Bull Moose Video

Seen near Yellowstone. Sept. 28, 2013. 0700.

Click here to see video!

I'm sorry the moose is so small, but it's not everyday one sees a bull moose along the road. All I had with me was my iPhone. Obviously, he was attempting to get to know the comely, young cow moose a little better.  If only I'd had the BandC's fancy new camera!  That would have been the perfect situation.

Moving the Operation

I am always amazed at the beauty of this area. I feel like I'm the only one on the road through Yellowstone this morning. 

I did some checking and, apparently, a mere 7 hours away, Valley Quail are running amok in Idaho. Desperate farmers need a volunteer to thin the herd. I put it to the boys, and the results were unanimous-Idaho, it is!  

Along the Bozeman Trail, the terrain is challenging enough, but throw 60 mph gusts on the nose in the formula and it's a lot of fun. This route is the fastest way to get to where I'm going I Idaho. "You need to go through Yellowstone?"  Yeah.  It's tough duty, but someone has to do it!  

Here's something one doesn't see everyday! A bull moose following a cow and throwing caution to the wind. He's right on the road!  (Women! Right?)

Once again. My own private piece of America this fine Sunday morning!  

Mountain Grouse

After driving, visiting, eating and more driving up the longest, roughest 7 miles of gravel road, we finally arrived at the trail head and parked. We had exactly 90 minutes until sunset. Bob and I agreed to meet back at the trucks in 1 hour- no later. I did not relish the drive out after dark or a potential breakdown high up on the mountain, either. 

I took Ace, as my most experienced dog, and started walking up the trail. We started at 5400' elevation and it looked like perfect Ruffed country. Up and up, through the woods, Ace worked 50-100 yards to either side. Finally, I looked at the time and I was late. We reached 6900' when we turned around. Moose sign on the trail, deer and Elk tracks. Locals say mountain lion are through these mountains,  as well.  At any rate, the sun was almost on the tops of the Crazies, so we needed to hiaco on down the trail.....right then Ace's pager went off! 

Point! And he was 100 yds UP the mountain!  Argh!  I gave him a little time to make sure he was serious and then I started the climb up to him. I had to stop, right before I got to him, to catch my breath. My next step triggered a flush of a blue grouse. A quick shot and he tumbled. When Ace went for the retrieve another grouse launched out and Ace delivered him to my hand, too. 

We turned and hustled down the trail, getting to the truck with barely enough daylight. We met some elk bow hunters and chatted for a short time while we cleaned the birds. Then, it was get in the truck and let's get off this mountain!

A great end to a long day. Even the terrible road down felt a little smoother! 

I liked the hunting and will enjoy the eating, too. Blue Grouse are famous for how well they taste. 

I noticed the mountains are steeper, the climbs longer and the descents shorter. I won't wax philosophic. I'll just say, getting old isn't for wimps (or whiners, so I'll stop). 

A staunch supporter!

We moved west a few hours and, along the way, stopped to see a bird hunting supporter and fanatic in his own right.  Robert Siler and Terry Sharpe (two hunting partners) befriended Ben O.Williams years ago and always stop by to see him when in the area- I'm just a hanger-on. I found him to be gracious, full of stories about other well known folks (Charlie Waterman, et. al.), and a real jokester. A pleasant few hours, well spent.

                                    

The weather changed! We are thankful!

We had a rough few days with the high temperatures. But, then, the clouds came in and it started to rain and the temperature dropped. Now the temperature is about 40°, the wind is about 25 mph. Just about perfect.

Both the dogs and I are rusty. It took a little convincing on my part, but finally, I realized my own legs took a little while to get used to this again. The dogs, of course, had no problem. Ace, is about as old as me. He tended to get a little slower during the day. Cap and Bandit, no problem whatsoever.  

Ace is still my go-to guy. Cap and Bandit are coming along great. But Ace has eight seasons of bird hunting behind him. And, it shows when it comes to finding birds.

  

We are hunting Sharptailed Grouse and Hungarian Partridge.  Or, as we refer to them, Sharps and Huns. Today we are moving further into the interior of Montana. We will be focusing more on Ruffed Grouse and Blue Grouse. 

