First sharptail hunt results

[Elhew Top Gun]

First of all, thanks to everyone for their help to make this trip a success. We hunted for three days killing three birds which I felt was respectable for a rookie. Highs during the day was 100+. We were able to hunt four hours each morning. Of course right after we leave it’s suppose to be great weather.
After looking at it I wish I would have went to Mckelvie instead of Valentine National. Valentine had a lot of high grass on the hills and flats obviously wasn’t grazed. I did notice however at Mckelvie it was much shorter cover and more cows. The walking was brutal glad I had myself in decent shape. Sand burrs were crazy, thank god for dog boots. And what in the hell is up with the turtles and cactus!? You guys failed to mention those! Grilled our birds last night and damn they’re tasty. We have 13 of our 16 hour ride home knocked out, looking forward to chasing ole bobwhite in Nebraska in November!

 

[Jake300win]

Nice! Good looking pics I'm sure you would have liked to kill some more birds but still looks like a great trip. How did the dogs handle a new type of bird?

 

[Elhew Top Gun]

Nice! Good looking pics I'm sure you would have liked to kill some more birds but still looks like a great trip. How did the dogs handle a new type of bird?

I took my 1.5 year old pointer. He knocked the first two contacts. After that he learned to stay off the bird and was really steady. I was really happy with how he did.

 

[Jake300win]

Nice picture good looking dog. Sounds like they figured it out pretty fast. The only dog wild bird my has pointed is woodcock and one grouse which he may have bumped last year. We're head to Michigan in October, and then a pheasant trip in November hope he catches on as fast as yours did.

 

[Elhew Top Gun]

Nice picture good looking dog. Sounds like they figured it out pretty fast. The only dog wild bird my has pointed is woodcock and one grouse which he may have bumped last year. We're head to Michigan in October, and then a pheasant trip in November hope he catches on as fast as yours did.

Last year we had 6 first year dogs in our kennel. Best remedy is let them knock a few and they will stop that mess. I don’t say anything to my dogs, in fact it is more of a distraction yelling, “whoa whoa whoa” in my opinion. You’re probably more experienced than I, but go with the expectation some birds will get knocked.

 

[Jake300win]

Good advice. I think my Pointer will do ok, my female short hair has it figured out. But with a young dog that doesn't see many wild birds you never know.

 

[duckn66]

Nothing like the Sandhills- beautiful!

 

[prairiepork]

They had lots of rain in the Sandhills this year, and I felt it. Never seen the cacti, sand burrs and sunflowers that thick, and I've been at this for 37 years. Really tough walking, and cover so thick the grouse aren't going to be in a lot of it. They don't hunker down like pheasants.
I have pointers, and they just don't do well on grouse. Will hold a point for hours on quail/phez, but grouse are different. Grouse are always moving, and usually bust the minute you crest a hill, or are moving to the other side of a bowl getting ready to flush. I did get a point on 3 loafing under a cedar in the shade, but that is rare. For me anyway. They must smell different also, she ran right over a dead bird a couple times.
If you have pointers that are great on grouse, let us know, I'd sure like to hear what you do.
But for everyone else, don't get too upset about bumped birds or no points, that's just grouse hunting. It's different.
I'm going up again, but won't take the dogs. Spent 1/2 my time pulling out sand burrs.
Happy Hunting! It's here boys!