Working Dogs In The New Year, 1/1/2020

Posted on January 1, 2020 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

I haven’t had a chance to go hunting for a while but I did work all of my dogs, some on retrieving and some on pigeons. I want the older dogs to enjoy retrieving and hunting dead. I put a pile of retrieving dummies, some home made and some I have bought. Also, I put a few frozen quail in the pile with the dummies.

My pile of retrieving dummies.

Sally with a frozen quail.

Mann with a frozen quail.

After cleaning pens and feeding the puppies, Abby and Josie, I played with them in an empty kennel with a tennis ball. I started them, as little puppies, by throwing a paint roller cover. Abby is pretty good about bringing the tennis ball back to me. Josie not so much. Josie has never done very well with retrieving. It doesn’t matter. I will force break them this year, maybe.

I had my pile of retrieving dummies out so I put the e-collar on Sally and heeled her out with the piggin’ string. I had a frozen quail in my pocket and when we got about 10 yards from the circle of dummies I whoaed her. I tossed the frozen quail near the spot with the other dummies and said, “fetch”.

In the past when they retrieved a frozen quail or dummy I tossed it right behind me. The dogs saw the frozen quail that was right behind me and wanted to get them instead of going back to the pile. This morning I tossed the dummies and frozen quail about 10 yards behind me when the dogs brought them to me. I had to toss them when the dog was going away from me toward the pile.

All of the dogs like the frozen quail best, followed by the Dokken quail, chukar and dove. The homemade dummies, a couple of dowel rods that I have put smaller dowels through the ends and one 1 1/2″ PVC pipe that I’ve wrapped duct tape around, are left until last. Part of the time both, Sally and Mann, act like they can’t see the homemade ones. When I bump them with the e-collars their eye sight greatly improves. I have Garmin Pro 500 e-collars and usually use 2 low for both dogs. They know what to do but they check to see if I know, what they are supposed to do, every once in a while.

I have worked these two on the pile of dummies a few times, maybe 4 times. Both of them are starting to understand it really well. We were down to the last two dummies. One of the dowel rods and the PVC pipe when Sally couldn’t see them lying where all the rest had been lying. I held the button on the transmitter down on 2 low. She was coming toward me when I hit the button. She reversed direction and when she picked up the dowel rod bumper I let off the button. She came to me in a run, wagging all the way. I sent her for the other bumper and she ran out, scooped it up and returned to me.

Mann was about the same way. He did them all except for one of the canvas covered ones and the PVC. But his eye sight failed him, too. I held the button on the transmitter down on low 2 and he raced to the pile and grabbed the PVC pipe and came back. When I sent him for the next he raced to it and back. Mann was force broke by Lyon’s Den Kennel in Kingsville Missouri and he’s faster than Sally. But they both are doing a good job on their retrieving.

Sally with one of the Dokken dummies.

Luke has been retired but I brought him out for a little retrieving work, too. I just led him to the pile of dummies and tossed a frozen quail for him a couple of times. I only tossed it about 10 yards and he dropped it at my feet but we both kind of went through the motions. After two retrieves Luke went to check on the pigeons. I took him back to the kennel.

I put Abby and Josie on my chain gang near the retrieving bench. I put 8 pigeons in the box on the 4-wheeler and hid 4 of them for Josie. I had also worked the puppies yesterday and had worked Abby first. So it was Josie’s turn. Yesterday I had hidden 2 pigeons on my side of the training grounds and 2 on my neighbor’s side. Today I rode the 4-wheeler to the back on my side but I hid all 4 pigeons on the neighbor’s side.

To keep the puppies from just following the tracks of the 4-wheeler I always ride to the back on each of the sides I use. I try to hide the birds in different places but as much as I work these puppies I soon run out of new places to hide them.

Josie started down my side and she always starts checking almost every place I have ever hidden a bird for her. She starts slinking down the field instead of running with a high head. It doesn’t take long for her to go to hunting. The more she gets to where she trusts her nose the better she will hunt.

