Saving The Two Best for Last

These two males are the last available from this breeding of Ace and Ruby.  This is the ad I posted in the Bird Dog and Fly Fishing Classifieds:

"I have two males, orange/white still available from my Ace and Ruby breeding. They are 7 weeks old yesterday, sassy, healthy, and ready to be a field companion. All shots, etc. AKC/UKC registered litter. Ace is NSTRA CH and grandson of Nolan's Last Bullet. Ruby is the daughter of Bullet, 3 years old, well on her way to NSTRA Ch. $500 770-five eight four-5085. Call or PM."

Since that post, I got a remark on the site that tells me about another dog, in Ruby's lineage, that is outstanding: 

"Randy also in Rubys line that you didnt mention is 2xNFC Diamond Hill Dan. One of three britts in history to win 2. Many judges told me that he was the best britt they ever judged."

Sometimes, it is better to lucky than good.  As a Navy pilot, I heard that saying around the ready room.  In this particular case, I was so focused on the Nolan's Last Bullet breeding, I missed the Diamond Hill Dan input. 

At any rate, this is an awesome bloodline. Two have already gone home.  Two more this weekend and 3 the next week.  I really like these butterballs.  Of these two available remaining, there is a difference in personality.  One is a lover and stays at home more.  The other, slightly smaller one, is likely to be scoping out the pasture, or carrying a ball around, or attacking another pup for fun. I know which one I would want to hunt MT and ID and NM and AZ.  

Mr. Lover

Mr. Go Get Em

You want to what? Do an article about Ace and me? Why?

I got an email about a month ago from a guy who wanted to do an article about Ace and me and how we "interact".  Really?  Yep, he said, I want to publish it in an online magazine.  No cost to you.  OK, I said.  Let's do it.  I sent him some answers to a few questions, the name of my BLOG, and a few pictures.....and I promptly for got about it.

Yesterday, I got another email giving me the link to the article:(http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/ace-the-hunting-dog-lives-up-to-his-pilot-inspired-name/)

Here is a small sample of the article:

Ace the hunting dog lives up to his pilot-inspired name

The Brittany spaniel is a National Shoot To Retrieve Association champion and loves to hunt grouse, partridge, and quail

October 23, 2013 by Somyr Perry

Ace the hunting dog with his owner, Randy; all photos courtesy of Randall C. Schultz

Ace, an 8-year-old Brittany spaniel, was born to be a hunting dog. “Ace went hunting with me in Montana when he was less than a year old,” said Randall C. Schultz of Zebulon, Georgia.  “He was amazing! We hunted sharptail grouse and Hungarian partridge there. Then, we moved on to Texas and hunted blue quail. All along he performed like a much older and more mature dog.”

Schultz is an avid bird hunter who blogs about his dogs and hunting excursions at A Bird Hunter’s Thoughts. He’s owned Brittanys before, so it was natural for him to seek out another pup when he lost his beloved Rocket at 12.

Ace the hunting dog with his owner

“Rocket passed away after hunting for me all over the U.S.,” Schultz said. “I wanted another liver-colored Brittany and called a friend in Tennessee, who raises them.  He had an excellent litter and told me to come [see the pups].”

After choosing his pup to take home, Schultz, a retired airline pilot and Navy pilot, knew he needed a special name. “An ‘ace’ is a top pilot, so naturally I wanted my dog to be a top dog—so I called him Ace,” Schultz said.

Ace, who is a National Shoot To Retrieve Association champion, has an impressive resume of hunting game birds all over the country, including in Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, and New Mexico. “He likes to ride shotgun while I drive, and when I go in to eat at a truck stop, you can see him sitting in the front seat, taking care of the truck,” Schultz said.

Click the link above to see the entire article. 

My New Ride, Goodbye Old Buddy (2001 7.3 Diesel F-250)

I hope I can get at least as many miles out of this new truck! When I traded the old one in, it was showing just over 375,000 miles on the odometer, most of them driving to or from bird hunting. 

