What a trip !!

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Ricky Ticky Shorthairs
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What a trip !!

Post by Ricky Ticky Shorthairs » Sun Nov 21, 2010 9:03 am

Just got back from a trip to South Dakota that was filled with a BUNCH of firsts, some good, some bad.

1. This was the first time we have hunted public land. We have always hunted Res. land before. First time I have come back with no birds.
We had good dog work, and saw and got birds pointed. My buddy shot some roosters, and even got his first Prairie Chicken.

2.First time we have hunted Ft. Pierre Nat. Graasslands. Saw a lot of Grouse and Chickens, some close, some far away. Got some pointed, but a lot flushed wild. I got my puppy, Dude out on the prairie, and the first time he hit the ground he made a couple of huge moves. 1/2 mile plus 8) . He didn't get into any birds, but he got a chance to stretch his legs.

3.First time I've seen a hawk swoop down and snatch up a shot bird. :evil: My Riley dog had some excellent tracking work on that rooster. She tracked it for at least 1/4 mile before she pinned it on a hillside. I walked over the hill to see her locked up hard. :D I walked up and flushed it and shot it. It fell further down the hill, and before Riley could make her way down to retrieve it, I looked up to see Mr. Hawk swoop down and snatch our bird and fly away with it. What a bummer. But it was kinda cool to witness that.

4. Now for the first I could have done without. BIG TIME!! My buddy and my dog were on the next ridge over. He yelled point. Said she was pointing a hole. Then he said she was IN the hole. By the time I got over there, all I could see was her arse and tail. I knew I had to get her out of there, because nothing good was going to come from this. All I could think of was badger. So I grabbed her and yanked her out only to see my worst nightmare, a mouth full of Porky quills. She tried to eat that Porky!! Well that's where the fun began. It took both of us to hold her down and pull those pesky quills out. They were in her tounge, roof of her mouth, and her jowls. We worked on her for about a half hour. After gettintg bit a couple of times, we ended up using a shotgun shell wedged in the back of her jaw to keep her mouth open.

Don't go hunting in Porky country without your Leatherman, it comes in very handy.I managed to get a couple in my leg too. Let me tell you, it HURTS when you pull those babies out.

Like I said, WHAT A TRIP !!

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kbshorthairs
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Re: What a trip !!

Post by kbshorthairs » Sun Nov 21, 2010 7:52 pm

Those are not the kind of firsts anyone likes to hear about, much less experience!! I hope everyone recovers quickly and the next outing goes smoother!

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wems2371
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Re: What a trip !!

Post by wems2371 » Mon Nov 22, 2010 2:33 pm

Where are the pics Doug? :D Sounds like your dogs got a lot out of it, even if you didn't come back with birds. Ouch on the porky thing. Hope never to experience that...

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Nebraska
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Re: What a trip !!

Post by Nebraska » Tue Nov 23, 2010 3:46 pm

Sorry to hear about the porker.

Sounds like you had a very interesting trip......I bet seeing that hawk scoop up the bird was quite a sight!!!

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