Hit my old haunts from 2011 again this x-mas vacation spending time with the girlfriend's family. Another 3:30am run from the front range to the stomping grounds of the East.
Just like last holiday season, we found birds in the Phillips, Sedgwick, and Logan area.
Snow was crusty and the birds were outrunning us throughout the day. Very tough to get them up in the conditions. Many a hunter too hitting the fields. Luckily, fresh tracks could still be made out to avoid wasting time on ground.
No success, a handful of distance flushes near Fleming, before we hit a field edge and cut in when the dog got birdy on a big piece of WIHA of tall grass. Finally, we got a bird to stay put in the corner and I was able to bag our first rooster of the year hitting him with both barrels before crumbling.
We walked... and walked. Bailey, now a 10 yr old Brittany, but in his spry capacity kept working slowly quartering 10-30 yards in front as the deep shelter belt snow made him exhausted early.
At about 2:30pm, and only 1 bird flushing within gun range, I told him we weren't walking unless I saw birds. Low and behold, 20 minutes up the gravel, we start seeing birds on private land, lots of roosters too. We approach a big chunk of WIA that I've hunted before and there is a rooster sulking in the ditch on his way into the grass.
Slowly, I park 150 yards from the bird. Quietly grab the gun, birddog, and put a couple 20ga #2's in the red label before quietly locking up the truck.
We shuffle up the edge about 40+ yds off the ditch. My hopes drop as 2 nice roosters jump 65 yards up and glide off into the shelter belts, still on the WIA, but my heart knows they're running for the miles and I'm not gonna put them in my vest.
We keep our quick pace, cut deeper into the CRP, and to my amazement, out bursts a ditch parrot and I get a quick 35 yard snapshot at about 10 o'clock. Luckily, it's takes a full swarm of the #2's and somersaults down. While shooting, I hear wings over Bailey back at 2'o clock and it's another rooster quartering out on a quick beeline. I throw the barrel at the bird, a tough swing with little room torquing to the right. When the bead clears the beak, too my amazement, my shot folds this rooster. Probably the toughest double I've ever taken, and both birds 35/40yards out. I run to grab the bird to my left. Stone dead, I grab this one, and Bailey is on his way back with the second. Even though he's pointed over a thousand birds, and we've seen half a dozen states and a dozen species, I feel like it's our first again.
A miraculous finish to a very difficult day. My hips are still sore, the dog sleeping in a pile, but we got 3 wild roosters and in my rusty days of more work than play, managed to hit feather on every shot.
No pictures on this one, but another great December hunt. I think Colorado is one of my favorite upland states and I've hunted many others. Minnesota next week with the brothers, and a handful of California quail back in CA to finish our 2015-2016 season.
Get out there! Additionally, for the others that enjoy these places, please keep supporting the conservation efforts in the Eastern part of the state. As a conservation property manager myself, it's takes sportsman's dollars and community efforts to manage excellent habitat and continue stewardship into perpetuity. This state has much to offer for upland hunting and I'm concerned, yet hopeful, it's something I will be able to do 50 years from now!
Happy holidays!
Just like last holiday season, we found birds in the Phillips, Sedgwick, and Logan area.
Snow was crusty and the birds were outrunning us throughout the day. Very tough to get them up in the conditions. Many a hunter too hitting the fields. Luckily, fresh tracks could still be made out to avoid wasting time on ground.
No success, a handful of distance flushes near Fleming, before we hit a field edge and cut in when the dog got birdy on a big piece of WIHA of tall grass. Finally, we got a bird to stay put in the corner and I was able to bag our first rooster of the year hitting him with both barrels before crumbling.
We walked... and walked. Bailey, now a 10 yr old Brittany, but in his spry capacity kept working slowly quartering 10-30 yards in front as the deep shelter belt snow made him exhausted early.
At about 2:30pm, and only 1 bird flushing within gun range, I told him we weren't walking unless I saw birds. Low and behold, 20 minutes up the gravel, we start seeing birds on private land, lots of roosters too. We approach a big chunk of WIA that I've hunted before and there is a rooster sulking in the ditch on his way into the grass.
Slowly, I park 150 yards from the bird. Quietly grab the gun, birddog, and put a couple 20ga #2's in the red label before quietly locking up the truck.
We shuffle up the edge about 40+ yds off the ditch. My hopes drop as 2 nice roosters jump 65 yards up and glide off into the shelter belts, still on the WIA, but my heart knows they're running for the miles and I'm not gonna put them in my vest.
We keep our quick pace, cut deeper into the CRP, and to my amazement, out bursts a ditch parrot and I get a quick 35 yard snapshot at about 10 o'clock. Luckily, it's takes a full swarm of the #2's and somersaults down. While shooting, I hear wings over Bailey back at 2'o clock and it's another rooster quartering out on a quick beeline. I throw the barrel at the bird, a tough swing with little room torquing to the right. When the bead clears the beak, too my amazement, my shot folds this rooster. Probably the toughest double I've ever taken, and both birds 35/40yards out. I run to grab the bird to my left. Stone dead, I grab this one, and Bailey is on his way back with the second. Even though he's pointed over a thousand birds, and we've seen half a dozen states and a dozen species, I feel like it's our first again.
A miraculous finish to a very difficult day. My hips are still sore, the dog sleeping in a pile, but we got 3 wild roosters and in my rusty days of more work than play, managed to hit feather on every shot.
No pictures on this one, but another great December hunt. I think Colorado is one of my favorite upland states and I've hunted many others. Minnesota next week with the brothers, and a handful of California quail back in CA to finish our 2015-2016 season.
Get out there! Additionally, for the others that enjoy these places, please keep supporting the conservation efforts in the Eastern part of the state. As a conservation property manager myself, it's takes sportsman's dollars and community efforts to manage excellent habitat and continue stewardship into perpetuity. This state has much to offer for upland hunting and I'm concerned, yet hopeful, it's something I will be able to do 50 years from now!
Happy holidays!