Here are a few of them cooking on the grill. Took a lot of video, so far, and as soon as I figure how to get it on the blog, I'll post it!  I'm learning there is no substitute for pictures. Will do better. 

Day One. Season 23.

We arrived with three hours of daylight remaining. Bandit was up first and had a couple hard points, but nothing to show. Ace and Cap were next. We moved to another alfalfa patch and got one covey 50 yds from the truck!  When the smoke cleared an hour or do later, I had 5 covey rises and was 3 for 3 on Huns. It took a little bit for the boys to get their legs under them. But they were spot on when they did. 

Ruby was one unhappy bird-dog.

I loaded up the three males this morning. If a bird dog could give a glance that kills, Ruby gave it to me!  I loved on her pretty good, but she knew that she wasn't going. She went to her puppies, curled up and gave me "the look"!  She's an awesome mom and will get special treatment when I get back.  

Two weeks, today. Ruby's outstanding pups!

I really do love these little pups! All of them are healthy and vibrant. Truly, I'm having a hard time choosing my follow-on dog. I'm leaning toward another female, but there's a male in this litter I really like. I'd keep them all and have 5 dogs on the ground at all times, but that's a little much, even for me!  

Blogging, It's a good thing....

As hard as it is for me to believe, this BLOG is approaching 100,000 hits! Now, I'm sure 99,999 are from my wife and relatives, but there must be at least one person out there that checks back every once in a while. When I started this, while driving back from a hunting trip to New Mexico with Glen Bahde, I had no idea what I would write about, much less if anyone would find it interesting.  Glen was driving the truck and I had a few hours with my laptop and wifi hotspot through my phone.  He suggested I look up how to start a BLOG.  "A what?" was the answer.  "A BLOG! You know, write down what you are doing while hunting, dog training, trialing and all that stuff."  By the time we made to the Louisiana border, through Texas, on the way home, I had a BLOG!

I had, and still have, little idea what I will write about. But, usually, I find out lots of other folks have the same interest, problem, thought or concern that I have. Then we get in to some pretty good discussions about what ever topic might be interesting that time. The highest "hit" articles have always been about dog food, DogDen dog boxes, the Wing Works hunting vest and my puppies.  It started out people would link to my BLOG from other BLOGS, but, lately, they are finding me from Google searches (that's a good thing, as well). 

I would love to have you subscribe, via email, to my BLOG.  When you open it up, on the right hand side, you will see a dialog box that says, "Follow by Email". Go ahead and fill in your email address.  It will go through an authentication procedure to keep you safe and then you will receive updates whenever something is posted new on the BLOG.  Now, I'm looking for 200,000 hits!  Thanks, my friends!!

It looks like this:

Follow by Email

They are here, finally!

I was forced to attend an opening day Dove Shoot this Saturday and, BJ, my long-suffering wife, stayed with Ruby. By the time I got home, Ruby was in labor, her temperature had dropped 2 degrees and all was ready for the long-awaited arrival of the puppies.  The vet x-ray showed 11 puppies.  I was hoping for somewhat fewer, but we get what we get. 

Night fell and still she was panting and clearly uncomfortable. I stayed in the barn with her, sleeping as best I could.  Around 0330, I woke to a different sound- a puppy squalling for some milk! In the whelping box was a clean and hungry, little, orange female puppy. One after another, they came out.  No problems, about every 20 minutes.  Then, they stopped for an hour, and then kept on coming.  The last one arrived at noon.  Ruby was exhausted.  Once she got them cleaned up and fed, we fed her.  She ate double the normal rations (high calorie, nutrient rich Royal Canin puppy food) and drank a bunch. Then she ran back to the pups and started doing mom stuff.  What a great mother to the pups. 

Ultimately, we had 11 pups, 6 female, 5 male, 4 orange and 7 liver- a good cross section. I will keep one of the females to add to my excellent line of hunting and trialing Brittanies.  The rest are either promised or for sale.  

I can't wait to see the herd following momma around in the pasture, or chasing birds and pointing butterflies! 

It won't be long now!

