Sunday, 11/6/16
Depart Home for Sioux City, IA
I35 is empty early on a Sunday morning
Drove I35 all day for 14 hrs
I rushed to get North of Dallas ASAP to avoid traffic
Hit OK at 1030
Left leg hurts all day.
Walking feels great though
Getting in & out of truck is horribly painful
Pretty sunset thru N KS. Hunting here is going to be nice
Just got whacked in windshield by a rock. Shit.
Redirect to Lincoln, NE as it’s closer than Sioux City and I’m tired.
Monday, 11/7/16
Worked and setup GPS collar for pointing alert.
Depart Lincoln @ 1230
Going cross country instead of interstate
3.5 hrs
Still no ducks on ponds – always a good sign
Leaf color change is weak this year
Corn is all harvested or going in now
Platte River is full of little islands
Sandhills seem to start N of Elk Horn River
87976 Hwy. 281
ONeill Ne 68763
Arr 430
They’re setting up for deer opener next wkend.
Jill did not like the coyote silhouette
I’m at the very tail end of chicken season as deer opens next and the young guides are preparing
Creepy blinking windmills here too
Turkey shepherd pie for supper
Young guides mostly local this should be fun!
Tuesday, 11/8/16
GPS Map of locations hunted – http://tinyurl.com/jquvjcu
AM
Frozen dew
Off to hunt chickins
First walk distant birds
Rutting buck jumped chicken. Missed 25y crosser
Jumped one and top shell was empty
3rd loop no birds
Pm
Loop
Sharptail flushed between us. 45y second shot. Dropped out at 80 steps.
Chickens have very cool tail feathers – added to my trophy deck in Duck Truck
3 chickens flushed long
Last loop 2 flushed too far.
In by 430 so they’ll roost
Cleaning frozen birds. Supper tomorrow nite.
Jill makes herself at home
Typical Nebraska Hunting Guide Supper – prepared by Outfitters wife!
Wednesday, 11/9/16
http://tinyurl.com/z2exb2o
Loop 1
3 flushes. One shot. No bird
Loop 2 nothing
Loop 3 1 sharpie too far
Lunch
Loop 4. Chicken!
Male Chicken!
Proud Chicken Hunting Team – Dog is giving “side eye” – suspicious of something….
Chicken Closeup
Chicken Mounted – not mine
Loop 5 nada
Great day!
Chicken casserole as promised. Tasty!
Thursday, 11/10/16
GPS Map of locations hunted – http://tinyurl.com/h9ebgp
Loop 1 zilch
Cranes n geese get up off Niobrara River.
Loop 2 covey 8 sharpies up. No bird
Jumped them again. No shot
Found 2 single sharpies under cedar trees.
2 sharpies! I can’t tell the difference between Chickens and Sharpies until they’re on the ground.
Loop 3 – Zilch
Lunch
Loop 4 – 1 Sharpie on the way to the truck. Limit out.
Wicked cool sunset
Friday, 11/11/16
Depart NE for KS
Saw chickens soaring into fields to feed. Cool.
2 hrs in Grand Island working
Farmers in NE still wave.
1 pm scouting Jewel B marked locations
Dropping map pins in Google Maps
Location Notes & Priority
2 fence and field ditch walk around cut wheat
5 straight belt grain and alfalfa either side
9B big wide windy creek bottom barren fields low odds
#1 15 half mile fence row w corn n wheat
#3 21long thick windy creek bottom w green wheat
#2 22 isolated pond bottom w cut corn n wheat
27 big abandoned lot and creek gr wheat and barren fields STAY North
66 big long windy climbing creek bottom
See scouting flags on travel iPad
Concordia Super 8 sold out. Rodeway instead to start.
Saturday, 11/12/16
Up at 5 and out to Jewell County
In place at first spot 6:10. 1 hr. Enforce sunrise to sit and listen as sun comes up
25 degrees. Brrrr
#1 15 half mile fence row w corn n wheat. Zilch
I’ve never heard AND seen leaves just falling.
#2 22 isolated pond bottom w cut corn n wheat. Zilch
#3 21 long thick windy creek bottom w green wheat. Pheasant. Resting and heard quail across the road. Chased and shot but was off property. No bird.
#2 fence and field ditch walk around cut wheat. Zilch
#5 straight belt grain and alfalfa either side. Jumped pheasant pair in field.
