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Bud, Merlot and I had a fine day playing in the snow....

Nice job.. 16 ga. # 5's!!!!!

The black dog turns 2 on Sunday. We are working real well together this year. He put up this limit of 3 pheasants and 4 bonus quail in the first hour of our hunt on public ground last week. Headed out again tomorrow for some walking and hopefully shooting. Got my daughter home and hoping he gets it done again.

Great!!!!!

Last day of deer season here, starting tomorrow I can safely take the dogs out and chase pheasants! With the cold weather the swamps should be frozen hard enough to walk on. I just wish the farmers would get out and harvest the corn as that standing corn gives the pheasants too much cover during the day.

As usual, I have been seeing plenty of ruffed grouse as I have a rifle in hand rather than a shotgun. Then, maybe they know I don't shoot grouse after the woodcock season ends except under very rare circumstances.

Merlot is on IR....One of the Porcupine quills from the Michigan trip was in there festering. He came up lame after our last hunt. Vet said I can hunt him this weekend, but no need until after Deer season.

I got lucky and the one in my dog's ankle came all the way out the top side for us a few days after the incident. Can't stand porcupines these days. Hope the pup heals up fast.

b, best wishes for the little guy, and best of luck on deer!!! And bear if you are after them..

Will see how he heals up. Was going to try and stumble into a Bear, but this and work changed those plans.

Very well done guys!! Hank and I spent a few days in Iowa looking for wild roosters. He put birds in the air, but they weren't holding (or he wasn't holding them) super well. More than a few places I found birds last year were dry holes this year, but I did find a new place that held enough birds to wear him out. He behaved/acted like what I think a bird dog should. Just not sure if the lack of birds was him not finding them, he's far from a super dog, or me not taking us to places with good bird numbers.

Untitled by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr

Untitled by Tyler Staggs, on Flickr

NIce pics Pointer. On the wild birds we've been after, when the pup starts getting birdy and working one, I close the distance very quickly. Most are flushing in shotgun range with the exception of CO roosters which love to run about 100 yards and flush. The quail have been holding nicely though. Hoping to pound a few more here soon.

Ran into goat head burs here in CO so bad that I felt guilty for the dog. Kept pulling them off him as we hunted but will mark that spot off moving forward. Found relatively few of those in Nebraska thankfully.

Nice work... Beautiful dog...

Took the wife for a boat ride and duck scouting trip this morning. Not many ducks around but the Snipe are here in force already. Thinking about heading back after them with a proper gun/ loads in the morning, still too warm here to take the mutt to the lake though......

Thanks for the advice. That's pretty much what I was doing. Just wish I could have gotten into more birds for Hank.

May have to meet you in KS some year so you're pooch can teach mine a thing or two...

Pointer, sounds good. Was thinking I need to try and find around a 60 pounder for alternating in the line up. Bane is running around 80 and can plow brush great but he gets beat up after a long day in the field. Alternating fields with 2 dogs may work better for me. But would be happy to try and learn Kansas a bit next year. Bird hunting is sure a great way to wrap up each year and still looking at 2 months of season to go.

Hank is 60# and 3 days in a row of all day hunting have him wore to a nub. Lots is probably due to my lack of conditioning for him. Thinking of getting some roading weights to make the runs I do take him on more effective. That and to get my fat butt our running with him more... I'd love a second dog, but I'm thinking my wife is not going to go for that.

I need to make more time bird trips, just the kids and their activities get in the way, but KS is on the short list.

Oldest boy and I took a walk this morning with Remi and our trusty Model 11. She put up our first Woodcock and I got the privilege to add to the list of game bird species taken with a family heirloom....

That is awesome. Never shot a woodcock. Brother inherited a Model 11 from my grandpa that he got in 1917. Proceeded to let it rust all over. Sad deal. Yours looks great still. Going to try and add to the bird pile here shortly.

30338,

Until yesterday I hadn't either. I figured the big snow storm immediately North and West of me would push some my way. Did a little research on the cover they like and Bam, Remi the Wonder dog winded it, put it up( after a few "whoas" so I could keep up) then reluctantly retrieved it after the shot. Apparently they don't smell as good as quail and pheasant do to her.

This gun has been in my family new since the 50's according to lore and has the wear marks to prove it. My great uncle bought it and hunted quail, dove and pheasant with it. My dad hunted everything in the Sunshine State during his possession. At 8 years old I killed my first Gobbler with it and have used it almost exclusively since. I'd like to use her for Grouse one day then she's likely retired until my boys get bigger.

Went to Vermont to hunt grouse the first week of Oct. Heard plenty of birds, but the cover was too thick to get any shots.
It's the first hunt where we didn't draw blood. We put a lot of hours in the field and my 12 yr old Gordon wasn't happy at all, and he let me know it.
I also found out that he's going deaf and the thick cover made hunting with him very frustrating for the both of us.
The scenery was beautiful, when it wasn't raining.
Usually I go to Maine, but after my Brit passing away earlier this year, I didn't have the heart to go and tried a different state.
Next year I'll be heading to Vermont a few weeks later and hopefully the leaves will be down, as well as some grouse.
Deer season ends in NY today, so I'm going to hunt all the places I jumped grouse during deer drives next weekend.

SJC