Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game Idaho Hunt

Since Saturday was so much fun we decided to go again on Sunday. I invited along a friend and his two Springers. Of course I wasn't foolish enough to take them to my HOT spot so we decided to hunt just below the reservior located out of town. The road across the dam has been gated and locked since Sept. 11 and I figured we would have the area to ourselves. We crossed the river in an inflatable boat and started towards the dam. We had only walked a 100 yards when his dogs jumped a covey of about 25 valley quail. <p>Of course the birds circled around the point and headed for a small creek. After the previous day I figured the birds would hold in the creek bottom. A short distance later Berlin goes on point and I can see the quail milling around in the bottom. Holding out for males only and only those held to point extended our hunt but it was less than an hour before we decided to climb out of the draw and look for chuckar. I had four birds and was disappointed about loosing a fifth that we never located.<p>As we climb out of the draw we look back towards the dam and see a car parked on the other side of the "RESTRICTED" sign. My partner had his binoculars and could see someone sitting in the car. The car had police lights across the top and an emblem on the door although it did not appear to be a sherriff's or state police car. When we reached the top of our ridge we saw an old road/trail with a gate holding six signs. The signs were all facing away from us so we climbed over and got educated. Yep, we were in the restricted area, no wonder the hunting was so good.<p>We decided we were busted so continued along with our hunt. I picked up a pair of Huns off a nice point and my partner collect two chuckars flushed up by his Springers. <p>We just knew the authorities would be waiting for us and headed back towards the rig. From the top of the ridge looking down over the river we couldn't see anyone around our vehicle and decided to extend our hunt even longer. <p>I stayed low along the rivers edge and it wasn't long before Berlin located another nice covey of quail. They were in a big brush pile and just boiled out leaving me with two empty barrels and no fetching necessary. Some of the birds fly toward my partner and some how along the way turn into chukars because he drops one. He sees where the covey lands and gives chase. I stay in the bottom and play with the quail. Three more quail were reduced to possession bringing me to seven. <p>We were a little nervous approaching the rig with visions of trigger happy SWAT members watching through their scopes mounted on hair triggered assualt rifles just hoping we would twitch or move our shotguns in a threatning manner. Nope, no one there we had the area to ourselves. <p>If I keep eating all these birds I expect to have feathers by March!! Rick