16ga.com ~ View topic - Dirk and Elsie's First Excellent Bird Hunting Adventure

*Last edited by revdocdrew on Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:53 pm; edited 1 time in total*

Just made it back home, picked some cactus spines out of the dog while bathing him and cleaned sweet Elsie. It was a little warmer than I expected, about 60 at hunt time, and the club is more like 4000 feet than 5000. Easy drive from Phoenix and exactly 60 miles driveway to club.
Small but clean and nice clubhouse with friendly and efficient staff and guides (met 2 of them) Fields are well separated so not encroaching on the next group. Typical high desert chaparral with some prickly pear (but no cholla), creosote bushes, juniper, grass, cottonwood and salt cedar in the draws. Hard flying chukar once flushed but I had to play ring-around-the-creosote-bush with two of them which flushed on the other side (of course) low and rising.
First bird was really funny-Dirk pointed like "why am I standing here with my front foot in the air and why is this the most exciting thing I've ever done?!" Bird flushed, Elsie downed with R brl, and on the command 'Fetch it up' he ran to the bird but was too scared to actually touch it Shocked

After that it was all business and he found all 4 of the other planted birds-Gloria a Dios I think I got me a bird dog Very Happy

Sweet Elsie did the job and I was totally unaware of the recoil (and am a real recoil wimp) with the Federal Game Shok 1 oz 6s at 1165. At 6 1/2 #s carried easily but with the 30" brls no stopping the swing.
SO-ANY 16ERS WITHIN 100 MILES OF CORDES JUNCTION that want to help me next Friday the 27th and Friday Nov 3 please let me know. Another gun would REALLY help and it's on me. Beth may come along next Friday to take pics with the digital camera she won't trust to me (with good reason Rolling Eyes

) so might have something to post next time.
Love the gun, love the dog, life is good Cool

17 long days til' KS

*Last edited by hunshatt on Fri Oct 20, 2006 2:19 pm; edited 1 time in total*

So you and kat/dog made it back??? no new Lc for me then?? and just how many of the guides did kat dog need to find the birds?

Glad it worked out for the 3 of you(sorta, I was really looking forward to the Lc)

Member Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 76 Location: Denver

Drew:

It sounds like a wonderful time. Love to help, but a bit far away!

Paul

Drew:

Sounds like you and Dirk really did have an excellent adventure. Beth may have fun taking pics. I soleved the camera problem by buying myself an Pentax Optio WP - waterproof and the smaller than a pack of cards.

I'm more than 100 miles, but you never know. I might just take you up on it.

I'm looking forward to Kansas in Dec. if you and Dirk can join us.

talk to you soon....

Well for a post trip report-the oppositional setter dog is REALLY filled with himself now and totally incorrigible Rolling Eyes

Must think he's a genuine bird dog or sumthin' Wink

I hope we can join you too!

Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 68 Location: MN

Sounds like you had a great day of hunting,wish i could join you next week would be great fun. If your looking for a grouse hunt in Mn happy too just e-mail me. must be in dec because nov is deer season and I'm not going in the woods with that group! Good Hunting!!

After the basic behavioral training ( and shortly after the terrible twos pass), the following three fundamental rules about bird dogs always apply:

1. Birds make the dog.

2. Birds make the dog.

3. Birds make the dog.

Hunt the hell out of that pup Drew. He will love you for it and vica versa.

Drew, sounds like an excellent adventure! Very Happy

I took the Merkel to the preserve this weekend to give the dogs a little pre-season workout (NE opens this coming weekend and KS opens the next Very Happy

). The birds were really weird. I had to duck a quail two different times that flew right at my face. Had one Chukar that couldn't fly (doesn't help the dog training!). And another chukar that flew up in a big tree and sat there. Shocked

Had snow on the ground and temps in the 30s. Chokes on the Merkel might be a little tight as I dead-centered a going away quail at about 15 yds and blew it in half. Embarassed

Strange day at the preserve. Rolling Eyes

John

Guest

John:

A. Merkel chokes are tighter than the U.S. equivalent.

B. I would kill for 30 degree weather! I hunted 70 to 80 this weekend, and other than the always exceptional feeling of being hunting, it was bad. The dog hated it, I hated it.........nuff said. I can't wait til I retire and get the hell out of this damn state!

C. Colorado is now on the list of retirement options!

D. Rev, sounds like you had a great hunt, 60 degrees makes it sound even better, makes me consider the 5 hour drive.........

E. Did I mention, hot weather hunting sucks!!!!!!!!!!!