Oakley Archives - Hunt Fish Golf Work

I did not anticipate that my 12.5-year-old lab, Pride, would make our annual upland hunting trip. He was diagnosed with cancer in June, and had part of his left front paw amputated. His gate after the surgery was noticeably awkward, and moderate running became strenuous. As I attempted to get him prepared for the 2015 season, he tired quickly, and did not seem enthused when we threw the bumper. As our trip neared, I was conflicted on what I should do. I am fortunate to have buddies that own quality, hard-working gun dogs. Hunting over them is a privilege. That said, the experience in the field is enhanced when you’re working in harmony with your own dog; a dog that skillfully corners a running rooster, a dog that locates a crippled bird in deep cover, and a dog that forgives you when you miss an easy shot.

On Wednesday evening I made the decision to bring Pride on the trip. He would not hunt large fields, or be put in situations that would tax his mind and body. Additionally, I brought all relevant medications to ensure that he remained comfortable during the journey.

Five of us arrived in the northeast corridor of Colorado at about nine am on Thursday, November 19^th. I am familiar with the Walk in Area (WIA) fields in this part of the state. The drought that plagued this region over the prior three years made hunting challenging. Bird populations decreased substantially as the habitat disappeared. Thankfully, most of Colorado received adequate precipitation throughout 2015, and early season reports were promising. I surveyed the land once I arrived at our first field. The CRP was noticeably higher, and I hoped that would result in consistent action.

Hunting Pride in the first couple of fields was not an option. The cover was too thick, and the walks were too long. I made a call to a friend who is a landowner in this part of the state. He gave us permission to hunt his property. Our initial private field has a center pivot irrigation machine that abuts the county road. Tall grass and tumble weeds sit below the drag hoses. The deep cover parallels a large cornfield harvested weeks prior to our visit. We manned each end of the agricultural equipment and worked towards the center. Pride walked with determination and excitement as we executed the pinching technique. His tail became noticeably active, and he picked up the pace, signifying there were pheasants present. Unfortunately the first two roosters flushed wild and out of shotgun range. A third rooster flew out of the cover thirty yards in front of me. I took immediate aim then fired three quick rounds at the evasive bird. Unfortunately, I did not connect, and was forced to yell “no bird” as Pride headed into the cut cornfield. When the hunters met somewhere in the middle of the field, a final rooster flew, and it was quickly taken down by a flurry of skillful shots.

We made our way to another private section of land that always holds a large amount of pheasants. It is critical to approach the long row of tall junipers from both the north and south. We set up a blocker at the far west end in order to prevent birds from easily escaping. There is a significant amount of cover throughout the shelterbelt that includes two large, deep pits. Cornfields line both sides of the trees, which makes a quiet approach almost impossible. As we moved through the area we noticed a pile of new shotgun shells, indicating that others had recently hunted the land. Given the disappointing facts, three of the guys started to head back to the trucks. Pride and I marched further west, still hoping that there were birds held up in a small patch of cover one hundred yards from the prime area. As I approached the edge of the field the distinct sound of a pheasant taking flight caused me to turn one hundred and eighty degrees. There were two roosters already in the air and moving in different directions. I focused on the bird moving to my right and fired a HEVI-SHOT round from my Benelli Ethos 12 gauge. The right wing of the pheasant was struck, but he successfully glided fifty yards into the middle of the cut cornfield. Pride was already running, but his lack of speed undermined any ability to successfully mark the downed bird. I ran right to the position where I believed the bird landed. I asked Pride to hunt dead and positioned him into the wind. For fifteen minutes, I watched him move carefully up and down the cornstalk rows. Suddenly his turns tightened and his body lowered. He stopped on point, staring intently at a pile of brush. Watching with amazement, Jeremy and I waited for Pride to move. He dove into the cover and grabbed the wounded bird. I was elated at Pride’s performance. He accomplished a feat I thought impossible given his age and medical condition. We took pictures and I ended his day. I could have headed back home as my trip was already a resounding success.

Eight of us enjoyed four great days in the field. Successfully hunting both public and private land throughout Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas. Pride continued to surprise me, finding birds in the nastiest cover. Given his remarkable performance, we will hunt again this season.

