It seems like it was yesterday that we were digging out our bird vests, complaining about the heat and smoke from western forest fires. The dogs were heavier then, also sporting more feathering on their hocks and tails. We were mostly hunting blue grouse in September, on the mountain ridges that are now covered with snow.
We moved downhill for a few weeks of pheasant season, combined with the occasional Hun and sharptail outing. I also chased sage grouse one day with a friend from the Deep South, who was shocked at the size of the big bombers.
Then, to the dogs' dismay, the 20 and 28 gauges were moved to the back of the gun safe for a few weeks. Antelope, deer and elk hunting took up valuable time during the precious autumn, but the thrill of the big game chase is pretty special too, when you consider the speed of the prairie pronghorn and the alertness of majestic mountain elk.
Now, the only barriers to keeping the dogs out of the field are weather and work. I don't mind hunting in snow and cold, but sometimes the icy roads are the real problem. Hunting pressure is virtually nothing now, the pheasants are in the heaviest cover and Huns are full-grown and handsome. Hunting in December is as sporty as it gets. Some days, the gun never is fired, when the roosters decide to run and the sharptail and partridge flush wild. There aren't a lot of easy birds, but that isn't the concern. Those of us with dogs know that their lives are short and every day hunting during the second season, is a gift.
