My neighbor and I met up with a Napa friend again for a day of quail hunting. It was the first day afield for my new duck hunting buddy, a Golden Retriever named Brandy after my 90-year-old great aunt's favorite drink. No grand goals in mind just a puppy play day and her first day in the big outdoors. Of course, we took along Rosie, my 4-year-old Brittany who started hunting a few months ago.


We started off hitting what we call The Big Valley, a long valley full of hip to chest high Iranian Star Thistle. That stuff is horrible but it's also where the quail feed so into it we waded. Rosie loves a swim to cool off so, after the thistle, in she went when we hit a seep.


No birds in The Big Valley so we hit another smaller field where we missed the first birds of the day. Quick little monsters those quail.

We broke for lunch and grilled up some quail, dove, mushroom, and bacon kabobs. My Chief donated some of his homemade salsa and Mitch's son contributed some great hummus. Our Napa friend, of course, brought the wine. Good eats.

Just as we were driving up to another spot a covey flew up the hill. A bit disheartening as they certainly weren't reachable and, well, they weren't going to be in the creek bed where we'd hoped to find them. Good soldiers that we are...we soldiered on...

My neighbor had a lone quail get up behind him in some dense cover and we were pretty sure no one had busted a covey before we arrived. Pretty good chance the covey was spread out feeding so we gave the area some attention. Sure enough the covey got up and I dropped a bird into some cattails. In went the dogs and out came little Brandy with her first bird ever. I was one proud poppa and she was a switched on pup.


A half mile or so down the creek bed two birds got up wild well in front of us and when Rosie got to the spot she locked up tight on point. She typically points with her head low and all four feet firmly planted on the ground. This point was a little more stylish. I figured I could risk a photo as the birds had already departed.

You guessed it. There was one bird left and although it was kind enough to wait for me to finish my photo it then took off with me stuck in the brush pretending to be a grouse hunter...and missing spectacularly.

All in all a banner day. I only wanted to get the pup out, introduce her to gunfire (we started with a partner firing a ways off and then Brandy finding a refrigerated quail I brought along), and let her see her big sister in action. Instead, Brandy got her first bird.

Very nice!

Good stuff!

Great day and very cool photos.

thanks for sharing.

Some of you may be offended by the comparison, but, bird hunting with your own dog, is a little like golf. You can have hour after hour of frustration, but a good point, shot, and retrieve will make up for all the frustration, same as a single good shot can make a round.
Good luck with you new pup.

I like your dog Ruby, she is the spitting image of a brit I had some years ago.

low_tech - I know just what you mean. I live for a rock-solid point or a bird found that would've been lost without a dog. Frustrated now and then? Perhaps, but I take very little as seriously these days as I used to. Heck, if I can be half as good a hunter as my dogs are...I'm doing well myself.

quote:

Heck, if I can be half as good a hunter as my dogs are...I'm doing well myself.

they work many times as hard as we do, cover multiple miles to our one. Be sure the spoil the heck out of them, and enjoy the victories, and forgive the mistakes. About your new golden retriever, hope he does great on ducks. In California, should not have to worry about real cold weather(and water).

Happy New Year

That is awesome....really precious. Thanks for sharing !!!