Although Ace and Crush had already completed previous loops,I wanted to do my final loop of the Season with two young dogs.Within minutes Crush was backing Ace, both relocated as I tried to”hook” around to come in to the points from the front,nothing happened.The dogs relocated again with the same result.We circled through the area in hopes of reconnecting with the running covey …which was futile .Once again we got hosed by Scaled Quail.The two dogs eagerly searched hard but in my mind we where done.My hunting season ended right then and there by getting screwed by a covey of Scaled Quail out on the New Mexico Plains … A great way to end it.
To say the trip went down perfectly would be an utter lie.The wind blew hard on my best days making the jumpy Scalies even more jumpy.Then we were shut down for a day due to rain.Chica decided to take off,I went out with Belle and Kate to search for her,She came in once she heard me shooting but I ended up getting lost by failing to Mark my truck on my GPS.I ended up navigating towards a waypoint I had marked 2 days earlier.But we where into them 3 hours and 11 coveys later I successfully got us back to the rig.During our “I’m lost Loop “Belle put on a Rockstar performance and Chica redeemed herself.
Then there was cold delivered pizza,The hotel room door key than never worked,2 female dogs in heat, did I mention the wind?
It was still a great trip.We sucked it up and got at it.Puppy’s Ace and Belle did great and the older dogs tore it up.Some began circling around after relocating to pick up the running Birds,often finding the covey or parts of.The shooting was fast and furious at times getting shots on each contact.As usual I shot well at the start of the trip then sank into a bit of a slump.To sum up,Bird Hunting sometimes seems prefect when things are not prefect.Perhaps its because you realize that your dogs are hunting and then pointing their littles hearts out and if they are totally into it then its best to put your head down and charge through the shortfalls …at some point you are rewarded as nothing is easy.If it was it would not be worth doing .
