Since I recieved a surprise 'Christmas Bonus' and really didnt expect it; I thought the girls could use some exercise and booked a full-day hunt at a local bird preserve; just for the heck of it...
..And the three of us had an absolute blast...!!!
The decision to do go also was based on Mocha "needing some steadying" when it came to birds; both MTRookie taking note, and even my old friend who visited last month suggesting we at one point: "just leave her behind"..after she'd bumped her first couple of the season.
I felt bad about that as knowing my Mocha's capabilities, being a fully trained GSP and realizing: "she just hasnt had enough birds in front of her this year" (not near enough compared to Suzie); ...I thought it best we give her chance to shine first...
She did great; as you can see from the above pics.
Both of these roosters were very hard to get, having likely been shot ata time or two, and yet Mocha worked them perfectly holding steady-on-point; ...All she needed was active birds and lots of fresh scent...
"No Mocha! ...I'm trying to take a picture here..?!"
...
Suzie however whined and threw a fit trying to get out of the truck and by the time she did; all the pheasant we'd seen were long gone.
..No problem, "lets go after some chukars instead..."
..I have to laugh a bit about that; as I'm still hugely fat, am winded walking from my singlewide to my truck, and the thought of hunting and shooting a chukar on top of a steep mountainside where they traditionally live, had long been something I'd decided I'd never be able to do...!?
Both her and Mocha did great dog work zeroing-in on this 'new scent' and both also retrieved-to-hand; as they do all species without any prompting on my part....
"Good girl..!!!"
..Mocha just wanted more and more birds; so I did my best and headed toward where I thought they'd be..(no birds were released for us, we were esentially 'hunting scratch'; those that had survived earlier hunts or gotten lose)..hence I didnt have to pay as much.
It was great fun....
Just being in the state of Montana with elk on the horizon and muleys busting as much as birds; ..hell it's just awesome; I cant describe it any other way..?!
We eventually headed toward home..
..tuckerd out as we all were..
The route was forecasted: 'hazardous with a chance of spectacular..'
(Lower Madison)
'The view' just across the road from my trailer, as we pulled in at dark.
Montana in late December.
Moe
.
