Great Final Day in the Field!

walk213

walk213

Active member
Super Sunday in Eastern, Colorado.

  • We saw a ton of Birds (80% hens).
  • Roosters were running and if they got up they were flying low.
  • Pride was on his game and found me a bunch of birds (despite having two nails on his left paw ripped off down to the quick).
  • Most first shots were at 25+ yards - I have some off-season practice at the sporting clays range.

    What a great season.

If you get out today or tomorrow, I am sure you will find birds (good luck).

I cannot wait until next year.
 
Hello Walk213,

I finally got approved by the site to start posting. I have been hunting hard on WIHA in the Eastern Part of state with limited success this year. I'm ditching work and giving it one more shot on the final day of the season.

If you could be so kind to inform me what part of the state you were in, I would greatly appreciate it. PM me.

Glad you had a great day...I'm a little jealous. Spent all weekend moving furniture and home repairs for the wife.
 
Location

Colorado Kid....

I started in Yuma and work east to Philips, then north. Pivots did not work for me but they are always hunted early. We focused on corn/grass (like eveyone else). Late in the afternoon we drove slowly, windows down and heard cackles. If we were on walk in, we quietly got out, and moved into the field. More often than not the roosters got up 100 yards out....but they were there in force. Also, we saw a ton of roosters moving from trees (on private land) to cut wheat. Once they landed they ran until you could not see them.

Don't end the day early (unless you limit out). Stay all day.

Make your first shell counts and let me know how you end up.
 
Double

The last point of the season was the best ever. The big slick held steady. I actually had to flush the birds. Out came 2 of last year roosters. don't know how,but I managed to knock both down. He made both retrieves. I know one thing, wild pheasants don't help a dog to stay solf mouthed. All in All a good season. Next season I think I will team up and not hunt alone. Getting to old,(82) need to be come a blocker. I don't know how the truck gets so far away when it's time to end the hunt. :cheers::cheers:
 
Awesome

Great stuff Basspow. A double on the last day. Incredible.

My dog never wants to give up wild roosters. Have to work with him this summer on the "release" command.

82 and going strong....no blocking for you.
 
Good job guys!!! Way to end the season and thanks for sharing. It is going to make us all excited for next season.

Welcome to the site Colorado Kid!!!

:cheers:
Scott
 
Great last day in the field in Eastern Colorado. My older pudelpointer, Ava, pointed two prairie chickens in the AM. Many folks don't think that PCs run; but, these did and flew ahead of Ava's point. Flap, flap, glide. Just watched them.
My younger pudelpointer, Jack, pointed 5 pheasants in the PM. One was the "in your face rooster flush"-my last bird of the wild bird season-very exciting. I had an amazing January this year: 11 roosters, 2 quail and a prairie chicken. I also shot chickens earlier in Nebraska. No, I did not shoot the chicken yesterday.
I appreciate the exchange of info on this board. Have a great off season. Now, back to release birds for reminder training.

arkrivco:)
 
Chickens?!? I'd almost forgotten that they exist in CO. Very cool, arkrivco.

I was also out yesterday for a final sendoff to Phillips county for this season. The warm weather and gusty wind (but not strong enough to make them sit tight) were tough, and as noted elsewhere, the roosters were smarter than the hens, but was some more very good dogwork (for my Brit, this is a not insignificant achievement - his nose has always been top notch, but range has always been an issue, yesterday and the week before were near perfect) and beautiful country. Watching the boy point/relocate a runner 4 times only to have a rooster finally flush wild @ 60 yards was almost heartbreaking. Saw my 4th badger of the season on the roadside (as a WI alum, I love that!), lots of birds still around. Great times.

I don't even want to mention how many roosters I saw strutting casually through (non-WIA) wheat fields at sundown.
 
I think that it takes a while for pointing dogs to figure out how hard to push a running rooster. My younger PP, Jack used to run and bump them; but, this season he stopped bumping birds and figured the distance where he needed to point. He works the running bird hard; but, not too hard and I got a lot of shooting in for that. I'm proud of him for figuring it out, finally. My older dog, Ava, works running roosters much slower and they run ahead of her more. She hates bumping wild birds. So, I have to encourage her to be aggressive when pheasant hunting. But, put her in NSTRA field trial and she will race the other dog to the end of the field and try and beat the other dog to the first point.
Too funny, how dogs react differently to various hunting situations.

arkrivco
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top