Shot rooster but couldn’t find. Jill found later and retrieved.
Jumped BWQ under a tree off the fence. Shot 1 hen BWQ.
Hunters lunch salami cheese Fritos pickles hummus
#9B big wide windy creek bottom barren fields low odds. Short walk busted covey in 20 yds. 2 BWQ hens.
#27 big abandoned lot and creek gr wheat and barren fields STAY North. Zilch
#66 big long windy climbing creek bottom. Zilch
9.82 miles by 130 2 pheasants 3 BWQ
Me and dog get Advil after hunt
Off to scout Washington
Almost hit rooster on hwy to Washington
Scouting List
#12. Brush line edge around green wheat. Weak prospects. No easy food.
#14. 2 big fence lines and creek bottom. Green wheat. Backside beans and pasture. So big w variety but no real hot spots
#1 25 A. Fence line on cut grain. Stay south.
#8 CRP and cut grain. Skip middle of 25.
#2 26 C. Fence line w cut grain. Stay out of grain.
#3 23 B/C interior fence and trees on cut grain
#4 27. Almost perfect habs and cut corn. Heavy tire tracks tho. Good but mid morn? Is big.
#26B. Creek bottom w trees near green wheat. Broad CRP bottom. Good BWQ
#21 a. Creek bottom and Corp on old beans.
#4 B. Fence line on old beans green wheat
#23. A Corp draw and fence w old beans. Meh
#26A. Treeline on old beans. No food
Scouting complete. 4:45
Lonely John chased me down for supper. He semi-stalked me last nite.
Sunday, 11/13/16
Setting almost supermoon
#1 25 A. Fence line on cut grain. Stay south.
#B CRP and cut grain. Skip middle of 25. Walked it all. Great cover and food. Zilch
Subtract 1.75 miles from the total. Forgot to pause.
#26 C. Fence line w cut grain. Stay out of grain. BWQ covey at road corner. Jill pointed hard. Shot 1 bob. Jumped 8 pheasants off fence line. Jill liked that. Found 1 bob in the corner on return. Hunt road CRP later.
#23 b/c interior fence and trees on cut grain. Walked full 1/8 section. Jumped covey on the back fence. Shot Bob. Looked for singles and didn’t find. Found 2 singles in trees. Shot Bob. Jill found hen on fence line stuck very hard. Kicked but didn’t shoot.
#21 AB fence line Creek bottom and Corp on old beans. Jumped 3 pheasants. Jumped 1 covey. Shot 1 lost in brambles. Found single shot and lost in brambles. Jumped another covey. No shot.
#27. Almost perfect habs and cut corn. Heavy tire tracks tho. Good but mid morn? Is big.
#5 24b fence line and CRP on corn. After lunch. Zilch
#26B. Creek bottom w trees near green wheat. Broad CRP bottom. Good BWQ. Road CRP back into prev covey spot 26c. Short walk to find covey. Shot hen on rise and then another off Jill’s point.
All done w 5 BWQ
Off to scout Republic
Scouting is great bc nobody on roads. At all.
Scouting Report
#2a east-west fence on cut grain and road. Ok
#34b woodlot and fence on old beans. Ok
#5A big long tree line on cut grain. Has def been hunted. Ok
#26 too many hills!! But 2 long tree fingers. Good
#11a little hilly. Fence and tree line on old beans. Very Good.
#22D long fence and tree line on corn. Still being hunted
#22A short tree fence CRP on old beans and corn. Good
#22B long fence and tree line loop on beans n corn
#22C long tree line then fence on beans
#28A fence and tree line on corn by cemetery
#25AA big fence tree line loop on beans. Cc scouting pic
#15 long tree line on grain. Isolated. Very good
#13 2 long flat east-west tree lines on grain. Isolated. Very good
#2b CRP, fence w trees on cut grain. Big long hard to get to Good
Done scouting 5:15
Walk 8 miles then drive 4 hrs stiff!
Dog is whipped after Day 5
Monday, 11/14/16
Supermoon
Slept til 6 bc short commute to Republic county
In place at 6:45
#1 25AA big fence tree line loop on beans. Cc scouting pic. Zilch
Stopped to help other local family hunters find quail shot. Jumped one and founding. Grandpa asked me if I was Christian then witnessed for me.
