On a
recent work trip, I ran into a gentleman at the Billings airport whom I recognized,
but couldn’t quite name or recall how I should know him. Finally, upon our
decent into a larger and less-friendly city, it jumped out at me. He was a bird
hunter and sporting clays shooter from Billings that I had met about 15 years
prior. Al looked healthy, but so much older. He had gone from vibrant and athletic to hunched-over
and slow-moving. Ever misjudge how long ago certain events really were like I
often do? It may seem like six years since I shot my first Mearns quail, but
was actually closer to ten. I am planning for a 30-year-class reunion next summer
when I could swear I was just wearing Zubaz and making a Duran-Duran mix-tape.
One of my
favorite saws is “Father Time is Undefeated”.
So, as we near the upcoming season, my mind is racing; how can I make
the make the best use of my precious fall months? What trips should I put on
the precious autumnal calendar?
All Chukars All The Time.
This is very applicable when one ponders the issue of
aging. Like elk hunting in the West, it
is a young man’s game. I know I can’t
run uphill chasing a birdy setter forever, so I should be focusing on chukars
even more than I do. While I have shot the
sporty buggers in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, I would really like to check off
Oregon and Nevada this fall. Or, do I
make it an epic quest and try and hunt chukars in all states this fall?
More Time At Bird Camp.
In my twenties and thirties, I had taken for granted Dad’s
humble grouse and woodcock getaway in northern Minnesota. Today, its perks
cannot go unnoticed: no hotels or restaurants to roll the dice on, endless
public land and always enough birds to make things interesting. If he was a millennial, Dad would also call
it “his happy place”, which is worth cherishing too.
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| Grouse Camp. Where the living is easy. |
Blue Grouse Early and Often
While I typically start hunting blues (yes, I know about the
dusky-sooty discovery) September 1st because of the heat down low on
the flat ground, it is time I respect the hunt for what it is: ample bird numbers with decent dog work on
thousands of acres of public land. I
plan to hunt Montana early in our usual coverts and then move on to Wyoming
where a trail run last summer led me to believe that the Cowboy State has blue
grouse dying of old age in some very wild places.
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| Blue grouse hunting. Big country, big views. |
Mixology.
Of course there will be the usual trips to the quiet parts
of Montana, looking for Huns, sharptail and roosters. Hopefully, Montana Huns bounce back
significantly, as last season they were few and far between. A day trip to sage
grouse country for a bird or two may transpire some cool morning in September. Crossing
over the eastern border into North Dakota will probably occur in mid-October,
since I was “in the neighborhood”. A trip to Nebraska or Kansas is projected
for that period when winter is taking hold in Montana and heading south makes
good sense. Speaking of south, Arizona
or New Mexico is always on my radar, but never works out in January due to work
obligations. Maybe this year.
Regardless, life is short, dogs’ lives are shorter and each
autumn seems to be over in the blink of an eye.
Get out there and enjoy every opportunity you get.
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| Hunt Huns when they abound. Weather dictates their numbers more than anything. |
