Farmland Fun

Other than my recent duck hunt post, I haven't written much lately about my adventures here in the wild and rugged farmland of Nebraska. I miss the Rocky Mountains and the public-land-deer they provide, but I had my share of fun up until the seasons closed.


Rudy and I have been chasing birds all fall. He flushed his first pheasant in late October and my twelve gauge brought it to the ground. Rudy was on it like a hawk with his propeller-like tail swinging frantically behind. I commanded him to retrieve, not knowing quite what he would do with a bird half his size. He stuck his nose to it and then looked up at me with a confused look on his face as if to say, "Ya wahme da wha!?" (He's from the ghetto so he talks like that). Again I told him to fetch it, to which he incredulously replied, "Dis sucka ain' no dove, man. You gotta be ou yo freakin mind!" He then moseyed off to go find a tree to pee on.

I left my camera home that trip so this is the only picture I have of the bird.


A few weeks later we were out looking for a new place to hunt deer, (because the whole rifle-hunting world moved into my little honey hole once the corn harvest was over). Rudy flushed a flock of quail out from this little patch of cover.

As startled as I was, I'm surprised I had time to get my gun up and drop the last bird through that opening in the trees. Rudy got it, left it at my feet and ran off looking for more. I had to call him back to take this picture.

I marked where the covey landed, flushed them again and shot one more. These were the first Bobwhites I'd ever seen. They fly incredibly fast. I wish we had 'em back home in Utah.


The last week of deer season (last week of the year) I spent many cold mornings and evenings trying to find a deer on public land. I saw three small bucks and a few does, like these...

...but none came within range of my traditional black powder muzzleloader. Why don't I use a better gun, you ask? I tell you in a post or two from this one.

With or without venison this year I had fun. Hopefully I can find some private land to hunt deer on next year, but at least the dog and I have access to birds.

Ducks, Dogs, and Decoys

Until recently I had never been duck hunting. I had hunted ducks before, well...I had shot at ducks before, but never actually went duck hunting (with boats, waders, dogs, decoys, etc.) When I came to Utah during the Christmas break JD and I went out one day to do just that.


Long before the sun began to offer its light we had the canoe floating amidst the ice of the Bear River. Rudy and Lily each sported neoprene vests to keep them warm as we made our way up the main channel.


I was also in neoprene...my new waders I got from Bass Pro in Iowa. I still get some kind of power thrill when I walk in freezing cold water but remain dry and warm. Like when it's raining cats and dogs outside your tent but you're curled up comfy in your sleeping bag dozing off. Take that mother nature.


While setting up decoys I actually stepped off an unseen, underwater cliff and fell in up to my chest. Luckily my waders rise up to my armpits so no water got in, otherwise it would have been a cold ride back to the truck.

We shot a lot of steel into the air that day and more than a few ducks fell. Lily retrieved them. Rudy didn't know what to do. He had never even seen a duck till that day.


We flushed a few from the canoe and on foot, and hit the others over the decoys after calling 'em in. Well...we were calling and they came in. Whether one caused the other could be debated, but you never know. Let's just pretend I speak duck. As for the little guy, he had fun running through the snow and riding in the canoe, pretending to be a tough hunting dog. By the end of the day he was ready to go home, curl up on Courtney's lap, and be the pet that he really is.


I love being outside. Thanks JD for enduring the cold with me. And thanks for missing all the birds so I'd look better. :)