Hot and dry opener

quail hound

quail hound

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Those were the conditions today, dry dry dry! The dogs put up a hen no more than 30yds from the truck and I thought it was going to be a good day until I realized how poor the scenting conditions were.:( At about 10:30 JP cut a track and trailed a bird well over 100yds to the end of the field then the bird spun a 180 and JP tracked him back another 20yds before putting him up for a perfect shot for my brother. That dog is just amazing in how well he works pheasants. I think that roostet maybe the oldest bird I've ever see. It was 75 degrees by 11:30 so we decided to call it quits.

Sunrise.

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Check out his spurs and how old his feet look.

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Awesome pictures!:thumbsup: It's great when Springers learn to do that, some others breeds learn it but not as often as Springers. That's a special looking rooster. Looks like a great opening day! :cheers:
 
QH- nice pics and a super rooster. Your pups sure pose well! Nice start to your season,congrats. :cheers:
 
Thanks guys, we're heading north right now and I'll be up above Sacremento until wednesday. I'm hoping we see a couple turkey birds monday and a few coveys too. Anybody else from Cali have any reports, stories or pics from today?
 
went out just north of sacramento

We hiked around for five hours and didnt take a singe shot ,didnt see any pheasnt or quail. I did see some dove get shot and saw some people in the parking lot with turkeys. I went to this spot last year and we jumped 3 hens and one tasty gobbler. All in all another great day outdoors.
 
I went out yesterday and today and didn't run into anything. Not bad days outside but it sure would've been nice to get something.
 
Well I'm sitting in the ER right now with JP, it seems he got a a stick up his manhood.:( I heard him yelp (he never yelps) in the field and he just kept hunting like no big deal but when we got back to the truck I could tell he was in pain and he was bleeding through the tip of his daddy parts. Doc said he should be able to get it out without surgery and he should be fine.
 
Just left the vet with a very groggy JP. The pulled a piece of bullrush 3" long and a little bigger around than a pencil out of his pecker... poor guy.:(
 
"and he just kept hunting"

Hope he heas a speedy recovery!
 
Here he is after having to coax him out of his kennel with some fried chicken.

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He is not feeling very good right now.
 
We had a good time up at the Willows Pheasant Association. You know the drill, Quail Hound, since you're a Richvale veteran. I will say the birds are much better at Willows, very sporty and strong flyers. There may be even fewer wild birds than Richvale since we didn't put up a single hen.

We actually didn't get to start hunting until 1 p.m. on opening day since my son had a soccer game in the morning. The good news is that most folks were done with limits or their dogs were too hot and tired so we mostly had the fields to ourselves. We still managed to put up three roosters -- only one of which I was able to bring down. Not one of my better shooting days.

On our way home Sunday, we stopped by the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge to check on the wild bird hunting. Hunters checked in a total of 13 wild roosters on opening day -- that's it. Staff said it was by far the worst opener in the history of the refuge.
 
I stayed in the trailer today to nurse JP but my dad and brother went out. The dogs flushed 2 roosters out of range and the Daisy dog caught a big hen turkey with a broken wing. Turkey dinner coming soon.:cheers:
 
Good for you for staying in with your pup, Robert. And that wild hen turkey.........YUM!!!!!:thumbsup:
 
Good for you for staying in with your pup, Robert. And that wild hen turkey.........YUM!!!!!:thumbsup:
 
Gray Lodge was sad. 32 pheasant for 150 pheasant hunters on opening day with 8 turkey. We left Sunday at 1pm and the rooster count was 2. Mosquitos were horrendous.

good luck

ps. whoever thought up having pheasant hunters check in at 4am is a masochist.
 
Man. That's too bad for the pup. Hopefully JP bounces back and is able to get some more time in this season. Here's to a speedy recovery. :cheers:
 
Thanks guys. JP I s doing much better and should be back in the field next weekend.:cheers:
 
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