carptom1
Well-known member
Ever hunted pheasants in a mosquito swarm? Holy West Nile Batman they were thick in my eyes, nose, mouth and covering my arms and hands. It was ridiculous but luckily after the first day it got cooler and the wind picked up. Here are a few highlights of a week in North Dakota. My original plan was to hunt 3 days in North Dakota then drop down and hunt 3 days in South Dakota, but the hunt was so good I saw no reason to leave. Here are a few highlights.
I am really happy with the progress that Raven the Pudelpointer has made. She has really turned into a nice dog. I feel a little sad that I am not able to get her out as much as she deserves, I really think she could be a good one.
Day one started hunting about 130 or so. There was 3 of us this day and we got into a fair number of birds. I think we ended up with seven birds or so. Seemed pretty un eventful. Raven had several points and a couple retrieves. The mosquitoes were a definite downer.
Day two it was just the two of us and we hunted about six hours and got out birds in about 6 hours. Had my yearly trust the dog lesson. Right after leaving the truck Raven wanted to hunt a five foot wide tumble weed patch fifty yards in the wrong direction from where we were going. I was beeping her over but oh shit she is now 75 yards away and in almost a slow crawl. Shit I better get over there. Fuck she’s on point I better hurry. Of course by the time I get there five birds blow out, at least two roosters. Feeling I owe her a chance I miss a young one at 50 yards or so. Trust the damn dog. She quickly forgets and we go on. A ways in she goes on point sixty yards to my left. Before I can get around the trees a rooster jumps out and gives no shot. He lands a couple hundred yards ahead in a clump of trees. We get up there and she points him again. This time a walk directly at her thinking that might help. He jumps up and offers a shot through the trees. Boom he’s done but not hit well. She gets on him quickly and I see him jumping 3 feet up in the air. After a short chase he is done. We finished up in a long cattail slough next to un cut beans. We dumped 4 birds in the water all retrieved like ducks. Man there was birds in there. We hunted maybe a quarter of it and put up at least a couple hundred.
Day three solo. I decided to watch the Chiefs game and didn’t get out until 2 or so. Walked several spots and managed two by 6 or so. Several points and many hens. Pretty uneventful.
Day four back to two of us. We were down to needing one bird and were hunting a tree row in in uncut corn. At the end Raven goes on point out by the road. As I approached he jumped up and saw me, fluttered and went down. I thought she had a wounded one so we worked the road cover in front of the corn. Point move, point move, point then two roosters flush but offer no shot we’ll shit we missed them she still wanted to work up the road so I guess I’ll trust her fifty more yards she locks up again. Up he goes and boom he’s down fifty yards into the flooded corn. Raven disappears and returns with her trophy. Good dog and a perfect way to end.
Day five I was solo till 4 or so and struggling with just one we hooked up and got into a bunch of birds. Both man and beast were tired and her retrieving was less than stellar. We did lose a couple birds she would have had on the first couple days. I felt bad but that’s hunting sometimes.
Day six. I was beat and needed to head towards home but thought I would run up to the slough and give it an hour of my time I didn’t plan on hunting her as she was pretty smoked but she was whining so bad when I stopped I thought what ever she can sleep on the way home. Fifty yards in she locks up and up comes a big old boy I promptly miss twice. Point hen, point hen, point rooster!! Boom down he goes on the other side across fifty yards of water on the end. Somehow she marks it in the tail cover and starts swimming . I am a little doubtful but all be damned here she comes across with that bird… ten minutes later nearly the identical. Okay we’re done. Someone needs to be the adult here and it obviously has to be me. Like with most high drive dogs she would work herself to death overall a very satisfying trip. My shooting was consistent with my nearly fifty year average. Some days a champion and others a chump. My dog did ride in a box in the truck but she had her own bed in our room sorry Goose she likes her box. No ass grabbing.