We went all the way to the back on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. Josie came close to one of the middle birds but we had a strong north east wind and she didn’t hit the scent cone. We made it to the back and started into the wind. She hit the scent cone on a pigeon and locked up. Yesterday when she pointed she would look really good for 20 seconds or so then start wagging. Today I was watching her close and after getting a couple of pictures I was ready. As soon as her tail started to move I flushed the bird. The pigeon came out right over her head and she chased for a long way then came back.

Mann with one of the Dokken’s.

We started toward the front and she pointed the second pigeon. I took pictures but kept my eye on her. As soon as her tail started to move I flushed the pigeon. I want her to think that any movement she makes, make the bird fly.

She pointed the third bird and I watched closely. Her tail was not moving. I kept an eye on her for any movement. After a good thirty seconds her back foot moved and I flushed the pigeon. She acts like she’s trying to figure out what makes that bird fly.

We went toward the last bird. When we got close I had to go around a clump of brush to see her and she was, maybe, not getting the scent, good. Anyway, she was wagging and going into the clump where I had hidden the bird. I flushed it and she chased a few feet then went back to hunting. I put her on the chain gang.

When I first started bird hunting there were enough birds that we would just take the pups hunting. They would learn to work the birds because wild birds will flush at the first movement of the dogs just like I’m doing now with the pigeons.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

I reloaded the release traps and brought Abby out. These pups aren’t pulling a check cord and there is no e-collars. When they point I wait for several seconds then I try to walk in front of them. I don’t shout, “WHOA” or say anything to them. And I don’t hurry to the front. I try to walk toward their face, stop and let the pup get used to me being there, then walk a few more feet.

Abby and I went all the way to the back on my side then crossed over to the neighbor’s side. When we crossed over she got real close to the second bird but didn’t point. Then I didn’t see her. I walked back and checked the second bird and she wasn’t there. I went on back a little farther where I could see the first bird but she wasn’t there, either.

I started toward the back and saw her on point on the third bird. She had already been on point for, probably, a minute. She was a good distance from the bird and she looked good. I took pictures with my camera then took a couple with my phone. I moved in front of her a little way and took another picture or two. I moved up again and she moved. I flushed the pigeon. She chased a short distance then went back to hunting.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

The bird at the back was in a bad place with the wind we had but she got on the right side and pointed. On this bird I just stood and watched. When she took a step I flushed the pigeon. She doesn’t chase much but she does a little then went back to hunting.

I had found a place, for the second bird, that I had never hid a bird for these pups before. Abby checked several places I had hidden birds for her before as we went toward the front. It’s fun to watch the pups slow down to check the places. She checked a place on one side then as she crossed the opening to check another she hit the scent cone and slammed on the brakes. I stood behind her taking pictures. I just waited on her to move. When she took a step I flushed the pigeon. She chased then went back to hunting.

The wind must have been really swirling on the bird closest to the front. Josie had been moving in on it when I saw her. Now Abby pointed from way back then moved in a half circle. Then pointed again. She was going to move again without going toward the pigeon but I flushed the bird. She chased a little then went to hunting.

Sally pointing a covey of quail.

I turned Josie loose so they could run and play. They followed the 4-wheeler as I picked up the traps then we went back to the kennel.

This hasn’t been the best of seasons for me. I have had several trials that are unusual for me. But when I can go in my back yard and get several points and even work my dogs on retrieving it’s fun. Not as much fun as a good bird hunt but it’s lots better than sitting in the house.

Posted in Dog training | Comments Off on Working Dogs In The New Year, 1/1/2020

A Missouri, Private Land, Hunt, 12/23/19

Posted on December 24, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

Vince Dye, Steve Long and I had had a good a good hunt a week or so ago and I was looking forward to going on Steve’s leased ground again. Steve has always lived in this area and knows most of the land owners. I don’t know how many acres he has leased but it’s a lot. Steve plants food plots on these places and the owners have part of them in row crops and part in CRP. Perfect habitat for quail and pheasants.

Mann honoring Sally’s point.

