[mobirdhunter]

We are winding down our annual Minnesota trip, which we moved to a later than normal date to accommodate hospital trips and treatments for our two dogs with cancer. For the beginning of our trip I mostly hunted alone because Elaine needed to stay with Peat whose health took an abrupt downturn upon our arrival. We talked long and hard about whether we should go on this trip or not, but in the end wanted to have one more trip for Peat and Cedar as part of our family. I am saddened to report that Peat died on this trip, and we are heartbroken. He loved to ride with us, even though he knew his hunting days were over. He died in route to the vet in Bemidji where we had made arrangements to have him put to sleep as he was beginning to suffer. I'm glad to have made the trip with him. He was happy until the end. I can only wish to have a small portion of the courage he displayed during his life.

As for our trip, we have encountered every form of weather -- warm, frigid, near-hurricane force winds, sleet, snow, rain (blowing sideways!). Bird numbers seem good, but we are hunting our two healthy Gordons, a 7 year old, who is a bit too hard going for the grouse woods (but excels on the prairie), and our still puppy-like two year old who has gotten most of the hunting time. (Cedar, our best grouse dog, is still recovering from surgery that removed part of her upper jaw and hard palette to thwart melanoma, seems to be recovering OK and may get to hunt before the quail season is over.) The birds we have found so far have come in large "doses" -- 12 flushes in a half hour, for example -- followed by nearly birdless passages of time. I've not calculated my flush rate yet, but I'm guessing that it will end up near 4 birds per hour.

As I mentioned, this was the latest we have hunted here in the 32 years we've been coming. There are less people this week, and it's made the birds less jumpy. We will leave on Saturday to head back to Missouri where the quail season will be open. It will not be the same without Peat to ride shotgun.

My go-to grouse gun for over 30 years, a Dickson 28 gauge, has taken a back seat this year in favor of my "new" Parker DH 16 that I shoot really well (at least for me). This gun, a 1904 vintage piece, is all original and has beautiful 26 inch Damascus barrels, a straight hand stock, and two triggers. It's a bit on the heavier side, but, gosh(!), it shoots where I point.

Key to photos:
1. Although we arrived later than has been our tradition, there were still splashes of color to brighten the coverts...
2. ...and Leopold's smokey gold tamaracks were still glorious.
3. The scattered virgin pines that somehow missed the loggers saw, like this one, have become like old acquaintances in our coverts. We've been hunting by this monarch for over 30 years...a tiny fraction of its long life.
4. Not all points have the "happy ending" we desire...
5. ...but, this one did, much to the approval of Alder.