Most days my dog gets a dose of outdoor exercise; an important factor to successfully raising a puppy. Especially a sporting breed. As a consequence my dog takes her sleep very seriously.
And by the time this post is published Braumeister and I will be driving home following a trip to South Dakota to chase pheasants. It's likely he, me and the dog are gonna crash tonight.
Check-back in the next week for photos and if we were successful. Or not.
As Randi Dix says; Shoot 'em in the face!
Living in the country has all sorts of advantages and consequences. On the consequence side of the ledger it goes beyond simply brown bats getting into your HVAC system. There are external forces at work too.
And if you're a red-golden retriever hunting dog it sometimes becomes a wee bit overwhelming....
Ditch Chicken - a colloquial name for one of North America's tastiest invasive species - the ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus.
Introduced to the United States from China in the late 1800s it has now become popularized as a game bird luring outdoor enthusiasts into a billion dollar business chasing them . A large bird with a big juicy breast they are pretty good tasting grilled as a kabobs, smoked for cocktails or a pasta dish or in a pheasant pot pie with rich gravy and vegetables.
Wisconsin's pheasant season closed a week ago; consequently and in very short order (these birds do read the regulations) they have returned to the yard to taunt the dog, dine from the wild bird feeders and even poop on our porch.
When it comes to wildlife there's never a dull moment around these parts.....
Wisconsin's wild pheasant hunting season closed on Sunday.
Look who showed-up at the feeder in the front yard to taunt the dog today....
Yesterday was a sunny, 17F day that by early afternoon appeared deceptively tropical.
Doggo had been following me around the house giving me the side eye and
with only a couple days left to the pheasant season we gave it a try.
From freezer and back.
Pheasants. Round trip. Before and after. Had or local butcher smoke these for me, Lawyer and SID.
I have a vision of winter pasta and risotto dishes in my future...
Today was to be a soft opening before the South Dakota trip.
From the trail camera there is a strutting gobbler, a pheasant, sandhill crane and a cuddly fox squirrel...
Following an overnight trip to the naked city I got home in time to begin defrosting one of the basement chest freezers. (Back story is all of the fresh venison from this year's hunt has been delivered and I have an empty freezer to facilitate the process).
Anyway, it was sunny and 45+ today so Ruby and I went out for a nice, long hunt.
Just after I snapped this photo we made a right turn on the trail to return to the house when almost immediately, Mighty Dog flushed one and than a second ring neck. All alone and unassisted. I was caught flat-footed and unable to raise my gun immediately. The first bird was between me and the house - no shot there. And the second bird landed between us and the road and took-off running.
While the dog was searching for the runner I spied (maybe the first bird) on the ground running the opposite direction. We don't ground swat game birds.
In any event, the birds got away, the dog was in the game and I was tickled to learn we're still holding birds in the thicker cover. That's good.
Ruby was pooped from the fresh air and exercise and slept most of the afternoon.
Meanwhile - get a load of that shadow. One week away from the winter solstice people...
The other day there arose a big ruckus from the front door in the dining area.
Seems these two roosters decided to take a stroll across the front yard to taunt the dog before continuing on their way along the roadside ditch.
Seems they knew they were safe as nobody would turn-loose a dog on them so close to the road. And besides it is unlawful to discharge a gun across the road.
A couple more (or the same ones) were back the next day in the rain sneaking behind the shed to hide in the lilac hedgerow. Alongside the road.
We'll get them one of these days.....
What our redheaded bundle of energy lacks in finesse is more than compensated-for with enthusiasm.
It was a cluster.
Nevertheless, Goal One is to keep this immersive experience fun and enthusiastic.
There is a high probability of pheasant fingers during happy hour.....
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| dog is airborn |
A week and a half ago I provided an update on the semi-tame game bird that has adopted our place as his home.
I never considered that I would become an accidental pheasant farmer. Nevertheless, this guy is one of several birds spotted around here since last fall. Because this guy is missing his long tail feathers it is reasonable to conclude it is the same bird we're spotting on a daily basis.
Periodically he'll stroll down the front walk, hop up on the porch and crow a couple of times.
Next step is to train him to wipe-off his muddy feet.....
Pheasants are not a naturally-reproducing species around here. Although we see them all the time - likely birds released by the Door County Fish Farm and Game Club.
The club raises these birds from chicks beginning in the spring. Once they've grown to maturity club members receive an allotment of these pen-raised birds for release on their own property. They can hunt them at their leisure during the pheasant season. As per usual, birds find their way to our property as the cover is plenty nice if you are a critter. When I had dogs this was a real treat as I'd keep a shotgun at the back door and our daily walks would not only entertain the dogs, but keep their flushing and retrieving skills sharp. There was a daily opportunity to bag a bird for dinner.
Anyway, We've had a bird hanging around here. He prefers to roost in the lilacs and we see him every day. There's always spillage from the feeder to pick-at so he's a chubby bird that doesn't have to travel far to forage for his dinner.
Presuming this is the same bird that we're accustomed to seeing he's lost is tail feathers recently.
Well, Santa didn't bring a Lab puppy for Christmas.
Maybe that will change in 2023.
Time will tell.
Hardly a day goes by I don't miss having dogs underfoot....
Following a couple of years-off as a consequence of COVID the Door County Fish, Farm And Game Club is back to stocking pheasants for their members.
Which, of-course, means that some of them will eventually find there way over to The Platz because of the better than average game cover.
Yesterday this happened....
And as I stepped-out on the porch the three birds vamoosed.
For the first time in eighteen years I am without a flushing and retrieving dog.
Being without a dog has been a difficult adjustment. And with woodcock, grouse and pheasant to hunt it absolutely sucks on many levels.
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