Sally pointing a covey of quail.

Sally pointing a covey of quail.

Vince turned his German short haired pointer, Indy, and his English cocker spaniel, Maggie, loose. Steve had his 4 month old Jag Terrier. I put the e-collar and GPS collar on Sally and Mann and turned them loose.

We went through an area where we had found a covey of quail the last time we were here without finding them. We went west for a quarter mile then turned to the north. We turned to the east along a draw. The dogs ran the draw then went on to the north and east. I felt the GPS vibrate. It showed Sally on point over two hundred yards to the north east.

It was up hill through some heavy CRP to where she was on point. When we got close we saw that Mann and Indy were honoring her point. When I got close I took pictures of Sally and Mann. I usually carry the camera and forget to take pictures. I would rather have a picture of the dogs than a shot at quail. After taking the pictures I said, “alright” because I was happy that I had taken the pictures. “Alright” is the release command for my dogs. I don’t know whether Sally moved from the “alright” or the birds got up and she moved. Either way we didn’t get a shot.

We couldn’t tell exactly where the covey went. We just knew they went over the hill and toward a draw. We hunted the draw on both sides without seeing any singles. We came on by the trucks and I put Sally up and Vince got his other short hair, Allie, out.

There was a draw and water way that ran a little way into the corn field, we were parked close to, that we wanted to check. The dogs ran both sides and we went on to the west boundary. We were discussing which way to go when the GPS vibrated. It showed Mann 325 yards to the west on point, right along the fence line. We started to him.

We were within about 75 yards of him and the GPS showed him moving. We continued on down the fence line. Vince’s dogs had been birdy as they went down the fence row, ahead of us. A little way past where Mann had been on point we saw Indy on point. When we got closer I saw Allie either on point or backing Indy. They were about 5 yards apart and when we got close a covey of quail flushed in between the two dogs. Steve and I doubled on the same bird. Vince sent Maggie to retrieve. Maggie always retrieves the birds to Vince so I let him carry my birds. It doesn’t make much difference on quail but with pheasants it’s nice.

We went on to the corner of this property and moved over a little and went back through some really heavy CRP. I try to find a deer trail when the CRP gets real thick but the deer refuse to go the direction I need them too.

Mann on point.

We went to the south along the fence row to some draws running into the corn field. We were almost to the east edge of the corn field where just a small strip of CRP ran along side the corn field. I was down the draw about 40 yards away from Steve and Vince when I heard someone say, “there they go”. I saw a couple of quail fly into the draw that we had already been down. Then the rest of the covey 3 or 4 at a time flushed. If I had of been alone I would not have seen these birds.

I saw Mann close to where the birds got up and asked Vince if he had flushed the birds. He said, “no. None of the dogs were even close to the quail. The birds ran across the CRP and when the cover stopped, next to the corn field, the birds flushed”.

I got Mann in to hunt the area where the birds had flushed from in case some hadn’t flushed. All of the dogs were birdy in the area but didn’t come up with anything. We went in the direction the covey had flown.

As we went up the draw, with Steve on the north side, Vince in the middle and me on the south side the dogs made several points. When we got close they would start trailing. For whatever reason this covey wasn’t even holding after it had been flushed.

Mann on point.

As we went to the west along this draw Vince hollered, “one coming at you, Rob”. I saw a bird come out of the draw right in front of me and then hook back over the top of me, high. I turned and shot as it went away from me and it dropped. As high and as fast as it was, it fell quite a way behind me. I tried to get Indy and Mann to hunt dead but they didn’t come to me. When I got close to where the bird fell Maggie came close. When I told her to hunt dead she grabbed the bird and headed to Vince. That works well. Vince will carry my bird.

There was a weedy draw running into the corn field with just a few trees in it. I was standing in the edge of the corn field watching Mann run the edge of this draw when he went on point. Steve was down along the edge of this draw and Vince was trying to cross to the other side. Vince told us to go ahead it would take him too long. As we started toward Mann I remembered my camera.

