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Brad Trumbo Outdoors
Tales of a Novice-Run Bass Tournament

Tales of a Novice-Run Bass Tournament

November 5, 2017December 10, 2017Brad Trumbo

31-11-131-11-2

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I wish every grouse hunter could encounter a covey of historic proportions, and by that I mean an actual covey of ruffs of ten or more birds that you’ve only read about in the books of grouse hunters past. Finn and I experienced a covey of 10-15 birds Sunday, climbing a semi-open slope thick with blackberry and rose. The birds were tucked into grasses between shrubbery and chirped in alarm as Finn halted to point. They flushed as I approached, and as the first bird fell, a second flush erupted, offering a second bird. One gray and one brown-the gray bird coming from this year’s hatch. I expected coveys of ruffs were a thing of the past, only to be read about in wingshooting literature. Experiencing the covey was worth the hunt, let alone having the good fortune of taking two birds. An unforgettable moment for she and I, no doubt.
Retirement from the puppy factory has not been going as planned for Kea. She has been battling autoimmune issues since late July. It began with her shedding all of her mucosal membranes from nose to gastrointestinal and presented with internal lesions and inflammation. That hurdle has mostly passed but she continues to have GI issues and now skin lesions. She lost weight and we are having a hard time feeding her enough to maintain weight currently, making it unlikely that she will see many hunts this year. I decided to take her to the @pheasantsforever258 youth hunt at Clyde Shooting Preserve this weekend. She hunted ok and had fun, and allowed a couple youth hunters some extra gunning. We might just have to go back in November for the Chapter’s membership appreciation hunt, but she will need to wear boots to keep her sensitive paw pads from becoming sore as they are today. Hopefully she can overcome this for a full season afield next fall at 11 years old. Thanks to @makaiwivlogs for running his Gordon alongside Kea. The two did well together!
The thing about dogs and home coveys is that the dog figures out the birds long before the birds catch on. When the gate opens, Yuba runs a routine among brush piles and sometimes disappears to be found on point by an old dozer. The hunts are short, the coveys are big, and the dog is just a little smug, loving every moment of it.
Often, the best hunting partners are the least obvious. Marvin (left) and I worked together a few years before finally dropping our dogs in the field. Turns out, he and I shared the same passions for bird dogs, photography, and literature. A rare find in the same small town. Pictured here is one of our many phenomenal hunts in eastern Washington. Zeta’s first rooster lay at her feet (middle pup). We left that wetland for drier ground where I connected on my first Hun. A couple years later we both limited on rooster one morning with his puppy out front with my Finn. Just a couple examples of some mighty fine times that will never be had again. We lay Marv to rest this afternoon, ending a two-year battle with aggressive cancer. I will miss his hyper-analytical discussion on shotguns and dog training. His quick wit was incredibly subtle. It was easy for him to make a fool of me. It was comforting to have a partner who flustered as easily as I on the flush and missed just as often, maybe more. He always hunted for the dog and the hunt itself. We should have had another 30 seasons at least, not to mention what he and his family could have done with that time. Thanks for the good times Marv! The Palouse will never hunt the same again.
Can’t complain about the WA quail opener.

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Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 15 other followers

Instagram - tailfeathers_upland

Tools of the trade.
I wish every grouse hunter could encounter a covey of historic proportions, and by that I mean an actual covey of ruffs of ten or more birds that you’ve only read about in the books of grouse hunters past. Finn and I experienced a covey of 10-15 birds Sunday, climbing a semi-open slope thick with blackberry and rose. The birds were tucked into grasses between shrubbery and chirped in alarm as Finn halted to point. They flushed as I approached, and as the first bird fell, a second flush erupted, offering a second bird. One gray and one brown-the gray bird coming from this year’s hatch. I expected coveys of ruffs were a thing of the past, only to be read about in wingshooting literature. Experiencing the covey was worth the hunt, let alone having the good fortune of taking two birds. An unforgettable moment for she and I, no doubt.
Retirement from the puppy factory has not been going as planned for Kea. She has been battling autoimmune issues since late July. It began with her shedding all of her mucosal membranes from nose to gastrointestinal and presented with internal lesions and inflammation. That hurdle has mostly passed but she continues to have GI issues and now skin lesions. She lost weight and we are having a hard time feeding her enough to maintain weight currently, making it unlikely that she will see many hunts this year. I decided to take her to the @pheasantsforever258 youth hunt at Clyde Shooting Preserve this weekend. She hunted ok and had fun, and allowed a couple youth hunters some extra gunning. We might just have to go back in November for the Chapter’s membership appreciation hunt, but she will need to wear boots to keep her sensitive paw pads from becoming sore as they are today. Hopefully she can overcome this for a full season afield next fall at 11 years old. Thanks to @makaiwivlogs for running his Gordon alongside Kea. The two did well together!
The thing about dogs and home coveys is that the dog figures out the birds long before the birds catch on. When the gate opens, Yuba runs a routine among brush piles and sometimes disappears to be found on point by an old dozer. The hunts are short, the coveys are big, and the dog is just a little smug, loving every moment of it.
Often, the best hunting partners are the least obvious. Marvin (left) and I worked together a few years before finally dropping our dogs in the field. Turns out, he and I shared the same passions for bird dogs, photography, and literature. A rare find in the same small town. Pictured here is one of our many phenomenal hunts in eastern Washington. Zeta’s first rooster lay at her feet (middle pup). We left that wetland for drier ground where I connected on my first Hun. A couple years later we both limited on rooster one morning with his puppy out front with my Finn. Just a couple examples of some mighty fine times that will never be had again. We lay Marv to rest this afternoon, ending a two-year battle with aggressive cancer. I will miss his hyper-analytical discussion on shotguns and dog training. His quick wit was incredibly subtle. It was easy for him to make a fool of me. It was comforting to have a partner who flustered as easily as I on the flush and missed just as often, maybe more. He always hunted for the dog and the hunt itself. We should have had another 30 seasons at least, not to mention what he and his family could have done with that time. Thanks for the good times Marv! The Palouse will never hunt the same again.
Can’t complain about the WA quail opener.

Search

Top Posts & Pages

  • Northern Long-eared Bats Survive White-nose Syndrome in Man-made Habitats
  • Tree Removal Benefits Greater Sage Grouse Population Growth
  • Is it too Late for the Western Monarch Butterfly?
  • Gear Reviews
  • WDFW takes Important Step in Post-fire Habitat Recovery
  • Flurries and Tail Feathers Inspire Future Upland Hunters
  • Raising Pheasant from the Ground Up
  • Mason Bees Promote Food Security and Conservation
  • Kudos
  • Pushing the Limits - Emphasizing the Hunt over Harvest and the Role of Social Media

Recent Posts

  • Northern Long-eared Bats Survive White-nose Syndrome in Man-made Habitats September 18, 2021
  • Tree Removal Benefits Greater Sage Grouse Population Growth June 19, 2021
  • Is it too Late for the Western Monarch Butterfly? May 19, 2021
  • WDFW takes Important Step in Post-fire Habitat Recovery November 13, 2020
  • Flurries and Tail Feathers Inspire Future Upland Hunters November 10, 2020
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