Traveling Pointing Dogs

Vince Dye and I went quail hunting, in northern Missouri, on a Conservation area. This area had lots of quail in the late 80’s and early 90’s. For at least 40 years the Conservation department has known that fescue is bad for quail and this area still has a lot of fescue. Each Conservation area must be managed with no oversight from anyone. Vince and I hunted a Conservation area earlier, that had quail, that had no fescue. If one area could get rid of their fescue, they all could.

We turned our dogs loose. Vince had his two German short hairs, Allie and Indy and his English cocker spaniel, Maggie. I had Dolly, Sally and Mann. We went around a harvested corn field along the road then to the west along a bluff. There was good cover along the harvested fields but we never saw a quail.

We crossed the road and went back to the east. We had been here earlier in the season and had found a covey, in the woods, way in the back. We checked around some harvested soy bean fields on the way. When we got to the area we had found the covey earlier, along side a soy bean field, Indy went on point, looking into the woods.

Mann saw her but this was the first short hair he had seen on point, I think. When he got close I whoaed him. He stopped then started moving again. Sally saw Indy and honored. Mann honored Sally. Then Dolly honored and Allie came in and backed, too. We had all of them backing.

Vince was closer so he went around into the woods to drive the quail out. Two quail flushed but I only saw one. It flew back down the edge of the field. I shot and it started down but continued to fly, with both legs hanging down. I kept an eye on it as it flew. About a hundred yards, back the way we had come, the quail lit in the cover. We started back that way and Indy went on point, then jumped in, grabbed the quail and in a dead run returned to Vince.

We went back in the area where the two quail had flushed. There should have been a covey around. We checked on to the north fence then circled through some giant foxtail next to the soy bean field. Later Sallie was on point in the woods near where Indy had pointed the two quail. Before we got to her Mann honored. When we saw Sallie, she started trailing. Then all of the dogs went to trailing. The dogs continued to work the woods for about 5 minutes. They didn’t want to leave, for a while.

We checked some grass fields near the woods then hunted back toward the truck. We loaded the dogs and went to another area.

Vince had a private place close to the Conservation area he could hunt so we went to it. Dolly was almost 13 years old. Vince had hunted with her when she was 7 or 8 months old and really liked her. We both knew that if she found birds when she was out, it might be her last. She can’t hear or see very well but she likes to go. I turned her and Mann loose. Vince only took Maggie his cocker spaniel.

We went to the north down a fence line along a soy bean field. There was a small water way, that ran off to the east, that both dogs ran down. As I watched about a hundred yards ahead of the dogs a large covey of quail flushed flying into a harvested corn field. The quail were far enough ahead of the dogs that they never saw or heard them flush.

I called the dogs back and we hunted the fence row on to the back then went into the corn field with the wind in our face. The dogs were in front of us when the covey flushed again. This time they were about 50 yards ahead of the dogs. They flew off the place we had permission to hunt.

We continued on to the south. There was a small ditch running through the field with just a little brush along side. Mann was ahead of Dolly going down this ditch when he went on point looking into a clump of brush. When Dolly saw him she honored.

I took a couple of pictures then went on to Mann. Vince was on the other side of the ditch when I got to Mann. The covey of quail flushed flying through the brush. Through the brush, Vince only got off one shot that missed. I shot through a tree and saw feathers come off the bird and then missed with my second shot. We checked where the quail should have fallen if it went down but didn’t find anything.

This covey had flown to an area around a pond with some water ways running toward the pond. As we checked the grassy areas, Mann pointed. When we got to him a single quail flushed flying across a harvested soy bean field. It went Vince’s way so I didn’t even raise my gun. Vince hit the quail hard with the first shot but the quail didn’t drop. He shot again but the quail kept going although it was having trouble keeping any altitude. It went on over the hill. There was a small draw over the hill and we got the dogs in to hunt for the crippled bird with no luck.

