Back on the Prairie

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averageguy
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Back on the Prairie

Post by averageguy » Tue Nov 13, 2018 4:12 pm

Ran off without my Nikon but got a few decent photos with my iphone from this morning's hunt.

Pointing more Pheasants on the walk back to the truck with a limit in my vest.

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Spud pointed at the edge of a cattail waterway. Two hens went up as I entered in front of him and then a rooster popped presenting a 45 yard hard crossing shot. Rocked him on the first shot with nickel plated 5s, shot behind on the second. Watched him power out and then fall about 150 yards into the nearby standing sunflowers. I marched directly to my mark which was imprecise at best once I entered the sunflowers and asked Spud to hunt dead. He did as requested.

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3rd bird, pointed in the cattails and dropped back into the dense cover 8-9 birds had just vacated. Dogs' ability to work through that maze of hot scent to recover downed birds always amazes me.

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Up North
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Location: Helena, Montana

Re: Back on the Prairie

Post by Up North » Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:41 pm

Thx. for taking us along! Nice hunt. We head that way next week.

averageguy
Rank: 5X Champion
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Re: Back on the Prairie

Post by averageguy » Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:09 am

Safe Travels, Happy Hunting.

averageguy
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Re: Back on the Prairie

Post by averageguy » Wed Nov 14, 2018 2:43 pm

Never moved a bird on our first two drops this morning. 3rd drop was a pair of rabbit ear waterways running through wheat stubble which came together as they approached a gravel road with standing corn on the other side of the road. Wind was blowing from the road out into the wheat stubble, so I directed Spud down the smaller less promising looking waterway on the left with the wind mostly at our back as we hunted down it. Never moved a bird. Walked across the wheat stubble to the second waterway and started hunting it into the wind back towards the road. Spud went on a head cranked back, nose at 11 o'clock point and two roosters went up when I walked in front of him about 25 yards ahead. We got on the board with a two shot double. Another point at our next drop and we were done.

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deseeker
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Location: Blair, Nebraska

Re: Back on the Prairie

Post by deseeker » Wed Nov 14, 2018 4:00 pm

Nice hunt :D

averageguy
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Re: Back on the Prairie

Post by averageguy » Sun Nov 18, 2018 3:43 pm

Photos from our last day of the trip.

We hunted a large grassy, waterway slough system that ran 1.5 miles laying between a sunflower field on one side and oat stubble planted back to wheat on the other. Dog went on point in the heavy cover, I went ahead to flush and a couple of hens went up close and then a Rooster snuck out low going straight away further out. I fired once and the rooster flew on a short distance and then pitched down into the thick waist tall cover. Spud ran immediately to the mark and began hunting for the Rooster. I saw it flap up a couple of times and then out came Spud running with the Rooster (which of course had lost its tail in the melee). Bird one in the bag.

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Hunted on and then up a side waterway which ran up to the edge of the sunflower field. There is a pond there ringed by heavy tall cattail cover. Spud went on point in the cattails and I waded in to flush. A rooster went up in gimme range and my brain registered "don't blow it up". I over compensated and when I shot I hit the rooster with the fringe of my pattern, dropping into the 5 foot tall cattails still alive. Spud released to the fall and began rattling around in the cattails. Wasn't too long and he came out carrying the second live cripple recovery of the day.

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We hunted on looking for a 3rd rooster. Spud went on point in a large thick patch of Kochia weeds. I waded ahead to flush. Nothing flushed, Spud remained on point. I continued my attempts with a growing fear it might be a porcupine. I was just about ready to back out and call Spud out when a big gaudy rooster busted up out of the weeds. Rolled that one.

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Great dog work after the shot gave us a 3 shell limit of what could have just as easily been two lost birds and one in the bag. It is why I place so much emphasis of my dogs' early development on performance after the shot, as well as before.
Last edited by averageguy on Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Up North
Rank: Junior Hunter
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Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 9:14 pm
Location: Helena, Montana

Re: Back on the Prairie

Post by Up North » Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:05 pm

Very nice! Thx

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deseeker
Rank: 5X Champion
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Location: Blair, Nebraska

Re: Back on the Prairie

Post by deseeker » Sun Nov 18, 2018 7:26 pm

Sounds like another great hunt :D

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Gt shorthairs
Rank: Just A Pup
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Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2018 7:45 am
Location: Woodridge manitoba Canada

Re: Back on the Prairie

Post by Gt shorthairs » Wed Dec 19, 2018 7:06 am

looks like you have your self a real good hunting partner. Congrats on the hunt.GT :D

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