A Wonderful Day on Horseback

Cold and clear, but not too cold. I took Junior, and the dogs up to the base of the Idaho hills in mid afternoon.

In twenty minutes the dogs both went on point. That is a very good sign! I moved in, a rooster flushed banking to my right well within range. I fumbled with my safety, drew down on the bird pulled the trigger, an nothing happened. By the time I got the gun off safe it was too late. What a let down.

The dogs did there job perfectly. The horse behaved just as I wanted him to, but I really messed up. All I could do is move on.

Ten minutes later and it is all happening again. Could this be true? Could I be getting a second chance? A rooster exploded into flight on my left will within range. First shot, a few feathers. Second shot, nothing! What is going on? Self analyses each time tells me that I'm not getting the gun up to my shoulder so that I looking level down the barrel. Instead I find myself looking up hill from one end of the barrel to the other.

I need to mount the gun correctly. It may be too many layers of clothes, too long a stock, or some of both.

It was such a beautiful day, and everyone else in my party was doing great. Press on!

We climbed up open grassy draws, over hilly ridges always gaining elevation. After about two hours we were slightly above the elevation of the lowest fir trees. In this part of the country the tree line is above us starting at about 3000 ft. The trees start there, and cover the tops of the hills.

On the way two noteworthy things happened. We flushed a tight covey of gray partridge, but the wind was wrong, so the dogs didn't catch their scent. They didn't give me any warning. The rush of wings in flight startled all of us. The second thing was that my camera batteries died. I'm going to carry spares from now on. I missed some great shots form our high vantage point looking down on the Palouse back towards Steptoe Butt, and the setting sun to our south west.

With the sun a few degrees above the horizon we headed back down diagonally across the face of hills, and over ridges always going downhill.

                                                              Waste deep cover.

 A view of the Brittney from the saddle. I'm not sure what she was doing. She should have been out hunting.

With one more ridge to go over before I could see the pickup and trailer, the Brittney went on point. I dismounted ten yards behind her,and started slowly moving towards her. By now I don't even think about  my horse. I know he will be there when I come back for him. Just when I'm expecting a flush at any moment, my other dog arrives on the scene off to my right. I am exactly half way between the two of them. Five yards from each one.  She is also locked up in a solid point. The problem is she is facing the opposite direction. I changed my direction, choosing the older more experienced German Shorthair. Almost immediately a rooster took flight. He dropped hard on the first shot. Lilly the Shorthair made a nice retrieve. Life is good !!

After my pulse settles I realize that we had crested the last hill, and I am looking down at my pickup 400 yards away. By this time the sun had set, and  it was  too dark to shot every effectively. Home we go.  

 I took this picture on the way up from about where I shot the one bird. The house on the right is abandon.