Miforester
Well-known member
I had planned a trip to hunt Nebraska the week of Veterans Day as my wife was going to ride our and visit our grandson and other family. Just like Michigan weather just wait five minutes and it will change, my wife was unable to make the trip and I had bought a French britt puppy from my buddy at Hokumpoke Kennels. Since my wife wasn't going I altered my plans to split the trip between NE and SD. I arrived in NE on the 10th of November and targeted quail on the 11th in the SE portion of the state. I only had my 2 Brittany's with me, Bella (10) and Remi (2). We hunted a few of my favorite spots and a few had been hayed and grazed and the others were productive. Hunted a small WMA and the girls did a great job of locating several pheasants, unfortunately the points were all hens and roosters flushed wild with no shots. We ended up at a large WMA where I have always done well one quail. We hunted the area hard and after about 90 minutes of hunting Bella locked up and then I heard Remi's beeper and she was also on point. It was a great visual, end up a covey was between them and I was able to flush them and dropped 2 on the rise, covey was 20 plus birds. After good finds on the dead birds we followed up on singles. Remi pointed and I flushed two bird and dropped one, winged. Bella saw it drop, what i didn't realize was it dropped into a steep drainage, Bella found the cripple and made a nice retrieve. As she was retrieving I heard Remi's beeper again and could hear the quail talking. I started towards Remi and down into the ravine when I heard the covey flush and I was able to down a bird, this covey was about 20 birds and different then the one we had already flushed. Remi found the bird and I placed it into my vest. We progressed further down the drainage and I see Bella on point at the top of the drainage under some cedars. As I tried to climb up the bank another covey flushed and they went straight into the trees and lit on branches. I called Bella and as she came thru the trees birds flushed out of the trees and I bagged one. I didn't really see where all the birds went, but I had 5 in the vest and I figured we would just hunt back to the truck and if we find our sixth bird then great. The dogs worked very well and pointed several singles that i missed, but i was able to connect on my 6th bird. I have never moved 3 different coveys in less than 300 yards. Many of the birds i would say were either re-nesters or second hatches as they were very small. After the hunt I headed to Nebraska City to pick up Vera my French Brit. Had a brief reunion with my buddy, but we both needed to get back on the road as I had a 3 hr drive back to the hotel. Trip back went very well with Vera.
Hunted south and west of the hotel on the 12th. Started at a spot KSBrittman and I did very well at a few years earlier, unfortunately when I got there it was mowed and a center pivot was being installed and the CRP looked like they had injected anhydrous ammonia. Needless to say we loaded back up and went to the next spot. I picked a postage stamp of walk-in area, it looked birdy and was a bowl out of the wind. Parked and left Vera in the truck and put Remi and Bella down. It wasn't long and both dogs were getting birdy and before i knew it they again were both on point. As I approached them a group of 5 birds flushed including 3 roosters, I was able to down 2 roosters and missed the third. This area was less than 10 acres and we moved a dozen birds. When we got back to the truck I let Vera out and tossed a rooster on the ground, she went right over and tried picking it up, when she managed to do.....was I was trying to get a tailgate picture she had reached up and pulled a rooster down, never did get a tailgate pic. I was heading to another site to hunt and as i was debating whether to hunt it or not i heard a rooster cackle in the ditch. I parked and put Remi on the ground and walked the topside of the ditch on the walk-in area. The rooster(s) had ran from the ditch and flushed wild in the field, I connected on one and Remi held the bird, she does not retrieve. I had my limit before noon. Knowing I was going to hunt SD as well I just drove around scouting other public areas to hunt for KSBrittman. This was a great start to the week of hunting and dog work was off the hook.
Traveled to SD on Wednesday and arrived with about 90 minutes left to hunt in the day. I selected a ditch near the house to hunt and was able to scratch out a rooster, probably saw 25 birds and many were in range but they flushed into the sun hiding their identity so no shots. Remi had a nice point on the one I bagged and both dogs had good points on hens.
