First bird of the trip. Spud pointed in a big weedy/grassy waterway, hens went up close and then a big rooster popped presenting a 45 yard crossing shot. Hit him the first shot, shot behind on the second. Rooster powered on out but then fell about 150 yards into the adjoining standing sunflower field. I marched directly to my mark but of course lost it to some extent in the featureless standing sunflowers. Asked Spud to hunt dead, he did and we were on the board.

Another

Only Good Point Photo I captured on this Trip. Was limited out and chugging back to the truck. Big wad of 7-8 hens on this one.

Took the time to snap this on one of our warmer days. Did not move a bird at our first two drops that day. Got a point and then a 2 shot double on the 3rd drop. Another point to fill our limit on the 4th drop. Hunting was good particularly compared to around home, but the lowest numbers of pheasants I have seen in the Dakotas at the same time. We need to lobby Congress to increase the CRP acreage allotments to their previous levels which were 12 Million acres higher than now.

I managed 50 years of bird hunting and never saw a porcupine. Have encountered 3 of them in the area we are now hunting in our last two trips over the last month. Two of them were on this trip. First one was a point in an excellent large thick patch of Kochia weeds with some decent numbers of pheasants in it. Spud went on point, I went ahead to flush struggling in the waist tall thick weeds which made seeing anything on the ground impossible. After my efforts produced nothing I heard some movement on the ground just a foot or two away. I backed out and called Spud to come with me and he complied immediately. Narrowly averted disaster.
The next day I was unfortunately slower on the uptake. Spud went on point in a large patch of cattails surrounding a pond laying next to a sunflower field. We have shot roosters out of the spot every time we have hunted it. I went in front with cattail heads in my face, fuzz flying off into my mouth, eyes and nose. Seeing the ground was again impossible. With visions of a gaudy rooster busting up at any moment, I persisted in my flushing attempt too long. Apparently I actually stepped on the porky. I realized it too late and as I turned to leave Spud apparently figured if I was going to attack the porky he would too! 5 minutes into our hunt that morning we were headed to back to the truck with over an hour drive to the nearest vet. Sedation, quills pulled, $250, no more hunting that day. Totally my fault. Never even noticed my pants leg until the vet pointed it out to me. No wonder Spud broke and went in. Really poor performance on my part. I learned a guy must be thinking porky in that country when no birds get up after a reasonable attempt to flush.

Last day of the Trip. Spud on point in a heavy cover waterway. Couple of hens go up close and then a rooster sneaks out ahead, low going straight away. I fired one load of 13/8 oz nickel 5s through a modified choke. The rooster flew on a short distance and then pitched down into the heavy cover indicating he had been hit hard but not hard enough. Spud raced to the fall. Saw the rooster flap up out of the heavy cover and then here came Spud with the live rooster absent his beautiful long tail.

Second bird that day. Spud on point in the cattails again. Me ahead attempting to flush. Nothing flushing. Visions of Porky spring to mind and just then a big gaudy rooster busts up presenting a gimme shot. Brains screams don't blow him up, which leads to me then only hitting the bird with the fringe of my pattern, dropping him head up back into the sea of cattails with one shot. Spud rips ahead and begins doing his thing and as I track his movements rattling around in the cattails I see this wonderful sight.

Hunted on. Spud on point in a large Kochia weed patch. Hens flush and then a rooster busts up. Rolled that one. Two crippled bird recoveries in a row turned what would have a been a waste into a 3 shell limit day. Thanks for bailing me out, Spud.

Saw alot of antelope and deer. The rifle deer season had just opened and the motels were full of deer hunters. Enjoyed meeting and visiting with them at the start and end of our days. I will say however that I saw a 10 to 1 ratio of hunters who likely will not be hunting 10 years from now, for every one that may still be. Our challenges ahead at the voting box and with funding are very real.

Ended up about 1.5 miles from the truck when I shot our 3rd bird on the last day. So I had more shells and water than I will likely ever need, contingency gear, and 3 roosters in my vest and it was getting heavier with each step. I was gassed. Sat down to rest a spell and reflect. Spud sitting in front me. A young rutting whitetail buck comes working in on top of us from upwind. He had Spud's full attention but he never rose from his sitting position. He did bark once


