Osage Orange Tree

Watch out when you back up! Local guy told me they have fence posts 100 years old made out of this wood.

Hunted duck today. Wind was 25-40 mph with intermittent snow. "Great day for ducks" they say. Got a pintail and a teal- had a great time. Birdhunters got nothing on duckhunters- those boys are crazy, no doubt!

Old Church on the Prairie

I really like seeing the old buildings out here. I wonder who got married and buried here? The amazing things you see while driving around.

2 by 0900

The old man, the dog Bo I mean, still has it. With the snow, the birds are holding tight. I won't mention the third where I was fumbling with my safety- lol!!!

Heading Out

Haven't hunted near here for 15 years. I noticed while heading out that downtowns pretty much all look the same out here. It's comforting and something you can count on.

Until the Super Walmart shows up, I guess. I'll have to change along with America, since I found out shopping is patriotic and what better place to shop than the Great Wall of Mart.

Finally!

Across Old Man River. Officially on a hunting trip. Do you set benchmarks like that?

Darn!

It didn't take long for me to leave my dog waterer along side the road. This was #3! One in AR, one in WI, and now one in GA- 150 miles behind me. Of course that's not counting the one that dropped off the truck on I-285 in ATL at about 85 mph when the tailgate dropped down in 1993. (Now, there is a story there!)

The good news is I pass several Cabela's and Bass Pro's on the way- as if I needed an excuse to stop.

On the Road again!

Ace and Bo and Peaches and I are on our way to KS. Robert's been out there for 2 weeks and finding lots of pheasant but little quail. 2 to 4 coveys per day.

I just filled up with diesel at QT for $2.55- gotta love that.

Next Hunt on the Horizon!

My good friend Robert (who is absolutely in love with one of Ace's pups, Lily) will be hunting KS for about 3 weeks starting mid-Nov. I'm thinking my blue F-250 may crank up and head out that way around 1 Dec for a week or 10 days. I checked with Ace, Bo and Peaches and got strong approval for the plan- the old ball and chain may be a different matter altogether, however. (She just found out that all my shotguns DO NOT cost $200. When I get my hands on that "friend", I will wring his neck!) Anyway, looks like I'll have to be sensitive and caring and act like I care what Oprah is talking about. At least for a week or two.

Kansas will be fun. You never know what's coming up- pheasant or quail. After a few days there, I may ease on up to my friend's farm in SD for a little more pheasant. They are getting hammered by a blizzard today....I sure hope it won't mess up his cutting the beans and corn. They had such a late start cutting that he said they may not get it all in this winter! I wonder if he needs a retired knot head to help him drive those machines? Humm?

Heading Home

This is one worn out Brittany! Picture book points, nice retrieves, super finding dead and eating 10 Rimadyl- this boy did it all. The Rimadyl incident got him Hydrogen Peroxide squirted down his throat- to make him vomit- and a trip to the vet. Looks like he'll be fine. While at the vet, a Lab with a snoot full of porcupine quills and a Lab with a shoulder cut came in. Ah, memories of past hunts....

Only 1489 more miles to go.

Last Day- Wow, it was a beauty!

Folks, it's been a great trip. From 70 to 17 degrees and calm to 60 mph winds. We saw some wonderful dog work and some other kind, too. But overall, the dogs were awesome and I wouldn't part with any of them. The birds are plentiful and that always makes for a great trip. Most of all, the memories are stored forever somewhere- to be resurrected with a smell or a cool breeze or the sounds of a flushing bird. Too many times, I will remember a bird flushing, the shot and the retrieve and not remember the state or the year. That's a good situation to be in, I guess. I hope you will end up having too many good memories, too.

Lord only knows when the next trip will be- maybe a month or two down the road. Maybe to SD again for pheasant or NM for blue quail.....we'll see about that. In the meantime, there are trials to win (field trials), dogs to train and wives to placate. Later.

This is Nathan, Daniel O'Brien's young Lab. In one week of being on birds, he's a bird dog now. What a lovable hunting companion! I told Dennis to just leave him in my truck and I'd take care of him- probably just take him home. I know BJ would like to keep this one!!

End of the Day

Cold, hungry, tired. What a great day! Thank you, Lord.

Sorry

Ever apologise to your dog? I am sorry Ace for my poor shooting. There- I said it. Sheesh!

Windchill -2

Nice day. Putting out now. We'll see.

Yikes- the storm is passing!

28 deg. and wind at 30 kts! Another peaceful hunting day on the plains. I went out this morning to let the dogs out and the first gust took my breath away. They are calling for peak gust to be 50 kts!! But then it will slow down a little by 3pm and the temp will drop. It looks like a day for all those fancy clothes my wife keeps wondering about.....wool Elmer Fudd hat, wool windproof Barbour sweater and Barbour coat, Filson double tin chaps, etc. Actually, it may be fun for a little while. We found an entirely new area just at dark yesterday and we are anxious to get over there. I'm thinking the birds will be holding tight in this weather- this is way past a windy day. We'll see.

Storm's a brewing...

Temp has dropped 7 deg in one hour and wind is steady at 25. kts. Tomorrow will be colder than a well digger's rear pocket. The good news is the wind will pick up! These folks are tough. Limit by 2.

Bo the Old Campaigner

11 years old and he still has it! He shows me every day that a little gray on the muzzle doesn't mean you can't do the job. It's obvious that what he lacks in speed and endurance is more than compensated by wisdom and experience. You go, Bo!

Hunting the open prairie

School is still out on the better pheasant dog. I hate to say it and I'm biased as all get out, but my Lab friends are shooting just as many birds as me and getting their limits just as early, too. I suppose it's just what you like. I have a hard time thinking that a field of CRP with the pheasant holding won't be an advantage for the pointing dog- evidently it's not. Well, I am still partial to my setters and brit, but you gotta love a Lab, too! Investigation continues!!

Dennis and Nathan

This is Nathan's first trip- and he's a good one. Just a young pup, he's doing it all.

Randy and Ace with the Limit

We ran into some guys complaining about the birds jumping early and how hard it was to limit...guess they needed a good dog. We kidded each other and wished them good luck. It's all about having a good time, and for me it's
all about the dogs. If I didn't have them, I wouldn't be here.