CHARLIE - 1 Jack - 0

[Jack Cronkhite]

Chasing roosters in Saskatchewan in December starts by keeping a close eye on the short term weather forecast. For the past week Thursday looked like it would be that window of opportunity to be able to wander the creeks. And it was - just needed a parka, balaclava, long johns and insulated bib-overalls. Now think about shouldering the GHE with all that gear !! Can't just bring it up, have to poke it forward and pull back into the shoulder, well padded with a lofty down filled parka. I practiced that so I would be ready when necessary but it was never necessary. We got to the creeks around 1:30. CHARLIE put up some huns and sharptails but no pheasants. We headed to an alfalfa field and all I could do was look at the roosters out there because there was a couple hundred yards of "nothing" between us, so no chance to get close. Another creek and lots of tracks but they make pretty thin soup. The sun was touching the horizon, so the day was coming to an end. A roosting spot I know of was about 15 minutes away, so we headed there and had a 15 minute hike through the snow, cattails and rose bushes. CHARLIE kept getting birdy but nothing. She lifted her nose skyward, scenting something exciting. Down the bank and across the ice to the other side. She stopped dead and was in hold mode. She was about 40 yards from me. I was not going to chance the ice. CHARLIE did her jump and flush move but nothing. Then she buried her head, shoulders and eventually chest into the snow and rose bush. She backed out with her pheasant. She wasn't quite sure what to do. She has a very soft mouth but predator instinct swiftly dispatched the bird. Now what. I tried to convince her to come back and bring the bird. She wandered back and forth, then dropped it and came back. She has never gotten the idea of retrieve. So, I made my way back and around and over a crossing and picked it up. We went back to the rolling kennel, cased the gun, fed and watered the four legged partners (KYRA is always along) and headed home in the dark. No shots fired but a good meal will still come out of this day's hunt. Thanks CHARLIE :)

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Cheers,
Jack

[charlie cleveland]

jack i wish i had a dog that could catch my supper....iwas out checking my deer plots today didnt take my gun...dount you know i ssn 3 does....my dogs were with me but they never seen the deer.....will be going back to the woods shortly with gun hope something with horns comes along... did you give charlie her share of supper..... charlie c.

[Dean Romig]

Charlie, you can boil and boil those horns but they still don't get tender enough to eat...

[Jack Cronkhite]

Charlie: Don't want to tell you (oh sure I do) but after leaving the creek and heading back along the frozen mud road, the deer were jumping out of my way. They were in the fields, the ditches and on the road. Didn't see any bucks but probably 30 does, all within easy range - but it was "officially" dark. I do scare up deer throughout my pheasant haunts and I have seen some very nice bucks this year. Someone else mentioned that shotguns and rifles don't mix well and each need their own safe. My rifle safe has been very neglected and every once in a while (like last evening), I start thinking about letting them loose again but they cause so much work :)
Cheers,
Jack

PS As for CHARLIE's share of supper, I have started boiling the legs and the rest of the bones and peeling off the meat. Now I did that for years and ground the meat and made sandwich spread. This year, instead, I'm adding that into the dog food as a special treat. They both like it. CHARLIE's bird had not been previously wounded, nor was it sick. I think it just got itself so deep into the snow and rose bushes that it couldn't escape. CHARLIE didn't mess it up either, so it will be a good meal for sure. A farmer friend has the birds all around the yard in the winter. He also has a resident great horned owl that dines well. One day, as he drove into the yard, the owl had just killed a hen but flew away when the vehicle approached. He decided that one would be for him and the owl would have to find another. The lengths we can go to not to add lead pellets to the environment.

[charlie cleveland]

i was ten minutes to late getting in my stand this evening....i blamed it on mysquirl dog...she teeed a nd i ran and got the 22...but before i got to her my old blue tick went to barking and pulled her off the tree...daiseyis a young dog she as just started treeing...i have not got to knock a squirl out on her yet...well i put the 22 up and grabbed the deer gun got on my 4 wheeler and drove to the stand...as i cut the key off there the wall hanger buck stood but not forlong...off he wentwithout even saying goodbye...well maybe he will have more time to hang around next time....sure would like to try and boil those horns.....and it sounds like somebody needs to hang up there shotgun and get a rifle or trade that bird shot for buckshot.... charlie

[Jack Cronkhite]

....and if I had the .270 or the 30.30 or the 30.06 or the 7.62 - all I would see would be pheasants :whistle:
Cheers,
Jack

[charlie cleveland]

get a drilling it cvers all a person s hunting needs....then we probably wont see anything to shoot.... charlie