    

This one is an F-250 as well.  It has the new diesel engine and off road package.  It is the Lariat equipment package.  I've never had a back up camera before.  I figured they just made the backs of trucks a little stronger and the impact was an indicator you'd gone far enough. It's pretty cool to look back there, day or night and see what's coming! 

I didn't really need the NAV feature since I have 10+years of hunting spots around the country stored on my Garmin that sticks on the windshield, but it's pretty nice, too.  I can get a weather map on the screen and do all sorts of stuff by voice command.  Some of the stuff works, some doesn't.  I tried "Show me local movies."- no problem!  I tried "Show me the nearest Chinese Restaurant."- no problem. I was feeling pretty empowered at that point, so I tried "Call the War Department and tell her I want a new shotgun!" There are just some things this truck will not do.  

Three Male Puppies For Sale! Awesome Nolan's Last Bullet breeding.

When Ruby had 11 puppies, I thought, "Oh, no! We will never find good, hunting homes for these dogs!"  Not a problem, actually. 

These are three remaining males. Of course, the females went first- all six, including one for me. Then the males started being promised. These pups are 5.5 weeks old, whelped 8 September 2013. The sire is a grandson of Nolan's Last Bullet and the Dam is the daughter of Bullet.  They are bold, healthy, dew clawed, wormed and the first set of shots will be tomorrow (just shy of 6 weeks). 

Ace,the sire, is 8.5 years old and a NSTRA Champion and incredible hunting dog. Ruby, the Dam, is sort of a prodigy (to my mind) and was pointing and retrieving Huns and Sharps at 6 months. When we were taking these pictures, I was thinking, "You know, I could always keep another one!"  

$500 770-584-5085  Ask for Randy. 

                                             

Review: Go Claws Snow, Mud, Sand Chains. A Better Idea!

They are a special type of polymer. Tough as nails and legal everywhere. 

That's a bunch of gripping action!  

It's a common problem when hunting out west, or even here in GA on the red clay back roads we have. Out west, many times, the roads will be frozen heading in to the back country, and will thaw during the day, making getting out somewhat problematic. In the south, even a slight rain turns the red clay roads into a form of slick snot. I don't care how many wheel drive you have, you ain't going anywhere.  Tires are a factor, but I like to have some form of chain to put on my wheels, in the event I need to get somewhere, like bed and a hot meal. I've used actual chains when getting stuck on some North  Dakota roads, and it was a pain, and muddy.  But, eventually, they worked and I got myself unstuck and on the way. Twice in my hunting career, I've relied on the largess of a local farmer to pull me out with a tractor. (Both times those tractors were so big, they could have pulled the dark out of the night, I think.). 

I knew there had to be a better way. Go Claws. (http://www.flextrax.com/). Google searching produced this interesting little article. I followed up with a call to the company and the owner, designer picked up. Nice guy!  I ordered a set, then another set. I figure, if I put one of these on each wheel, I'll be able to go anywhere, anytime. 

They are incredibly easy to put on. Literally, after you do it once, it will take less than 5 minutes per tire, more like a minute. You can drive with them on bare road for many miles and not damage the tires or the road. And they grip like a tick on your best bird dog!  

Recommendation:  go to the website and watch the videos. My recommendation is a buy. I have a set for each tire and it gives me great piece of mind while on a trip and seeing storm roll up the valley. "Bring it!" I think. "At least I'll make it back to the motel."

(Full Disclosure:  I was not compensated in any manner by anyone selling, manufacturing, or marketing the subject of this post.)

Shameless Bragging- Puppy Pictures!

OK, I had to do it!  These are the only two orange females in the litter.  I've picked one for myself.  

Hoss, the big mama! 

Hoss and Pretty

Pretty

Video of my pups at 4 weeks.

Click Here:  http://youtu.be/_H1058rSi_Q

Last Cast

The last cast of the trip occurred in Montana. A big snowstorm was due to hit the next day. I was right on the bull's-eye. I was told about a nice piece of public land. As I drove up, the temperature was 43° and it was drizzling. Pretty much perfect birdhunting weather.

