I’m nearly giddy with happiness after hiking today. For the first time since I sprained my ankle I was able to hike, much of it off-trail and on some steep side-hill stuff, wearing my new boots (review to come). It’s been five weeks, and it’s still nowhere near “good-as-new,” but today was the first sense I’ve had that everything will be okay. I’m starting to salivate about maybe getting out a couple more times before the end of the season…
Angus, too, was pretty happy about the little jaunt today. I was able to get him into a draw creased by a little creek with some mountain mahogany and willows lining the bottom. From the ridge spine above him I watched as his birdiness increased toward the trickle, and began to thrill as he slowed and finally pointed. My feet, unfortunately, weren’t in condition to get right down to him, but I watched him figure out how to get into the birds (which turned out to be a large covey of California quail), and he flushed them without going completely gonzo; Glenna would have chased the lead couple of birds into the next county before even looking back…
Anyway, maybe early next week I’ll have a report from a chukar hill somewhere not far away.
Not being able to hunt because of my sprained ankle has afforded me the unwanted leisure of thinking about chukar hunting more than doing it. But I thought I’d share some of the thoughts just because it’s the next best thing to being on the hill with Angus.
Imagining
Whenever I drive anywhere near hilly terrain I’ve never explored, my first thought these days is always, “I wonder if there are any chukar up there?” Do you chukar fools do that, too? I bet you do. Too many hills, not enough time.
Footing
My new boots
When I look at the hills (often while I should instead be watching the road) I try to imagine what the footing is like on it. If it’s really steep I wonder how traversing the sidehill would be. I wonder if the new boots I got with a slightly narrower sole would work well up there. I wonder if the sub-freezing winter temperatures have turned the ground into cement, making it impossible to get anything resembling a level step, or if the sun has warmed up the dirt and vegetation just enough to make it pliable and more pleasant and safer to cross.
Last year a friend gave me some Asolo TPS hiking boots that he’d gotten for next to nothing at an REI “Garage Sale.” They didn’t fit him but were perfect for me. Heavy-duty leather, Gore-Tex backpacking boots – great stability and support… Those are the boots I sprained my ankle in, so I thought I should consider something with more ankle support for when I’m able to get back up on the hill. We were looking for dress shirts (of all things) at Sierra Trading Post a few days ago and there was one pair of these Asolo “military” boots on the bargain shelf, and it was my size. They fit like a glove, and are not too heavy, have a great Vibram sole, a rubber rock guard the whole way around, and are Gore-Tex. I can’t wait to try them.
Fitness
Anyone who hunts chukar knows that the better shape you’re in the more fun you’ll have and the more birds you’ll see. There’s nothing worse than seeing your hard-working dog point high above you and dreading the gut-wrenching, time-sensitive climb up to him while worrying the birds will break before you can get there. You have no choice, and the faster you get there the better. If you’re out of shape, you won’t make it and will be treated to a lovely display of chukar aerodynamics and bird dog aggravation.
Don’t forget to stretch, and wear sensible workout apparel
If you’re out of shape, chukar hunting will get you in shape if you don’t kill yourself first. I like to start the season in the best shape I can be in, and try to make sure my dog is in good shape, too. In the warmer days of late September and October (seems like it’s staying warmer later and later in the season as the years pass), I am usually drenched by the time I reach the first ridgetop, no matter how fit I am. But my lungs work better and my heart and legs are stronger if I’ve been working out a lot during the summer. I trail run and mountain bike in the spring and summer to keep the fat pounds at a minimum and try not to drink too much beer (that’s the hardest part for me during the summer).
Riding the trainer
Having a bad ankle sprain makes it tough to stay in shape, but right now I ride my bike on a trainer inside and get some good cardio work that way. As I get older and feel more creaks, aches and pains, I’ve found that doing some basic core strength exercises helps my body work better and my mind have more fun when I put it to the test when looking for chukar.
Don’t Forget the Dog
What’s next, boss? Let’s go!
If you’re on the DL and can’t hunt, or it’s that horrible 8-month stretch when you can’t do any real hunting, don’t forget to work and bond with your partner. If you like your dog and appreciate what he or she does for you, make sure you keep that momentum going when you’re not hunting. Your dog is much better at hunting than you are; all you really do is capitalize on the dog’s work. Sure, you feed him and take him to the vet, but he needs a lot of stimulation and exercise to keep his mind sharp and his body fit. I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir, but I have seen more examples of neglected dogs during the non-hunting season than I’d like. Friendship is a two-way street, and we have a responsibility to keep our end of the bargain with our best friend year ’round.
Angus was phenomenal today, and I was even better. He found lots of birds but not more than normal. And I actually hit everything today, which was very abnormal.
I went with my friend Dan, who has a young, amazingly energetic springer spaniel (Kacie), who seems never to stop moving at full tilt. She’s incredible, and really fun to watch. But her nose is still learning how to hone in on specific creatures; soon she’ll be more selective and impossible to out-perform.
Instead of doing my normal solo routine of bee-lining it straight to the top, I did a more diagonal route and tried to stay close to Dan and Kacie in case Angus pointed early; we wanted to get Kacie into chukar since she hadn’t been exposed too much to that species yet (Dan has lots of great pheasant spots that he’s focused more on with Kacie).
Nasty chukar terrain
Somehow, as it’s easy to do in this terrain riddled with ridges and draws and hogbacks, Dan and I lost sight of each other. Just then I came around the spine of a ridge to find Angus locked up about 50 yards away. I maneuvered to the far side of Angus so that I could flush the birds toward Dan, hoping he was just behind me. I got right up to Angus and waited a little thinking I’d see Dan. And then the birds exploded.
