Pheasant season ended about 10 days ago so Jasper and I are suffering "end of hunting season blues". It was a very tough season this year with a success rate that was only about half of what we experienced in previous seasons. The drought in Eastern Colorado and Western Nebraska devastated the young pheasant populations and a lot of habitat. Add to that the fact that many of the farmers and ranchers had to harvest the grassland areas for hay to make a profit on something, and it all added up to smaller pheasant populations and fewer quality areas to hunt.
We worked hard for the birds that we did get and we still had a lot of fun out there. Jasper continues to mature as a field dog - it's a joy to watch him work!
Here are my best memories from this season:
1) We couldn't get a reservation for our favorite state wildlife area for pheasants on the opening weekend but we did get in on the following Wednesday - soon enough after the opener to still be promising and it didn't disappoint.Thanks to Jasper and some good luck I had my limit of 3 pheasants within less than an hour. The first one was not a find by Jasper, but another hunter about 100 yards away had flushed a rooster from some high grass. It was out of range for him and since it was headed my direction, he shouted at me from across the field. It was a far shot but I lead it enough to bring it down with one shot and Jasper, who had watched the whole thing happen, found the bird immediately in the high grass where it fell and brought it back to hand! After a wave of thanks to the other hunter, Jasper and I moved away in a different direction so we wouldn't interfere with anyone else and within about 10 minutes he was obviously tracking a bird that was moving through the grass ahead of him. We moved through an area with less cover and Jasper was just beginning to point when a rooster exploded out of the heavier cover 15 yards ahead of him. That one went down with one shot as well and Jasper retrieved him and brought him back to hand. About 10 minutes later, Jasper was birdy again. This time I could see a bird running through the grass ahead of him, hopping and zigzagging like they do. I thought I noticed that it was dragging a wing and although we were rapidly closing the distance on it, it didn't seem inclined to fly, so I had Jasper fetch it. Sure enough it had been wounded, probably the day before, so I dispatched it and we were done for the day. Jasper couldn't figure out why we were headed back to the car and why I wasn't following him into another area that must have been awash in pheasant scent given his excitement. As I signaled him to come back to my side, he kept looking at me as if to say "Are you sure about this? We should really be going over this way." I think that's the only time we have come home from hunting with Jasper not tired and satisfied.
2) Northeastern Colorado and about 20 minutes before a cold December sunrise... Jasper and I were getting ready to hunt the grasslands and tree lines of a State Wildlife Area that sometimes holds some pheasants. I hoped that if we were in the field as soon as we had enough light to do proper target identification (legal shooting begins 30 minutes before sunrise), that we might catch the birds in their roosting spots from the previous night. As soon as we walked from the parking lot, Jasper headed for the areas of high grass and begin quartering
nicely, trying to pick up scent. That soon turned to a much more focused search trajectory and Jasper was obviously zeroing in on something. About 20 yards further on he locked up in a perfect point. I moved in from the side, noted where he seemed to be looking, admiring his steadiness, and took few steps in that direction. A rooster came up from the grass practically at my feet and even though I knew to expect that, I shot under it the first time before bringing it down with the second shot about 20 yards out. After my second shot, a hen flushed from about 20 yards away and as I usually do in those instances, I shouted, "Hen. No bird!" It was then I realized that Jasper hadn't moved. Usually he's off to retrieve right after the shot, but this time he was holding steady, watching all the action. So I pointed to where the first bird had fallen in an area of high grass and said "Jasper, dead bird. Fetch 'em up". Off he went, found the bird immediately and brought it back to hand. It was textbook. I couldn't have asked for better.
3) The last day of pheasant season ... we didn't have any success at an area we hunted early morning so we were back in the same place I described in #2 to try the tree lines for some mid morning action. Jasper worked the tree lines with great enthusiasm but it was obvious that he wasn't picking up any scent and the recent snow told the same tale - no pheasant tracks. As we moved to one of the last tree lines - a row of 3 foot tall evergreens - Jasper was working about 30 yards ahead of me at the start of the tree line while I was struggling to cross a furrowed area (my feet were killing me from some tough walking earlier that morning). Just as I got to the start of the tree line, I see Jasper go on point near the base of one of these evergreens about 45 yards away from me. I'm inwardly griping at this point because I figure that the bird is going to bust before I can get in range and I just can't move through the terrain quickly at all. It takes me way too long to get there but during the whole time Jasper is in a rock solid point and nothing has flown or run out of the tree line. Finally, I get within about 10 yards of him and I move into the center area of the tree line towards where he is pointing. Sure enough a pheasant blows out from the brush near the tree where Jasper is on point. It's a hen so I don't shoot but I take the time to praise Jasper for his good staunch point and for waiting for me to flush it. What a good boy!
We had some other good memories, too, from earlier in the season ... Jasper chasing down a pheasant John had wounded, bringing it back to within 5 feet of John and setting it down on the ground... and then having to chase it all over again as it made a mad sprint back toward cover. (Now we give the command to "hold" so he doesn't drop the bird prematurely.) ... Jasper having a jack rabbit bust out of cover practically under his nose and holding and watching as it bounded away and then responding to my "No bird" and "let's go" directive to hunt off in a different area. (we did that several times this season) ... Jasper hunting at a hunt club where pheasants were set out prior to our arrival. We were paired with the owner of a young Weim and Jasper worked the ground so well he found every bird that had been set out before the Weim knew what was going on. The Weim's owner was laughing about it and he said "That dog is a bird finding machine!" (The Weim got even by stealing all of Jasper's retrieves)
So even though it wasn't a great season, we're still having fun. Jasper continues to be a great companion and member of the family. He sends licks and wags to you and his four-legged family members.
Take care,
Brian
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