I was still a good ways, 60 yards, from Mann trying to get a picture. When Steve got close to Mann about 5 quail flushed. Some flying toward Vince and 1 flying right over Steve. Steve hit his bird at about 25 feet and I heard Vince shoot twice. Vince said both of his birds went down.

I looked at Mann and he hadn’t moved. He was still on point. I said, “Mann still has birds in front of him. He didn’t move when those birds flushed”. Steve took a couple of steps toward him and about 8 more quail flushed back toward Vince. Vince was looking for the birds he had dropped and didn’t see these. (Now a little brag. Well maybe a lot of brag. Mann is 20 months old. I’ve had a lot of older dogs that would have moved even if they knew there was still birds in front of them. Mann didn’t move. I have seen this before when I have had 2 dogs on point at the same time. I always go to the other dog because if Mann’s bird doesn’t flush when I shoot, Mann will hold.)

Mann on point and Sally honoring.

We started back to the north along a hedge row. When we got to the area, where Sally had pointed a covey of quail sitting in real short grass the last time, I was close to the hedge row and Vince and Steve were in the CRP. I heard Vince shoot a couple of times. He said that Maggie had flushed a covey in front of him and he knocked 2 quail down. Maggie found them both. The covey had flown on to the north so we followed.

We didn’t pick up any of the singles from that covey. A half mile farther to the north with Vince along a draw and Steve and me along a fence row we heard Vince shoot, again. He said Maggie had flushed another covey and he had knocked one down in a tangle of brush. We went over to help him find his bird. Maggie and Indy almost had the bird but it got away. We had all of the dogs in trying to find it. No luck.

We started into the CRP on the other side of the draw and a single quail flushed. It had a leg hanging down so it must have been Vince’s wounded bird. Vince and Steve both shot and the bird dropped. Maggie had it back to Vince, really quick.

Mann on point.

We hunted on back to the truck without finding any other birds but we had seen 6 coveys and killed 8 birds. It had been a good day for the dogs and for the hunters. Vince and Steve had Christmas things scheduled for the evening and night so it was a good place to quit.

This is a good place to tell everyone Merry Christmas and to remember the reason for the season. Thank you for reading my blog. I have a counter on the blog and it’s nearing three quarters of a million hits. I enjoy writing the blog but it would be no fun if no one read it, so thanks again.

Posted in Dogs, Hunts | Comments Off on A Missouri, Private Land, Hunt, 12/23/19

A Short Missouri Quail Hunt, 12/19/19

Posted on December 19, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

We have 3 or 4 inches of snow on the ground and I really don’t like to hunt on snow but I was tired of sitting around the house. I loaded Mann and Sally and drove to a Missouri Conservation Area. I have hunted this conservation area in the past but not for a few years. There were several fallow fields that had been planted the last time I was here. The really wet year must have kept the farmer or farmers from planting some of them.

Sally on point with Mann honoring.

Sally backing Mann with Abby close.

Mann pointing a pheasant.

I drove around the area to find a place that other hunters weren’t using. The first place I pulled into a couple of dogs from a farm house came toward me as I put the e-collar and GPS collar on Mann. The farm dogs must have just come to look us over. When they got close they turned and went back home. I had parked well over a quarter of a mile from the farm house. I put an e-collar and the GPS collar on Sally and we started to the east around a harvested corn field.

It was above freezing and I was watching for quail tracks in the snow as we went around the corn field. About a quarter of a mile off the road this area used to have a grain field where there some grain left for the animals. Not so this time. The corn field ran into a harvested soy bean field with nothing left in it. As I circled the soy bean field I heard some hounds baying. I don’t like to get my bird dogs close to running dogs. So we hunted back to the truck, crossed the road and circled a large pond that had a lot of cover around it.

On both sides of the pond area were fields of harvested soy beans. When the dogs were running the edges of the soy bean fields I could see them for a long way. It’s nice to find quail and get points but I can enjoy just watching the dogs run and hit the objectives.