Thursday we started at a WPA and the dogs worked both the grass and cattails, I tend to hunt the within 50 yards of the fence row adjacent to crops. This proved a good strategy as Bella and Remi point a rooster near the fence, I made a good shot but only winged the bird and both dogs were on this cripple until they weren't. I went to the place i last saw them and the bird together both dogs gave me the look of "what the hell where did he go". I tried to get Remi re-engaged on the scent but she never picked it up, but Bella just disappeared. I hit her locator beeper and barely heard it, the whole time I'm yelling "fetch", hit it again and it was louder and she was headed back, she came over the rise and I could see she had the rooster in her mouth, at 10 she continues to amaze me every hunt. Day was warm and I made the mistake of no water bottles, but the parcel had a couple of ponds/lakes, so we headed towards them and thru the cattails. Both dogs were hunting the cattails and I was pushing thru calling them to the waters edge, I must of cut off a group of birds as they flushed at my feet and I was able to drop a rooster, I thought i had a clean kill but nope, crippled. Remi made a nice find on this rooster and once it was in the vest they got their water. As we were headed back to the truck Remi had a nice point and a rooster flushed and once again I winged it, but the dogs did a nice job of yet again finding the winged bird. Had my 3 birds in under hours of hunting. We got back to the truck and let Vera out and she got her mouth on roosters again. I took her across the road to another WPA that had been hayed to burn off some energy, I had my 20 ga with me and as she was running around I fired a shot, she didn't break stride so that was a good start.
The dog work continued to be stellar and I decided Friday would be my day to hunt. I will have to say my shooting was rather stellar to this point as well, I had fired 8 shots and killed 7 pheasants to this point. We started Friday at a CREP property and birds were few and far, a rooster flushed out of gun range and as we got close to the truck both Bella and Remi went on point, however, the rooster didnt hold for me to get a shot. Should mention that Vera is walking with us on our hunts. We loaded up and headed to the next CREP and people were already in the field so I went to a ditch that is a good producer. Put the dogs down and Remi was on the east side and bella on the west side and both beepers start going off. Remi was closest and less steady so i went to her, I could hear multiple birds in the grass moving and as i step into the grass birds started to flush. I was tracking a rooster and another flushed crossing my vision, I stupidly adjusted to that bird then went back to the first one, needless to say the stellar shooting had ended. I turned to look at Bella, she was still on point but birds were flushing just on the edge of my 20 ga range, I should have made a couple of the shots but no birds. Reflushed one rooster three times and he was still flying. On the way back Remi went on point in a willow patch and a rooster flushed and I was able to bag him. Remi and Bella both went on point and I walked in to flush, a hen exploded out and i felt Vera hit the back of my legs wanting to pursue. We hunted several more spots with very good dog work and managed one more one more rooster of a good point and retrieve by Bella. The day ended with both Remi and Bella on point but it was a hen.
So I hunted two days in Nebraska and harvested 6 quail and 3 roosters and hunted 3 days in SD and harvested 6 roosters. This was by far the best dog work by both dogs, Bella is a machine and I don't worry about her but Remi really came into her own. She still won't retrieve but Bella will handle that task. My setter is on the IR and will probably need knee surgery this winter. Vera hunted with us all day Friday and several stops on Thursday. I really looking forward to my December hunt. The only downer for this year, i was talking with the farmer I had permission to hunt on their land(s) and he had informed me they were not allowing hunting this year because the of bad choices of others. He did tell to check back in 2025 as they are working to correct the issue. Attached a few pics of Vera with Nebraska pheasants. Sorry for long post.
Hunted south and west of the hotel on the 12th. Started at a spot KSBrittman and I did very well at a few years earlier, unfortunately when I got there it was mowed and a center pivot was being installed and the CRP looked like they had injected anhydrous ammonia. Needless to say we loaded back up and went to the next spot. I picked a postage stamp of walk-in area, it looked birdy and was a bowl out of the wind. Parked and left Vera in the truck and put Remi and Bella down. It wasn't long and both dogs were getting birdy and before i knew it they again were both on point. As I approached them a group of 5 birds flushed including 3 roosters, I was able to down 2 roosters and missed the third. This area was less than 10 acres and we moved a dozen birds. When we got back to the truck I let Vera out and tossed a rooster on the ground, she went right over and tried picking it up, when she managed to do.....was I was trying to get a tailgate picture she had reached up and pulled a rooster down, never did get a tailgate pic. I was heading to another site to hunt and as i was debating whether to hunt it or not i heard a rooster cackle in the ditch. I parked and put Remi on the ground and walked the topside of the ditch on the walk-in area. The rooster(s) had ran from the ditch and flushed wild in the field, I connected on one and Remi held the bird, she does not retrieve. I had my limit before noon. Knowing I was going to hunt SD as well I just drove around scouting other public areas to hunt for KSBrittman. This was a great start to the week of hunting and dog work was off the hook.