Before I knew what happened I had knocked down three birds. Angus couldn’t believe it, either. Within a few seconds he’d retrieved the first one, and I pointed him in the area I thought the second bird went down. Angus heard it ruffling below him in a sage brush, bolted to it and pounced on it, and made the delivery back up to me before I sent him toward the third one. He found its scent and then started running straight down the steep slope. “Uh oh,” I said, “this will be interesting.” As he got farther away and hotter on the trail I noticed the chukar bouncing through bitterbrush and sage before Angus was able to get a hold of it at least 150 yards below me. With two birds already in my pouch and the third in his mouth on its way back up to me, I’d already taken more chukar than I got all last year. I was ecstatic, and incredibly proud of my puppy.
Kacie and Angus debate whose chukar these are
Dan was used to me missing, and when I found him above me a short time later he said he’d heard the shots and was surprised to learn I’d gotten a triple. We mapped out a plan so he could get Kacie into birds and maybe have Angus find some between us. But we got separated again, and then again, and I kept lucking into the birds while Dan and Kacie didn’t. On the very next covey Angus pointed, I got a double with one shot. Something weird was going on, but I wasn’t fighting it. At the end of the day I’d limited and Dan was skunked, which slightly mitigated my excitement. It was then that Dan informed me that he planned to nominate me for a membership in the AGS: Asshole Guide Service. He said he and his friends have a club that requires its members to take their friends out to find game birds and somehow manage to limit themselves without their friends getting more than one bird. Dan said I was a shoe-in.
I’ve yet to hear if I was admitted, and am a bit concerned about the hazing that might be involved. But until I know, I’ll keep trying to get my limit. After all, I only really do this for Angus.
Here’s the video I made about today’s great adventure:
Angus and I headed to the hills yesterday to see if we could find some chukar. These birds live in steep, rocky, hard to reach places. It is always a workout, and those who hunt chukar regularly are obsessed with it, and in very good physical condition. And their feet usually hurt because of the fact that the birds are never on flat ground but always on steep slopes. They are easy to shoot – if you’re lucky enough to find them – but very hard to hit because they are fast, savvy, and have mastered the art of surprise. But they are very good eating and the activity brings a lot of other fulfilling things to the table, like amazing views and happy, well-exercised dogs.
Angus had never sought chukar, partly because I stopped taking Glenna hunting due to her 20-mile range. She had an incredible nose for birds and could find anything anywhere. But she hunted for herself, and when the covey broke she would spend the rest of the day – literally – chasing each bird down and into the next county. She excelled at making sure there would never be any birds near me.
So I had no idea how Angus would do because he’d never had his nose on these birds and I’d never seen him point anything. I hadn’t done any serious training with him, and didn’t expect much from this outing other than a good workout. But I am very pleased to report that – after he stumbled into a covey and chased a few down – he used his nose to find four coveys and even pointed them. The birds broke because of my approach, and I missed all of the eight shots I took (time to start shooting skeet). But my little dog with tiny feet covered the ground carefully, thoroughly, and successfully while staying close enough to me to make an excellent hunting partner. I couldn’t have been happier with him, and look forward to our next attempt at bagging some of these amazing birds.
UPDATE (Nov. 20): We’ve now been chukar hunting three times. Waiting a week for our second outing was almost impossible. I spent most of my waking hours reading and thinking about chukar and guns and bird dogs. When the day finally came, we headed back up the hill and got into birds even sooner than before. Angus busted the first covey but after that knew exactly how close he could get before locking up and lifting his little front foot as if to say, “I believe I have them pinpointed, sir.” As usual, I whiffed.
Until the last covey we saw that day. He pointed, I flushed and somehow managed the composure to follow one bird, get the line, and shoot. Miracle of miracles, the chukar cartwheeled to the ground, ending up about 100 yards below me down a slope as steep as Carter-era inflation. Angus, following the birds, saw the one I hit and found it at the base of a sagebrush. I never would have found it. He grabbed it with his mouth, looked up at me, and proceeded on a beeline back up to me, grunting with pleasure as he dropped the bird at my feet. Not being particularly religious I had no prayers to recite, nobody or no thing in particular to thank. Just Angus.
Angus's first taste of chukar
It’s weird to underestimate something you adore, but I had vastly underestimated Angus’s natural ability. We’ve been out regularly for a while now, and he’s the quick study I never will be. Last week, despite usually being careful to keep to the ridge tops so as to stay above the chukar, we found ourselves fairly well down a slope. I came around the ridgeline to find Angus pointing, facing up the hill. “Crap,” I thought, “they’re above us and running straight up the hill.” I told Angus to “find the bird” and he heaved his wee frame up the hill after them. I was fried and couldn’t follow, figuring my only chance was that he’d bump a single down toward me. Ten seconds later I heard chukar music and managed to connect on a long crossing shot. A few seconds later Angus comes wheeling downhill, finds the bird, and brings it back to me. “Mission accomplished, sir! What’s next, sir?”
It’s discoveries like this, which might simply be good luck, that make all the other problems of life seem – at least temporarily – so insignificant. But the best part is that Angus, after waiting three years for me to wake up and smell the chukar, is finally doing what he’s wired to do. Maybe he’ll teach me something in his spare time.
Last Wednesday Leslie had a day off and came along for several reasons: she had some new boots she wanted to try out (see her blog about that!), she wanted a good workout, and had agreed to take photos and video. Check ’em out below…