#2 28A fence and tree line on corn by cemetery. Zilch
#3 22A short tree fence CRP on old beans and corn. Good. Zilch
#4 22B long fence and tree line loop on beans n corn. Zilch. Saw dead wounded deer.
#5 22C long tree line then fence on beans. Found an old MAHA sign. Zilch
Wind from the north today. Has been south all last week. Goofs me up on planning walks.
Warming up quicker and tired dog. Short easy walks.
#6 22d. Deep cone pockets but hunted yesterday. Zilch. Getting hotter. 50
#7 2B. Fence line. Looked perfect. Zilch.
# 13 2 long flat east-west tree lines on grain. Isolated. Very good. Finally a covey at the very back. I called it with a “brrrr” right before they flushed. Shot hen on the rise. Missed point flush trying to take the picture. Shot another hen on long crosser after point and flush. 2 hens total.
12:45 and done. Hot and dog wore out.
Concordia for shower and pack and off to dodge city for Kiowa weds.
People drive nice and wave
Dog is wore out.
Talked w MAHA John for recommendations in S KS
Edwards A Weds
Kiowa G Thurs
Stay in Greensburg
All fresh and clean after shower
Depart Concordia 2:00
I’m a week in and pretty wore out
Lots of raptors
Golden eagle on Nebraska day 3 was wide as the truck. Enormous.
They aren’t kidding about tallgrass prairie
Shortcut cross country thru high plains
Back into grass and farmland
Late aft drive west into KS sunset
Arr 5:30
Just barely got a room. 3 nites only. Fine. We’ll head south Thursday pm and save some Friday driving.
Siren at 6p. One at 11a today too in Agenda.
Even after five days of hunting Jill still gets bird fever
Tuesday, 11/15/16
Am work rest laundry.
A little ear cocklebur trimming party
Jill temporarily in charge!
PM scouting Edwards A and B for tomorrow
Off 183!
81 deg at 1:00. Hot!
Gotta start early!
Sand!
Scouting Report
Edwards A
#25 SW/SE/NW /36 NW/SW bald tall grass CRP corner on corn
#1 36 NE/SE NS tree fence belt CRP corner full half mile. Very Good
#2 36 NW and 25 SW CRP corners on grain
#3 29 NE/NW bald CRP tall grass corner on grain
#4 20 NE/NW Good corners on back pivot but big hike to get there. Big center CRP triangle wide to narrow on corn w south wind. Drive in.
#5 KSEB 16Ne to SW tree creek CRP on grain. Bet mostly pheasant due to heavy cover. Later walk after back out of flds
#22 all big tall grass
#29 SE/SW CRP grass corner w tree line in back half mile on grain
#20 NE/SE bald grass CRP corners.
#9 CRP corners grass on grain. Asked not to hunt by cows. Cattleman said BWQ are in CRP grass
Edwards B
#5SW to NE heavy brush and tree creek line on wheat. Half mile. No easy food.
#12W windy CRP drain half mile. No easy food.
#21NE same but short and on wheat
Kiowa D
#24 nothing
#22 piss break on short walk and jumped a pheasant.
# 3 6 rooster pheasant sunning on green wheat corner! Cc. No cover. Easy BWQ on wheat. Poor
#14 big grass pastures
#23 big grass pasture
#13 big grass pasture
#17 big grass pasture
#30 big grass pasture
#26 BGP
#19 BGP
Plan
Edwards A
#1 36 NE/SE NS tree fence belt CRP corner full half mile. Very Good
#2 36 NW and 25 SW CRP corners on grain
#3 29 NE/NW bald CRP tall grass corner on grain
#4 20 NE/NW Good corners on back pivot but big hike to get there. Big center CRP triangle wide to narrow on corn w south wind. Drive in.
#5 KSEB 16Ne to SW tree creek CRP on grain. Bet mostly pheasant due to heavy cover. Later walk after back out of olds. No, too far North, mostly phase and 2 better sites in Kiowa D
Kiowa D
#5 22 jumped a pheasant in weeds on fence line w err pipes.
#6 3 Easy BWQ covey on 3 NE
#7 10nw short grass corner on corn. Cows don’t hunt
Sunrise 720
Twilight 650
first leg 20m drive
get up 530 for coffee & lunch prep time
Wednesday, 11/16/16
Met 2 Alabama MAHA brothers at gas station
43 degrees. South wind teens-twenties
Plan
Edwards A
#1 36 NE/SE NS tree fence belt CRP corner full half mile. Very Good. Heard pheasant but zilch
#36 NW and 25 SW CRP corners on grain. Didn’t hunt
#29 NE/NW bald CRP tall grass corner on grain. Single hen shot out of tall CRP on point on the way back.
