I had an appointment on December the 5th to get some skin cancer, Basal Cell, taken off and was afraid they would want me to not hunt for a while so I went the day before. Although I had heard the bird numbers were down I decided to go to Iowa to see for myself.
Mann on point and Sally honoring.
Sally on point with Mann honoring.
Sally with her vest.
This was only two days since I had lost Tur Bo to a dump truck and when I loaded dogs I expected him to be standing on the tail gate of the truck when I got there. He was always the first to load up. It’s going to take a while to get used to not having him.
The first place I hunted in Iowa was a place that Austin Farley and I found 3 coveys on one time last season. We went back later and found 2. I turned Sally and Mann loose with their e-collars and GPS collars on. This was a Conservation area and I could see a lot of work had been done. Last year the black berries were getting so thick it was hard to walk around. They had mowed some of the black berries and cut a lot of cedar trees.
We crossed a harvested soy bean field to the cover of an old rail road bed. We hunted this to the west edge and dropped down along a creek. I tried to cross the creek but the water was too deep and the banks too steep. I hunted back to the east until I found a crossing. There was a large field of CRP next to a harvested corn field. I thought I would go back down the creek side to the west then come back the south side but Sally went on point near the center of the CRP.
This CRP was chest high and I had trouble finding her even with the GPS. She has a lot of white but in the tall weeds she’s hard to see. Finally, I saw her and walked about 10 yards in front of her. Nothing flushed so I said, “okay”. She trailed for about 25 yards and went back on point. This time when I went in front of her a hen pheasant flushed, close.
We hunted on to the property line on the west and crossed to the creek and followed it back to the east. As we went down the creek the GPS handheld vibrated and showed Sally on point east of me about 85 yards. As I got close the GPS led me into the tall weeds. Just as I saw Sally, at about 10 yards, another hen pheasant flushed right in front of her. We continued to the harvested corn field and around on the back side of it.
Sally backing Mann with Abby close.
I went along the south edge of the corn field to the end then went north for a short distance. The GPS handheld vibrated and showed Mann on point about 165 yards to the east. Mann was up a hill but I started to him. When I got just a few feet from him he started trailing. He trailed for 40 yards then lost the scent. We went on back to the truck. I loaded the dogs and drove to another place.
The next place, about 10 miles from the first, also showed a lot of work by the Conservation Department. They have a lot of food plots, had mowed some of the area and ran a tiller or disc down the center and cut a lot of cedar trees. Iowa Conservation Department is trying hard to do what it takes for the birds to flourish.
We had parked on the south side. I started across the south edge to the east hedge row. Before I got to the hedge row the GPS handheld vibrated. It showed Mann on point. Before I got to him Sally honored. When I got close they were pointing into a brush pile. I took pictures then we went all around the brush pile. Nothing flushed. At brush piles I’m always afraid we are going to get into a skunk but we went all the way around the brush pile without finding anything.
We went on to the hedge row and went to the north. Along the hedge row was a buffer strip of CRP next to a harvested soy bean field. Across the fence on private property was soy beans that hadn’t been harvested. The birds that we have seen in the past could have been in these soy beans. When we got to the north edge we crossed to the west and came back south through some CRP to the truck. I loaded the dogs.
Mann pointing a pheasant.
What I had hunted so far had been off well maintained roads. I knew where there was another good food plot but when I pulled down the road my truck started slipping and sliding. I hadn’t drove very far so I shifted into 4-wheel drive and backed out. I checked a couple of other ways to the food plot with no better luck. I really didn’t need to get stuck so I headed home.
Iowa bird forecast was down 42% according to what I read on their website. I was hoping that it was wrong but that may be real close. Iowa blames the real wet springs for hurting their birds. Pheasants and quail both. It has certainly been wet this year.
I have been working the dogs, Sally and Mann on retrieving. I started working them on a line of bumpers, trying to get them to take a line. The last few times I put a pile of dummies in one place but held one dummy in my hand. I heeled the dogs to a spot about 15 yards from the pile and put them on whoa. I got their attention and tossed the bumper into the pile and said, “fetch”. The dogs seem to under stand this exercise better. They keep going back until they get them all.
When I had the bumpers in a line they did well for a few then lost the line. I would have to walk them closer. The pile doesn’t change. They go back to the same spot each time. As they get used to doing this exercise I can add a little distance each time.
Well I was right. The doctors put me on light duty for a while. I don’t do light duty very well but I will live through it. Even on days I don’t go hunting I would like to work the dogs on retrieving but no. I’m on light duty.
Bumper pile.