The two years we lived in Washington, as I’ve said here before, were not the easiest two years for us. We missed the chukar hills, empathized with our dogs’ longings for open hills of bunchgrass and sage, and just simply were unable to ignore the call to the hills. Local surrogates paled in comparison. When we returned to those hills last February, they were buried in snow. So we had to wait. Now that the snow’s here again, we’re recalling the patience required but it’s easier being here, no longer two days’ drive away. I’m busy trying to gainfully employ myself, and I’m liking the challenge and channeling some of that into the new blog/website. But the industry’s hurting, I’ve yet to land a client, and so am doing what I do (when I’m not hunting): reading and writing on topic. Here’s my latest:
I did get out with Peat into the chukar hills for a long hunt yesterday. December 5th. T-shirt weather in the midst of lots of precipitation. Gorgeous. Not as much action as we’ve typically seen in this above-average bird year, but enough. Bizarrely, even though I filled my 100-ounce Cambelbak bladder, I ran out of water (three miles from the truck). A first for December. Still, stellar day.
Bob ,
We are getting flooded out here in Portland so much rain makes us very unhappy and unmotivated .
Your pictures made me happy to see the blue skies !
I hear you! One reason we didn’t stay in the Olympic Peninsula was the 150″ of rain! 12 or 13 is more like it! But it is winter, after all… 🙂
That sage looks awfully familiar. Lots of huns , no chukars in October, birds were really spooky flushing wild.
Sage does that, Cliff! Now it’s 3:1 chukar:Huns. No complaints, even though they’re still showing they remember hunters by flushing wild. Coming back with a couple of birds in a 6-hour hunt is the new normal. Still, no complaints!
That sage looks awfully familiar. In October only found huns that were really spook and flushing wild.