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Originally Posted by Harold Lee Pickens
I'm no whimp and generally hunt 3-4 days/week starting October, but just cancelled upcoming trip to SD. A new foot of snow on top of what was already there and temps at -17 at night and the highest temp predicted for the next week or so( after I get There) to be 9 degrees. Called the ranch we rent a cabin off of and said there were some pretty serious drifting.
Last year we battled heavy snow--above your knees at times--and cold temps but were successful, but hunted only 5 days instead of 10. Both man and dogs were wore out. The extreme cold takes its toll on the dogs also. It was hard last year even trying to find a place to pull the truck off the road to park as Dean alludes to---and yes got stuck in an unplowed parking lot at a WPA on the first day last year.
Had a great season none the less with 2 trips to the UP (should have been three), lots of pheasant hunting at home, and a ball hunting quail on the WV public hunting areas where they are working hard to establish them. But its all over now until next year.
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Harold, as tough a decision as it is to call off a hunt, I think what you're doing is very prudent. No need to risk injury -- or worse -- for you or your pups. It's also hard on the birds to be flushed away from thermal cover at these bitter cold times. We had about a foot of snow here in North Missouri and forecast temperatures that have highs in the lower single digits (with minus teens at night). I've hunted in that cold before, but not with snow that was that deep. Our poor quail will die if these conditions persist, and it looks like they will. I won't flush a covey in weather like this. We may also cancel our trip to Kansas which appears to have similar poor weather (and after a year of drought!).
When you work your whole life to have retirement to hunt, losing time is a big deal. It's why I go every chance I can. I know you're a kindred spirit in that regard. I hope things work out for a great coming season, and that we both -- and our pups -- are well land able to enjoy it.
Take care!
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"Doubtless the good Lord could have made a better game bird than bobwhite, and better country to hunt him in...but equally doubtless, he never did." -- Guy de la Valdene (from A Handful of Feathers )
"'I promise you,' he said, 'on my word of honor, I won't die on the opening of the bird season.'" -- Robert Ruark (from The Old Man and the Boy)
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