The Outdoors

By Scott Rall, Outdoors Columnist

The reports are all over the map about pheasant hunting success in the first few weeks of the pheasant hunting season. My efforts were pretty solid for the first few days and then have tailed off greatly since. There is all whole list of possible excuses, but I will start with the ones that I think can actually hold water from a pheasant and dog biology perspective.

The crops are pretty much gone so there is no they are “all in the corn” excuses. It has been a very long time since I have seen this level of harvest competition before Halloween. Our area is ahead of counites a little further north but for all practical purposes, as a hunter we are getting to see pretty much all of the birds that are available.

My only expectation for lack luster success is just how dry is it. When the grass has some dew or a little moisture on it, the birds will leave a scent trail for my dogs to follow. Not only do the drought conditions eliminate any help the dog might get from the moisture, but the fact that as you walk through the grass the dust just plumes off the vegetation.

So, with little scent and a massive accumulation of dust that clogs the dog’s nose, it is very hard for a dog to track a bird even if they are in the areas you are hunting. When I took off my boots the other day, I removed my socks and each sock plumed a big puff of dust. I wondered with hunting pants complete with a gaiter sewn into the lower portion, just how could the dust actually get into my shoes all the way to my toes?

Every hunter who can afford one has gone out and purchased the lightest shotgun they could find. My Browning A-5 Sweet 16 gauge only weights about 5.75 pounds. Many guns used today weigh about 7.5 pounds. Whatever I saved in weight with my expenditure has been shredded by the fact that you can no longer carry the two water bottles designed to be carried in modern day strap vests.

I carry four water bottles that the dogs can drink directly from, and then a ½ gallon of water in a repurposed cranberry juice jug. All in all, I could carry three shotguns with less weight. If I am hunting with a non-dog-owning partner, they carry water also.

I am super careful with hunting my dogs in the kind of heat we have had since the opener. No bird is worth the loss of a dog. Several times I have to cut my walks short because of heat fears and a potential dog collapse. You should monitor your dogs closely and quit before they get into real trouble. If a dog does suffer from heat exhaustion, even if they live through it, they can never regulate their body temperatures as well again. Once your dog suffers a heat event it will be more prone to another one in even less difficult conditions.

There have been many hunters around, but I can’t say that extraordinary hunting pressure could be a cause for my less-than-stellar success. It is great to see lots of folks enjoying our public lands and I have no issue sharing those areas with them. I stop and visit with folks in WMA parking lots and their success has been about the same as mine. The only benefit I have over many of them is that I did not have to drive three hours to get to a good spot.

There is a 60% chance of rain as I ever so poorly and slowly type this writing. A few inches of rain might very well turn the tide for my pooches and me, but I am not holding my breath based on rain history the past five months. The back of my truck is sealed and with all the dust on the gravel roads, I think I could plant potatoes in there with just a little water.

A friend of mine called me the other day. He had gotten his two birds on a public spot and watched as several birds landed in one corner. He was sure I would have success if I just got there quickly. I jumped into the truck and when I started it the outside temp gauge was 81 degrees. I turned off the truck and called him and told him to meet for a drink instead. Maybe old age has something to do with it, but hunting in bad conditions just doesn’t have all that much appeal to me anymore. The fact that my dogs are 11, 9 and 4 might also be a contributing factor for my less than gung-ho hunt-at-all-cost attitude.

There is a lot of hunting season left and when I can go and not endanger my dogs, the pep in my step will very likely improve. Be safe and have a great time afield but be careful. Not only with the dogs but also with yourself. Humans can suffer from the same conditions as well. Here’s to seeing some rain soon. I know my dogs and I would appreciate it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you have any questions, reach out to me at scottarall@gmail.com.