Beautiful But Unproductive

Here are the dogs hunting along the edge of some CRP.

This is a nice view of the valley. It is a down and back trip, but there is so much cover that you really don't backtrack.

Back to "Fowlers' Canyon". This is where I took the two boys several posts ago. The weather was clear and cold. Just a few degrees below freezing, with a light breeze. I visited with Don for about an hour. He just lost his wife, Eva, this last month.

As soon as we stepped out of his yard into the stubble, three waves of pheasants flew off down the canyon. Perhaps a total of 10 to 12 birds. Some banked right up a side draw, while about an equal number flew on down the canyon.

All day long the dogs did great. As the day progressed we saw 8 or 10 pheasants, all flushing well out of range. We pushed one rooster to the top of a small hill of CRP. Juneau went on point, but there was one lone scrubby apple tree right in the way. As I started to adjust my position it flushed and was gone.

A couple of things that happened today, one was curious,and one was humorous. Early on Juneau slammed on point at the top of a 20 foot high bank. I was below her and 20 yards away. I took about 5 steps in her direction when she abruptly broke it off and scampered down the bank. I took the hint, turned ,and proceeded on my way. When she was clear out of the picture, and I had taken about 5 steps, out flushed a rooster. It flashed up over the bank , and was gone before I could react. How could she be on it so fast and solid, then miss it so badly?

Near the end of the day I could feel a blister developing on my right heel. I called the dogs to me, laid down my gun, and sat down on a dry bank to take my boot off for a closer inspection. I pulled my boot off then looked up to see Juneau on point 20 feet away. I grabbed my gun, and with one boot, on and one boot off, moved in her direction. Two quail flushed and vanished around a bush before I got a shot off. I then hobbled back to my boot.

We tromped through lots of beautiful cover in this remote valley. We got some great exercise. We came home with tired legs and a good appetite. Rain is predicted for tomorrow, plus I have some non-hunting chores to do. So I guess the dogs will get a break tomorrow.