Not long after we crossed the road the running dogs were on the same side of the road we were on. Sally and Mann have been coming in when I tone them on their e-collars, really well. Both of them were over 300 yards away when I got close to the truck and toned them to come in. Shortly after I got to the truck Mann showed up and right behind him was Sally. I loaded them and went to another area.

I usually drive around the area I’m going to hunt to make sure that no one is hunting it. As I drove I saw an area where the Conservation employees had done a lot of work. They had cleared the trees off of a large area and made some good brush piles. Some of the brush piles were in ditches to stop erosion and some were along the side of the hills. The ground was still clean but if the right weeds come up in the area it should be really good for the animals and especially good for the birds.

I had left the e-collars and GPS collars on the dogs so I just grabbed my gun and turned them loose at the next place. As we went along the edge I thought back several years ago to hunting this place with my then to me new Ruger, Red Label, 28 gauge. The first time I killed a double on quail with it was along the edge I was walking down.

Abby, pointing a pigeon.

We went to the west to the end of the soy bean field then north across another harvested soy bean field. At the end of a draw was a pond with a lot of cover around it. When I got close I saw how tough the cover was. There were a lot of saplings next to the pond but there were more tall black berry vines than saplings. Both dogs went through the black berries but it sure slowed them down. We hunted the south side of the pond then crossed the dam to the north side.

As I started up the hill after crossing the dam the GPS handheld vibrated. It showed Mann on point just 50 yards to the east. The black berries vines were too dense to go straight east so I went north to edge of the soy bean field then turned east. Before I turned east Sally honored Mann. Just a few yards east and I saw Sally but Mann was down in the black berries.

When I got to them I saw a bunch of quail tracks in the snow. I went in front of Mann and nothing flushed. I released them and they both started trailing. Sally went 52 yards to the east and went on point. I got to her and she started moving again. I stood and watched her point 3 or 4 times and then start moving. About 50 yards ahead of her 10 or 12 quail flushed flying to the south east.

When I checked the GPS it showed Mann on point near where he had pointed originally. I went back to him. When I walked in front of him nothing flushed. I released him and he started trailing through some trees that had been gnawed down by beavers with a lot of black berry vines growing up through them. Mann was on one side of a thicket and 3 quail flushed low out the other side about 30 yards away.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

Every where I walked in the brush had quail tracks. We went on to the east where I had seen some of the covey fly. There was a strip of CRP with some small trees growing in a line through it. As the dogs worked down the tree line I saw about 8 quail flush out the side flying to the east. With the snow on the ground I didn’t want to flush them again so we went to the south.

The cover was tall enough I couldn’t see the dogs so I was carrying my gun in my left hand and holding the GPS handheld in my right. The GPS vibrated and it showed Mann on point about a 125 yards to the south. Before I got to him I saw Sally honoring.

When I got to her, she was standing in the CRP and Mann was looking toward her from the tree line. They were only about 5 yards apart. I went to Mann and he was looking right in front of his feet where there was a limb from a tree almost covered in snow. I looked but couldn’t see anything. I kicked right in front of him and a single quail came out from under the snow and flew into the open. Mann is only 20 months old and I really wanted to drop this bird for him which usually jinxes me but not this time.

The bird dropped into the CRP about 20 yards away. Sally ran to it and picked it up. I called her to me but she only came about half way. I went to her and she dropped it in my hand.

Quail being this wild on the snow is what I usually see. Once the snow starts melting and there are patches of grass and snow they seem to hold better. I think the quail know their camouflage doesn’t work in the snow.

We hunted on back to the truck and I loaded the dogs. I drove around to look the area over before going home. I was able to shoot one bird over Mann’s point and get a partial retrieve from Sally. It had been a good day.

Mann watching a pigeon fly away.

Posted in Hunts | Comments Off on A Short Missouri Quail Hunt, 12/19/19

A Missouri Quail Hunt, 12/13/19

Posted on December 14, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

I have been on house arrest. The doctor cut some Basal Cell cancer off my ear and a skin graft in front of the ear. Then they told me not to bend over or lift anything more than ten pounds. I couldn’t walk far or be in strong sunlight. Sounds like house arrest to me. My wife, June told me I shouldn’t call it house arrest. That I could go anywhere I wanted but the only place I wanted to go was quail hunting and with their orders I couldn’t.

