Finn from the Cascades, Season 3

[ntodwild]

I thought my Jack Russel was obedient.....Not a chance in hell I could take him hunting with me.

 

[MTLabrador]

Sitka and I had a great time exploring some great country with @JLS and Finn. The dogs are tired, feet are sore, beer and whiskey stashes are depleted, shooting abilities are humbled, and I have a new favorite bird to hunt.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

The chukar addiction is real. It was a fantastic adventure.

It was a tale as complex as the badlands we wandered in, to include the adversarial nature of blizzards, road closures, gale winds that collapsed our abode and sent sleeping bags rolling across the prairie, the absence of a dear friend due to continued Covid-19 outbreaks at his workplace, the conundrum of domestically produced import pickups, the perplexing questions of is a lab batter than a Drahthaar, why people don’t bury their shit, why Montana can’t manage elk, and why people drive 1600 miles to hunt birds when there are surplus elk tags available, the simple indulgences of PBR, Knob Creek hazy IPAs, elk burgers with Tillamook sharp cheddar, double guns, and stinky lap dogs, and a love for vast tracts of wild land inhabited by elk, mule deer and missile like partridges. I will be petitioning @Ben Lamb for the infinity star.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Asking for stars is an automatic disqualifier. But it's 2020 and the rules are just gone.

73 velvet elvis paintings, beard oil supplies for a year & a cameo by Rudy Gulliani are aware to @JLS

All the stars to @MTLabrador

 

[MTLabrador]

Asking for stars is an automatic disqualifier. But it's 2020 and the rules are just gone.

73 velvet elvis paintings, beard oil supplies for a year & a cameo by Rudy Gulliani are aware to @JLS

All the stars to @MTLabrador

You’d be deducting stars in a hurry if you saw my shooting this week. I trimmed a lot of tail feathers.

 

[Ben Lamb]

You’d be deducting stars in a hurry if you saw my shooting this week. I trimmed a lot of tail feathers.

Doggo photos absolve all.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

a cameo by Rudy Gulliani are aware

Sitka committed the potential transgression of shitting in camp. Maybe Rudy could give us a ruling on that and clean it up when he’s done.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Sitka committed the potential transgression of shitting in camp. Maybe Rudy could give us a ruling on that and clean it up when he’s done.

If anyone knows about shitting in inappropriate places, it's Rudy. No stars deducted for dog poop.

 

[1_pointer]

It’s a heck of a lot of fun to hunt a familiar quarry in a completely new landscape

That so resonates with me. Well said.

 

[PrestonMcDan]

Woods are pretty!

 

[OntarioHunter]

Interesting country. I always wanted to continue west and hunt chukars in Idaho with my cousin but he's too old and broken down now. Anyway I just can't make it past the pheasants here in Montana. They are the king of game birds for sure. Bagged my limit each of the last three days hunting plus a couple of sharpies. Grouse are everywhere. Can't remember ever seeing so many. Pheasants are better in some places. Getting a limit is still pretty much an all day affair but that's the way I like it. Been shooting very well. Four to six shots for three or four birds. My dogs are great, especially the Lab. Drifted snow is crusted here now and hard on their feet so we have to curtail hunting a bit.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

They are the king of game birds for sure.

A very dubious and subjective statement for sure....

 

[OntarioHunter]

A very dubious and subjective statement for sure....

Beautiful to look at, noisy, cagey (wild late season ones anyway), great eating (2nd only to ruff grouse), large size, lots of exciting smell for the dogs, and not real hard to hit. And there's also the running element that adds to the challenge. What's not to like?

Another limit plus a sharpie this afternoon. Only birds I had shots at. Only miss was the first shot at last rooster. Ellie was spectacular finding two cripples in impenetrable cattails. I have no reservation now about shooting birds in that crap. She's the best I've ever seen. Formerly with three good dogs working I'd usually lose them so I stopped hunting tulies. Two pheasants bathed in panko crumbs headed for tonight's frying pan. On the side rehydrated mashed spud flakes and stuffing from a box smothered with two envelopes of gravy. Dinner and lunch tomorrow.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Winter range closures are coming, so today we took ATVs in to access some stuff I rarely hunt.

Cool country. I’m pretty convinced the first chukar hatch completely failed, and the birds we are finding was a partial second brood. Not that many coveys and many of those are small birds.



Some really fine points today.



A three to four bird day is about what one can expect this year. Ended the day with an easy double and a pair of nice retrieves.



A healthy dinner, and off to find a Dairy Queen.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Me and my youngest with the goods....

 

[Hunting Wife]

My legs hurt just looking at those hills. Some cool looking country for sure.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

My legs hurt just looking at those hills. Some cool looking country for sure.

You know, even though I was in better shape at 40, I’ve found myself hunting the steep and deep a lot more as of late. I don’t know if I’m just more deliberate and not in such a hurry, but I don’t find it near as daunting as I used to. It helps that a limit of chukars weighs about as much as a six pack of tall boys.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Short pheasant hunt today.

 

[JShane]

awesome hunts, awesome scenery, weight watchers would be proud. Keep em coming

 

[Irrelevant]

Nice work!

BTW on chukar hunting, it's just that age numbs the pain