BTW I drove south on 281 from the ND line to Mitchell last night. I started counting corn fields. Best count was about 2/3 is still standing. Beans are gone. Stopped counting around 100 or so when it got dark at about Redfield. In talking with some guys in the motel in Mitchell they seemed to agree. They are still seeing birds but I imagine it could be good in a couple weeks. Sorry for the long post but I woke up about 330 and can’t sleep. A few pics which I suck at
I am really happy with the progress that Raven the Pudelpointer has made. She has really turned into a nice dog. I feel a little sad that I am not able to get her out as much as she deserves, I really think she could be a good one.
Day one started hunting about 130 or so. There was 3 of us this day and we got into a fair number of birds. I think we ended up with seven birds or so. Seemed pretty un eventful. Raven had several points and a couple retrieves. The mosquitoes were a definite downer.
Day two it was just the two of us and we hunted about six hours and got out birds in about 6 hours. Had my yearly trust the dog lesson. Right after leaving the truck Raven wanted to hunt a five foot wide tumble weed patch fifty yards in the wrong direction from where we were going. I was beeping her over but oh shit she is now 75 yards away and in almost a slow crawl. Shit I better get over there. Fuck she’s on point I better hurry. Of course by the time I get there five birds blow out, at least two roosters. Feeling I owe her a chance I miss a young one at 50 yards or so. Trust the damn dog. She quickly forgets and we go on. A ways in she goes on point sixty yards to my left. Before I can get around the trees a rooster jumps out and gives no shot. He lands a couple hundred yards ahead in a clump of trees. We get up there and she points him again. This time a walk directly at her thinking that might help. He jumps up and offers a shot through the trees. Boom he’s done but not hit well. She gets on him quickly and I see him jumping 3 feet up in the air. After a short chase he is done. We finished up in a long cattail slough next to un cut beans. We dumped 4 birds in the water all retrieved like ducks. Man there was birds in there. We hunted maybe a quarter of it and put up at least a couple hundred.
Day three solo. I decided to watch the Chiefs game and didn’t get out until 2 or so. Walked several spots and managed two by 6 or so. Several points and many hens. Pretty uneventful.
Day four back to two of us. We were down to needing one bird and were hunting a tree row in in uncut corn. At the end Raven goes on point out by the road. As I approached he jumped up and saw me, fluttered and went down. I thought she had a wounded one so we worked the road cover in front of the corn. Point move, point move, point then two roosters flush but offer no shot we’ll shit we missed them she still wanted to work up the road so I guess I’ll trust her fifty more yards she locks up again. Up he goes and boom he’s down fifty yards into the flooded corn. Raven disappears and returns with her trophy. Good dog and a perfect way to end.
Day five I was solo till 4 or so and struggling with just one we hooked up and got into a bunch of birds. Both man and beast were tired and her retrieving was less than stellar. We did lose a couple birds she would have had on the first couple days. I felt bad but that’s hunting sometimes.
Day six. I was beat and needed to head towards home but thought I would run up to the slough and give it an hour of my time I didn’t plan on hunting her as she was pretty smoked but she was whining so bad when I stopped I thought what ever she can sleep on the way home. Fifty yards in she locks up and up comes a big old boy I promptly miss twice. Point hen, point hen, point rooster!! Boom down he goes on the other side across fifty yards of water on the end. Somehow she marks it in the tail cover and starts swimming . I am a little doubtful but all be damned here she comes across with that bird… ten minutes later nearly the identical. Okay we’re done. Someone needs to be the adult here and it obviously has to be me. Like with most high drive dogs she would work herself to death overall a very satisfying trip. My shooting was consistent with my nearly fifty year average. Some days a champion and others a chump. My dog did ride in a box in the truck but she had her own bed in our room sorry Goose she likes her box. No ass grabbing.
BTW I drove south on 281 from the ND line to Mitchell last night. I started counting corn fields. Best count was about 2/3 is still standing. Beans are gone. Stopped counting around 100 or so when it got dark at about Redfield. In talking with some guys in the motel in Mitchell they seemed to agree. They are still seeing birds but I imagine it could be good in a couple weeks. Sorry for the long post but I woke up about 330 and can’t sleep. A few pics which I suck at