Mann on point and Sally honoring.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

Vince Dye and I were to meet Steve Long at his deer lease at 9:00 am so I picked Vince up in plenty of time to eat breakfast at the Hungry Mule Café in Lathrop Missouri. Even after eating the big breakfast we still got to Steve’s deer lease early. Shortly after we got there Steve showed up.

Vince turned his short haired pointer, Indy, and his English cocker spaniel, Maggie, out and I turned Sally and Mann loose. Steve had a 16 week old Jag Terrier that stayed with us most of the day. When it hit a deer trail it would open and run down the track sounding like a dying rabbit. The area we were hunting was CRP with 5 or 6 food plots scattered through the 240 acre place.

We started along a two track, to the north, through the middle with a food plot running along the side. The food plot was milo that had grown really tall and the deer had knocked it down to eat the milo heads. The stalks were hard to walk through for us but there was plenty of room for quail to run along the ground. When we got to the back we turned west and went across the end. As we went along I had my double barrel in my left hand and had the GPS hand held in my right. I felt it vibrate.

It showed Mann on point about 65 yards to the north. Vince was farther away than Steve and I were and elected not to go to the point. Mann was standing, with a lot of style, in the tall CRP when we found him. Mann was looking toward a draw with a slough at the end. When Steve and I walked in a huge covey of quail flushed in front of Mann. Part of the birds flew toward the trees in the draw and some of them went across the draw. Steve shot twice and I shot once. Neither of us connected.

That was the biggest covey I have seen in a lot of years. As we searched for the singles we estimated the number of birds. I thought at least twenty and Steve thought two dozen. I don’t know but it was a large covey.

Most of the covey went toward the highway and after losing Tur Bo I’m paranoid about getting close to a road, let alone a highway. A few had flown south west so we looked for them with no luck. We worked our way back toward the trucks. I had gone along a draw and Steve and Vince were out in the CRP. I heard a rooster pheasant cackle behind me. I turned and saw the rooster. I shot once but missed.

When we got back to the truck we loaded the dogs and drove through a field to another food plot. Vince turned his short haired pointer, Allie, out and I released Sally and Mann, again. We went to the south down the food plot to the end then turned along the fence row to the east. When we got almost to the east fence line the GPS vibrated and it showed Sally on point. When we got near her we saw that she was within just a few feet of a spot that Luke had pointed last year.

Abby out of Sally’s litter.

When we got close Sally moved a few yards and went back on point. Mann and Allie started trailing, too. All of the dogs were working the area. Sally moved 3 or 4 times and went back on point. We never found anything. We turned to the north west along a draw. Steve and Vince were on the other side from me. I heard a single quail flush. Then as I watched about 8 quail flushed flying to the south west about 40 yards in front of me.

Vince said there was a few that had flown down their side of the draw. We started toward them. There was a single quail got up ahead of me on my side but was in the brush before anyone could shoot. On their side I heard a couple of shots then some excuses. Pretty soon more shots and more excuses. Then a third bunch of shots with some strong language. All three of us were shooting really bad. Two coveys and no birds in hand.

I had seen the direction some of the birds had flown, from this covey. They had flown toward the food plot we had walked down. We hunted the food plot back to the trucks then went through the CRP and moved over and back to the trucks without seeing a bird.

We loaded the dogs and drove on to the south. Vince turned both of his short haired pointers loose and Steve had let his Jag terrier take a nap for a little while but he turned him out, too. By the way the Jag terrier’s name is Dracula. I only had Sally and Mann with me and I turned them loose again.

We went along the north edge of a corn field to the west. Just to the west of where we parked was a water way that ran into the corn field. The dogs beat us to the water way and as we came along the edge the GPS vibrated. Mann was on point about a hundred yards north west of us. We started to him. We came to the road and Vince went across. The GPS showed Mann west of us. We started to the west and a single quail flushed right in front of Vince without drawing a shot.

