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Joined: Dec 2002
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OP
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I had a good day with my dog hunting some of the local Nebraska roosters today. We hunted some corners on an irrigated corn pivot. Due to the extreme drought this year, most all of the CRP in this area has been cut and baled, so not nearly as much good cover as we have had in past years. My old GSP (11 1/2 years old) did his job well today and I shot well...felt like a baseball pitcher...3 up and 3 down. I was pleasantly surprised that the birds held well for my dog today. That doesn't happen very often under these dry conditions and warm temperatures. The temperature was in the upper 50's during today's hunt. Here's a couple of pictures from today's late morning hunt. My dog with our third bird of the day. An old, long-spurred veteran that he had to run down for me since I only broke a wing on this bird. My dog with HIS three birds from our hunt today:
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Nice times three. Wish we had wild Pheasants here like in the past.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Dang,,, that does look dry. We're the opposite. Rained almost non-stop since the first of Nov. You'd be six inches taller if ya dared to walk across a stuble field around here. Sux aboout the CRP. Hope ya get some relief soon so's you and your buddy can have some birds to hunt next year.
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Sweet. Don't have hunting like that here....
____________________________________________________________ Dying gets closer every day
Lloyd McCarter and the Honky Tonk Revival
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I had a good day with my dog hunting some of the local Nebraska roosters today. We hunted some corners on an irrigated corn pivot. Due to the extreme drought this year, most all of the CRP in this area has been cut and baled, so not nearly as much good cover as we have had in past years. My old GSP (11 1/2 years old) did his job well today and I shot well...felt like a baseball pitcher...3 up and 3 down. I was pleasantly surprised that the birds held well for my dog today. That doesn't happen very often under these dry conditions and warm temperatures. The temperature was in the upper 50's during today's hunt. Here's a couple of pictures from today's late morning hunt. My dog with our third bird of the day. An old, long-spurred veteran that he had to run down for me since I only broke a wing on this bird. My dog with HIS three birds from our hunt today: These touch the heart of every bird hunter/dog man. He is a great looking old warrior.
Hunt with Class and Classics
Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray
Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”
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Joined: Dec 2002
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Thanks for the kind comments guys. We had some SNOW the night of 12-15. Had about an inch at home. We just HAD to get out and hunt in the snow! My old dog and I started out hunting around home and found one rooster. I decided to take a short road trip to some ground I hadn't hunted yet this year. Much to my pleasant surprise the farther I drove the deeper the snow got. Arrived at our hunting spot, about 20 miles south and there was 4-6" of the beautiful white stuff on the ground...the most snow we have had to hunt in the last 3 seasons! Dub, my old GSP, was flawless! The birds held tight and we had blast. It was a short 20 minute hunt to get 2 more rooster to fill our 3 bird limit. During that time I had several great points on both hens and roosters. And on our walk back to the truck Dub pointed 4 more times and we had up close experiences with 3 hens and one more rooster. I should have had my camera out. All of those birds got up within 1-2 feet of my dog. WHAT A DAY!!! Nothing like hunting pheasants with fresh snow on the ground. Here is a picture of my huntin' buddy with our last two birds of the day. He seems to be enjoying his new orange vest/belly protector. With all the white color that he has on him he is just about invisible when there is snow on ground. That bright orange vest makes in much easier for me to keep track of him, especially in heavier cover. The belly protector part does a great job of protecting his nearly hairless underside. The picture:
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Joined: Jan 2004
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Great picture.
We gave up on opening day of Kansas due to the wind, hot weather, 2 year drought, and no cover. All the reports I've read were only old birds are out there. Are all your birds long spurred or any from this years hatch?
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Cheesy,
Thanks for you kind comments on the picture.
I am finding about even numbers of old birds and young this year. Most years the yound birds greatly out number the old birds. Of the two pictured in the snow, one was old and one was from this year's hatch. The one I got early that day was also an old bird. I think the drought and lack of insects this summer really hurt our bird numbers. Most years I have to spray for grasshoppers...this year I saw less than a dozen all summer long and that includes what I saw on my daily walks/runs of 3-4 miles. Other farmers in the area that I talked to also saw very few 'hoppers this summer.
I was out again today for about a 2 hour hunt. I saw 5 hens and they held nicely for the dog. So I consider it a very successful day with 5 great points on snow covered ground and no birds to clean when the hunt was over! It was another super day outside enjoying all that is provided for us if we just open our eyes.
We have very little good cover here this year. I found another CRP patch on my hunt today that has been grazed. In past years it was a very good spot since it cannot be seen from the road and the only access is by walking a half mile. Most hunters today won't walk that far. If we end up having a bad winter, we could loose big numbers of our already diminishing pheasant population due to the lack of good winter cover.
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I'm in Eastern Nebraska... What exactly are the "pheasants" that you speak of? I've heard ancient legends about such magical birds, but never see any around here.
Those who believe there is safety in numbers never heard of Auschwitz- Me
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Joined: Mar 2010
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great looking dog,
Damn it looks dry there in KS though.Last time I hunted KS for quail and Pheasant was 1989.
Hope for a mild winter. Lack of cover in a long hard winter or wet spring can really have a negative affect on bird numbers
thanks for sharing your hunt
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Nice work!
Your pup's lookin' great for his age.....I'm sure getting out and chasing those roosters is keeping him young!
Biden's most truthful quote ever came during his first press conference, 03/25/21. Drum roll please...... "I don't know, to be clear." and THAT is one promise he's kept!!!
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Proud old dog. Lots of good memories with him I'm sure. Thanks for the photos.
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