She has numerous placements in NSTRA already. She is only three years old.

http://youtu.be/zJWPrGBO_iM

What a great litter this will be! My NSTRA champion dog Ace is the sire. Ruby is an excellent hunting dog in her own right. I am looking forward to keeping a pup for myself. I still remember the day she retrieved a Sharptail grouse out of a coulee for me in Montana. She was only seven months old. Another time on that same hunt, I dropped three Huns on a covey rise. She found and retrieved two of them, and then disappeared. I whistled and called for about two minutes. She came up out of another coulee about 200 yards away with the bird in her mouth. Evidently, the bird had run after I knocked it down. She tracked it all the way down there, picked it up, and brought it to hand.

These will be some fine pups!

Review: "Hunt" by ONXMAPS iPad/iPhone App: Computers and Hunting.Finally, they caught up!

I'm 62 years old.  When I started hunting, dog's tails went straight out instead of straight up.  Leather boots, waxed cotton and wool were worn and real bird hunters had pointers and/or setters and we weren't too sure about the setters. 

Now, of course, none of that is the case.  Also, I use my iPhone and iPad and GPS as well as my BLM maps.

Typical Page in the Program

I did an article on hunting and technology and how it makes scouting and entering new areas so much easier. (See:http://www.abirdhuntersthoughts.com/2013/01/tires-and-technology.html) Now the same folks that sell GPS chips for Garmin units came up with an iPad App that has almost everything you need.  Above is a screen shot of my iPad with a random area of Montana.  I shows BLM land, Block Management land, land ownership names, roads, and even satellite view of the area. You can even download maps and still use the GPS feature of the maps while not in cell coverage.  You can measure areas or distances, share the screen via email or photo, layer on a topo map, take photos of the spot you are and add text and symbols to the maps. You can mark trucks, windmills, etc. using the on board library. Not all states are included, but many of the states I hunt are. Montana (shown above, which I will be visiting for Ruffed Grouse and Blue Grouse in September), Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, to name a few.  When you download the app, the list is on it and you just tell it which state to download the data. 

To this point, I've been buying gps chips for my Garmin ASTRO and downloading the same data directly in to my computer. At about $100 each, I was putting $300+ in to GPS info.  It was a one-time cost.  This program charges $35 for each state. for each unit (once for my iPad and once for my iPhone- total $70).  Per year. You would need to do the math and look at all the features of this new app before making a decision.  For me, I think the features of this app outweigh buying the chip. Of course, anyone that goes in to the western areas without paper maps and compass and the knowledge to use them is crazy.  NEVER rely on a cell phone or handheld GPS unit to get out alive!

**CORRECTION**
I just got a very nice email from Matt Seidel with Hunting GPS Maps.  (Apparently, other people than just my mom read this BLOG!)  One download can be used on two devices.  So, my Montana download with all the BMA, BLM and private ownership information on it can be on my iPad and iPhone, both. He nicely offered to  let me download another state to even up the payments I made.  You gotta love that customer service!  Also, the website dealing with all this is: http://www.huntinggpsmaps.com/hunting-app-for-iphone-ipad.

To use this feature, one would download the App at the AppStore, then pick the state to download the data to the selected device.

Rainy Day Blues...or not.

Five Days of Rain

This is the middle of August.  In the South.  It's 60 degrees and light drizzle, flash flood watches and light breeze from the south and southwest. The bird dogs are dry and comfortable and are loving this cool air.  I wonder, sometimes, if they sense the change of the seasons and what it means for them? Today, I've already worked Cap on retrieving, stroked Mama Ruby and felt for movement of the pups (nothing yet, but 2+weeks to go) and played some with the Ace dog.  I replaced one of the pads in the Dog Den 2 houses, bought some more Royal Canin puppy starter to put on Ruby's food, and started organizing my dog first aid kit with the handy shopping list +Shawn Wayment, DVM, puts out. 

Shawn Wayment, DVM First Aid Supply List

Another annual task is the re-waxing of various Filson garments that I've had and worn for 20 years or more.  Shown is my +Filson coat.  It's torn and marked and just about perfect. This is the "technical fabric" of its day, and, to my mind, it still has a place in the bird hunter's closet today.  No brier can touch it and it is so tough and just, well, classic.  

Filson Field Trial Coat, circa 1994

Cleaning guns is on the agenda, as well.  Ahh, the smell of Hoppe's #9!  Nothing quite like it.