Sally pointing wild quail.

I saw Mann trailing down the fence row toward us. We decided to check the cover where the single had flushed from. We got all of the dogs into the area. As we watched I felt the GPS vibrate. Sally was on point about 65 yards from us in some tall weeds and brush. Vince and I went to her. When we got close a single quail flushed and flew Vince’s way. He shot but missed.

As we continued to the north along a low spot several more singles flushed ahead of the dogs. As we watched the dogs I saw Mann go on point. As we started to him Sally came in front of us and went on point just a little way from Mann. I knew Mann would stay if we went to Sally first if the bird didn’t flush at our shot. When I got to Sally she turned and honored Mann.

Steve and I went on to Mann. When we got there a single quail flushed and flew my way. It dropped when I shot and Sally saw it drop. She went to where she thought it would be but didn’t find it right away. I went to the area and found a few feathers. When I got Sally close she found the quail and picked it up. When I said, “give” she dropped it in my hand.

We started back and Sally went just a short distance from where she was on point, just seconds ago, and went on point. When I got close a hen pheasant flushed. We had seen some quail fly to the north east along a draw so we followed.

We went through some CRP to the head of the draw but when we got there my GPS vibrated. Mann was on point just across a fence row in some CRP. As we got to him Sally pointed in the fence row and Allie was pointing about a hundred yards ahead of us. When we got close to Mann, Sally left her point and honored him. We walked in and nothing flushed. Both dogs started trailing.

Mann on point. His tail looks like a bottle brush.

We went toward where Allie had been pointing. She had left her point and was trailing. Vince and I were along the fence row and Steve was walking through the CRP. There was a mowed strip around the CRP and we were close to a fence row at the end when a rooster pheasant flushed right in front of Steve. The rooster didn’t get very far off the ground when Steve shot. It thumped when it hit the ground. The pheasant no more than hit the ground before Maggie, the English cocker, was bringing it to Vince. When Maggie retrieves a bird the size of a pheasant it’s hard to see her. It looks like a pheasant is coming at you side ways.

We turned and went back by the trucks and hunted on to the east. When we got to the edge of the corn field there was another CRP field to the east. We were trying to figure out which way to go when I checked the GPS. Sally was on point about 125 yards south of us, along the corn field. We got close and Sally moved a few feet and went back on point. The area she was pointing into was as short as a lawn. I looked in front of her and I could see 3 or 4 rooster quail heads above the cover.

Steve and Vince were on my left and when the covey flushed they all went their way. It was another large covey. Maybe not quite as big as the first but we thought about 18 birds. Steve killed one and I missed my one shot.

Sally on point.

All of the covey had flown into the CRP to the east, we thought. We started through the CRP and the GPS showed Mann and Sally on point. When we got close we could tell that Sally was honoring Mann. I kicked in front of Mann and nothing flushed. I said, “okay” and he moved a few feet and pointed again. Then moved and pointed again. All of the dogs were trailing and acting birdy.

We went back and forth through the CRP. We were leaving when a single quail flushed in front of Steve. They said it came in front of me and I heard it but never saw it. We hunted on to the south.

Vince was on one side of a big draw and Steve and I were on the other. As we came to a large pond dam Vince run three does right through the dogs. Steve and I were near the pond and the dogs, Sally, Mann and Allie were on the dam. The deer had to dodge the dogs on the dam. I just knew we would lose the dogs chasing deer. I called Sally and Mann by name and said, “no”, loudly. They didn’t follow at all. Made me feel good.

We hunted on back to the trucks. It was getting late and men and dogs were tired. It had been a good day. We had found at least 4 coveys of quail and had seen 4 pheasants. Our three man harvest of birds was only 2 quail and 1 pheasant. I’m okay with that. I’ve shot enough birds in my life and I sometimes think that quail are too valuable to shoot.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

Posted in Dogs | Comments Off on A Missouri Quail Hunt, 12/13/19