Back at it!

FLDBRED

FLDBRED

Well-known member
It was great to get back at it after the deer season. We managed to flush several grouse, honestly after chasing those running Roosters around the grouse seemed like sitting ducks. Deer season was great, but their is just something special about working with a bird dog that goes to the soul! We also flushed some pheasants in a legal to shoot area, but decided to give them a pass on this particular farm.
 
Glad you were able to get into some birds. I hunted all day on Saturday looking for some grouse. The dogs had one productive point. It produced two deer. I didn't see or hear a single grouse. Teaches me to stay close to home. I did see a rooster shortly after leaving the house. I may get out this week but it depends if I'm feeling sick on a nice day;)
 
I took the dogs out to the closest gamelands that has a late pheasant season. Nittany and Blitz covered the ground well and we were able to get a bird to flush from a hedgerow. The bird had a hard time getting out but it eventually made it. The fact that is was a small hawk carrying a squirrel is probably why it had a tough time flying. After no luck at this area I drove to a spot on the way home that may hold a grouse or two. The dogs hunted well again but produced no birds. After not finding any birds the past two outings I thought I would hit an area that still holds birds even though the season is closed. It didn't take long for the dogs to find some birds here.
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I tried to take a video of the flush on my phone and this is the best I could do:


We continued to work the fields without finding anything else. I started walking back towards the truck when the dogs had another point. I thought they just found some of the quail from the first point but instead 3 hen pheasants flush and a couple seconds later 3 more hens flush from the switchgrass. Its not often I see 6 pheasants come out of the field. Shortly after this the dogs had another point in the woods that produced the 7th hen of the day. We walked the treeline out and the dogs had one last point for the day:
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This time it was more of the quail from the first flush.

I spend 7 hours on Saturday and another 4 hours today without a single bird and then I end today with 7 hen pheasants and 12-15 quail close to home. I think I may spend the late season hunting closer to home with the camera!
 
What a windy day today. I went out to a preserve today with a few friends for a mixed bag hunt. We hunted chukar, quail and pheasant in the morning. The wind made things difficult at times for the dogs but they did well. We were able to find all the birds plus an extra or two. We actually found some of the birds several times due to some poor shooting. It was a fun tme for all of us and we were able to get most of the birds in the bag. When we finished walking the last field I took one shell out of my gun and then I saw Blitz on point. Everybody got into position and the bird flushed to my right. I could have taken him but let him go for a nice crossing shot for my one friend. He took two shots and missed. The bird locked his wings and let the wind take him to a far and safe place. Of course we had to give the shooter a hard time for that. I plan on doing another hunt next week at a different place and I am looking forward to it.
 
I must of missed your previous posts, nice pictures! Your dogs are getting a ton of work this year. You're right, it sure was windy today, and snowing where we were. Dugan hunted well but we failed to flush a bird, I think it's the first time this year. He never even got good scent today, but it was still good to get out!
 
Your hunt today reminds me of my hunt last Saturday. It was tough going up and down some of the cuts I was hunting without finding a bird. The dogs did get plenty of work and then next week I'll be heading out to Onpoit for a two day hunt. Good luck if/when you get out and Merry Christmas to you.
 
We'll be back at it for sure, although with a different game plan. I"m sure your going to enjoy your hunt at On-Point, and I believe he thinks he has some wild quail down there.

Merry Christmas to you and your family also, and I'm sure Santa has something for Nittany and Blitz.

Hey...all things considered, Penn St. did pretty well this year!
 
I hunted at Onpoint last year and had a great time. I think some of the birds I got into were the wild ones and hope to do the same last year.

I was happy with PSU's season and it ended on a good note. They are doing well with recruiting and hopefully the weather is good for the spring game and I can get the boys up there.

I'll be sure to take pictures of my adventure next week and let you know how it goes.
 