We went back to where the last bird had flushed from. Mann pointed in a clump of multi floral rose. I started toward him and he moved around the clump and went back on point. Two or three singles flushed well out ahead of the dogs. I threw a shot at them with no success. About that time Vince said, “Maggie has that bird”. I was thinking she had carried the bird back over the hill from where we had looked for Vince’s bird but he said, “No, she picked it up right here. It must be the one you hit on the covey rise.” Wow, Maggie had found a bird that had flown a couple of hundred yards after being hit.

We checked the cover back to the truck and loaded the dogs. Dolly, had been out longer than usual, was done for the day. She hadn’t quit, just kept chugging along, but I didn’t want to over do it with her.

The next place we tried was one of the first places that Vince and I had hunted together. In those days it was just a weed field but it was weeds that the quail liked. Back then we found a lot of birds. A lot of the weeds have been mowed and we checked it but didn’t find any quail.

We had parked across the road from a farm house. When I parked I never thought about the dogs going over there. I should have but I never gave it a thought. I turned Mann and Sally loose and Vince turned all 3 of his dogs, Allie, Indy and Maggie loose.

As soon as we released the dogs they went across to the farm house and cats started going every where. Mann made one of his nicest points of the whole day on a cat. I saw one cat, that must have gone up a tree next to the house, go over the ridge on the roof.

After we came back the race was on to the farm house. I got Sally and Mann in the truck but Vince’s Allie was after those cats. A girl came out of the house with a broom and was protecting her cats. Vince got his dogs in the truck and we went over to talk to the cats owners. The mother, I guess, came out. The dogs hadn’t caught any cats but there was one up a tree that the girl was trying to get down and probably one still on the roof. I told them I used to be a fire fighter but I couldn’t help them now. They weren’t too upset about the dogs chasing their cats. Seemed kind of glad just to talk to someone.

We drove around for quite a while trying to find another place. We settled on a large place with some CRP and harvested soy beans. It looked like most of the CRP had been mowed but it had been early enough that it had grown back some. The terraces hadn’t been mowed at all. As we went along side a terrace I saw a covey roost. I started really looking and in just a few yards I saw ten or twelve roosts. I felt sure we would find some quail.

I had turned Sally out and Vince was using all 3 of his dogs. There were several draws running through the CRP. We checked them as well as some of the terraces. Sally went across the harvested soy bean field and over a hill to a draw that ran into the soy bean field. The GPS showed her on point about 175 yards away.

As we got to the top of the hill but still 75 yards from Sally we saw a covey of quail flush, flying back to the south. We saw where some of them landed. We got within about 50 yards of them and they flushed, flying off the place we had permission to be on.

Sally was at the end of the draw and I started to her. I came around the end of the draw and a single quail flushed close to me. It fell when I shot and two or three more birds flushed farther away. I shot again but missed. No dogs were near me so I picked up my dead bird. We checked the draw then went back to see if any quail had gone into the CRP.

When we got close to the truck we loaded dogs and started home. It had been a good day. We had dog work and we saw 4 coveys of quail. We had only killed 3 quail because we shot bad but we enjoyed our day. And although they came close, the dogs never caught a single cat. A good day.

Austin Farley and I went to Iowa, quail hunting, the second of January. A new year means a new hunting license. We stopped at the grocery store where we had bought our license last year. I don’t know whether the lady rung the purchase up wrong or Iowa went up on the license. This year the non-resident fee, for us, was $146 versus $123 last year. Iowa has a lot of public hunting so it’s still a bargain.

Austin had permission to hunt a small, 80 acre, private place. It was mainly a hay field with a slough at the back. There was a draw on one corner and some brush growing along a terrace.

When we turned dogs loose, Austin put his Garmin Alpha on His English setters, Joker and Mattie, Joker’s sister. Mattie hasn’t been worked much but with Austin working him on pigeons and taking him hunting Joker has become a good bird dog. Austin has only had Mattie a few days. They will be a year old in February. I just put the Garmin Astro and e-collars on Mann and turned him loose.

When we turned the dogs loose Austin told me that Mattie would hunt for a while then go back to the truck. He didn’t know why but it wasn’t because of gun shots or anything. It was more like she decided the time was up now, lets go to the truck.

