carptom1
Well-known member
My work always slows in front of a presidential election. People are uneasy and want to hold onto their money. So I decided what the heck might as well take a trip so I took off at 5am last Sunday and drove to Kenmare North Dakota. Left at 5am and reached the Motel around 830 Sunday night. My plan was to hunt there until Wednesday afternoon then go to South Dakota to make the drive home a little less brutal.
The Good
Bird numbers were good to very good in spots. Eighty degrees on Monday but actually was done by 1pm. My shooting was very erratic to begin with, but between Tuesday and Friday afternoon I was like 10 for 11 at one point. The little Pudelpointer is only 2.5 and we are still learning each other. She was severely hen blocked on Monday but she got dialed in the rest of the week. She is getting better all the time. Her highlight was a point and track on a huge old rooster down around Conde SD that we found in a corner of a piece of CREP in some cattails with a splash of water. I dumped him on the other side in the grass, she didn’t see him but after getting her up top, she picked up his trail and ran him down after a 50-60 yard track. When I saw him jump 4-5 feet in the air trying to get her I knew it was over. She wrestled with him a bit but soon I saw her coming out of the grass.
The Bad
After loosing some weight and being in great shape last year, I have some back and paid the price. I better get serious again or my long hunting trips are numbered. It is sooo dry in spots of SD, drove by many sloughs that were bone dry. It was 81 on Monday in ND which is too hot to hunt. 39 on Tuesday with a cold rain had it’s drawbacks also.
The Ugly
In the last couple hours of the trip decided to hit a couple more spots. In the last one in SD we found a bunch hunkering up under some old trees in the grass. I dumped a bird and the dog tore after it and lost a battle with some hidden wire. She yelped then got to the bird and brought it back. She still wanted to hunt but I noticed blood on her front leg. It was a pretty deep gash. Luckily found a vet open and after a dozen stitches and several staples we were done.
All in all a great time. Hunter numbers were not huge considering how early it is. Bird numbers weren’t spectacular but who wants easy right?.
The Good
Bird numbers were good to very good in spots. Eighty degrees on Monday but actually was done by 1pm. My shooting was very erratic to begin with, but between Tuesday and Friday afternoon I was like 10 for 11 at one point. The little Pudelpointer is only 2.5 and we are still learning each other. She was severely hen blocked on Monday but she got dialed in the rest of the week. She is getting better all the time. Her highlight was a point and track on a huge old rooster down around Conde SD that we found in a corner of a piece of CREP in some cattails with a splash of water. I dumped him on the other side in the grass, she didn’t see him but after getting her up top, she picked up his trail and ran him down after a 50-60 yard track. When I saw him jump 4-5 feet in the air trying to get her I knew it was over. She wrestled with him a bit but soon I saw her coming out of the grass.
The Bad
After loosing some weight and being in great shape last year, I have some back and paid the price. I better get serious again or my long hunting trips are numbered. It is sooo dry in spots of SD, drove by many sloughs that were bone dry. It was 81 on Monday in ND which is too hot to hunt. 39 on Tuesday with a cold rain had it’s drawbacks also.
The Ugly
In the last couple hours of the trip decided to hit a couple more spots. In the last one in SD we found a bunch hunkering up under some old trees in the grass. I dumped a bird and the dog tore after it and lost a battle with some hidden wire. She yelped then got to the bird and brought it back. She still wanted to hunt but I noticed blood on her front leg. It was a pretty deep gash. Luckily found a vet open and after a dozen stitches and several staples we were done.
All in all a great time. Hunter numbers were not huge considering how early it is. Bird numbers weren’t spectacular but who wants easy right?.