Had a good day Thursday but Lilly is on sick leave for a while. Vet thinks she has a nail bed infection. Giving her antibiotics and soaking her foot twice a day in epsom salts. Hopfully she gets better soon so we can get back at it.
 
Lynn,
I hope Lilly has a fast recovery, she will be much needed at the flushing survey.

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas. Hey....those five little ones must be tearing the place up waiting for Santa!
 
The weather has caused me to change my plans and I won't be making the trip to Onpoint on Thursday. A few years ago I had a Christmas hunt in SD cancelled because of snow and ice. I may have to start making plans for a quail hunt down south to avoid this mess.
 
That stinks, I know you were probably looking forward to it , but it is better to be safe. Are you going to reschedule it? Your dogs are in great shape and would have done real well there this year.
 
Yeah, I was excited to get out there. I'm not sure if I can reschedule or not. My two boys have wrestling matches every Saturday starting the first weekend of January and that makes it tough. I may have to take a day or two off from work to make it out but I don't have many of those left.

I plan to run the dogs in the morning before the snow/sleet gets here and take the camera along. I'll have to shoot with that for now. Good luck if you get out at all and have a happy New Year.
 
Dan,

Christmas was really fun with the quints. They are really starting to come up with some good ones. Their most used present was a $1.00 animal flashlight. Could have saved a lot of money :-)
 
LOL, That's good stuff Lynn, just wait till you can get them 5 little Setter pups!
 
I took the dogs out this morning to give them a run in an area that holds some liberated quail and holdover pheasants. It didn't take long for Nittany and Blitz to get birdy. They worked the edge of some switchgrass before heading into the woods. I didn't follow them but just watched from a distance before two hens flushed out of the woods. Here is the area they were working:
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We moved on and worked some other cover and a food plot without finding anything. After working a different area of switchgrass I came across this:
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I know there are still birds around here. We keep working and the dogs start working some scent. Before they can pin the bird a rooster flushes 50-75 yards away and I was able to snap this picture:
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The dogs worked some more after this in the wooded area and Nittany was able to find another hen.
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It may be a little hard to see him but he's in there.

I was hoping to find some quail but I think they are into the thicker cover waiting for the snow to come. I threw some feed out for them to help get them through the storm. I'll have to try to find them in a few days after it is not so icy out.
 
Hey....those are some good photo's! I wish I had an area that close to home to get that kind of work in. The habitat work your club is doing must be paying off! Any chance of expanding it some to the local farms? Remember Quail don't need the expanses that pheasant do,and to be perfectly honest with you, we know of areas that hold WILD pheasants that are MUCH smaller than what all the research says is essential.
 
The area I was in is enrolled in CREP and has several more years left on the contract. On the other side of the woods is some more land that the club bought in the last few years and recently paid off the loan. This new land is 50 acres of tillable land that has been farmed with beans and corn over the last few years. There is also a few acres of woods located within the 50 acre farm field. The club is looking at putting in different types of habitat using the EQIP program. Right now the county needs to see how much money is available before we move forward. On the one edge of the field and running through another part of it is a ditch that I have found some pheasants this past year. Part of the plan is to improve this ditch and prevent erosion. I think the overall plan is looking at putting in some trees, food plot areas and some other cover for all wildlife in the area. After the CREP contract expires on the other land I think the club would like to use the EQIP program to make some more improvements in that area. I believe the members of the club like EQIP over CREP because of all the regulations and rules that come with CREP. I'll be sure to keep you updated on any work that is done.

The local farms are farming pretty much all the land they have in mostly corn and beans. There is also some alfalpha planted along with a little wheat.

I do feel lucky that I am close to an area that I can run the dogs 8-9 months out of the year and get into some birds.
 
Sounds like your club has it's act together. I keep telling anyone who will listen that Pheasants Forever should be purchasing land in Pa.. The reasoning for not is sound, but I would love to see national get involved. How many members are in your club? I know 50 acres in that area had to be expensive, great job!
 
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