Sage Hens in the High Lonesome

Terry, Scooter, Smoke, Annie and I spent yesterday combing some of the highest, remotest sagebrush basins on the planet for sage hens. All day we found scattered singles and little bunches, some of which eluded both us and the dogs, most flushed wild although in early afternoon Scooter (6 mo. old German shorthair) and Smoke (3 yr. old pointer) combined on a small bunch and Terry did his part dropping a young cock with a single well-aimed shot. Scooter established point first (her first by the way) and Smoke backed, a pretty exciting deal for Terry and obviously a monumental moment in Scooter's fast developing career. The little rascal is really coming on, hunts all day, went from busting birds last week to what turned out yesterday to be a really fine performance for any bird dog let alone a young pup. Meanwhile Annie and I tramped miles of sage and when we finally decided to hang it up around five and head out had yet to see even one bird. But all of that was about to change. Driving out on a rough two-track we spotted a couple birds hunkered in the sage not far actually from where we had hunted earlier. We drove on a few hundred yards parked the truck, turned loose the hounds and... Soon we had points in every direction birds flying hither and yon and...when the melee finally ended we had three birds down and young Scooter's best performance about to unravel. Pointing staunchly Terry dropped the bird but only winged it scooted through heavy sagebrush with Scooter hot on the trail! Pointing and trailing like a veteran the pup finally ran it down but only after a 100 yards or more! Pretty damn nifty, eh? And yes Terry really is and deservedly so the Proud Papa...Go get'em Scooter... As for Annie and Smoke...well let's just say 'tweren't their best performances ever and leave it go at that...actually both dogs pretty much lost it somewhere between the first points and the 50 or so flushes followed...Still a pretty good way to end an awesome hunt in awesome country...sage hens,bird dogs, even the sometimes wayward sort ya gotta love 'em.

Montana Bird Season...One month old and counting...

 

 

If looks could kill, eh? Obviously Annie the Wirehair  takes sage hens very seriously. As a friend put it the other day...Awesome, cat-like, a real predator on the hunt. It's October now and the season is well along, a bit over half-way to the end of sage hen season, November 1. So far for us it's been tough: birds scattered, still not in the usual haunts, apparently due the extreme dry which has haunted the area pretty much since last fall at this time. I can't recall the last time we had any significant rain and except for this spring hardly any moisture to speak of, at least in this neck of woods. What birds we've found have not been far from water, taking adavantage of what little green vegetation is still around...most having been long since turned brown and desicated. Much like the withered brown grass in our backyard, each step is a loud crunch. 



Fly Fishing: Fall's Here... AT Last

Shriveled creeks, fleeting glimpses of long awaited fall colors...yesterday's sudden temperature drop--near 80 two days ago barely 40 yesterday with an all day stiff and frigid north wind...long johns and wool gloves...fleece and wool instead of well-worn fishing shirts...

...the season's first spawning redd (all time earliest for this ol' boy)and...

...a spawned out brown (another all time earliest). I caught the old girl a couple days after I spotted her and her mate spawning not far from the redd (above)e.g. NOT on the redd as has become way too de rigeuer of late...in my humble opinion that is... Anyway all that and of course the on going hunt for upland gamebirds (pheasants come in Saturday) although we have no plans for participating in the opening week circus and will continue to hunt down sage hens, huns and perhaps a blue grouse or two..