Memento from my SD Trip and New pups 1sr

[JHoch00]

Went up to SD at the end of Oct to pick up a new family member... Of course, it only made sense to add in a few days of hunting up there.

Got 4 days of hunting in, all solo with me, my old lab Dallas, and my brand new 9 month old, "Allie"... Slowly worked my way from the northeast end on down south. It will stand out in my memory for numerous reasons... my first SD trip, my first hunt with my new lab, and certainly, the worst shooting display I have ever put on...

Should have easily had my 4 day limit... figure I had 17 great chances... ended up with 4. But I did get my one biggest hope: my new lab's first retrieve. On a short walk through a crp patch, I jumped one rooster and finally the bird must have swerved into my shot and hit the deck. Then about 5 minutes later, I looked ahead to see a rooster leave from across a field and head straight toward me... closer and closer... Started to glide in about 20 yards away and I hit my second shot in a row.

After spending the money on a new dog and a trip to SD, I figured the wife would not go for a mount... so I tried out a hunch. Skinned, salted and boraxed the skin, and stretched it out to dry... Added a picture frame, and... Walla... My totally free memento.

 

[walk213]

Great stuff. Congratulations.

 

[marshrat]

That is awesome JHock! I had a yellow lab pup I picked up in Atwater, MN. She was four months old when she made her first trip to North Dakota. First evening we were there I stopped at a field I had hunted for a couple years so we could get the kinks out from a long drive from Michigan. We had about two hours to hunt before dark, and as I was putting on my bird vest, Sadie went into the tall grass acting all excited. I thought she was chasing tweety birds, which would have been fine...but up flushes a rooster. I shot it, and she ran to where it fell, then dragged it backwards (it was too big for her to pick up!) all the way back to me. I was almost in tears, and to this day that pheasant is the only thing I have had mounted. I know how you feel! That is a great skinning job, too! Great way to honor the bird and honor your new pup! Thanks for sharing!!