Don Hansen and I hunted near Abilene, Kansas last Tuesday, November the 29th. We saw birds at each place we hunted but it was so dry that it was really hard on the dogs. Dolly, Tigger and Annie all had a point each and that was all of the dog work we had for the day. We each killed a quail. After a good rain we may be back.
Luke pointing a single.
Luke on another single.
Sally wouldn’t cross the ditch.
I saw where north central Kansas had got some rain so on Friday the second of December, although the rifle portion of deer season was open, I went to some walk-in hunting properties near Marysville, Kansas. I put Garmin GPS collars and e-collars on Dolly and Luke. I put a Sport Dog e-collar and a Garmin GPS on Sally Joe and turned all 3 loose. Sally’s Sport Dog e-collar wasn’t even turned on. I just want her to get used to wearing an e-collar.
We started through some light CRP grass and Luke was about 175 yards from me when he went on point. We hadn’t been out of the truck 5 minutes. When I got to him he was standing in some CRP grass. I walked in expecting a covey. A single quail flushed and flew into the sun. Of course I missed with both barrels. When I stood there with my gun broke open two more quail flushed about 20 yards from me. All 3 birds had flown south.
Dolly and Luke hunted the area close to where the quail had flushed from. Both of them acted like more birds had run through the area but we never came up with anything. Luke hit the edge of a soy bean field and started around the edge. Sally got behind him like she was going to follow. I never said anything to either of them. Let’em run. Sally is almost 6 months old and more power to her if she can keep up with Luke. They went around the side of a hill where I couldn’t see them but I watched on the GPS as they went past 600 yards.
Pretty soon Luke crossed to my front about a hundred yards out but Sally wasn’t with him. She came back and saw Luke again and they were off. This time they went over 500 yards. When she came back this time she was more content to hunt with me.
We went on to the west then turned south. Luke crossed a creek and went up a hill and went on point 240 yards south east of me. I crossed the creek and started up the hill. As I went up the hill I kept checking the GPS. He was still on point. I got to the top of the hill and checked the GPS. He was still on point about 125 yards away but Dolly was on point 91 feet away. I went to Dolly.
When I got to her she was standing in the edge of a patch of short sumac. Before I got to her a quail flushed. When I shot it fell just over a small hill, like a terrace. Dolly and Sally didn’t see it fall. Sally came close to me and went on point. Dolly was on the other side of the terrace and didn’t see Sally on point. She picked up the quail and brought it to me. I dropped the quail in front of Sally and it started fluttering. She pounced on it. I petted her until she dropped the quail.
When I shot either Luke moved or his bird flushed because he came to me. We hunted on to the east. Again, the GPS showed Luke on point about 55 yards from me. I started to him along a steep bank that rose from a big creek. As I checked the GPS it showed Dolly close to Luke on point. I figured she was honoring but when I got close I saw her on one side of a big thicket on point and Luke was on the other side on point with Sally honoring him. Dolly was closest so I went toward her and a quail flushed before I got to her. I shot and the quail went down in a deep ravine next to the creek. When I shot a couple of quail flushed behind me near where Luke and Sally were. I didn’t have a shot at them.
I knew the quail I had knocked down would be hard to find but I wanted Luke to check close to me for anymore birds. After a minute or two I went toward where the bird had fallen and saw Dolly coming to me with the quail in her mouth. She had evidently seen it fall and went right after it. I gave her the head for a treat.
We went on to the east. I checked the GPS and Luke was on point up the hill and to the east about 65 yards. I came out of the brush and saw him on point in some tall, thin grass, just out of the brush, along the hillside. Sally was behind him honoring with a high head and straight tail. I tried to get a picture. I couldn’t see very well because of the sun. The second picture above was the picture. I thought I could get both of them in the picture but I only got Luke.
I started in front of Luke and saw that Dolly was also honoring. The quail flushed and when I hit the bird it went into the trunk of a large tree and bounced off. Sally and Dolly both saw it fall. Dolly beat Sally to it and brought it to me. I gave her the head.
We hunted on to the road on the east then back to the truck without seeing any more quail. Sally stayed away from me to keep me from putting her in the truck. She doesn’t like to ride. I put the e-collars and GPS collars on Tur Bo and Lucky and we went to the north.
We went along the edge of a soy bean field in the CRP along a hillside then across the end and back down the other side along a creek. The only thing that showed up was a young pointer male that didn’t act like he had ever been hunted. He followed and sometime ran out front with my dogs but he was never hunting. He just liked being with us. When we got back to the truck he kept trying to get in. I don’t know if he wanted me to take him back home or what. He came from the house on the north end of this property. He watched us drive away.
We went to another property that was only an 80 acre field with a ditch running from the north west to the south east. We parked on the north west corner and I turned Luke, Dolly and Sally out. About half way down the ditch I saw Luke go on point. I started to him and he moved about 3 steps and went back on point. About 6 quail flushed 50 yards south east of him. They flew down the ditch to the south east.
All 3 dogs got real birdy and trailed around without coming up with anything. We went on down the ditch. I checked the GPS and Luke was on point across the ditch. I crossed the ditch and saw him as I came up the bank. That’s the first picture above. I walked in front of him and a single quail flushed about 15 yards in front of me down in the ditch. Just as I shot it flew behind a tree. I did hit the tree.
I recrossed the ditch and we went to the south east corner then crossed to the other side and went back. About a third of the way back I saw that Sally hadn’t crossed. I called her but she wouldn’t cross. She followed along on the other side. I found a good place to cross and called her again. She still wouldn’t cross so I took her picture standing on the other side. I told her if she didn’t cross I would put her picture on face book and everyone would know she wouldn’t cross the ditch. She didn’t cross at that place so I put her on face book. Later she crossed several times but not at that place.
When she finally crossed to my side she was really proud of herself. When she crossed I had her recross then cross again. Before we got back to the truck she crossed 5 or 6 times. That’s the way they learn.
It was getting late and we drove around looking for another place to hunt but I didn’t turn any dogs out. I saw some places I would like to hunt but will wait until after rifle deer season.
Sally on pen reared quail.
Betsy on pen raised quail.
Sally on pen raised quail.