Pheasant Camp 2011: Part 4 cont.

Note; watch Dad point towards the end of the video.
And I quote: "Keep your eyes peeled boys, this place has produced birds before." ROOSTER!

Three shots, three guys, of course we got that one. We continued on in the last stretch of the final push. Again at the base of valley, Mocha hit hard point. Flurry of feather again. Austin froze because he didn't know you could shoot them. Oops. Dad and I pulled out one each.

We ended the stretch tired and happy.

Rachel even took a picture of a knarled dead maple at the end of our trudge.

  

Back at camp we again took some photos. I requested Rachel take a picture of me with my single rooster and single partridge. I do believe this to be my first partridge as well. I wanted this tree because Dad took a picture of his first deer with a bow under this boxelder.

 

Here is our final group picture on the porch of the greatest camp I have had the privilege to hunt over the years.

I want to of course thank my Uncle Al for hosting another fabulous pheasant camp. I want to thank my Aunt Karin for both allowing us to trash the house :) and for seeing the grand-babies! (and for the spare inhaler, I an indebted to you for that).

Here are a few other pictures that just need to be posted.

What a camp.

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Pheasant Camp 2011: Part 4

Sunday morning, we woke up to cold and windy. In all honesty, this was was nothing we weren't prepared for. We were walking the east end of the section this time that consists of the deeper ravines and valleys. We pull birds out of this every year and this one was no exception. First bird to flush was right across Austin and I. I gave him an eternity to shoot and nothing happened so I took care of business. I don't ever get to gloat, but I really couldn't miss this trip.

It may not look like it but the next bird was on it's way down by the time I got any shots off. Austin and Dad were on the ball this time.

Again, the birds were holding close because of the stiff, cold, wind and the birds are down before many shots can be fired. My cousin Brian had radar lock on this one and made short work of it.

At one point we pulled down a bird but were unable to make an ideal shot, and we crippled a bird. The bird was marked but not dead. A busted leg would hopefully keep it down and let the dogs do the rest of the work. Rachel got footage of the result. Bird flies away without one of us bringing it down.

It was time to take on the other side. We crossed the creek and took a group photo.

We took our positions and Cuba, Al's pup went right to work flushing a big mature rooster that Uncle Paul Johnson and Al brought down swiftly. We slowly pushed our way forward and watched as Cuba again pushed a bird around. Hen this time but he worked hard for it. There was a pause then Mocha, Dad's pup went on a hard point. All hell broke loose as a covey of gray partridge broke from the side hill, a couple folded when all was said and done. There was a little island that Brian and Nick headed out to see if there were birds as years past had produced. We watched as many pheasants and a few partridge busted from a patch the size of a semi trailer and we marked one that landed. No birds for Nick and Brian but Austin and Dad found the marked partridge. From a distance we see the small upland bird flush, a POOF, and then hear two simultaneous shots. Too cool! We continue on our push and follow the dog as usual. We hit a spot and find a bird.



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Pheasant Camp 2011: Part 3

After the final push in the corn it was time to call it quits for the day. I collected the birds and herded the family for a group photo.

What a wonderful camp!

After picture time it was the usual clean the birds time. Nick and I rallied hard to go on a last hunt between the two of us, but we were refocused to bird cleaning. With the help of many in the crew it took us 15 minutes to clean everything. Some trap shooting and bow shooting filled the last gap of time until 6pm.

At 6pm we all collected ourselves and made it down to the fen.  The fen was the last place our beloved Jill retrieved a bird. She snuck out of the house behind Al and hobbled her way out to hunt with the rest. Uncle Al dropped a rooster and watched his dog work towards the bird in the tall grass, or so he thought. Our old grizzled Labrador lumbered into the harvest field, picked up the rooster, slowly made her way back to Al, and laid the bird at his feet. Couldn't have had a better last retrieve. Jill died this last spring and her ashes were placed in a box at home where they were stored until now. We held a ceremony with some fine whiskey, a toast to all faithful retrievers of the past, and a heart-string pulling poem read by my mother. We toasted to our dog, and then spread some of her ashes around the fen where she was able to have one last hunt.

After our ceremony we reconvened back up at the house. We were all together enjoying each others company and some of the best Venison Stew the Lord has bestowed upon us. Prepared by the hands of my mother we all stuffed ourselves with stew, bars, and more stew. Perfect batch. There is nothing better than a great day in the field and then coming back to a fabulous meal. Great food, great family. Doesn't get better than that.