We went across the north side then turned to the south and went down the fence row to the south. Around the slough was a lot of good cover. We turned to the east and as we got to the fence line on the east, Mattie started to the truck. This wasn’t just a slow trek, she was moving. Almost like she was chasing something.

When we got close to the truck we could see her lounging around. When we got within about a 150 yards she saw us and came to Austin. She stayed with us, hunting, until we got to the truck. We loaded dogs and went to another place.

We discussed Mattie’s problem. I told Austin I would just turn her loose every time we turned dogs out. Maybe she would get over it. Maybe, her previous owner had just turned her loose for a set time, twenty minutes or something, then put her up.

The next place we stopped had a harvested soy bean field with a thick tangle of brush and black berry vines. Along a little creek, that is hard to cross, is more brush. Austin turned his two setters, Mattie and Joker loose and I turned out all 3 of mine, Tur Bo, Sally and Mann.

The temperature was about 20 degrees and the wind was from the south west about 15 mph or stronger. The wind chill was low enough that my hands were numb. We crossed the soy bean field and went into the black berry vines. We had been on this place the first part of the season and it had been impossible to get through the berry vines in some areas. Now the deer have made trails but deer aren’t very tall. It’s still hard but can be done.

Joker was working along the creek and Austin saw him spin to his left and point. He was on the wrong side of the birds and when he went on point the covey of quail flushed. Austin had one quail fly right at him. He turned and dropped it as it was going away. I never got a shot. Sally found his dead bird.

As we went in the direction some of the quail had flown, Sally went on point right in front of us. She wasn’t certain, her head was turning, but she wasn’t moving. When I went in front of her a single quail flushed. With my numb fingers I didn’t get the safety off, so Austin killed it. Tur Bo found this one and dropped it in my hand.

We started on and the GPS showed Mann on point about a hundred yards to the north west. We started to him and I saw a dog on point in the heavy cover. Mann and Sally are both white and orange so they look alike at a distance. Tur Bo was honoring the dog on point. When we got close a quail flushed about ten yards in front of Sally flying my way. I shot and the bird dropped. When I had shot another quail flushed about 30 yards in front of Sally. Austin shot but by the time he got on it, it too far. Tur Bo found my dead bird.

I checked the GPS and Mann was still on point. Going to Sally had put us far enough west but we were still a hundred yards south of Mann. There is an old abandoned rail road on this property and the brush has just about taken over. There are only a few places to get to the rail road bed but that was where Mann was. When we got close he was off the side of the rail road bed in heavy brush. Austin stayed up high and I went to flush his bird.

I saw him about 30 yards before I got to him. It was slow going but I was able to put the bird between him and me. There was a little brush pile right in front of him and when I kicked a single quail flushed. I didn’t even look as it flew away. I just watched Mann. Austin shot and I said, “did you get it”. He said, “yep”. Mann must have seen it drop. He picked it up but Sally took it from him. She brought it to me.

I’m going to brag a little. Well, maybe quite a bit. Mann is 8 months old. He pointed that bird and we went to another dog and shot at least twice, maybe 3 times and he didn’t move. Luke is the only dog I have that I know will not move when shooting starts. But now I have Mann.

Austin had seen where the quail that flushed ahead of Sally’s point had flown so we went toward the south west corner. We didn’t find this bird so we started across the creek. We had to go a long way to find a crossing.

Once across we started checking the CRP type grass for singles. We had spread out a little and a single quail flushed right at my feet flying toward Austin. It hooked back across the creek before Austin saw it.

We had been out for quite a while and with the birds Mattie stayed right with us. She wasn’t bothered by the shooting. (Austin had shot over her before this trip, so he knew shooting wouldn’t bother her.) She was also hunting.

We went back across the creek and went back through the black berry vines. When we got to the west side we turned to the rail road bed to work our way back to the truck. We were about half way down the rail road bed when Austin said, “Mattie’s on point!” I looked and Tur Bo was honoring.

From where I was I couldn’t see Mattie but I saw Tur Bo honoring. Just a few seconds later a covey of quail flushed. At first I could hear them but I couldn’t find any birds. Then I saw one quail flying to the north. Austin shot but didn’t connect. This was another covey.