Traveled to SD on Wednesday and arrived with about 90 minutes left to hunt in the day. I selected a ditch near the house to hunt and was able to scratch out a rooster, probably saw 25 birds and many were in range but they flushed into the sun hiding their identity so no shots. Remi had a nice point on the one I bagged and both dogs had good points on hens.
Thursday we started at a WPA and the dogs worked both the grass and cattails, I tend to hunt the within 50 yards of the fence row adjacent to crops. This proved a good strategy as Bella and Remi point a rooster near the fence, I made a good shot but only winged the bird and both dogs were on this cripple until they weren't. I went to the place i last saw them and the bird together both dogs gave me the look of "what the hell where did he go". I tried to get Remi re-engaged on the scent but she never picked it up, but Bella just disappeared. I hit her locator beeper and barely heard it, the whole time I'm yelling "fetch", hit it again and it was louder and she was headed back, she came over the rise and I could see she had the rooster in her mouth, at 10 she continues to amaze me every hunt. Day was warm and I made the mistake of no water bottles, but the parcel had a couple of ponds/lakes, so we headed towards them and thru the cattails. Both dogs were hunting the cattails and I was pushing thru calling them to the waters edge, I must of cut off a group of birds as they flushed at my feet and I was able to drop a rooster, I thought i had a clean kill but nope, crippled. Remi made a nice find on this rooster and once it was in the vest they got their water. As we were headed back to the truck Remi had a nice point and a rooster flushed and once again I winged it, but the dogs did a nice job of yet again finding the winged bird. Had my 3 birds in under hours of hunting. We got back to the truck and let Vera out and she got her mouth on roosters again. I took her across the road to another WPA that had been hayed to burn off some energy, I had my 20 ga with me and as she was running around I fired a shot, she didn't break stride so that was a good start.
The dog work continued to be stellar and I decided Friday would be my day to hunt. I will have to say my shooting was rather stellar to this point as well, I had fired 8 shots and killed 7 pheasants to this point. We started Friday at a CREP property and birds were few and far, a rooster flushed out of gun range and as we got close to the truck both Bella and Remi went on point, however, the rooster didnt hold for me to get a shot. Should mention that Vera is walking with us on our hunts. We loaded up and headed to the next CREP and people were already in the field so I went to a ditch that is a good producer. Put the dogs down and Remi was on the east side and bella on the west side and both beepers start going off. Remi was closest and less steady so i went to her, I could hear multiple birds in the grass moving and as i step into the grass birds started to flush. I was tracking a rooster and another flushed crossing my vision, I stupidly adjusted to that bird then went back to the first one, needless to say the stellar shooting had ended. I turned to look at Bella, she was still on point but birds were flushing just on the edge of my 20 ga range, I should have made a couple of the shots but no birds. Reflushed one rooster three times and he was still flying. On the way back Remi went on point in a willow patch and a rooster flushed and I was able to bag him. Remi and Bella both went on point and I walked in to flush, a hen exploded out and i felt Vera hit the back of my legs wanting to pursue. We hunted several more spots with very good dog work and managed one more one more rooster of a good point and retrieve by Bella. The day ended with both Remi and Bella on point but it was a hen.
So I hunted two days in Nebraska and harvested 6 quail and 3 roosters and hunted 3 days in SD and harvested 6 roosters. This was by far the best dog work by both dogs, Bella is a machine and I don't worry about her but Remi really came into her own. She still won't retrieve but Bella will handle that task. My setter is on the IR and will probably need knee surgery this winter. Vera hunted with us all day Friday and several stops on Thursday. I really looking forward to my December hunt. The only downer for this year, i was talking with the farmer I had permission to hunt on their land(s) and he had informed me they were not allowing hunting this year because the of bad choices of others. He did tell to check back in 2025 as they are working to correct the issue. Attached a few pics of Vera with Nebraska pheasants. Sorry for long post.
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