Oklahoma pheasants
Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 8:19 pm
OK phez season opened the first we made it out Saturday and today. Both days were very warm and today the wind was blowing 25-30 on top of being 70 degrees by noon. On top of that OK has been in a severe drought for two years and many of my go to places have been mowed for hay. Crops yields were pretty much non-existent. I am not very optimistic on having a good season.
Saturday morning we got a real lucky break and had a very heavy dew, scent conditions were good early and we were able to take advantage and get a couple of roosters found. It was seniors day as most of the dog work came from our older dogs, Led by Nick a 10 year old son of Brenda's (snips) Gamble's Rip-N-Logan. Nick had a really nice find on a cock in some calf high wheat stubble, and the bird cooperated and held till flush, took off into the wind and then made the mistake of trying cut back over the top of us. Dez got the chance to retrieve that bird. Had another bird flush wild in some CRP, then had a nice point and retrieve from and eight year old female named Saddle.
Today the weather was worse due to the wind, got Dez out and he hit the ground like his tail was on fire, he headed out and was hitting the edges around one of the dry ponds, we headed up to catch the fence row and walked up seven hens, a good sign. Hunted on down an edge along some timber bordered by CRP, but were with the wind and not getting any action. We hit the end and crossed a dry creek bed and started down the other side of the pasture into the wind. Dez headed out and was using the wind, he disappeared behind some old junk cars the Garmin beeped and said he was pointing. My cousin (Chad) and I hustled up to find him bug eyed and locked up tight. I circled some trees to get a better shooting lane, Chad went in to flush, three cocks came up and he rolled one, Dez stood tight and was released quickly as the bird looked like he would run, and run he did but, after a short chase and good effort Dez brings him to hand. On down the fence line Dez spins hard and locked up tight I go in for a flush and up comes a covey of bobs, I managed one and with good manners I send him for a a quick retrieve. On down the fence line between the CRP field and the other side a cut bean field, Dez gets birdy and is trailing head high, he moves up a little further and stretches into a point. Two cocks come out wild before we can get there to flush, I tumbled one and Dez held tight watching the other fly off. I line him up and send him for the retrieve he has no idea where it went down and over runs the area where the bird went down. I am calling him back in as he makes a big cast and another bird gets out wild. I get him called back into the area and he manages to find the downed bird and brings it in. At this point its hot and Dez is hot so we head to the truck, we walk up a few singles from the covey on the way back to the truck, and Dez has a stop to flush on another.
We put Dez up and move over to hunt another smallish field, again break out the old dogs, Saddle, Grace and Wiley. Grace has a nice point on a cock that I literally had to grab out of the CRP it was so buried in. We managed another bird on a wild flush out of a hedge row, and found two more coveys of quail, one walked up and one run through and chased by Saddle like she was a rank green puppy!!
We rarely kill any of the quail in these two fields anyway, we like to have them to run dogs one, but it would have been nice to see her handle them like she should have!
Pretty good couple of days, dog work hasn't been bad considering conditions. In case you didn't notice I am extremely proud of my Dez for really shinning today.
Saturday morning we got a real lucky break and had a very heavy dew, scent conditions were good early and we were able to take advantage and get a couple of roosters found. It was seniors day as most of the dog work came from our older dogs, Led by Nick a 10 year old son of Brenda's (snips) Gamble's Rip-N-Logan. Nick had a really nice find on a cock in some calf high wheat stubble, and the bird cooperated and held till flush, took off into the wind and then made the mistake of trying cut back over the top of us. Dez got the chance to retrieve that bird. Had another bird flush wild in some CRP, then had a nice point and retrieve from and eight year old female named Saddle.
Today the weather was worse due to the wind, got Dez out and he hit the ground like his tail was on fire, he headed out and was hitting the edges around one of the dry ponds, we headed up to catch the fence row and walked up seven hens, a good sign. Hunted on down an edge along some timber bordered by CRP, but were with the wind and not getting any action. We hit the end and crossed a dry creek bed and started down the other side of the pasture into the wind. Dez headed out and was using the wind, he disappeared behind some old junk cars the Garmin beeped and said he was pointing. My cousin (Chad) and I hustled up to find him bug eyed and locked up tight. I circled some trees to get a better shooting lane, Chad went in to flush, three cocks came up and he rolled one, Dez stood tight and was released quickly as the bird looked like he would run, and run he did but, after a short chase and good effort Dez brings him to hand. On down the fence line Dez spins hard and locked up tight I go in for a flush and up comes a covey of bobs, I managed one and with good manners I send him for a a quick retrieve. On down the fence line between the CRP field and the other side a cut bean field, Dez gets birdy and is trailing head high, he moves up a little further and stretches into a point. Two cocks come out wild before we can get there to flush, I tumbled one and Dez held tight watching the other fly off. I line him up and send him for the retrieve he has no idea where it went down and over runs the area where the bird went down. I am calling him back in as he makes a big cast and another bird gets out wild. I get him called back into the area and he manages to find the downed bird and brings it in. At this point its hot and Dez is hot so we head to the truck, we walk up a few singles from the covey on the way back to the truck, and Dez has a stop to flush on another.
We put Dez up and move over to hunt another smallish field, again break out the old dogs, Saddle, Grace and Wiley. Grace has a nice point on a cock that I literally had to grab out of the CRP it was so buried in. We managed another bird on a wild flush out of a hedge row, and found two more coveys of quail, one walked up and one run through and chased by Saddle like she was a rank green puppy!!
We rarely kill any of the quail in these two fields anyway, we like to have them to run dogs one, but it would have been nice to see her handle them like she should have!Pretty good couple of days, dog work hasn't been bad considering conditions. In case you didn't notice I am extremely proud of my Dez for really shinning today.
