Gun Dog Forum

A little springtime photography fun!:



























Thanks for lookin'!

Great pics Doc. How are the ribs?

Ribs are healin'. It's my lung that's been the buggar - lower lobe won't stay popped open. Could hardly walk up a flight of steps for awhile. Put the full court press on it though with my incentive spirometer and it's getting better! Worked the dogs yesterday on foot and sort of kept up!!

Thanks about the pics! Getting those pics was a few year goal of mine that came together - was an awesome, awesome morning!

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing!

Great pics as usual Doug.
See how much fun you can have if you stay away from those dangerous critters (like horses, and women)
Gary

Great pics. Also, great reference photos for Taxidermy if anyone mounts sharptails.

your pics are always awesome Doc! I hope you continue to heal well. I haven't been hurt this spring, but my pup has. He has been lame for over three months, but is finally starting to come around. I hope that he heals and you do too so there will be plenty of hunting this fall for everyone!!!!

Nothing short of AWSOME!!!

COOL PHOTOS

Nice pictures!

Awsome.

Great pictures Doc!

I had almost as much fun looking at them as you had taking them.

If only!

Those pictures are great. Do they have that yellow over the eyes all the time. I have never seen a Sharptail, but I am hoping to some day soon.
mm

You always supply us with great pictures, these are no exception.

Yes mm, they always have the eye combs but on the males they just get much more pronounced and displayed when they are dancing trying to impress a mate or scare off their rivals. Same with their purple air bags. It's a hoot to watch - even if you can't see anything because of the grass or cover, all the noise they make is quite an experience in itself!! You've gotta get up and be in the right place before the sun comes up - I was up at 4:30 and in the field by 5:30. It's a little frustrating for pictures because the sun seems to take forever to get high enough to shoot photos all the while the birds are dancing all around ya'!! Then they don't ever seem to dance where the lighting is perfect - these shots were all backlit with the sun coming up behind the birds so their colors are a little muted. If they would have danced 20yds on the other side of me, I think I'd have really had some neat pics with their colors and markings much better displayed. It's a fun thing to do for sure!

Were you just laying in the grass or did you have a blind of some sort? I hate incentive spirometry, the only goal is to do it often and do it well so you can quit doing it ASAP.

I initially tried just camo'ing up and becoming one with my surroundings but they were just too wary for that. Any movement to get a picture disturbed 'em which is definitely not what I wanted so I got completely skunked for getting any sharptail shots. Had to settle for other game:







Then I went back a couple days later with a pop up two man blind and the birds were very comfortable, undisturbed. The trouble is trying to figure out how to get back out of there when you're done watching. I think the "ethical" protocol is that once you've stuck yourself into the middle of their breeding grounds, you're comitted to sit there until you're as sure as you can be that the females are done for the morning.

"I ain't done yet!":


I was hoping to come up with something like this fellar:
http://www.prairieice.blogspot.com/

The Minnesota DNR used to have a couple of blinds, set up on mating grounds, that the public could use for observation & pictures of the mating ritual. Apparently the ritual was quite spectacular as some of your pictures illustrate for us.

A friend wanted me to guide him and a buddy on a fishing trip on Lake Superior in one of my big boats in exchange for them guiding me on a reputedly "awesome" small game hunting trip in Montana. I told him I'd do it but after seeing some of your pictures now I "really" want to hunt Montana. Enough of this filling out on pheasants and an occasional sharp in N.D. - Montana here I come !!!

Big Shooter,,, you got to keep coming West,,,, Doug lives in Idaho and those pics are 20 minutes from his house,,, kinda of like "urban quail" or "park quail" they're all over just need bring your gun, dog and maybe some groceries Dougs has something against keeping food in the house.

Yeh, I knew Doug was in Idaho but I figured I better try Montana first before I can "matriculate" to Idaho.

Thanks, those are beautiful pictures and birds. Getting those pictures has to be lots of fun and looks like it takes a great deal of patiance. I have enjoyed them very much and have viewed them many times.
thanks
mm

Nothing short of remarkable for sure. The photos', keep the good stuff and the bad coming Der Doctor.

Glad you are better.

Jerry

THERE ARE NO SHARPTAILS IN MONTANA!

THERE ARE NO SHARPTAILS IN MONTANA!

Pretty sure I saw a couple headin' that way with their dancin' shoes on!


*try the full size with about an 800 pixel window for better rez. - Photobucket doesn't do slide pics any favors!!