#20 NE/NW Good corners on back pivot but big hike to get there. Big center CRP triangle wide to narrow on corn w south wind. Drive in. Big walk. Pointed covey on return walk. Busted and shot scotch double. Deep grass and Jill found both!
Jill big tired!
KSEB
#16Ne to SW tree creek CRP on grain. Bet mostly pheasant due to heavy cover. Later walk after back out of olds. No, too far North, mostly phase and 2 better sites in Kiowa D. Zilch. No food. I’m getting sore too!
KSEA
#9 CRP corners grass on grain. Asked not to hunt by cows. Cattleman said BWQs are in CRP grass. Ne corner zilch.
#25 NE corner CRP. Zilch
Noon. Out of dog power. Jill’s done for today. Zonked out hard.
Going to have to pick 4 easy runs
Got 5. 2:30 done. Hot and very windy
330 showered and headed to dodge city
Wind is howling! From south
Saw dr strange. Good but left early. Nice recliner seats
80 deg at 6:30
Cargill plant is rendering. Like Des Moines
Jill’s in hotel and I’m having separation anxiety
Lol. Longest we’ve been apart for 2 wks
Scouting Kiowa G
Expect S wind
#17S hay lot w belt E to W. Big easy first thing and wake up pheasants
#21S easy fence on CRP corner w corn. Easy
#21SE shelter CRP corner on corn. Thick
#21 NE shelter CRP corner on corn. Easy
#22 hay lot on dbl CRP corner on wheat and grazer. Poor food
#22 NW CRP corner on wheat w plum thicket
#22SE bald CRP corner on grain w easy plum thicket
#27NW bald CRP corner on grain w plum thicket. Thick
#27N shelter and pens corner on grain. Thick
#27SW wooded CRP corner on grain. Big easy
#28NE CRP tree corner plums on grain. Small Easy
#28W CRP plum thinks on grain. Easy 3 stop.
#21NW EW creek bed w plum trees. Half mile
#33 NW pheasant belt EW on corn. Easy fun run.
#30 NE pheasant belt NS on grain
Kiowa D maybe later
#22 piss break on short walk and jumped a pheasant.
#3 6 rooster pheasant sunning on green wheat corner! Cc. No cover. Easy BWQ covey on 3NE
Flocks of pheasant flying cross rd!
#10nw short grass corner on corn. Cows don’t hunt
Tired thirsty dog after 2 loops. Keep to easy edges.
My shooting is excellent. Most on first shot and few escape
Didn’t see a single ditch parrot today
Very sandy on some roads. Even had to go into four-wheel-drive a couple of times
Thursday, 11/17/16
Last day and headed home
#1 17S hay lot w belt E to W. Big easy first thing and wake up pheasants. Found covey way back. Shell jammed and missed twice. Didn’t find singles in heavy cover
#2 21S easy fence on CRP corner w corn. Zilch
#3 21 NE shelter CRP corner on corn. Easy. Zilch
#22 NW CRP corner on wheat w plum thicket
#22SE bald CRP corner on grain w easy plum thicket
#27NW bald CRP corner on grain w plum thicket. Thick
#27N shelter and pens corner on grain. Thick
#28NE CRP tree corner plums on grain. Small Easy
#28W CRP plum thinks on grain. Easy 3 stop
#27SW wooded CRP corner on grain. Big Easy. Jumped covey shot one. Jill heard quail and lit up! Walked them out for last big hurrah. Found single and shot it. End on a big win and go home..
Changed clothes in the tractor lot and head south as far as we can make it. Ardmore ok or better. 9:15 depart.
Headed south on us 183. 2 lane
Saw road direction sign. Freedom OK forward and protection KS right. I went straight.
Leaves changing in OK finally
Jill looks different on pheasant. Ears up excited bc she knows she can catch them.
Headed S 281 again in Watonga OK. 12:30
Off back roads and on I 40 east to OKC
OKC by 1:30. Gonna make the run home w/o stop
Sportdog collar worked great. Forgot the charger but the battery lasted almost to the end for the buzzer and still have battery left for peeper.
The handset seems fine.