The Great Basin is full of chukars this season. We went out this past weekend for three nights and found birds every where. Seems Oregon has better populations than Nevada and so we spent most of our time over there. There is no pressure as we are far from motels. The Menifee Vintager load performed exceptional with the hammer gun. Most of all Jay’s 28 ga buffered shot we test for him out did 12 bores. I use 28 ga for grouse and pheasants and this year we added chukars.

After a hard day of climbing sitting in a hot spring sipping wine and having smoked goose breast ala Canada grain fed eliminated all the sore bones

November 11, 2006

ELLEN TELLS ME SHE MISSES ME AND WANTS ME HOME BY THANKSGIVING. Nice to be wanted after being on the trail for so long. My dogs are in heaven and want each moment to be repeat again and again. They say that insanity is repeating an act time and time again trying to make it better. I can not make camping and dog working with such fine made guns and better so by definition I am sane but compulsive

That is my nature to achieve the heights one can go without loosing the perch and the drive to learn and be curious. The journey to the top is what it is all about. Why settle for less. After all this is America and the dream is achieving what you desire and the pursuit of happiness with humility. The best in women, children, dogs, intellectual honesty, best gun, theology, politics health, are all achieved through relationships. You have to like people and I really enjoy people .

On my way back to our place on the MADISON, i want to stop and visit my dear friend John Palmer truly a man who has a deep love affairs with dogs, English setters in particular. John has managed to keep things simple and his love for the outdoors is wonderful to be near. He is a gentlemen that actively participates in outdoormanship from trout fishing to pointers. John carries a SxS unloaded in the field and will not load his English double until his dogs are on a firm point. He will pass on a shot if there is eveen a remote chance the dogs may be in harms way. John is generous and always sems curious much like my hunting friend, a Mormon Bishop who leads a double life away from the city. John reads like a bookwarm, stands 6'9" and lives in rare aire ....is know as the Palm Tree. He is as gentle as a lab yet could hurl a hay bale over the wagon when needed.

The winds near Livington are voracious as usually . I pass Ben Willam place and wonder how many brittany's he kennels. Ben is new to the SxS's and with his protected fields I suspect he will enjoy shooting as 28 ga. He has a slide collection that deems worth of a donation upon his passing. He is a dire hard democrat I suspect a tick from his Northern Illinois days and high school teaching

November 03, 2006

The Prairie fields are filled with wild birds this years. We see no other hunters in North dakota as we hunt in area that have no lodges or guides. There can be too many birds for untrained pointing dogs and here the labs excell on recovering crippled birds.

I hunted with others who shoot doubles and we tend to hunt creek bottoms where the rooster like to hide. We see anywhere from 1000-3000 birds a day and harvest just enough for food and alway a gentleman's limit. Ellen is amazed at the habitat and the affect it has on numbers and the fact there are not others hunting such abundance. She understands keeping coverts locations close to the vest and plans to return each years to enjoy North Dakota.

November 1, 2006

Today the snow abated and the sun made conditions perfect for holding birds. My 1876 Scott Premiere Hammer gun is deadly over pointed birds. I must give my other English and French SxS beauties a chance. Ellen is a strong walker and feels at home among the Farmers and wheat fields. She loves watching her dogs have such a wonderful time and she is in a good mood.