A couple of amazing days in the field: the season seems to be getting better and better. We are thankful for the birds whose lives we have ended and whose meat will nourish our bodies and whose memories and feathers escaping to remote corners of the garage remind me of the severity of this pastime. Not that it balances out exactly, but as some kind of penance, we make sure to keep our wild bird feeders at home full of seed.
On Thanksgiving Day, we tried a new spot that looked like it might hold birds. It did. Two days later, we tried another new spot and hiked our longest hunt yet. Today, the dogs are paying for it, especially Peat, who tore a toenail down to the quick. I’m starting to feel I understand what habitat to look for that will hold birds: sage, bitterbrush (or “buckbrush” as they call it in these parts), rocks, and east-facing slopes. Oh, and another probably very important feature: low hunting pressure.
Today I set out to make a video of just dog action from the previous two hunts, and I ended up with one of my longest videos yet. I won’t apologize because I love watching it, and hope you enjoy it, too. And to the grayish Toyota Tundra that drove by and stopped while we were unloading: next time just keep driving, or at least offer us a beer! 🙂
