Can't get the time to be able to travel far enough to Quail hunt right now, so I am hunting mud birds again. Dash had a great Snipe hunt today. Plenty of them in north Texas still.

Does he point them?

Bill, I think you ask me that question about once a year to every other year as long as we have been on the forum.

I think Bill is prejudice against short haired red dogs

Sometimes I forget what I've posted.

Also, sometimes I forget what I have posted.

<chuckle> ...nicely played Bill!

That's ok Bill. You may be old, but I am getting old too as evidenced by the fall I made last week. I broke my head and it was a bit western. Stepped from one boulder to another while coming down a bluff, leading foot slid, reached with the gun on my way down to stop me from falling in. My hand slipped off the gun on the boulder, then I hit my arm on the boulder, spun me, hit the side of my head on the shotgun receiver on the rock, cut my brow with the top lever. Heard a crack so loud I thought the gun went off, saw stars, a high pitched sound in my head, then white. Amazing how much can happen in a second. Dash was off hunting away from me, but he must have come to my aid and jumped right right in to guard me as he was at my side when I came to my senses. Rolled around for bit holding my head and cussing. Then both of us limping went back to hunting for a couple hours. Good news from the CT scan two days ago was no surgery needed. I put on the reading glasses in the Snipe picture to hide the black and swelling that I still have. People keep telling me I'm too old hunt hunt the way I do. But then most of those people were sitting on a couch watching TV while I was hunting when they said that. I got about 4 more lives left I figure, so I am not changing a thing. When I retire in a year or two... Katy bar the door!

hell, I forget what I went to the fridge for

good looking vizsla! how old is Dash?

No kidding! How come I can remember every word to a song from 1964, but can't remember why I'm in the kitchen. Dash is a great looking dog.

Glad I'm not the only one.

John
I think the older we get, the more accident pron we become. Maybe it just hurts more as we age.
When I grow up I want to be like Bill, as its just around the corner for me.

Sorry for your fall I find my feet tangling with stuff all the time that's part of the aging process I guess but it sucks!!!!!

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/c...lenge-6822122.p






























At cursory glance, which is all most people would take if they bothered to look at all, the reach of winter-browned coastal prairie appeared a mostly monotonous sweep of emptiness.






Maybe they'd notice the thin layer of water glimmering in the ankle-high carpet of grasses or the yards of mud rimming a slash of inches-deep open water pooled in natural depression in the otherwise seemingly featureless flatland. But probably not.



It's certain not one in a thousand or maybe 100,000 gazing at the "pasture" on a chilly, windy February morning would see the seemingly vacant, lifeless landscape as an animated freshwater wetland rich in wild potential.

But Martin Bethke and I did.

"Looks perfect for snipe," Bethke said as we shrugged into hunting vests and unsheathed shotguns held in the rack on the front of the ATV that had transported us into the middle of a sprawling prairie/marsh wetland complex in Matagorda County.

It was, and much more. The morning of snipe hunting proved, as it always does, the multi-faceted richness of experience and insights enjoyed by the handful of wingshooters who pursue what is one of the most cryptic, challenging, delicious and almost wholly ignored migratory game birds.




Outdoors
Outdoors report: Feb. 11

Patrick Beverly (2) tries to defend against Draymond Green (23) during the second half of the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, February 9, 2016. The Warriors won 123-110.
As Rockets' slide continues, so does search for answers

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) is fouled by Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) as he drives to the basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016. The Blazers won the game 116-103. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
'Broken' Rockets limp into All-Star break with loss to Blazers

Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley (2) has some words with Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016. The Blazers won 116-103. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
Rockets stumble into All-Star break with loss to Trail Blazers

FRISCO, TX - FEBRUARY 10: Alex Morgan #13 of USA scores a goal in the first minute of play against Wendy Acosta #20 of Costa Rica during the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying at Toyota Stadium on February 10, 2016 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Morgan sets quick tone for U.S. women in Olympic qualifying

That snipe hunting occurs on shallow freshwater wetlands - some of the most vibrant, varied, rich wildlife habitat in the world - is part of that. But the bird itself is simply fascinating.

Wilson's, to be precise

Snipe - officially, Wilson's snipe - are one of the most abundant of the scores of species of shorebirds found in North America. Most recent population estimates indicate the continental population of Wilson's snipe is around 2 million, a number that has held steady for at least the past 40 years. Snipe and woodcock, their forest-dwelling cousins, are the only two shorebirds designated as game birds.

Would love to try Wilson's Snipe hunting someday. Good article. Concerning the age thing, I'm there and quickly finding that "Old age ain't for wimps." Dove hunting in October torn up a knee just getting off a 4 wheeler, deer hunting torn rotator cuff trying to left a deer! Waiting for turkey season to see what I can tear up then!

Sniper John,

I was hunting quail in a swampy area on the north end of a lake not long ago and flushed about half a dozen woodcock. I've never hunted them, didn't know if they were even in season, so I didn't shoot.

How are they as table fare?

Woodcock is good eaten RT! I have it several times and it's tasty bird

Great pics. Glad you are ok.

great picture with your pup!

You're as bad as Oxner. You can't remember that he can't remember. I'm over 70 and understand things like this.