Montana Sharptails

[Replicant]

As far as fishing is concerned, I have not had the best year. I've just been to busy to get out there as much as I would want to. No real complaints, I did do one float and landed a decent sized smallmouth. I also watched my daughter catch her second fish on the fly, and I think this will cement her interest in fishing. Fingers crossed. So, when I received a call from my buddy, that he wanted to go to Montana to hunt birds, I didn't have to think twice on the offer. Neither of us have hunted in Montana, and neither of us had hunted for Sharpies or Huns. Not a Hun is sight this trip, but there were a few roosters in one spot, and my buddy was able to take one. The rest were Sharpies, and as evident by the pics, we did alright. We also had one absolutely epic day. The kind that one will never forget. As all of you know, it isn't always about the volume of birds, but the joy of hunting over dogs of such skill that it leaves you flabbergasted. Then there is the sheer beauty that makes you stop in your tracks and just take it all in. We're already planning for next year.
This pup, pointed a rooster for me last year in SD. She was less than a year old then.



Camp was rough, but we managed......



The older sister. Always looking for birds.





My first Sharptail


Heaven?



Proud pup!



Nothing like a porcupine to cut your hunt short. We managed to get about 75% out of her muzzle while we were in the field. So, off to the vet we go for the rest.

 

[Replicant]

Big sister is a little forlorn after the vet, but damn these little dogs are tough.


In case anyone is wondering where the birds are. There out there somewhere......



I'm trying to explain to her that I need to finish my coffee first.



My buddy Steve and his dynamic duo. By the way, the wind speed was a steady thirty mph, with gusts up to forty.



They have no respect for personal space.



Strange cover to flush roosters, but we saw three.



Again, the issue about personal space.




We've learned that there is sort of a 'match the hatch', when it comes to hunting sharpies. They are nothing like hunting pheasants from my limited experience. So, the wheat berries and rose hips above are good things to look for when you're looking for habitat. Snowberries, buffaloberries and of course grass hoppers are also a good sign.



This was part of the 'epic' day. Three birds in one walk and the shed as a bonus. I might swing through again, on my way to South Dakota next month, but honestly, it just isn't worth trying, if you don't have a dog.

 

[Cliff]

Outstanding hunt. I envy you. A few years ago my setter got into a porky while we were hunting on the Yakima Firing Range. What an awful job it was pulling those out with my pliers.

 

[Smith]

Did you dogs point the porcupine? Mine did, then they would start to wag the tail and usually before I could get to them dive end and ruin my day. Happened multiple times.

 

[Replicant]

Did you dogs point the porcupine? Mine did, then they would start to wag the tail and usually before I could get to them dive end and ruin my day. Happened multiple times.

The older girl went on point and the younger girl honored the point. We knew that it was a possibility of being a porcupine, but since Huns and Phez like the deeper cover, we pursued it. I was on the dogs first and saw the porcupine moving away from them (I barely saw it), and yelled out to my buddy to call off the dogs. He did, and the dogs came off immediately. But, the older dog saw the porcupine moving again and just tackled it. She's a hell of a hunter, but let's just say that she has a strong prey drive. We had a similar sitch in Kansas a couple years ago with a raccoon. We were lucky in that the vet was just a half hour away, and they had her unquilled within no time. We were able to hunt the younger dog in the afternoon and picked up a few more birds to salvage that day.

 

[Shad]

Great stuff. Not being a hunter, I always appreciate the change up a great hunting thread brings. Dogs, trophies, and ALL the rest, it's a great reminder of the other side of fish and wildlife....

 

[Coach Potter]

Great pics…looked like a great trip!

 

[Replicant]

Great stuff. Not being a hunter, I always appreciate the change up a great hunting thread brings. Dogs, trophies, and ALL the rest, it's a great reminder of the other side of fish and wildlife....

I'm glad you appreciate it. Depending on the application, I see a lot similarities between hunting and fishing. When I'm fishing, I feel as if I'm hunting. I find that bird hunting requires 'reading' the land, like one would 'read' the water. Weather, cover, pressure, experience and of course, frustration are all part of the game.