Good times

I wish this blog was about me and the good times I am having. But it’s not. I’m sitting here watching videos again and wishing I could be out there chukar hunting. I just watched another video called “BANGER CHUKAR HUNT” by Eric Forrester. I don’t know the guy and am not trying to promote anything, but wow! What a great job he and his dogs do. His videos remind me of what it used to be for me. Especially before the last three years with my back.

I’m not one of those guys that says how good it used to be compared to what it is today. It wasn’t. It’s every bit as good today as it was years ago, I just got older and hurt a lot more. In my life I’ve only had a couple of dozen or so days like Eric had on this video. He got a double limit. 8 chukars and 8 huns. But I’ve had loads of times it would have been possible if it weren’t for my shooting. I’ve got some proof with pictures that it happens, but have always decided not to post them because how people might consider me a game hog or something like that. I’ve got over that feeling because I realize how hard a guy works to have that kind of success. Besides, I can’t think of a better way to brag about your dogs. That kind of success can’t be had without good dog work. Eric Forrester’s video shows that along with some good shooting.

God those were good times being able to hunt like that. Not worrying about how much elevation you had to gain or slipping on the steep sidehills. It didn’t matter how much snow there was or how icy the rocks were. You just let the dogs out and went. There were the days when birds weren’t so easy to find and a few years that getting a limit was almost impossible. But most of the years I’ve hunted chukars it was just a matter of getting out on the chukar mountains and, with good dog work and good shooting, a limit of chukars was always possible. Not getting a limit of shooting was because you were too lazy.

It doesn’t usually just happen as soon as you get out of the truck. I used to have a saying that “chukar hunting requires two hours of walking before you find chukars that would hold, then you spend your next hour going to point after point and if you shot well you would spend the next two hours walking back to the truck with a limit of birds.” Most years it is still that way, but this year is one of the best years in a long time. I look at all the success photos in facebook and listen to many of the stories and even the nay sayers of the past are talking up chukar hunting. I don’t have to take my camera anymore to try and let others know how much fun it is. All you have to do is look up blogs about idaho, Oregon or Nevada chukars and you can see lots of smiles.

I’ve been on some pretty good hunts this year and I know there are lots of birds out there. I just haven’t been able to get to them. I know it will never be the good days for me, but only because I have changed. Not because the mountains have changed or the birds aren’t there. I’ve been on a three year quest of getting my back fixed. I think this last fusion is going to solve most of my pain problems, but it’s not going to bring back my youth. I’m still going to try getting up those mountains the best I can but it will never be like I use to. A limit of chukars is going to be a treasure for me rather than a norm.

Four years ago I didn’t think 70 was that old. Watching that video today changed my mind some. The country Eric was hunting wasn’t that challenging but as I watched I was thinking of how much it would hurt slipping on those rocks trying to get to the dog. I was on a hunt with Greg Allen shortly before my operation and had a hunt similar to Erics, take away the cold and snow. When I finally found the birds, there wasn’t more than ten minutes between points. Grady did a great job and some of the birds he held should have been gimme shots. When I met back with Greg I had hit 2 chukars with 12 shots and those two birds sailed off down the hill never to be found. And I should have shot more. Just couldn’t get comfortable trying to twist for the shots.

As I said, it hurt just watching the video of Eric traversing around those rocky slopes. You can’t be very successful if your afraid of getting hurt. I’m off the crutches today, three weeks ahead of what the doctor thought it might be. I feel like I’m progressing real well and should be back on a hill before the season end, but I’m going to take it slow. I’ve had a lot of broken bones, knee replacements, shoulder repairs, tore my achilles and many other stupid accidents and ailments but none worse than my back for the past three years. I don’t need that pain back.

All of these words are just a long way of saying I won’t be posting much anymore and maybe not at all. I have to renew this blog in March and I think you can get a lot more positive information from some young buck out there that likes to hunt and talk chukars and dogs as much as I do. It’s been a pleasure talking with many of you and hearing of your success stories. You guys have helped me get past those non chukar hunting times. I’ll still be here for those phone calls or what I think is called my gmail address. If you ever get stuck out there or need help in any way don’t hesitate to contact me. More than anything, if you see my truck with the tuckota plates on it, stop and swap some lies with me.

Thanks and good luck to all of you doing the greatest hunting sport there is. Chasing chukars.