Idaho Ron
New member
We have been getting so much rain I can't remember this much rain in chuckar season. Our hunting now is like late December in a normal year. The rain and fog was so bad on friday that we got a half a inch of rain and the fog was so thick that you could only see about 15 yards.
I took our pastor from my church Art, chukar hunting. He has went before but he is a rifle shooter not a shotgun shooter. I turned Gretta loose with her LOUD bell, and a extra long flag. I like a little fog but this was nuts. We walked along the canyon with the wind at our backs. I hate to do that but the way the wind was blowing we had to walk that way at some time. So I figured in the heavy fog it would be better to walk with the wind and hit the other side when the sun came out (hopefully)
I was walking along listening for Gretta's bell. She was hunting close for her. She was only out about 125 yards at the most. In that fog all I could do was listen. Soon her bell was quiet and we started to walk to the last place I heard her. She always looks over her shoulder once and a while if it is taking me too long to find her. I could here a tinkle, tinkle. Then it would be quiet, then a tinkle, tinkle, and then quiet. It took a few minutes to find her and soon we were moving out front. The flush came up slow. The birds were strung out over a area about 40 yards long. I shot three birds BANG, BANG, BANG! Art, didn't have as good of luck, he missed. We moved to the next bunch and they pulled a fast one on us. Some times when chukars are hunted a lot they will start moving away from the dog, and peeling off. Soon a covey of 20 birds turns into 2. Well this happened on the second covey. The next covey flushed wild, and Gretta was not even near them.
We went back and got a bite to eat. The fog cleared up and it turned nice. We headed out with the wind in our faces. Gretta pointed the next bunch HARD! I ran down canyon to cut them off and they were pinned. Art moved in and I started to walk in. A single got up and I swatted it down. Gretta was still 30 yards out front pointing HARD! I took off my orange hat and marked the spot I shot from and walked in for the next flush. This one was also a slow flush. Up they came and I got off five shots. Too bad not one knocked down a bird! Art also missed. Man I was mad at my self. We went back and Gretta found my other bird. The next bird was a single and I got this one. Art was just not doing well shooting.
The next point was on a spur canyon. Gretta pointed then took off. I knew they were running on her. Art had a small bunch bust to his right and he said there they go. I said forget them. WATCH GRETTA! She slamed on point and we moved in. I got a double in the first wave of the flush and swung the gun to my right and another was down. I was done, with eight birds in the bag. Art was still trying to get his first. We kept hunting the spur canyon and more and more birds were pointed and flushed.
We ended the day with only nine coveys pointed. Each covey had about 20 birds in it. A few singles were also pointed but Gretta is not real good with singles, she rocks on coveys. I got eight birds and Art will try harder next time. Some of the problem was he just was not in the right place at the right time, some of the problem was he is not real good with a shotgun. I know by Gretta's points where they will be. He just has never hunted over pointers.
Gretta and I are up to 46 chukars in 7 hunts. Ron
I took our pastor from my church Art, chukar hunting. He has went before but he is a rifle shooter not a shotgun shooter. I turned Gretta loose with her LOUD bell, and a extra long flag. I like a little fog but this was nuts. We walked along the canyon with the wind at our backs. I hate to do that but the way the wind was blowing we had to walk that way at some time. So I figured in the heavy fog it would be better to walk with the wind and hit the other side when the sun came out (hopefully)
I was walking along listening for Gretta's bell. She was hunting close for her. She was only out about 125 yards at the most. In that fog all I could do was listen. Soon her bell was quiet and we started to walk to the last place I heard her. She always looks over her shoulder once and a while if it is taking me too long to find her. I could here a tinkle, tinkle. Then it would be quiet, then a tinkle, tinkle, and then quiet. It took a few minutes to find her and soon we were moving out front. The flush came up slow. The birds were strung out over a area about 40 yards long. I shot three birds BANG, BANG, BANG! Art, didn't have as good of luck, he missed. We moved to the next bunch and they pulled a fast one on us. Some times when chukars are hunted a lot they will start moving away from the dog, and peeling off. Soon a covey of 20 birds turns into 2. Well this happened on the second covey. The next covey flushed wild, and Gretta was not even near them.
We went back and got a bite to eat. The fog cleared up and it turned nice. We headed out with the wind in our faces. Gretta pointed the next bunch HARD! I ran down canyon to cut them off and they were pinned. Art moved in and I started to walk in. A single got up and I swatted it down. Gretta was still 30 yards out front pointing HARD! I took off my orange hat and marked the spot I shot from and walked in for the next flush. This one was also a slow flush. Up they came and I got off five shots. Too bad not one knocked down a bird! Art also missed. Man I was mad at my self. We went back and Gretta found my other bird. The next bird was a single and I got this one. Art was just not doing well shooting.
The next point was on a spur canyon. Gretta pointed then took off. I knew they were running on her. Art had a small bunch bust to his right and he said there they go. I said forget them. WATCH GRETTA! She slamed on point and we moved in. I got a double in the first wave of the flush and swung the gun to my right and another was down. I was done, with eight birds in the bag. Art was still trying to get his first. We kept hunting the spur canyon and more and more birds were pointed and flushed.
We ended the day with only nine coveys pointed. Each covey had about 20 birds in it. A few singles were also pointed but Gretta is not real good with singles, she rocks on coveys. I got eight birds and Art will try harder next time. Some of the problem was he just was not in the right place at the right time, some of the problem was he is not real good with a shotgun. I know by Gretta's points where they will be. He just has never hunted over pointers.
Gretta and I are up to 46 chukars in 7 hunts. Ron