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Pheasant Camp 2011: Part 2

After our first run of the morning we got back to the house and had us some lunch. Some of us sat out on the lawn and shot bow for awhile, while others napped. We finally reconvened for the second push of the day. I have few pics of this push as my camera was dead but I have some aftershots for later.
This was the push Poindexter decided to take along his longbow in hopes of at least getting a shot at a flushing rooster. We started the push and Uncle Rick and I doubled on a rooster. Later, Nick finally got a shot, missed, and then Grandpa smoked it with his Ithaca. Great start. I had two birds get out ahead of me, and Rick called hen but I knew the first one was a rooster. I missed my first and smoked him on the second. Long shot and the only person to shoot. I told you I couldn't miss with that gun. We were on the downslope of one hillside when we hear a shot below us, and then hear birdshot hissing through the prairie grass. I told Brian there is someone shooting at us, and then Dad tell the group there has been a guy on this private property for the majority of the hunt. Brian and Al head over and have a word with him. "Lost" he says. "sorry" he says for spraying us with birdshot. "Didn't know we were there". Idiot from the cities. We move on. Austin finally get his chance at a bird and drills an immature rooster which we don't locate per say. Oops. In the aftermath of that another rooster gets up and nick shoots with his bow. Miss. Brian and Austin pull it down for another bird in the bag. Redemption is good. Rick then flushed a bird the length of his beard hair and thus turns it into red mush. We end the run and start walking back to the house. A little prairie section off to the north is on the way back. The dogs got birdy and Nick followed all the way. A big, slow, beautiful rooster flushes right in front of him. Swing and a close miss. All we hear was "INCHES!" So close with that bow.
After we got back to the house before our last push of the day, I had to get a picture with Grandpa and our true single roosters. 

For the last push of the day we chose the cornfield behind the house and boy did that pay off. We were covered in birds. Al was worried about bird numbers. I can't tell you why. I was a constant flush of pheasants. Austin and I took the down wind side on the push down. No shots but tons of birds. We stayed their for the way back because I had a hunch. Again Rachel took some gems while we waited for birds.

 Austin and I with our bird!

More to come


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Pheasant Camp 2011: Part 1

This marked yet another very memorable pheasant camp. Earlier this year Uncle Al told me that bird numbers were down, and we would see what we could do anyway. I don't know what he was talking about.
When we got to camp Friday night I was informed by Uncle Al that I would be able to wield his Browning Featherlite XS for this year's hunts. For those that don't know what that is, it is the greatest gun known to man. I can't miss with it. Period. I knew this was going to be a great weekend.
The next morning we got ready in no hurried fashion necessary and headed to the first push.

 The Featherlite XS!

Our first push produced a few birds as it always does, but mostly it helps us get some of the kinks out and get the dogs back into the groove of things. Rachel walked along with my camera, so all picture credit goes to her and she took some gems.

 Note: Cloud of feathers to the right of Dad's double.

 Note: Look past Austin's head, that was a rooster that got away!

More to come

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Locker Meat

Got an email from my beloved mother today. She went on to talk about the upcoming pheasant camp and the spectacular stew she is preparing. She also informed me that the shit meat we got back from the LaPort City locker was shitter. They paid another arm and a leg to have the cheating bastards cube up what we had left. Out of almost 60lbs of meat, maybe 5-8 is usable. Unacceptable. To add insult to injury all that we had gotten originally was trim. All the roasts, and backstraps were MIA. Rat Bastards. Never again will I take meat to a locker. NEVER. To those who are my dear friends and family, butcher it yourself, or send it to me.

People Suck.


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Bow Opener

 8/01/12 Morning Hunt
2011-12 bow season started yesterday. After the ISU Rodeo on Friday we discovered that Rachel had yet to purchase her licenses and therefore she got to sleep in. I went out to the new stand Nick and I put up on a finger off of the creek. I busted tons of deer on the way in. Saw three more does within the vicinity of the stand and missed a raccoon. I then walked the creekbed as there is no water flowing and found the largest grapevine of my life. I plan on going back for that sometime. I checked out Rachel's stand overlooking the 'acorn foodplot' and busted two does from there. I went up to the stand and a huge deer, nondescript of course, busted off of the hillslope. Sat in that stand for a half hour and watched two yearlings chow down before I called it a day. Great day of opener.

8/02/12 Morning Hunt
Rachel sat in her stand and my buddy Ned and I went back into the Cursed Woods Stand. I put him in that and then sat in another stand that is in another creekbed. I watched two squirrel try and make more squirrels for about an hour. I watched as a small buck came screaming into the creekbed whipped around and went right back to where he came from. I have never seen anything like it in my life. Walking out back towards Ned's stand I found a blood trail. Sparse, but nevertheless still a legitimate trail. Ned saw one doe and Rachel and Nick skunked out.

Evening Hunt
Rachel and I went down to the bottoms together this hunt. We worked very slowly and quietly down the trail-road. At the bottom of the hill we busted two turkeys at 56 yards, which was just too far for a shot through brush. We then found our way to the only water in the dry creek bed and waited for anything to happen. One of the turkeys we busted of course came right back to where they were but we were off that area. Called to her for a half hour before she moved on. No deer tonight just a nice evening shared with my wife!


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