I can't let Terry get away with downplaying his own shooting. For a guy who had not used a shotgun in years, Terry handled that little 20 gauge Parker pretty well., and he bagged his share of quail. He is a good hunter and a terrific field companion.
I will take partial credit for Gracie. I have had her since she was an 8 week old pup and training her has been a great adventure. She is out of Plum Creek Kennels in South Dakota, and I cannot say enough good things about their breeding program. Working with a dog that has drive, intelligence, speed, nose, instincts and aptitude makes training fun and productive.
For the sake of safety, we walk with the shotguns open and unloaded. We load up and close the guns after the dog points and as we are walking up to the point to flush the quail. With a good, steady pointing dog there is no need to do it any other way. This is one of the many advantages of using a reliable pointing dog. Of course, the biggest advantage is watching a good dog at work in the field. An enthusiastic bird dog who knows and loves her craft is a joy to be around.
As the host of this hunt, I could not have asked for a better hunting partner than Terry. And even though the windy conditions on Saturday morning made the hunting a bit tougher than normal, Gracie handled the conditions well and had us on quail repeatedly. So I can't complain about the weather. And, Terry is right, the property is just beautiful and the quail are plentiful.
The St. Jude's Quail Hunt will be up for auction again soon. I will revise the auction post in a few days so it describes the hunt as well as possible. Of course, the best description is Terry's story of the hunt in this thread.
Topic: St Judes Quail and Gracie the Wonder Dog (Read 1697 times)