Our First Field

Product	Comment
Benelli Ethos (12 Gauge)	I shot pretty well the entire trip. The only birds I missed were my fault. The gun performed flawlessly in some pretty cold weather.
HEVI-SHOT Pheasant	Every bird I hit eventually died. The load packs a serious punch.
SoundGear	Bob and I wore our SoundGear hearing protection during the entire trip. We love the sound amplification in conjunction with the protection.
Orvis Upland Sling Pack	I was cautiously optimistic when I purchased this pack. It performed very well in the field. Comfortable and everything is easily accessible.
onXmaps	Imperative on this trip. Needed to distinguish public from private land. A must for all hunters and fisherman.
Irish Setter King Toe	I LOVE these boots. We walked 10 miles a day and my feet were so comfortable and warm.
Oakley Racing Jacket	Would not hunt without these shades. They perform very well in low light conditions. The lenses are easily scratched so protect them with a case.
SportDOG UPLANDHUNTER 1875	The best e-collar in the market for upland hunters.
Sylmar Body & Paw Protection	I recommend these products to all of my friends that own gun dogs.
Sitka Ballistic Beanie	Awesome hat that keeps you warm. Too warm when the air temperature crests 30 degrees.

My last hunting trip of the 2012-2013 pheasant season started out like any other journey to Eastern, Colorado; up at 4:00 am, out the door by 4:50 am and adjacent to my favorite field by 7:45 am. The temperature was sixteen degrees, and there was a subtle ten mph wind easing its way in from the northwest. The conditions were great, but I felt I was about forty five minutes behind schedule. My gut told me that the birds had already made their way into the corn fields where they could not be pursued. Pride and I quickly worked our way through the shin high CRP. I knew that if there were birds to be had, they would be holding tight in the deeper cover along the draw at the end of the field. Pride has often sought our quarry in this field, and he knows when to turn on his afterburners. Not dissimilar to our last trip, we moved quickly through the one hundred and fifty yards of brush but never encountered a bird. It was the second trip in a row that my honey hole failed to produce results.

The night before the trip, I phoned a rancher friend who had allowed Pride and me to hunt his land on three occasions during the season. For over two seasons, I never received a positive answer to my question “would it be possible to walk your land with my dog”. Honestly, I developed a complex as landowners repeatedly denied my requests to access their property. Unfortunately, my appeal to make a final tour of his prime real estate was denied. He emphasized the need to end the season early in order to give the birds a “break”. Nevertheless, I stopped by the house to drop off a case of bud light, and a personal thank you card addressed to the family.

Pride and I headed one half mile east then unloaded next to a large grass field that abutted corn. The snow that blanketed this field three weeks before was almost gone, and had unfortunately matted down the already sparse cover. We employed a zigzag pattern in order to cover ground, and perhaps confuse a running rooster. Pride did get hot as we marched towards the end of the field. When he slowed down and began to sniff in circles, I prepared myself for action. It took about thirty seconds, but a hen jumped up thirty yards in front of me. A few “no bird” calls had Pride ready to continue our walk west. Thirty minutes later we loaded up, and maneuvered to another favorite area about four miles southeast of our position. When I arrived at the field, there were already three trucks surrounding the area so I moved on. Pride and I spent the next hour covering an enormous field that did not show any signs of life. Disappointed but undeterred, we headed to town to fill up the Dodge Ram 1500, and get some food.

With a Monster Rehab energy drink and some jerky in hand, I stared at the map to determine our next move. Another hunter pulled into the market so I asked him how his day was going. He described an all too familiar story; working two dogs, he was able to get some birds in the air, but not close enough to attempt a shot. I asked him if he would like to hunt together to see if we could improve our odds. He responded with enthusiastic “yes”, so we began to collaborate on an afternoon strategy.

With a renewed focus, we drove further east towards some pivots that we hoped had not been mowed down. About five miles into the drive, Tom slowed and waived me up. He had noticed a one hundred yard row of evergreens in a walk in area just off the adjacent road. The plan was simple; I would drive to the east and work Pride west, and he would counter that with his two Brittany spaniels. I quickly made my way west, weaving between the fifteen foot evergreens. As Pride neared Gunner and Major, all dogs simultaneously turned quickly in the direction of the road. A rooster busted from the tree line, and flew straight back to the east. The tip of one tree prohibited me from executing an immediate shot, so I jumped forward and reset my position. My first shot from my Beretta A400 XPLR Light 12 gauge missed high, but the next shot knocked the bird down immediately. Pride ran furiously at the mortally wounded pheasant, and brought him to my hand. We thanked the dogs for their efforts, exchanged congratulations, and then continued on our way. The excitement level had suddenly intensified for all participants.