Where's my dog? Review: Garmin ASTRO 320 and DC-50 Collar.

The ASTRO 320 and DC-50 Combo

Let me be perfectly clear.  I love tracking collars.  I will not put a dog down, hunting, without one.  To my mind they have revolutionized bird hunting and how we work together with our dogs.  That being said, the latest from Garmin in the ASTRO series is the ASTRO 320 coupled with the DC-50 collar. 

I've been a tracking collar proponent since shortly after my national champion setter decided to take a 5 day camping trip through the oil patch in SE New Mexico about 5 years ago. I tell the tale in this BLOG earlier on and won't bore you with details, but it was then a  friend recommended the new and emerging GPS tracking gear to me. At the time, it was bulky and strapped to the dog's back and I knew it wasn't for me, but, since then, as with all things electronic, the evolution's been rapid.  Now, the handheld is super reliable and the newest collar is good to 9 miles (in flat terrain, good conditions, blah, blah). I used to think several miles was ridiculous!  Now, I know any hard charging, bird finder can occasionally get a wild hair and head out.  Nine miles?  Probably not.  But, if they are just flat out lost, nine miles may not be range enough.  My dog, Bo, was picked up 22 miles from where we put out.  The farther the capability, the better.  I even bought the extended antenna for the A320, so I can stand on top of my truck and get a hit, if I need it.  (Spare me the "My dog will never leave me!" routine.  And, I do recommend the extendable antenna option......just in case.) 

I've used the Astro 220 since its inception.  The buttons are all worn smooth and I know the unit inside and out.  The 320 is worth the upgrade.  It is easier to read (for these old eyes), it is more intuitive in its operation (for the feeble minded) and it has some neat features (like sending collar information wirelessly to another 320 and putting "birds-eye satellite imagery" on the map). I'm still learning all the features, but I did notice there are numerous YouTube videos extolling the virtues of the unit.  Just Google "Astro 320" and check them out. 

The DC-50 collar is interesting.  Garmin moved the GPS receiver back to the top of the unit. The older -30 units (of which I still use one) had the gps receiver on the top and I never had problems with loss of the gps signal.  Then the -40 unit came out (I have 2) with the gps receiver in the main housing under the dog's neck and suddenly we had gps unlock problems.  I ain't no rocket scientist, but if satellites are above us, shouldn't the receiver be as well? (I know that was a cheap shot at Garmin, but I couldn't resist.  I'm sure they have the same conflict between the engineers and the end-users that exists in most tech industries. I'm just glad they fixed it!)  Another immediately noticeable difference is the long floppy antenna.  This is what communicates to the handheld unit.  I mean, this thing flops all over the place!  Garmin says it is important to keep it away from the dog- for maximum range.  It appears to be anchored and supported at the end so as to not get broken (as I experienced in the -40. Now, I carry extra antennas in the truck).  I notice Garmin ships an extra with the unit, just in case. I'm wondering about thick grouse cover and this thing whipping around and getting caught up and creating stress fractures over time.  Stay tuned for more info on that as the hunting year progresses.  I really hope it is no problem.  

Another cool feature is the "lost mode", where the tracking automatically changes over to once every 2 minutes when the collar battery goes to  25% power remaining.  I normally keep my collars on the every 5 sec mode (and that seems inadequate, at times).  If Fido gets lost and the battery starts getting low, then the every 5 secs changes to every 2 min, thereby lengthening the life of the battery. This is not the default setting and it should be!  It only takes a second to set it up on the collar, via the handheld, but I hope they change that in the next software upgrade. 

I've heard the handheld battery life is an issue.  I put fresh, rechargeable batteries in my handheld every day when I'm hunting. Wherever I go, I recharge batteries every night and start fresh every day.  I can imagine the units are power hogs, however, and I suspect that is one of the system limitations as with most electronics. 

Bottom line: Upgrade to the ASTRO 320.  As for the DC-50, if you have the money and inclination, get it. I see no reason to lay down a $150 DC40 (or several) just to snap up a -50.  I may go to a "must buy" in the future, but I want to get a full season on the unit before I commit. 

