chukar, not the middle finger.

It’s so much fun to watch our dogs do such fine work.

Lots of birds out there to be hunted. The conditions aren’t the best but it’s still fun to get out on some early morning jaunts with the dogs. Barb and I are heading to Riggins tomorrow to try some new country and then moving our way down south to hit some of our old hunting areas. We have to be back in two weeks to vote and hopefully we’ll be back out after chukars shortly after that. I’ll let you know the status of what we find.

Enjoy your hunts and stop by and say hello if you see my truck.