Hunting on the HiLine 2013, Vol. 1

We got off to a late start on hunting season this year. We skipped bow season entirely and started with pheasants a few weeks ago. Jeff drew fewer tags this year and with deer numbers down anyway, that's probably OK.

As per usual, I did not put in for any tags. The animals Jeff shoots on his own are enough meat for two people (more than enough!), and I really don't care to shoot. I've never taken any hunters' safety courses and I'm not super comfortable with weapons. Most of all, I just like to hike and be outdoors, so I'm more than OK with not having any tags to fill. I'll continue to scout with Jeff and help him clean and butcher what he harvests.

This year, we've gone bird hunting with Harvey twice so far. He has really matured into a nice hunting dog in his third year. He listens to our commands much better than he ever has before and he doesn't take off so far ahead of us. He also has learned not to chase after the birds he's flushed for quite such a long distance. We are also learning how to read him better. The way he sniffs and crouches seems to be different if he's on a hun or a grouse than it is if he is scenting a pheasant. We suppose it's because the different birds leave different amounts of scent behind. I am quickly becoming convinced there is no better way to hunt than to work with your dog.

Is he pointing with his back foot raised? Or is he just stalking and I caught him in action?

Harvey brought us a hun Jeff shot. Good Boy!

Another nice point.

 Pheasants have been coming back a little bit this year, but so far we have only shot a handful of huns, or Hungarian Partridge, and one Sharptail Grouse. There are TONS of huns and grouse around.  Every time we go for a walk, it seems, Harvey is on the trail of a group of huns. Bird season lasts into January, so we should still have plenty of time to find a few pheasants. We'll continue to enjoy working with Harvey in between searching for deer. More on deer hunting in a few days as the Hunting on the HiLine 2013 series continues!

The scenery can't be beat!