It’s kind of chilly tonight. It’s been an odd day. Smoke obscured the mountain views at dawn, clouds rolled in later on, and a sudden thunderstorm provided “much needed” moisture, again.
Yesterday evening we bumped a single partridge, on top of the hill, an unusual location; and unusual to find a single this time of the year. It’s been hot and dry in June, but now that we need nice weather to create the bugs that the partridge chicks eat, we get cool and daily wet. At least we haven’t had the murderous hail yet. Still I worry about “my” birds.
Something came in the night and killed the chukars. Steadiness training with Finn was put on hold, while I fortified the bird pen. We have a pair of pigeons to work with now. A friend in need is a friend indeed, thank you, Peter. Back on track now, there is still time.
Focus on work is hard to come by these days. The mind wanders to September. It may be hot. Finn doesn’t do well in the heat. But we might hike up late afternoon, find creeks, camp, and wake up before the sun, to hunt some ptarmigan. Or at least hike some ridges, and carry a gun. We found a couple single ptarmigan up high, in barren country, just a week ago. Both were still changing from white into their summer feathers.
I inquired with an outfitter in Alaska. Six days at the lodge, three days of flying into different ptarmigan areas – they have three species up there – and three days of fishing, or looking for forest grouse. Sounded like an awesome trip. Unfortunately, I’m genetically predisposed to frugality, and my upbringing doesn’t help. As a kid, I’d get a buck for a great report card, immediately followed by a finger wag and a stern “don’t you go spend it!”
October may be a good month. Sharpies. Wandering across the plains, in and out of coulees. Maybe a trip South – past the border kind of South. I promised Finn, and myself, one out of province trip per year, going forward. Montana and sage grouse last year. Idaho, maybe. See some new country.
November will be for a few pheasant hunts, and kicking around the foothills to look for ruffies. If the snow is not too deep, maybe another look at those ptarmigan. Day hunts in the mountains are getting more difficult these days. Close to home anyway. Lots of people out there; sunrise hikes are a thing. We’ll need some time to shoot a deer, to make sure the freezer bottom doesn’t show.
December will see the odd snow-loaded hike, with hopefully the odd ruffed grouse flush. It is also too far away to really think about now.
It’s still chilly, I may go inside. Wonder how the partridge chicks are doing.