The Opener

A game bag full of Montana Roosters

It had been a long while since I hunted Pheasants.For the most part my current Dog String had never been into them.They have seen lots of Huns Sharptails and a lot of Quail but never the wily Ditch Parrot.

Working the River Breaks

As luck would have it this year the Dogs and I found ourselves running back and forth between Montana and Saskatchewan.Our first set of Montana Guide days coincided with Opening day of Pheasant Season … We where all in.

Idaho Bill works a CRP Field

Off we went into the bottoms then the tops of Coulees,along the creek bottoms then out into the CRP Fields and back down the Draws that fed them.

Coulee Country

Pheasants are notorious runners,Josie the lab in her sadistic way loved that while the Britts and Pointers got hosed, meaning a lot of unproductive points on Pheasants that where running ahead of the dogs.

Working a Creek Bottom

All was not fruitless,enough birds held tight to warrant some great points, and Pheasants in the bag.It’s not easy, on both dogs and hunters.We where in and out of the Coulees,climbing to the tops then working back down only to go back up again.It seemed to work !

Male Pheasant and a Double Gun

I am already looking forward to Montana’s Pheasant Opener,in the mean time we will get busy practicing by Hunting Desert Quail here in Arizona. Stay Tuned !

Crush and Kate pointing on top of a River Break

 

Patch points a Rooster
Roosters
Josie works a Coulee Bottom
Kate retrieves a Pheasant