The season is nearly over so a few of us wanted to take one more "shot" at it. Rick Todd took the helm and hauled Andrew, Steve, and myself over to the Royal City/Othello area for one more chase after some pheasant or quail, we weren't picky which one flew. Rick has a large dually that hauled the four of us, two kenneled dogs, all our crap, and a ton of food for a tailgate lunch. We took off Friday morning around 10:00 and roughly 3 hours later we were wandering towards a small lake in a wildlife area just north of the Columbia. Walking the road is fine, but once your off it the cover turns nasty, thorny tight cover that like to poke at your legs. Jetta, Rick's sweet little setter put up a rooster for him but with a tail wind it was soon well out of range. A row of trees and cover provided a covey of quail, Rick got a shot or two, but nothing in the bag. After several hours of poking the brush we headed back to the truck for a cold one and on to Pasco and the hotel for the night. Conversation over London Broils was lively and wandered over many subjects. Back to the hotel for a good nights sleep and an early get up. Saturday arrived cold, around 19 degrees cold. We loaded up and headed out regardless in quest for the elusive upland birds. We found some of the areas already had hunters in them and the rest provided a lot of quality walking and brush busting but no birds. We began to realize the population had diminished greatly from years passed. You've not had a tailgate lunch until you've had one provided by Rick. Ham and turkey, oatnut bread, mayo mustard, pickles, tomatoes, Dubliner cheese, chips and dip, oh my goodness! After lunch we hit two more areas and the last one finally provided some birds. That's not to say we knocked them down, but we finally has some coveys flush. It was the thickest, nastiest, sage about shoulder high but that didn't prevent Andrew from spotting one, snap shooting on the flush and dropping the one bird of the hunt, a hen quail. RIck had a covey bust and head south so we chased them to the road but no luck relocating them. If nothing else we had great exercise, great conversation and fun, and lots of planning for the coming spring. With no further adieu allow me to share some photos. The gang Andrew and his 1100 Steve and his Red Label Rick with his Beretta Thick and nasty Jetta taking in the sunshine Libby doing the same Success for Andrew
Those are great pictures Roper! Thanks for posting. I had a great time with everyone and look forward to pursuing some fish with you guys soon! Rick
Great post and photos! Next season Ill have to yack at you guys about getting out in the field together!
The one gun we didn't get a picture of, and you would love, is Ropers new round bodied 20 GA. But I think he already posted pictures on this forum. Rick
Sorry I didn't get to meet you guys, but the end-of-Pheasant season hunt for my partner & I is a long-standing event. I would have just uglied-up the photos, anyway . . .
