Very difficult to get a good photos in that cover but man does it make for excellent late season hunting and habitat. Tess came up lame with a paw injury after the first 4 hour drop in that cover so we cut the trip short and drove for home the next day.
Spud, Tess and I hunted the last days of Season in KS. It was really nice to be back in the field with Spud. The quail we were hunting had been heavily pressured. Per my phone I walked 1.56 miles per covey which was our best quail hunting of the season but tough hunting when compared with better days in the past.
The first day of the trip we got two coveys spread out in grass and Spud went to work on them. His first run in a month of being laid up with paw injury and he made the most of it with 7 pointed singles and one hen pheasant.
Spud on a Single Bobwhite
Spud on another single. I have let his steadiness erode hunting wild birds since September 1st, mostly alone and always carrying a gun. We will train it back up per our normal cycle. He does the things that put birds in the vest really well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrXr69NcPC4
Spud yesterday on the last day of season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO-lwH_JnIk
Tess got alot of time on the ground and alot of bird contacts the past 3 days. She points most of what she finds but does not always hold point for me to get in front and flush. If the birds move she cannot stand that pressure and she breaks and takes them out. Consequently I let alot of quail fly off when Tess was on the ground.
Watching her run is extremely encouraging and enjoyable for me. The little gal never stops hunting, she hunts to the right spots and finds a lot of birds. She extends her runs to the end of objectives and saves me alot of walking. If I can get her steadied up she is going to be a really nice dog.
Here is Tess retrieving our last rooster on the last day of season yesterday. I was able to get my quail loads on his head as it offered a crossing shot with a full head of steam. Spud had cautiously pointed it and several others in a plum thicket from a good distance. The roosters flushed long as I approached.
Had a conversation on the drive home this morning about a possible trip to west TX so maybe we aren't done yet ...
