Excited again

There’s finally another rainbow forming over Grady and myself. I’ve had a couple of rough years with my back limiting my chukar hunting some. Grady has had some ear and throat issues that are now under control. Both of us have been down with the loss of Jake. But things have been changing quite a bit lately.

We’re both feeling like we’re on top of our game now and the last couple of trips to the chukar hills have us feeling like there ain’t no mountain we can’t conquer again. Maybe a little slower, but we’ll get there. I’m back at that point when I can’t wait for my next hunt.

To add to how our health is, Grady and I have decided that we’re not showing any disrespect to the great “Jake” by getting a pup, we’re just trying to fill part of the hole he left in our heart. So, I’m tickled to announce that I’m going to be around on the chukar mountains for at least a dozen more years.

Thanks everybody for your texts and encouragement on getting a new pup and helping me with all of the headaches I’ve been having on finding one and getting it here. Trust me when I say it’s been more difficult than it used to be. Thank God for my wife Barbara. She is my voice for reasoning. I was ready to do some really dumb things to compromise security and so on just because I’m always in a rush did get things done. I calmed down and listened to reason. I was looking for that perfect dog that looked like Jake and found one in Iowa. By the time I had figured out how I was going to get it here and all of the headaches involved I decided to listen to the reasoning of an old friend of mine.

Erik Bullock told me about a litter of pups that might be coming about the 10th of February. That would put the pup here at my place around the first of April. That gives me plenty of time to get the pup acquainted with wild birds before the hunting season. Jake was born on Jan. 15 and Grady Feb. 15 and both had tremendous first years along with an older dog that taught them the ropes. Erik put me in touch with the owner of the sire and it happened to be a reader of my blog that I had talked to several times over the year.

Matt Strong is also a big chukar hunter and a successful one at that, so I already had part one of the equation taken care of. His GSP, Rock was a hunter. I called Matt and after a long talk I was pretty sure that I was going to go that way. He told me about the Dam’s owner and breeder, and I soon was on the phone with her.

Melanie Vining is in Council Idaho, so picking up a pup and getting to see them before I make my pick will be a piece of cake. After a visit with her I definitely had my mind made up. Matt’s dog has more white in him and Melanie’s dog, Kate is more liver colored. I have second pick, so if there is a solid liver color pup, I will be choosing it. But if not, I will take the puppy that is darkest. I’ve always wanted a solid liver male pup to honor the ones before that have given me so many good years. But I’ve decided that Jake will still be honored no matter what color or sex it will be.

So, that’s what the excitement is all about. Chukar hunting is good again and our new hunting companion will be here in April. Barb will be naming him or her when we see her.