A season with the hounds

Took the dogs up the hill and got our butts kicked. Three covies of valley quail and two covies of mountain quail and we only came home with one bird. They were running and flushing wild or back dooring all day. Both dogs came home covered in stick tights.

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We had a decent day today but the place we were hunting is getting very overgrown and hard to hunt. We ended up six birds. The springers can barely get the birds to leave their briar fortresses.

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Walked our asses off today and Lady found a few coveys of chukar and a covey of quail. A better shot would've had at least three chukar but I'm happy to have connected on Lady's 8th species today.

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I appreciate the posts. Getting my first bird dog in a few months and you have inspired me for next season! This year was my first in upland hunting and to say it was challenging is an understatement.
 
You're posing some GREAT images from the hunt these days!

Now, order up a couple of 11x14s, frame them conservatively, and smile at them for years to come.

:thumbsup:
 
Thank you guys.

We had a great day today despite me going 0 for 8 shooting. Lady pointed a covey 125yds off, it tool me a long time to get to her and her tail said the birds had moved, she relocated 50yds and nailed them in the rim rock. A covey of about 30 chukar. She followed them up and stuck two groups of about 10 and nailed a few singles. I missed every shot presented no matter how easy.

JP and I made a hell of a hike without finding any birds but we did see a herd of feral mustangs.

Lady before relocating on a covey of chukar.

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Wild mustangs.

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Lady and I climbed to the peak in the background of that last photo yesterday. 7,118' according to the gps.
 
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Thank you guys.

We had a great day today despite me going 0 for 8 shooting. Lady pointed a covey 125yds off, it tool me a long time to get to her and her tail said the birds had moved, she relocated 50yds and nailed them in the rim rock. A covey of about 30 chukar. She followed them up and stuck two groups of about 10 and nailed a few singles. I missed every shot presented no matter how easy.

JP and I made a hell of a hike without finding any birds but we did see a herd of feral mustangs.

Lady before relocating on a covey of chukar.

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Wild mustangs.

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Lady and I climbed to the peak in the background of that last photo yesterday. 7,118' according to the gps.

Nice photo's...do you guy's ever work?

0 for 8: I thought you couldn't miss with the 28ga. gun!

Always interesting and fun to see your photo's and hear about CA hunting.
 
Nice photo's...do you guy's ever work?

0 for 8: I thought you couldn't miss with the 28ga. gun!

Always interesting and fun to see your photo's and hear about CA hunting.

Just had a terribly off day. I try not to work Johnny, gets in the way of hunting lol.
 
Well that's a wrap folks. Although today's hunt was a bust with our first spot being a no go and our back up not producing any birds we still managed to have a fun, adventure filled season. We hunted three states, I shot 8 species of birds over both dogs (Lady in her puppy season) and saw things like bears, bobcats, mule deer, white tails, tule elk, feral mustangs, and a whole host of other interesting flora and fauna. We have things to work on this off season but the long wait until September officially starts now.:cheers:

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Thanks, Robert for your interesting posts this season and we look forward to photos from your 2018 escapes.


How do the booties work?
 
Thanks, Robert for your interesting posts this season and we look forward to photos from your 2018 escapes.


How do the booties work?

They work fine for a tender foot or broken nail, the dogs could run through them in a day of chukar hunting though. Lady had 3 bloody paws and a broken dew claw after 40 miles in the chukar hills so she wore them for tender feet after that.
 
If only Lady could express what she learned and describe each of the vivid moments of the wind-ing, the stalk, and sensation of absolute tension as she locks up on a bird. It must be SO right!

Thanks for sharing. Helluva first year, eh?
 
If only Lady could express what she learned and describe each of the vivid moments of the wind-ing, the stalk, and sensation of absolute tension as she locks up on a bird. It must be SO right!

Thanks for sharing. Helluva first year, eh?

I think so, we've sure had fun anyways.:cheers:
 
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