The drive home ... one tired pup
I played hooky Friday (maybe you did too) and got on the chukar hill in time for a two-hour hunt. They called, we climbed, put a sneak around the rocky top, and scored. Buddy had to search to the bottom of a thousand-foot ravine to produce the bird.
A last-minute cancellation meant I got one of two rooms at the motel – especially welcome as the snowflakes started falling. An old writer friend greeted me in the parking lot, and Sandy held supper for me at the café. There were more old and new friends in the general store, where the beer was plentiful and cold. The population of the town doubled overnight to 18, most from my own town five hours away.
My hunting partners arrived to trade secret spots. A neighbor pulled into the lot. Soon five wires, a couple pointers, shorthairs and a Lab, were all sniffing butts and peeing on bushes. And not one dogfight. Do you own a male dog? You can sense the relief.
That night, an impromptu Italian dinner was offered and accepted, jokes were told, and the one stranger at the café ended up being a fishing companion from almost 20 years ago.
In the field, birds were pointed, some were shot, retrieves were made. By the end of the snowy weekend the sun was blazing, illuminating the desert from a vantage six hundred feet up a rocky draw. Life is good.
Now, how was your closer?
Scott Linden Outdoors 
chucker season is closed now.
what shall i do now??
i put my benelli s.b.e. to bed
time to go fishing——-bye
Or sporting clays, dog training, a preserve hunt, reload some shells … and then there’s that fishing thing. And of course, contiue to follow this blog – we NEVER stop hunting.
I think I’m sort of a “neighbor” – live in Boonesborough. I have a young wirehair and spent the last day on a friend’s property, normally a good quail producer, but – nothing! One point on quail but couldn’t find the dog in the junipers and birds finally flushed (saw one). We’ll have to get out next year and compare dogs/notes!
Howdy neighbor. I feel your pain … one reason I often use a TriTronics beeper/locator. There’s a reason so many wires are named “Sage” … on point, they resemble one! I’ll have a pup this spring so let’s connect.