Geared Up

Ready to unload dogs for a hunt

The truck was loaded with gear and dogs for our last excursion of the season, four days of hunting in the outback; chukar country. The weather was perfect; cool in the mornings (low 20's) and mild in the afternoons (low 50's); blue skies from dawn till dusk. Green-up from the precip and sunshine of prior weeks made feed plentiful, and sign was fresh in locations were not much had been seen earlier in the season.
We had 6 dogs loaded in crates in the back of the truck, under the canopy, along with our food and dog gear; one more dog in a crate in the back seat along with our personal items, and a puppy loose in the cab.
Seven bird dogs is just about right for a four day hunt; 3 braces a day, approximately 2-hrs each. Six hours of solid hunting each day. On an average day hunters averaged 7-10 miles on the ground; a dog in a two-hour hunt would cover twice that! Amazing! Dogs that were hunted early the first morning would be fresh and ready to go the following morning after being well fed, rested, and doctored; that same prescription goes for hunters. Ibuprofen and Carprofen containers, and wine bottles, were relieved of their fair share of the elixers they contained....