Most of the covey had flown back toward the black berries or across the creek. We followed. We went through the black berries without finding anything. Now we knew where to cross the creek. As we went through the CRP grass I heard Austin shoot. I didn’t see or hear a quail flush and we were pretty close together. Probably no more than 5 or 6 yards apart.

I said, “what was that?” He said, “A quail flushed but didn’t make any noise. Must have been a cripple. It had a hard time getting out of the grass.” It fell right along the creek. We got all of the dogs in but we never found that bird.

We checked some more for the singles then headed back to the truck. We had found 2 coveys and killed 5 birds. We didn’t hurt these coveys. If we want we could hunt this property again but if we don’t make it back there is plenty of seed for next year.

We went to another place. Mattie wasn’t in shape and she had hunted well at the last place so Austin left her in the truck. She hadn’t even acted like she wanted to go to the truck. Maybe she’s cured. Time will tell.

At the next place Austin turned Joker and his German short hair, Drifter out. I unloaded all 3 of my English setters. This place had some harvested corn fields, soy bean fields and some standing milo planted by the Pheasant Forever chapter.

We went to the south along the side of the milo field and near a hedge row. We got to the back and turned to the west along a hedge row that ran down a harvested corn field. There was some good looking CRP grass along a hillside so we checked it.

Austin checked his GPS and Drifter was still along a hedge row, that we hadn’t gone all the way down, on point. He was over 200 yards from us. We started back. All of the dogs got in front of us. Before we got to him, Drifter was moving. When we got close he was trailing. All of the dogs got birdy and a couple even pointed for a few seconds then trailed. Whether pheasants or quail, something beat us. This time of year, with all of the pressure from everything, men and predators,it’s not unusual for birds to out figure us.

I was supposed to be home by 4:00 pm so we had to leave early. It’s unusual but I was home by 3:58 pm. I still had to take care of my animals but I was home. Before 4:00 pm.

To get the good out of my Kansas hunting license I needed to go quail hunting, one more time. At least that was my thinking before I went. When I got to the first place I wanted to hunt the thermometer on my truck was showing 12 degrees. Actually, my body stayed warm with just a jacket on above my regular clothes but my hands were numb. I was shooting my AYA 16 gauge with two triggers. I had to pay a little more attention to changing triggers than normal.

The first place was 160 acres that wasn’t on my Kansas Hunting Atlas. I found it earlier in the year when I hunted this area. From the side I first saw when I found it, it doesn’t look like much. I always drive around the area I’m going to hunt to make sure no one is already hunting them. When I drove to the east side of this one I saw a large draw running from south to north. The first time I found 3 coveys on this parcel.

I had all six of my dogs with me. On this first place I turned Sally, Dolly and Mann out with the e-collars and GPS collars. The wind was fairly strong from the north west and we went up the draw into the wind. All three dogs went into the draw. At almost the very back a small draw ran to the east off the main draw. I called Sally back and had her check this draw.

As we went up the draw I saw her go on point looking into a large cedar tree. When I got to her she moved around the tree and went back on point. I followed her around the tree. Behind me, on the other side of another cedar tree, a large covey of quail flushed, flying north west. With them putting cedar trees between us I never got a shot.

We were close to the east fence row so we went on to the back, along the fence. We turned to the west, crossed the large draw and went along the north fence line. Dolly came in front of me and pointed. Every time she points, at almost 13 years old, I think it may be her last. I want to drop the quail where she can see it but I’m not sure how well she can see. I flushed her single and shot too quick with the first barrel and never caught up with the second. Missed with both barrels.

Sally and Mann had honored so they all started really hunting the short grass where the first single had flushed from. Mann went on point close to where Dolly had pointed. Dolly and Sally honored his point. Before I got to him a single quail flushed. It dropped in the harvested soy bean field when I shot. Sally was closer than Mann and beat him to the retrieve but he saw it fall. Mann is only 8 months old and he needs to see some birds drop.

We checked that area and the fence row to the west then came back and went down the draw. We crossed back to the east fence and checked it back to the truck. I loaded the dogs and we drove to another place.