Idaho Adventures

 A getaway or a scouting trip?  To my mind, that fine distinction is in the eye of the beholder. Six months ago, a friend of ours said we needed to do a rafting trip in Idaho to see the country and get out of the east coast malaise of August. In case you don't know, I hate August.  I have no use for a hot month, outside of bird season, full of ticks, thunderstorms and cutting grass. "This is a trip like no other!" she said. "Whatever." I replied.  We signed up, along with 30 other folks from this area.  Along the way, all but 5 hardy individuals dropped away citing school openings, weddings, deaths and dogs eating homework.  Ultimately, we boarded the Delta jet and looked ahead to seeing another part of the country- the Salmon and Snake Rivers and Hells Canyon in Idaho. 

The crew and guide above the rapids.

We arrived in McCall, ID, at one time a logging and ranching town in northwest Idaho now a welcoming, pleasant vacationing spot in the mountains.  Situated on a large lake, McCall has plenty of nice eateries, stores and even an indoor hockey arena.  For example, we ate at Romano's, an Italian restaurant on the lake.  The waitress greeted us with, "I hope you are hungry!".  The food was great and served promptly, and it complemented the incredible view across the lake to the mountains.

That evening at 8:30pm, we met our crew: +Tricia Warren, owner, guide, and river boss,  and Brad, Cori and Glen.  We were given dry bags to hold our gear and agreed to meet at 7:30 am the next morning ready for an adventure!  The company is  +North Star Expeditions based in McCall and they specialize in guided, multi-day rafting trips down the Salmon and Snake Rivers, through Hell's Canyon.  In addition, they also guide  "cast and blast" trips down the Snake River, through Hell's Canyon.

After a couple hour drive to the "put in", we loaded onto the paddle boat with Glen as our guide.  In addition, Tricia and Teresa were in another, bigger "oar boat" and Brad and Cori took an additional oar boat with all our supplies and camping paraphernalia on board.  Brad and Cori took off ahead of us in order to secure a good campsite alongside the river.  We would meet them around 5 pm. for dinner.  While we were running rapids and exploring, they were setting up camp, tents, cooking, etc. 

Preparing for the Rapids

The first day, we stopped at an archaeological dig manned by students from Oregon State University (Go Beavers!).   Then it was on to numerous Class I through Class IV rapids.  I may be wrong, but I think there may have been one Class V in there, or maybe the classification changed to a higher one during the Spring rains when the rivers are up and really flowing.

During the float, Glen and Brad kept pointing out Chukar noises along the river. Finally, I heard the little rascals!  Then, we started seeing them.  Group after group, the birds would be "chuk, chuk, chuk"ing away on the side of the hills, then come down to water.  Probably never bothered by a man or dog, they were totally unimpressed with our little armada. The guides told me about the "Cast and Blast" trips they offer in late September and early October.  They guide down the Snake River and fish and hunt Chukar and Hungarian Partridge (Huns).  Given the numbers of birds I saw, that could be a nice trip. You would take your own dog, gun, etc., but the guides can take their own dogs, as well.  I was unavailable for that time frame, but I think it might be an awesome trip!

Each evening, around 5 pm, we drifted in to the the campsite Brad and Cori prepared for us. We cleaned up, dressed in dry clothes and commenced to tell some tall tales about this event or that rapid.  Our tents (all gear supplied by North Star) were set up already and all we had to do was pick one and get in. Plenty of tall tales got told- cliff diving, water wars, archaeological sites, historical legends, etc. Then the food was brought in from the dutch ovens, River Potatoes, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, grilled steaks, grilled salmon, grilled vegetables, corn on the cob, fresh salads, etc.

Relaxing After Dinner

After 4 days and 3 nights on the Salmon and then, Snake, Rivers, we arrived at Heller Bar, take out point in Asotin, WA.  At this point, the Snake River is the boundary between Washington and Idaho.  We got out on the west bank in Washington. At one point, we were in Idaho, Oregon and Washington states, all on one trip. We saw Chukar, Bald Eagles, hawks, Big Horn Sheep and lots of Smallmouth Bass.  Salmon still run up these rivers and their numbers are on the rise, but the first run of the year was over and the second not yet started, so we missed seeing them. Plenty of wildlife!  

