Uplandhunter67
Well-known member
Well we jumped off on Friday to catch opening day of sage grouse and the last weekend of mountain Sharptail. Bones, his son Jacob and his hunting partner Jim joined me and my hunting partner Dan.
We were unsure how the weather would bring but you don't kill birds sitting on the couch wondering.
The day started a bit overcast as we worked through the sage. The dogs working hard in front of us sniffing every bush and clump of weeds. They got birdie a few times and we thought any second we would see birds explode.
We covered a few more miles when a Sharptail exploded. It quickly topped the oak scrub and disappeared. 1st bird of the day and no shot were fired. A few more miles passed as we were headed back towards the truck when Jim?s dog Mya stops and points. A covey breaks and shots rang out. Jim took first blood as a Sharptail folded to his shot. We watched the few stragglers coast over to the next rise. We devised our plan and started pushing up singles. More shots ring out but birds sail by. We all laugh about our shooting. Bones and I work towards where we saw a single go down when another covey breaks. Shots again fail to connect as the birds sail away on to another rise. We work our way over meeting Jim and Dan then pushing through the oak scrub. Dogs work the scrub and birds explode. Two birds sail by me and I kill both in a nicely folded double. Bones knocks down two pointed by his dog Abbey. Dan and Jim continue hunting singles as Bones and I move down the valley. Ty moves towards a large clump of sage I see something move. It is black and brown and I think alright sage grouse, but it isn?t quite right. Just as Ty gets to the sage clump I realize what it is. A porcupine?... He took his trade elsewhere. No dogs were harmed in the encounter.
Jim and Dan encountered a few more singles but where unable to put any in the bag as they flew quickly behind the scrub.
We walked back towards the trucks to have some lunch and pick our next plan of attack.
After lunch we decided to drive around the backside of the STL. This would give the dogs and us a break. When we got on the back side Jim said he knew this area. He said if we drove up this road we could find a spot of public land that holds grouse. The road started out okay but then the sign read ?road may be impassible when wet?. Bones continued on. I shrugged my shoulders and followed as the road looked good and dry. As we got higher it started getting wet. No worries I thought? When I passed the two motocross guys covered in mud I got to thinking this might not be such a good idea. We finally got to our destination when the sky opened up and the rain fell. A decision was made to leave before the road really got bad. Bones lead the way and I followed. Unfortunately the I was picking up mud which was really clay. Eventually my tires wouldn?t turn anymore and the Escape came to a stop. This is where the fun began. Bones made it the two miles to the gravel road. He realized we weren?t behind him and he turned around and came back. We were like flies in a spider?s trap. Now we were both caught. After two hours plus to dig ourselves free we got to the gravel. The icing on the cake was flushing a covey of Sharptails right off the road and watching them fly by. Now hat the day was over we drove down to the hard pack and parted ways. Vehicles shaking from the clay stuck in the rims we returned to our hotel rooms. Beat, tired and muddy sleep came easy.
We started on Sunday with the sun shining. We moved through the sage again the dogs working hard looking for birds. We push up a small draw and a bird explodes. No shot as he flies away. Four more rise then another two and finally two more. They flush slightly out of range but land within sight. We push up to pick up the singles. Abbey points and a bird flushes and falls to the guns. We work some more of the ridges and push up some more birds. Two more fall. The party starts back towards the truck as rain clouds begin to build. As we walk up a draw Ty gets birdie and a sage grouse breaks from the cover. Dan shoots and it falls. A second bird rises and falls to Bones gun. Now with three sharpies and two sage grouse we head back to the truck as the rain can be seen moving closer.
Bones and I are walking when I hear something familiar yet strange in these mountains, the buzz of a rattlesnake. I look over and see it coiling back. Bones had just step squarely on it. After a split second of getting over the initial shock it was quickly dispatched by some 7-1/2?s. I am glad it was cool and the snake a bit sluggish. There was no harm done to either man or dog?. The walk back to the truck was uneventful but done with caution, another snake on our minds.
We took some photos and ate some lunch before parting ways. Heading home with memories of another great hunt. It was a first for three in our party. Dan, Jim and Bones had never killed Columbian sharptails. Plus Dan and Bones got their first sage grouse.
