We went back Sunday after the benefit hunt. It started slow, but not to worry. Cracker did it again. It was just before the bottom. She tracked them as far as they could go. It was good, but not our last.



We wanted to find some new birds, so we went east toward a bottom where we had not hunted this year. Beckett nailed a new covey near a senna bean pond.


I could have named this this thread, "Icing on the cake." We took the east fence south of the pipeline. Yeats put the icing on the cake. There must have been over 30 birds on a perfect covey rise. Two sporting clays shooters missed. It was a perfect last covey. Here's Yeats.




Do you remember your last covey this year?

Yes I do. Mixed covey rise bobs and blues. I am sure they had been running out front for a while we probably pushed the blues into the bobs

Yep. We were walking back to the ranch house after running out of gas in the Mule and jumped a covey on the road. No gun.

There were four of us with five pointing dogs, a lab and Muffin.



One of the bird dogs was a 1.5 year old GSP named Scout. She had wheels. She did an outstanding job on her last covey. Some birds got up but she prevailed and nailed the remaining birds. She was trained by Ronnie Smith

That picture of Yeats is fantastic, tack sharp lens on that camera.

It's a Cannon point and shoot. I had dinner with a bird dog artist and a pointing dog photographer at the first Quail Forever national championship trial. One of them said that you needed to get low to get your best pictures. I laid down to take that shot. Yeats looked as if he had been groomed, but I assure you that he had been hunting. I'd get a female and breed to him if I had another bird dog in me. He backed the first dog he ever saw pointing.

The red setters are brothers but not litter mates. Beckett has more range, but they both have wheels.

Bill, the Shorthair with wheels that R Smith trained....where does that dog come from?

A kennel in Georgia. I really liked her.

Great photos and thanks for the info on taking good dog pictures.

Thanks to all who contribute to our enjoyment with the great photos and comments!
The last covey for us Sunday afternoon was pointed beautifully by our young Pointer Babe and the single bird taken from the large covey was a milestone bird for the ranch. Babe and several other young dogs had began the season as projects and their progression through the season has been most rewarding. Also on the season ending hunt we used my 12 year old pointer and his kennel mate a 13 year old female Setter and they both pointed multiple coveys and retrieved birds to my hand. Quite possibly their last hunts and what a way to end it.
Monday morning as we were loading the dogs to head home there seemed to be just as many birds whistling as when we began the year. A sweet ending to a great season.

Thank you and all the others for your kind words. I'm still a little high after the season ended.

The Lucy locked down on a hard point, and I started heading toward her. She didn't move a muscle, but they flush wild before I could get to her. Not 5 minutes later I see June heading toward me. I'm in mid sentence asking "Whats a matter girl" when the smell hits me. Dang dog has went after a skunk again. I rinse her eyes, and head towards one of the ponds. Planned on letting her swim, and then go back to running in a different section of the field. With her working in front of me, I'd catch the slight smell of skunk in the breeze every so often. Then try and determine if it was from her, or a new skunk. Just decided to load up and head home, instead of taking the chance.
Cash has been sprayed once, and so far leaves skunks alone after that encounter.
The girls try to kill every skunk they find. I can call them off, if I catch it in time. But most days the damage is done, before I realize what they are up to.

Tank and Gus were running concentric circles in the opposite direction. We were approaching the Tecumseh creek bottom headed west towards a wheat field. Just as the dogs crossed each other to head back out on another round, both slammed on point. Let my lab Covey off her heal for the flush, and shot a double.

I'm allowed to hijack my own thread.

Funny thing. Kindall's Cash and Yeats got braced up together on their first run at the NSTRA Katy trial. Cash would have won the trial if he had retrieved. Yeats only found one bird, but scored the highest find in the entire trial.

Bet the GSP with wheels came from OAK HILL KENNELS in Rock Springs GA. Brenda Rowe the owner has a line of GSP that have big motors. She has trained a couple of dogs for me.

Love the photos of your dogs especially the one of Yeats he is a beautiful dog!!!!

The scenting conditions were bad that day, and birds had built up in the field.
Cash just changed his hunting style in order to find them. He finds birds, but can be a horses arse at times. To him it was Woo Hoo no ecollar. I know what I suppose to be doing, but I'll just bring the birds halfway to you instead.

Might as well tell them about Cracker, and Cash braced together. Cash points a bird in this small tuft of grass, but when flushed it flies straight towards the judge. A safety is call, and Cash locks back up on the same small tuft of grass. You would think it small to even hold one bird, but Cracker backs him. Bill is standing right next to me, when I tell Cash no bird to send him off. Bump the tuft with my foot and a bird flushes. Cracker gets the points for the back, and Cash none for the find. Back to rule number 1, trust the dog.
Yeats is a good dog, and I enjoyed watching him run.