back from the Mccelvey and the sand hills

[jfreeman]

Just got back from the sand hills and had a great experience. my 11 mo. old
pup held up well. Saw lots of sharptails and the pup pointed 4 or 5 but I
could not get in shooting range before they flushed. It was a lot of walking
for an old man but worth it. The burrs and cactus were a small problem but
the pup did all right for hunting between 14 and 20 miles a day for six days,
his feet might have been tender a little but he didn't show any signs of it.
That distance is the dog's as per the astro witch worked great and one
morning when it was foggy and drizzling saved someone a man hunt for me.
I only shot one grouse while the pup was off the opposite direction and
whistled him over and he hunted dead and found the bird. The rest of the
time I would not shoot a bird without him pointing it, but the ones he pointed
I couldn't get to them in time before they flushed. Had I been shooting anything I would have had my possesion limit had I hit them. This was his first
hunt and I am satisfied he will learn. He also had his first porcupine experience at the Valentine refuge it was minor but hope he learned something. He also got to experience pheasant at the Valentine refuge. The weather was good for the most part but 2 or 3 days there was not breath of wind and he bumped some singles, but all and all a great first time for me and the pup.

 

[Lucky1]

Sounds great. How many miles did you walk compared to the pup? What was the pheasant outlook in that area?

 

[jfreeman]

I only measured my walking a couple of days but it was around 4-6 miles.
The only pheasants I know of were on the Valentine refuge and there is
no farming there they just stay around the lake bottoms in the thick grass
and weeds, didn't hear how the prospects there were, they are probably
low compared to the farming areas.