Well, my duck season ended without a single duck or coot shot this year. Not because I didn't have opportunities but because had I shot them, I would have had to have gone swimming for them. Belle is definitely not a retriever. I didn't get out on one dedicated duck hunt this year either. It was kind of sad but at the same time I was not upset because based on everything I heard from people around here, it really wasn't worth it. My most die hard duck hunting friends here were all travelling far from this area of FL to find ducks (often times out of state). So the time spent chasing quail and woodcock with Belle was well spent. Heck, I shot more doves this year than ever. That's a first for me....more doves than ducks.
Some more pictures from our continuing trips through the woods.
The last weekend of the duck, dove and woodcock season was COLD here. We hit 23 in the morning and had windchills the day before in the teens. For FL that is FRIGID!!!! Belle and I went out though. I was bundled up heavily and Belle was wearing her skid plate and collar. I couldn't keep her out of the water. I am sure she got warm running all over the place in low 30 degree weather and 20 mph winds, at least initially. But we ended the day early because she wouldn't stay out of the water and so started shivering really badly. Goofy dog.
But we saw lots of neat things. She is working towards being a duck and coot pointy dog.
We got into areas that are still kinda thick from the hurricane and they will remain that way until the next burn or they rot into nothingness. There should be woodcock in there though.
During the week we would still run out to the quail lease one or two afternoons a week, when work allowed. She is an awesome quail house pointy dog...such a challenge ya know? But she does love them.
Some evenings she would get a nice long run, others she gets a ten to fifteen minute run before the sun went down. But most nights she manages to find a bird or two. Or thirty.
When we run the quail lease, I seldom take a gun. Mostly because I am technically not supposed to bring a gun to work and going home to grab my gun adds 30 minutes or so to the trip to the lease walk and we would almost always miss the daylight by the time I get there. So it is normally just a nice afternoon walk for me and her.
The weekends though are for heading out with the gun for sure. Most weekends we are finding at least a covey of quail a day, doves, snipe and a potential for woodducks. The woodcock this year was really tough. I only saw two this year. Worst year for woodcock since I started hunting them.
A particularly chilly morning with high winds had us hunting more fields than normal. Many of the trees out there lose limbs easily and I prefer to not be under them when it is really blowing out there. But birds could still be found.
She has interesting points when she suddenly comes upon coots and moorhens and woodducks that don't flush.
We often see fox squirrels out where we hunt, which is always so neat. I wouldn't mind a few fox squirrels hanging around my house.
I have a few weekends left of snipe and quail season out at the WMA, then it will strictly be lease hunting and I'll work on shooting birds more for her out there. But until then, we will be enjoying the time we have out at the WMA.
And I will be hoping that we have a bit more of this.
Dani
Some more pictures from our continuing trips through the woods.
The last weekend of the duck, dove and woodcock season was COLD here. We hit 23 in the morning and had windchills the day before in the teens. For FL that is FRIGID!!!! Belle and I went out though. I was bundled up heavily and Belle was wearing her skid plate and collar. I couldn't keep her out of the water. I am sure she got warm running all over the place in low 30 degree weather and 20 mph winds, at least initially. But we ended the day early because she wouldn't stay out of the water and so started shivering really badly. Goofy dog.
But we saw lots of neat things. She is working towards being a duck and coot pointy dog.
We got into areas that are still kinda thick from the hurricane and they will remain that way until the next burn or they rot into nothingness. There should be woodcock in there though.
During the week we would still run out to the quail lease one or two afternoons a week, when work allowed. She is an awesome quail house pointy dog...such a challenge ya know? But she does love them.
Some evenings she would get a nice long run, others she gets a ten to fifteen minute run before the sun went down. But most nights she manages to find a bird or two. Or thirty.
When we run the quail lease, I seldom take a gun. Mostly because I am technically not supposed to bring a gun to work and going home to grab my gun adds 30 minutes or so to the trip to the lease walk and we would almost always miss the daylight by the time I get there. So it is normally just a nice afternoon walk for me and her.
The weekends though are for heading out with the gun for sure. Most weekends we are finding at least a covey of quail a day, doves, snipe and a potential for woodducks. The woodcock this year was really tough. I only saw two this year. Worst year for woodcock since I started hunting them.
A particularly chilly morning with high winds had us hunting more fields than normal. Many of the trees out there lose limbs easily and I prefer to not be under them when it is really blowing out there. But birds could still be found.
She has interesting points when she suddenly comes upon coots and moorhens and woodducks that don't flush.
We often see fox squirrels out where we hunt, which is always so neat. I wouldn't mind a few fox squirrels hanging around my house.
I have a few weekends left of snipe and quail season out at the WMA, then it will strictly be lease hunting and I'll work on shooting birds more for her out there. But until then, we will be enjoying the time we have out at the WMA.
And I will be hoping that we have a bit more of this.
Dani
