I was really turkey hunting. To be on walk-in property in Kansas, as it is in most states, you must be hunting. You can’t just be working dogs. I carry a gun and even put bullets in it but unless it’s right before quail season I wouldn’t shoot. If I shoot a turkey that ends my running dogs on walk-in property. Yesterday when I was there I would have, probably, shot at a turkey. Quail season opens next Saturday.
I took a picture of Luke’s chain. He’s not happy.
Luke pointing a hen pheasant.
Sally pointing 2 quail.
I stopped at an 80 acre place near Marysville Kansas. I hunted this place several years ago and the first time I found 2 coveys of quail and some pheasants. There is a creek running east to west with a buffer strip beside it. We went west through the buffer strip. Even with the chain bumping his front legs Luke got a couple hundred yards ahead of me. I was holding the Garmin GPS hand held in my hand and I felt it vibrate. Luke was on point. Before I could get to him he was moving. He made a big swing to the south so, I think, whatever he was pointing flushed.
The beaver had dammed the creek and I had a hard time finding a way across. We went to the north along a hedge row then followed the edge of the corn field back. We got back to the east side and Sally made a point then moved on. Luke came in front and started working where Sally had been. About 20 yards from where she had pointed he went on point. I took some pictures then walked in. A hen pheasant flushed. I let them work the area then we drove to another walk-in property.
As I drove along I saw a walk-in property that I had never noticed before. Since the cover wasn’t real thick it was a good place to run Lucky, who at 13 years old is semi-retired. I put the e-collar and GPS collar on him and turned him and Sally loose. For about 30 minutes he looked like he did 5 years ago. His tail was up and cracking. He loves this sport and I love to watch him. We didn’t find anything and I loaded them up.
I knew where a walk-in property had a big, about 5 acres, thicket in a low spot with row crops all around it. I drove several miles to get there and it was completely gone. There was no thicket and the row crops came right across the area. It looked like it had never been there.
As I drove I saw a small corner that had some cover next to a harvested soy bean field. Twelve year old Dolly hadn’t acted right as I loaded her that morning so I wasn’t going to run her but when I saw this small corner I decided to let her go. I put the e-collar and GPS on her and turned her loose. I could tell she wasn’t right so after about 5 minutes we went back to the truck.
Luke pointing a covey of quail.
There was another place I wanted to check. It was 160 acres with a creek running from the north west corner to the south east corner. I turned Sally and Luke out with the e-collars and GPS collar. Luke was also still running with the dropper chain that kept him from running so big.
On the north side of the creek there was harvested corn field with soy bean stubble on the south side. We went down the creek to the south east. I was almost to the far corner when the GPS handheld vibrated. Luke was on point about 200 yards away. When we got close, before I could see him, Sally honored. Luke’s back legs were in a small ditch with the front legs on the bank. When I got close to him he went about 20 yards to the east and went back on point. A couple of quail flushed from farther east and flew to the west. I got close to Luke and 3 quail flushed from in front of him.
Sally had been honoring and moved about 10 yards and went on point. She was on the wrong side of the fence. I laid my gun, and because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find my gun, my blaze orange hat on the ground and crossed the fence. I took some pictures and went in front of her. Two quail flushed flying to the east.
Sally pointing a single.
The GPS showed Luke on point near the south east corner of this property. Evidently, the covey had run back to the east while I was walking to Luke. When I got close a single quail flushed. We started back to the west.
I saw Sally on point, again, across the fence. I put my gun and hat down and crossed the fence. I took some pictures then flushed her single quail. We went on to the west.
Luke was about 75 yards in front, on the fence row, and Sally was about 50 yards ahead of me. I saw a quail between them run out and flush without either dog being aware of it.
At the very top of the hill there was more grass on both sides of the fence. I saw Sally pointing on the walk-in side of the fence. She doesn’t always poach. I took some pictures then flushed her single.
We went on to the west, crossed the soy bean field to hit the creek then back to the truck. I loaded them up and we headed home.
On the way home I stopped by the Independence Animal Hospital. Dr. Wingert checked Dolly. He did another chest x-ray. I had brought Dolly in a couple of weeks before with a cough. He had done an x-ray on her chest then and he did another. As he compared the two x-rays he could see some problems. Possibly, she has some heart problems. A change of medications and we will see how she does. She’s almost twelve years old but she hunted good last year. She may hunt this year too.
Quail season opens Saturday in Kansas!
Luke in the little ditch.
Sally honoring Luke.
Sally pointing a single.