Would I do this trip again?  Yes.   I would pick another section of the rivers, and I may just do the Cast and Blast one year.  If this trip is any indication of the way North Star takes care of their customers, I'm 100% in favor of another trip.

Get Your Dog in Shape! He goes 10X farther than you!

Ace (B/M), ready to go! 

To my mind, the very best method to get old Buck in shape for the upcoming bird season is "roading"- a method by which a dog will run and pull on a heavy object at the same time.  The benefits to the muscles and cardiovascular system are tremendous, in a short time. Brian Lynn, at Outdoor Life Magazine, just published an excellent article about dog conditioning, in general, and roading, in particular. (Click HERE to see the article.)  

I've made a few roading videos over the years viewable on YouTube. (Click HERE to view.) 

I highly encourage you to use some form of roading in your dog's conditioning.  Off a bicycle, perhaps.  I don't have the numbers, but I would be confident saying roading is more than double the benefit of letting your dog run free. My dogs really enjoy it, which is another mystery of life.  

Family Secrets

The $200 Shotgun

The Old Ball and Chain
Her First Quail on a Covey Rise

We have a little family secret down here.  And since this is just between us, I'll share it. 

It seems that sometime in the distant past, I may, or may not, have mentioned to my wife, that although I do have several shotguns they are all inexpensive.  In fact, the story goes, none of my guns cost more than $200, so she says I told her.  While neither confirming nor denying said statement was made, I do admit I was guilty for allowing the misunderstanding to exist.  Over the years, as shotguns were acquired, I assured my lovely bride that I would never pay more for them than the usual amount.  And, so, life blissfully carried on.   Until the fateful day, in my barn, during a field trial.  It was cold and raining so several of my bird dog friends were warming themselves by the fire and talking about all things bird hunting.  BJ joined us for a bit. She usually holds her own in these meetings regaling the audience with stories of my adventures with my various dogs.  Laughter and good natured ribbing was the name of the game, with everyone chipping in to tell an anecdote about their favorite dog or hunt.  Conversation got around to shotguns and who just bought what, the various makes and models and quality thereof.  Finally, someone happened to spy the gun I'd set aside as I came in from my brace and asked if that was the old A.H.Fox and why would I use it in such bad weather.  I explained I did like to shoot the gun, and I would probably spend quite a while cleaning and oiling after the day was over.  Another friend opined that he would never allow a gun like that to get wet, and so on.  I happened to glance at my wife and noticed a puzzled look on her face.  Warning flags shot up all over (Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!).  Uh, oh!  But then, BJ smiled and announced that it was no big deal, since "..none of Randy's guns cost more than $200 anyway.".   (At this point in the tale, you could hear the wind blowing dust in the empty street and the hawk screech high overhead.)  Mouths opened, jaws dropped and men froze in place.  After a long, quiet moment....... "Absolutely! Yes! Uh huh! Yep, that's right, BJ!" was heard throughout the barn.  Then, slowly, the laughter started and I heard several of my "friends" explaining to BJ the book value of a few of my $200 guns. It was generally acknowledged that I was dog meat for the rest of the year, I would never see the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota, Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin, or New Mexico again (or, at least, during my natural lifetime)! She laughed and enjoyed my discomfort for a while and then gracefully bowed out to head back to the house.  Always a class act, she gave me big kiss and said she needed to get going.  "It's a long drive to Atlanta, honey, and you don't mind if I do a little shopping, do you? Oh, and I promise not to get anything that costs more than $200!  Honest!"

There is a lesson here, somewhere.....

Review- Spot Tracker

So far, I've owned five of these little goodies; one given away.  A few years ago, I reviewed the unit. Since then, I've traveled thousands of miles and hunted/covered thousands of acres of land all over the USA- most out of cell coverage.  A lot of that hunting was solo, over ground I'd covered before, but it gives me a sense of security knowing I can get help if life takes an unexpected bad turn. (Click here to read the original review.)