I took a Ace and Bandit.  I turned them loose and started to cross the fence. Halfway over the fence I looked up and noticed both dogs on point!  I kicked up a covey of Hungarian partridge. All but one of them escaped. Ace made a nice retrieved hand and then took off up the edge of the wheat field. Not long after, he had another point out in the wheat field at 265 yards from me. He was locked up on a sharpie. Another bird in the bag.

After another covey of sharptails and several pheasant, we were finished.  Both dogs did exceptionally well. I dried them off and loaded them up and went in search of lunch.

Every little town out here has a main street café. I hit this one for breakfast. The usual group of farmers had their table, as they talked about the usual stuff. I heard opening-day mentioned it several times. I knew I was among fellow Bird Hunters. 

So, I loaded up and started the long drive home. Snow and rain chased me out of Montana and the Dakotas. It was time to go home, rest the dogs, and plan another trip.

You saw what?

Bandit and Cap on the rim rock. 

Valley Quality covey. 

Hunting the Oregon Trail. 

Handyman's Special- needs TLC. 

Blue Grouse in MT. 

Spring in Idaho. 

Bull a Elk and his harem. 

Winter kill. 

Ace and Cap near cairn in ID. 

Cool Rock. 

Finishing up. Elk Sighting.

I got a hot tip about a sweet little valley with a brushy creek down the center that used to hold a lot of quail. I figured I'd hit it in the morning with fresh dogs and the wind in our faces (what a concept!).  On the way up in to the foothills, I passed an historical marker stating the Oregon Trail went right up this creek!  

La"?."

That was nice. I'm a sucker for history and really like to stop at all "historical markers". 

So, I stepped out of the truck, after parking at the bridge crossing over the creek, and grabbed my vest from the inside sliding it on. I looked up and a huge cow Elk walked up out of the creek about 40 yards away. Behind her was another cow, then a young bull, then two more cows, and finally, the MAC Daddy Bull!  I grabbed my camera and snapped away until the lead cow smelled me and they took off.....very cool! 

Finally, we got rolling and trekked for 3 hours with no birds! 

In the afternoon, I went high onto the cap rock and had a stroll with Bandit and Cap. Saw nothing but beautiful country!!!

Will leave to start back tomorrow. Winter storm warning for Thursday. 

Idaho!

                           

Out of the mountains and down to Idaho Valley Quail!  It was still in the 70's for the last few days here. The mornings were very pleasant, but the afternoons were hot and dry. We hunted in thick cover on the shores of the Snake River and Stryke Reservoir. The quail hunkered down in thickets and brush piles. When a dog pointed one end, they would boil out the other and head for even thicker stuff. In one area, they would flush in to trees. It was like shooting grouse in thick cover in MN or WI. 

                            

We managed to be successful a time or two and the dogs worked as hard as I've ever seen. Shown is Bandit, Glen Bahde's dog and one of my Ace dog's pups, on a retrieve. 

                                                  

Out of the brush, we would find irrigation canals for cooling off. 

Lunch was a community affair. At least the dogs thought it was!  There are very few fine restaurants with the ambience and cuisine of one's tailgate, a bird dog, and ham sandwich!

                                              

I had the pleasure of meeting Scott Linden while he was doing a seminar at the Cabelas in Boise. I reviewed his book in an earlier post, and it was great to be able to talk to him in person. He's a great guy and I highly recommend his book about what he learned from his dogs. It's full of insight and packed with tips and ideas for the new guy or old hand. (Christmas gift?). 

                               

I have a few more places to hit, here in Idaho, and then I'll turn the Beast o' Birdin' loose and head back to Georgia. I have a litter of pups on the ground and my long-suffering better half probably has them sleeping in my spot in the bed. Talk about socialization! I'm excited to be able to pick my next puppy, but it's somewhat of a chore. I know they will be incredible bird dogs and I want to get the right one!  It's between a couple liver females right now. BJ says one of them is looking at her and comes to her. At 3.5 weeks, it may be a little early to choose. 

                                           

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.