I know it is not officially over yet and I will be out this weekend and the last day; I wanted to post up some observations. For all the doom and gloom spread I have had an downright awesome season with my dog. We manages doves, bobwhite, Blue grouse, sage hens, Mtn Sharptail, a prairie chicken, and pheasant.
I was fortunate enough to hunt Nebraska, Kansas, and our own great state. I was equally blessed to find some new hunting buddies, one from this site, that I now consider life long friends. ( I only hunt quail with those I really trust, the way the come up close and twist and turn, I don't want to get Dick Cheneyed)
Doves where a little harder this year and we shot mainly very young birds with flight feathers that were hardly developed.
All my "other" birds came here in Colorado. I consider my prairie chicken the greatest of all my hunting trophies I have ever taken. A pointed prairie grouse is not something I have heard of on the Colorado forum. And while pheasants have had a rough go in Colorado I have seen chickens seem to spread; I hope the trend continues, variety is the spice of life.
I enjoyed quail as well. My dog can really stick them little buzz bombs. I also saw gentlemen bob outside of his traditional Colorado haunts and was greatly encouraged by this as well.
As to pheasants, I believe this year was better than last. I saw them in terrain that is not what that the text book calls for and will never again overlook fields of yucca and sage. I killed some very young birds and some "long spurs" that probably knew a time before the drought. Saw mainly roosters in the early season and finally started seeing their girlfriends here at the end.
I'll now pray for the right weather through the spring and summer. I am already daydreaming about next years adventures. I will go no matter the conditions; I have yet to kill birds from my couch. The great hope I have for next season is to add ptarmigan and scalies to the list. I hope everyone else can look back with some fondness on this season and cherish some memory from it; we are only afforded by our creator and the natural scheme of life so many seasons to be afield and so much time with our dogs and those special buddies only time spent hunting and fishing can bring together.:cheers:
Have a Good 'Urn,
bones
I was fortunate enough to hunt Nebraska, Kansas, and our own great state. I was equally blessed to find some new hunting buddies, one from this site, that I now consider life long friends. ( I only hunt quail with those I really trust, the way the come up close and twist and turn, I don't want to get Dick Cheneyed)
Doves where a little harder this year and we shot mainly very young birds with flight feathers that were hardly developed.
All my "other" birds came here in Colorado. I consider my prairie chicken the greatest of all my hunting trophies I have ever taken. A pointed prairie grouse is not something I have heard of on the Colorado forum. And while pheasants have had a rough go in Colorado I have seen chickens seem to spread; I hope the trend continues, variety is the spice of life.
I enjoyed quail as well. My dog can really stick them little buzz bombs. I also saw gentlemen bob outside of his traditional Colorado haunts and was greatly encouraged by this as well.
As to pheasants, I believe this year was better than last. I saw them in terrain that is not what that the text book calls for and will never again overlook fields of yucca and sage. I killed some very young birds and some "long spurs" that probably knew a time before the drought. Saw mainly roosters in the early season and finally started seeing their girlfriends here at the end.
I'll now pray for the right weather through the spring and summer. I am already daydreaming about next years adventures. I will go no matter the conditions; I have yet to kill birds from my couch. The great hope I have for next season is to add ptarmigan and scalies to the list. I hope everyone else can look back with some fondness on this season and cherish some memory from it; we are only afforded by our creator and the natural scheme of life so many seasons to be afield and so much time with our dogs and those special buddies only time spent hunting and fishing can bring together.:cheers:
Have a Good 'Urn,
bones