The last couple of weeks hunting with the dogs, and Leslie, have been swell. They’ve also been some of the most beautiful I’ve witnessed, perhaps a (very minor) upside to global warming. And we’ve seen lots of birds, which has made the dogs happy, which makes me happy, even with my typical streaky shooting. Friday after school, for example, we went out for a rare evening hunt, saw lots of chukar, and I shot 0-8. The next time we went out, yesterday, 7-7 (which included a 2-for-1 on the last shot).
But it’s getting to be less and less about the shooting and more about watching Angus bounce back from a serious injury and Peat develop into a phenom. Friday was Angus’s first run in the field in two weeks, and he did well but covered less ground than normal; Peat outran him by a half-mile – the first time Peat’s run farther than his brother. Sunday, both dogs ran their PR, and again Peat bested Angus by a wee bit. Both dogs found birds – 5 coveys in the first hour. Fun.
Hunting solo with Peat while Angus was recuperating was a very good thing. Earlier in the season, Peat was letting Angus do the hard work, watching him from above, and then moving in to back Angus’s points. But when he found himself out there on his own, it was like watching a kid who’s just been given the keys to the ice cream parlor: he’d go wherever he needed to to find birds, and he did it, sometimes ranging out close to 200 yards, whereas before he’d stay within 50 yards. So yeah, I feel pretty grateful for how things are shaping up with Peat, as well as for Angus’s recovery and – at 9-1/2 years – his still-excellent work and condition.
Curiously, though, Peat is letting Angus outdo him on retrieves; yesterday Peat brought back just one of the 7 birds I killed. He still seems to have a tough time finding downed birds, something I hope to see improvement in. But at least he’s not assaulting Angus and stealing birds from him any more!
So here’s a longer-than-usual video, mainly because of the increased action of late. Enjoy.
Bob, I started watching your videos on YouTube a few years ago and I blame you at least partially responsible for my move from Tennessee to Oregon last year! I am glad I made the move. Anyways, I love watching your videos and seeing the country you hunt in. It has been really exciting seeing your young dog mature. This last video was most excellent. Keep them coming sir!
Well I’m relieved to hear the move was good for you, Benjamin. Thanks for watching and reading.
3 Lucky dogs that kind of day is what we all look forward to a spiritual experience, the thrill of victory great job Bob. As always the video was outstanding the best. That’s a hard day to beat good luck on the next hunt.
you may need to force fetch train peat in the next off season. My Britt would have rather go on hunting till i impressed on her that it was her job to get that bird. After force fetch, every shot or wounded bird comes back. Her best retrie
ve was 700 yards on a wounded bird with a dropped leg.
Thanks, John. Since Peat retrieves just fine when Angus isn’t there, I’m thinking he’s just being a brat, or letting Angus do what he likes to do, which is bring me birds, while Peat scampers on in search of more birds, which he’s become better at finding than Angus. It’s just a weird shift from last year when Peat would steal every bird he could from Angus.
That plant looks like rabbit brush. (Chrysothamnus nauseous) from the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae). Found only in western North America. There are variations of greens to silver colored hairs of the plant races. The Navajo Indians made a yellow dye from the flowering heads of the plant.
Thanks, Dennis; from the Latin name I wonder if it’s related to the Chrysanthemum… It’s nice to know that not all the “weeds” we see on the range are noxious (even though rabbit brush is “nauseous”). Medusahead rye is my most-hated noxious weed, and it’s taking over some places I used to hunt a lot but don’t anymore because it’s awful to walk in and doesn’t hold many birds.
Yes they are related. Both are from the same family . There are 25000 species in the family. Sunflowers, dandelions, thistles, dahlias,daisies
Great vid had it playing on loop as I made dinner tonight. These impressionistic vids are so much better than Outdoor Channel’s shows of over produced shoot em up, high fives, and sponsor ass kissing. Please keep them coming!
Thank you. The videos are truly a labor of love. (But if anyone wanted to sponsor us – without strings – we’d gladly consider it.)
Ditto to the other comments. There’s nothing funner than watching two or three dog’s hunt together. Watching Angus and Peat remind me of those great days.
Those are Huns, not chukars Bob……….
Great video. I hope you pay your videographer very well!
Thanks, Jay. I thought they looked a little small! 🙂 I pay my videographer a huge salary of compliments.