The next place was larger with harvested corn and soy bean fields bordered by pasture. I put the e-collars and GPS collars on Luke, Tur Bo and Babe. Babe hasn’t hunted as much as her brother Mann. I’m not sure she will hold her birds like Mann does so I don’t take her when I go with someone else. I had never been on this place but after getting in a ways, it had been grazed too much. There was still some clumps of big blue stem, I think, but we made a large circle without finding any quail.

Both of the older dogs were ahead of me and Babe was in a draw off to my right when I heard a turkey putting. I watched the GPS and it showed Babe going south and the yardage was changing quickly. That’s how dog’s learn there is stuff out there to find.

When we were almost back to the truck Babe crossed the road into a corn field. She was standing in the corn field, on a small hill, on point. I went into the road. When I got close she moved up a few steps, went back on point, then moved up again. As I got close she started trailing then went back to hunting. I was glad to see this. If there had of been a bird there, I think she would have stayed on point to let me flush. I loaded the dogs and we went to another place.

In this area, I think a lot of the CRP had been cut for hay. Some of these areas should have a lot more cover than they do. The next place I hunted was 320 acres. A mile by half a mile. There was only a small amount of cover on the south west corner. There was an old house place and a water way with some tall weeds close to some harvested soy bean fields.

Sally, Dolly and Mann hadn’t been out very long, early, so I turned them out again. The old house was gone but there were some small out buildings left with a lot of tall weeds growing in the yard. We went through the tall weeds then up the water way with out finding anything. I tried to turn the dogs back onto the walk-in but Sally crossed the road and went up a small draw.

Dolly and Mann were with me as I headed back toward the truck. I checked the GPS and it showed Sally on point, across the road. I waited a little while hoping that she would join us. I knew if the birds held she would stay on point. I started to her. When I got to the road I took the shells from my gun. If the owner saw me I wanted to show him an unloaded gun.

Before I got to her, Mann saw her and honored then Dolly honored Mann. As I walked in I took some pictures of Dolly then some of Mann. Sally was too far into the brush to take her picture. All I could see was some white in the brush. I walked close to her and heard a quail flush farther up the draw. When it flushed Sally started trailing. I called the dogs and started back to the walk-in. As the dogs came toward me the covey flushed, well out from the dogs, flying toward the walk-in property.

There was some cover along the water way on the walk-in property. Sally beat me back and went on point right along the edge. When I kicked in front of her a single quail flushed and dropped when I shot. I knew it wasn’t hit hard but Sally was right behind it. When I took a step another quail flushed from a few feet away. I shot the left barrel and the quail was hit, hard. I went with Sally after the first one. She almost had it but it ran across the road. When we got to the edge of the road I saw the quail run into a brush pile. We couldn’t get that one.

We went back across to the walk-in to get the other bird and it was gone. I got all of the dogs in to hunt dead. We never came up with it. While we were looking Mann went on point almost in the same place that Sally had stood in when she pointed the single. I stepped in front of him and another single flushed. I shot and it dropped. Mann was there and picked up the dead bird. I petted him for a few seconds then took the quail. We went back and tried to find the second quail but we never came up with it.

I loaded the dogs and started looking for another place. The temperature was now in the upper twenties and the roads were getting sloppy. I got close to some of them. Some I didn’t even get close to. I didn’t need to get stuck so I quit for the day.

I really hate wounding birds and not getting them. I spent a lot more time looking for these birds than I put in the post. Sally is not very aggressive with dead or wounded birds. She picks up the dead birds but not quickly. Hopefully, she will get better. Mann is a little more aggressive but running, wounded birds get away from him, too, sometimes.

I’m having problems with my internet. I have Century Link and they aren’t updating any of the equipment that serves my area. Yesterday my wife ran a speed test on the internet. Instead of the 1.5 MBPS we are paying for we were getting 92 KBPS. Century Link says keep paying for high speed internet but learn to live with what you get. To put pictures on these posts I have to either go to my daughter’s house or the library. Most of the time it’s not even fast enough for us to get our e-mails.