The next four pivots we hunted appeared amazing, but produced nothing. We hunted every inch of the dense CRP, hoping to move birds into the surrounding corn fields. Unfortunately, two miles of stalking produced only one startled hen. We continued our drive north towards Nebraska with the hope that the extra miles of driving would eventually pay off. We came across a unique walk in area that had knee-high grass surrounding a dense and long plum thicket. Tom, Gunner and Major took the right side of the trees, while Pride and I moved left. About half way through the walk south, Pride became birdy. Nose down and tail vigorously moving, he began to demonstrate signs of a pheasant in our presence. I readied for a shot but nothing happened. Tom and his dogs turned the corner around the plum thicket, and marched southeast. We both acknowledged that our dogs were in pursuit of moving prey, and the pace suddenly quickened. Pride moved to my right, and ran hard to the edge of the field. Tom was positioned about fifty yards to my right, and we expected the dogs were on a crafty cock bird. When Pride started to forcefully dig his nose in a clump of grass, a rooster jumped just inches from his head. As the bird took flight, all three dogs started their chase. The bird flew low which caused me to delay a shot as Major was in my field of vision. Tom, however, had a clear shot and knocked the bird out of the sky with his Winchester SX3 20 gauge.

It was now 4 pm, and we needed to quickly make our way to our last field of the day. The land that I had in mind always has birds moving from corn to cover as night approaches. As we drove up to the edge of the CRP, birds were already taking flight. We quickly piled out of the trucks, and jumped into the tall grass. The dogs were moving with determination as they obviously knew pheasants were sprinting away from us. After five hundred yards we turned back toward the west with the hope that some of the birds that we passed would hold tight. Unfortunately, these late season pheasants have been conditioned to outwit their pursuers. As the sun set, we watched the running birds take flight against the red sky. While we were disappointed that a shot never presented itself, the scene that unfolded in front of us was pretty awesome.

My 2012-2013 pheasant season appeared bleak at the outset. The drought that has savaged Colorado over the last 12 months was clearly visible to the not so discerning eye. Farmers, ranchers and landowners were all suffering, and so were the birds that depend on the habitat to survive. Hopefully, significant precipitation hits the region soon, and solves what is becoming an ever worsening problem. While the number of birds I harvested was far less than last year, I still had an amazing time. November cannot come soon enough.

Equipment Used in the Field

Shotgun	Beretta A400 XPLR Light 12 gauge, modified Trulock choke	I love this semiautomatic. I have a couple of fancy O/U’s, but they sit in the safe for a reason. This gun is light and reliable. I have had only two jams in three years. Unfortunately, it came in the midst of two amazing flushes. Cleaning the weapon is intimidating, but can be accomplished. This is will be my upland shotgun for a very long time.
Pack	Badlands’ Birdvest	Badlands is known for their big game packs and clothing. That said their upland pack is awesome. My favorite components are the two magnetic shell holders that sit on either side of the waist buckle. When it is cold, and you are scrambling to reload, these pouches provide quick access to the necessary ammunition. Badlands must redesign the elastic shell holder as twelve gauge shells fall out easily. I would also recommend deeper external webbing.
Jacket	Cabela’s Activ-Lite Upland Jacket	Comfortable jacket that can be used as a top layer on colder days. The jacket blocks the wind, while maintaining a loose fit.
Base Layer	Nike Pro Combat	I like wearing this product from Nike. The material really wicks away moisture and keeps you warm.
Boots	Irish Setter King Toe DSS 820	My best buy in 2011. These boots are comfortable, and can be worn in temperatures in the low single digits. I put a ton of miles on these boots and never suffered a blister or an injured foot.
Socks	Smartwool	These socks are so comfortable that I purchased 5 pair. My feet stay dry and warm.
Sunglasses	Oakley Scalpel	I am not an Oakley guy, but these are great shades. When it is bright or I am fishing, I wear the dark polarized lenses. When there is little sunlight, I put in the yellow lenses. Oakley’s are expensive, but my Scalpels have been a worthwhile investment.
Truck	Dodge Ram 1500 (2011)	The truck has operated flawlessly over the last 15 months. I did destroy two of my Goodyear tires, and had to make an unexpected investment in four new Hancook tires.
Gloves	Under Armour	Work very well when the temperature drops. I often debate putting them on as I want to maintain the proper feel of my shotgun.
Hat	Under Armour	I own five of these hats. Unfortunately, they get misshapen quickly and do not last. Sort of disappointing.
Camera	GoPro Hero 2	Of course I never had the camera on when I found birds. When it is turned on, the quality is great.
Dog (Pride)	Bred and trained by Gary Ruppel (Kiowa Creek Kennels)	Gary is the best in the business. He is a straightforward, kind and honest man. He also breeds/trains great dogs. What more could you want?