I mentioned above that I've owned Five of the devices.  The first one was the earliest model.  I used that one until Model 2 came out, lighter and faster response.  I used that one until it fell out of the truck in a rest area in central Montana, while I was returning from my first trip to Idaho and on my way to MN for some Ruffed Grouse hunting.  Discovered missing the next day, I realized I would spend more than the cost of the unit, in diesel, to go back and retrieve it, so I bought another one at the first sporting goods store I encountered.  I bought number Four when I realized number Three was missing and the season was fast approaching.  I found number Three and gave it to another solo hunter I met in MN.  Number Four was lost in AZ in January of 2013 and Number Five just arrived via UPS.  So, if you are like me, you are wondering if perhaps they have a reverse sensor so that knuckleheads like me can find their SPOT when it is lost.  The irony was not lost on me when I called the good people at SPOT and told them the unit was lost- not me. Maybe they are developing something like Apple has in "Find my iPhone/iPad".  That would be a very nice feature!  

At any rate, while four of the five units is on me, the last lost unit was directly on SPOT.  It fell out of the carrying case that came with it and which I used, attached via carabiner to my vest. I noticed the new case was changed to prevent that from happening again, however the quality of the current case is suffering.  The snap that secures the unit separated the second time I used it and I substituted a zip tie.  While a zip tie is a good fix, I wonder how many more units will be lost when the snap fails during use and the unit falls away? 

So, I do recommend the SPOT for those that want peace of mind while hunting or in areas there is no cell coverage or as a backup to cell service.  Personally, I would NEVER use my cell phone as an emergency device.  I've seen too many of them fail.

I still rate this as a MUST HAVE- BUY IT! 

(Just don't lose it.  Buy the extra loss insurance.  Modify the carrying case and back up the snap.)

Finally! It looks like Ruby is ready!

She normally comes in around March. I know exactly, because that is the around the time we have the Georgia Championships for NSTRA. A female in heat cannot participate in a NSTRA trial, so for the last two years she's be unable to go out and have a good time at that event. This year, however, she did not start her cycle. The one year when I was set to breed her to Ace, my main dog who is 8 now, she does not even come in to season!  I was disappointed, to say the least, but I realized I had three great bird dogs and a season of hunting ahead- where's the downside to that?  We are not sure why she didn't come in, perhaps the coccidia infection from NM or AZ in January?  Vet says that could slow her up as her body fought the infection then fattened up afterwards. 

Either way, it's been 8 days since she started bleeding and it's time to introduce Ace to his girlfriend. Puppies in 60 days, my friends! 

Barbed Wire Tears Them Up!

I've encountered barbed wire practically everywhere I hunt.  Most places are along fencelines, where it belongs, but sometimes it's just sticking out of the ground, waiting to snag the loping bird dog.  I have two scars on my right leg, one from Texas and one from Nebraska, where I got hung up crossing a tight barbed wire fence.  (The one in Texas is the worst one, but Bo was pointing a large covey 100 yds. on the other side and I figured could stitch it up later.  EMT Gel works great on humans, too- that's all I'm going to say about that.)

Waiting for the Sedative

The stuff is ubiquitous.  The dogs learn to avoid.  The dogs (and hunters) get cut.  It's just part of the landscape.  Sunday, I went for my afternoon constitutional around the pastures and took Ace, my main dog. I walked and pondered while he ran and pondered.  He would get out a hundred yards or so, cut in the woods, come back out, check my position and stay up front on the trail.  I looped back to the barn a few times and one time I noticed Ace wasn't with me.  I called and whistled and got a little annoyed, since he knows better.  The time came for me to leave for church and half way there my wife called that Ace was home. "Awesome!", I thought.  "Is he OK?"  "Well, not really.  He's bleeding pretty badly out of his mouth and I don't see where the problem is." I checked him over that night and noticed some blood seepage, but figured it would stop.  The tongue has a lot of blood and bleeds like crazy, but will heal itself quickly.  The next morning, he was still bleeding.  At 0700, I was at the vet's door, and by 0720, we had him sedated and were stitching up his tongue/mouth. 

12 Stitches Later

We found fresh metal chips in the wound and near his molars.  Apparently, he hit the fence and the wire went under his tongue and got caught up and he chewed on the wire to free himself.  Finally, he did and came home, bleeding all the way.  It took 12 stitches under the tongue to re-attached the bottom of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. My vet (Kevin Barlow) said Ace was extremely lucky to have avoided puncturing one of the huge arteries supplying the tongue and bleeding out while hung in the fence.  Chilling thought.