The dog work was fantastic and Abbey, Mya, and Ty deserve every bit of praise we can give them.
We were unsure how the weather would bring but you don't kill birds sitting on the couch wondering.
The day started a bit overcast as we worked through the sage. The dogs working hard in front of us sniffing every bush and clump of weeds. They got birdie a few times and we thought any second we would see birds explode.
We covered a few more miles when a Sharptail exploded. It quickly topped the oak scrub and disappeared. 1st bird of the day and no shot were fired. A few more miles passed as we were headed back towards the truck when Jim?s dog Mya stops and points. A covey breaks and shots rang out. Jim took first blood as a Sharptail folded to his shot. We watched the few stragglers coast over to the next rise. We devised our plan and started pushing up singles. More shots ring out but birds sail by. We all laugh about our shooting. Bones and I work towards where we saw a single go down when another covey breaks. Shots again fail to connect as the birds sail away on to another rise. We work our way over meeting Jim and Dan then pushing through the oak scrub. Dogs work the scrub and birds explode. Two birds sail by me and I kill both in a nicely folded double. Bones knocks down two pointed by his dog Abbey. Dan and Jim continue hunting singles as Bones and I move down the valley. Ty moves towards a large clump of sage I see something move. It is black and brown and I think alright sage grouse, but it isn?t quite right. Just as Ty gets to the sage clump I realize what it is. A porcupine?... He took his trade elsewhere. No dogs were harmed in the encounter.
Jim and Dan encountered a few more singles but where unable to put any in the bag as they flew quickly behind the scrub.
We walked back towards the trucks to have some lunch and pick our next plan of attack.
After lunch we decided to drive around the backside of the STL. This would give the dogs and us a break. When we got on the back side Jim said he knew this area. He said if we drove up this road we could find a spot of public land that holds grouse. The road started out okay but then the sign read ?road may be impassible when wet?. Bones continued on. I shrugged my shoulders and followed as the road looked good and dry. As we got higher it started getting wet. No worries I thought? When I passed the two motocross guys covered in mud I got to thinking this might not be such a good idea. We finally got to our destination when the sky opened up and the rain fell. A decision was made to leave before the road really got bad. Bones lead the way and I followed. Unfortunately the I was picking up mud which was really clay. Eventually my tires wouldn?t turn anymore and the Escape came to a stop. This is where the fun began. Bones made it the two miles to the gravel road. He realized we weren?t behind him and he turned around and came back. We were like flies in a spider?s trap. Now we were both caught. After two hours plus to dig ourselves free we got to the gravel. The icing on the cake was flushing a covey of Sharptails right off the road and watching them fly by. Now hat the day was over we drove down to the hard pack and parted ways. Vehicles shaking from the clay stuck in the rims we returned to our hotel rooms. Beat, tired and muddy sleep came easy.
We started on Sunday with the sun shining. We moved through the sage again the dogs working hard looking for birds. We push up a small draw and a bird explodes. No shot as he flies away. Four more rise then another two and finally two more. They flush slightly out of range but land within sight. We push up to pick up the singles. Abbey points and a bird flushes and falls to the guns. We work some more of the ridges and push up some more birds. Two more fall. The party starts back towards the truck as rain clouds begin to build. As we walk up a draw Ty gets birdie and a sage grouse breaks from the cover. Dan shoots and it falls. A second bird rises and falls to Bones gun. Now with three sharpies and two sage grouse we head back to the truck as the rain can be seen moving closer.
Bones and I are walking when I hear something familiar yet strange in these mountains, the buzz of a rattlesnake. I look over and see it coiling back. Bones had just step squarely on it. After a split second of getting over the initial shock it was quickly dispatched by some 7-1/2?s. I am glad it was cool and the snake a bit sluggish. There was no harm done to either man or dog?. The walk back to the truck was uneventful but done with caution, another snake on our minds.
We took some photos and ate some lunch before parting ways. Heading home with memories of another great hunt. It was a first for three in our party. Dan, Jim and Bones had never killed Columbian sharptails. Plus Dan and Bones got their first sage grouse.
The dog work was fantastic and Abbey, Mya, and Ty deserve every bit of praise we can give them.
