While the double porcupine fiasco was all their fault..

...the 3 skunkings have been all mine.

Certainly not the best way to start the season...

A week ago a friend and I, along with my girls, headed toward a promising looking BMA, but after walking a few miles came up empty.

That was skunking number 1 and a hot one too! My new minimum degree for hunting them is 65 and under after that one; plus they and myself were extremely out of shape.


When my GSP Mocha's tongue is hanging out the side of her mouth and Suzie comes up to me and lays down; thats when I know I've pushed them too far. We took a nice break then meandered back to the truck.

....

Next we hit an old place I've had luck before (yesterday) and while we should have at least seen some pheasants; instead we saw nada in the first half hour. Certainly their were birds still around, even though we missed 'openner' due to work. But before we could head elsewhere in the unit to check, BOTH girls got nailed 50 quills each in the face by a porcupine and chaos and pain ensued in the next hour and a half.

"#@%&"!!

I mean all up in their nostrils, mouths, gums, with blood and painful yelps as I used my foreceps on each; the whole thing...sucked big time!! Poor Suzie was climbing on my back while I was bent over taking some out of Mochas face. Then finally she just just lay down defeated and let me do what needed to be done.

No pics as when it happened, all I could think of was get them out fast before something worse happens; like they swallow a few of them.

We headed home and called it quits...skunking Number 2.

....

So today we hit the Lower Madison to run around and see about what we expected...nothing but deer. Then headed toward a huge BMA I know has huns to give that a try and forget about pheasant for a while...


Last year, very late in the season, I found this place and Suzie pointed two nice family coveys right around here. The only thing was their were four at best left then, after being shot-out earlier I assumed. As bad as we needed and wanted them; I passed, but made note to return this season to give them a go...


So here we were, only problem we couldn't locate them and not like we didn't try; Suzie and I hoofed two mile at least (?).


We saw lots of mule deer and two nice bucks right at dark. A few elk were skylined too; though not for long as they saw us too...


Does or fawns, something I like about muleys is they're different. I've seen thousands of whitetails and shot close to a hundred, but muleys just are neat I think; the way they bound off when spooked or stop and stare aftera short distance. Not considered 'smart' by a lot of folks for this reason, but thats unfair as no deer realzies what man has as far as accuurate ammo and scoped rifles I dont think.


Still, both girls had fun I think and got in better shape too. I know I did and am sore from head to toe..


All 3 of us, birds or no birds, enjoyed that wonderful sunset Montana's come to be famous for.


Though we had to leave since I got work tomorrow; both girls seemed sure their were birds back there (somewhere) and I am too. So I guess we'll head that way again and give it another go; just to see...

Moe

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