Serious bird hunters: how many minutes of your life have you spent pulling and cutting cockle-burrs out of your partner’s hair (I’m talking about your dog)?
As a Brittany fan, I can say I’ve spent my share of time getting my dogs back to Ground Zero after a day in the weeds. Angus is a great patient with great patience, but I had long wanted to reduce the post-hunting torture we both endured to get the burrs and cheat-grass and other snarly crap out of his curly coat. Enter the Cabela’s Ripstop Chest Protector for dogs.
"I can't shake this thing!"
Sure, when this vest is on him he looks like Jerry Lewis after being mobbed by a bunch of rabid housewives at a holiday clothing sale, but the damned thing works. He hates wearing it for a few minutes but then quickly forgets about it when he gets his first snoutfull of chukar scent. It takes about 20 seconds to put on with the quick-clip buckles, and the reflective strips are great during all those hours we spend hunting illegally after dark (I just love jacking chukar with my 10 million candle headlamp, especially since it’s so easy to navigate steep, lava-slide side-hills in the dark). Duh – just kidding.
Angus reflecting…
Seriously, though, this vest allows me to see Angus much easier while he darts through the timber during a grouse hunt, and with the robust crops of cheat-grass, Medusa-head, and cockle-burrs in these parts this vest has made us both much happier campers. And, as I just checked the Cabela’s website it’s on sale as I write this for $14.99 (normally $40).
I’m not a spring chicken but I’m not dead yet, either. Still, I find lugging a heavy over-under up 2,000 feet of 60% slopes all day a pain in the butt. And the arm, and shoulder. I lift weights and try to keep a little strength going on in this aging body, but my gun was bumming me out.
I like the aesthetics of a nice over-under with some lovely engraving and beautiful wood. They’re fun to shoot and in the right hands can be deadly. But I’d always wondered about the repeaters and one day did a little Internet research on “best chukar gun” and came across the Benelli Ultra Light in some of the forums. The price tag ($1,599 MSRP) nearly ended it then and there, but I kept it in mind. Then I went out for chukar with my trusty over-under and afterward my arm felt like a lead pipe. The next day I traded it in toward the purchase of a Benelli Ultra Light 12-gauge, and have not looked back.
Angus, 6 chukar, and my Ultra Light
This gun gets light primarily by shortening the magazine to accommodate a maximum of three 3″ shells (actually 2 in the magazine, one in the chamber). It saves over a pound for me from my previous gun, which might not sound like much but it makes a big difference. My arm did not hurt after hunting all day with it the first time out.
The action is incredibly quick and, after hundreds of rounds, has never once jammed. It uses Benelli’s patented “Inertia Driven” mechanical action so there’s no gas injection voodoo there. Loading and unloading is intuitive and as simple as any other system I’ve used.
Aside from the weight savings, my favorite thing about the Ultra Light is that it fits me perfectly out of the box (I’m just shy of 6′ tall). It shoulders quickly and swings easily. As it’s my first auto loader I can’t compare it with any other guns, but being able to get three very quick shots off at a rising covey gives me a 50% advantage over my double-barrel gun, and – in one case so far – yielded me three birds with one flush. I couldn’t have done that with my 870 pump or my over-under. But then, you can get a new 870 for under $300…
Chokes and wrench for the Ultra Light
The chokes that came with the Ultra Light are fine for how and what I hunt: Cylinder, Improved Cylinder, and Modified (the latter is what’s almost always in my gun). The Benelli website shows that the Ultra Light guns (which now come in 20-gauge – 5.2 pounds – and a freaky light 28-gauge nudging the scale at a mere 4.9 lbs.) come with Full, Modified, and Improved Cylinder. I’m not sure if they changed the standard choke spec in the last year but if it matters to you which chokes you get with the gun, definitely ask your retailer.
Benelli makes a fuss over their Crio Chokes, which they claim are longer and harder (at least that’s what she said) with an engineered taper that results in much greater pattern consistency and accuracy than other chokes out there. I don’t know enough to validate this or comment on it, other than to say it sure sounds cool and I’ve shot as well or better with this gun than any other shotgun I’ve used.
Dusky grouse, chukar, Angus
The gel recoil pad is soft and durable, and nicely dampens the kick, which you feel on this gun because of its lightness. I was experimenting with some of the chukar loads recommended by folks on a forum and when I fired a Kent Ultimate Fast Lead #6 (2-3/4″, 1-3/8 oz., 1475 FPS) I was stunned by the severity of the recoil; seriously overkill, in my opinion, for any upland bird at any time of the year. I’ll stick with my cheap 7-1/2, 1-1/8 oz. shells, which have gotten me lots of chukar, a quite large blue (“dusky”) grouse at long range, and several pheasant at pretty far out, and I barely feel the kick shooting these.
The Ultra Light comes with a respectable owner’s manual, a nicely designed shim kit, and a surprisingly nice plastic case on which you can install a padlock.
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.
