Jet, March 12, 2000 - August 20, 2012

Firstly let me apologize for a rather lenghty absence and again for the sad news of my best friend passing.

 I have been providing doggie hospice for Jet since about Mar. of this year. After no major issues other than slowing down and losing a bit of weight I noticed she was starting to become uncomfortable when lying down. She was also having issues with food and showing dis-interest in eating. That is quite contrary to Labs. So one day last week I was petting her and checking her out when she was no longer able keep her discomfort hidden. I knew the time was drawing nearer to making the most difficult decision a dog lover has to make on her behalf. It was at that time that I knew what I had to do. First I went in the house and had a good cry and wished that I didn't know what I knew. In my heart I knew the time had come and to do anything less was not fair to her. The decision was made and I did my best to not let her see my heartbreak. The appointment was made and we had inside a day to say what we needed to say to one another. Stoic, yet so gentle and graceful was she to the very end. The trust she had in me I will never forget and is only one of the many gifts she shared with me.

We drove thousands of miles and covered hundreds of miles on foot chasing birds. She was a great traveller and other than her occasional snoring, a wonderful house mate. Her bedside manners were superb as she knew when to give me a look, a wet nose or sit a little bit closer. I am not sure who kept an eye on whom more, maybe we just kept an eye on each other. I think that was the case. No matter when I gazed at her she was already looking at me, as long as she was awake. She was not a pushy dog when it came to doors, quite the contrary. She waited for you to open them so she could walk through unobstructed. Her table manners were exceptional for her breed. Food was to be savoured, not inhaled. She was a slow eater and when she was full she walked away from her bowl, often times leaving just a few bites. A clean plate was not her goal, rather a satisfied belly and a soft bed suited her fine. She was quite o.k. not being the center of attention but appreciated being included in outings and adventures. She was happy being with me and I was happy being with her.

She was certainly not automatic when it came to hunting and retrieving. She taught me a lot about seeing the world from her 18" high perspective. Our first years together I was both hunter and retriever.  Then after I had a duck in my game bag and knew we'd come back the same way, I'd dump it out of my vest so she could find it on our return. I did my very best to get her excited and let her know she was doing great when she found the bird. All about building confidence and I was the best cheerleader and supporter that I knew how to be. It wasn't til she discovered Pheasants that I learned, that was her "GO" button.

50th. B-day diver hunt

So it seems that ducks didn't excite her to much and that was true for the majority of days. There were exceptions throughout the years but nothing got her reved up like those big stinky Ring Necked Pheasants. That sweet pungent scent was her drug of choice. I was glad to learn this and then decided that was my job, to get her as many Pheasants as I possibly could in order to make up for the not so fun waterfowl she retrieved with much less enthusiasm. Almost like having to eat your peas if you want that desert. I was also able to watch her scent track Wilson's Snipe and those were equal to the Pheasants for her fun meter.

Limit of Snipe 50th. B-day

There were numerous memorable days, moments and milestones. One of those that I will always treasure will be the day of my 50th birthday. That was an exceptional day afield for me, let alone her. We both peaked at the same time, same day and it was tremendous. I was having a good day shooting with few misses and she was solid with each retrieve.

We hunted divers in the morning pass shooting on the Klamath River in S.W. Or and got our limit of 5 ducks. Nice Goldeneyes, Scaup and a Bufflehead. We took a break for processing birds, brunch and a short rest. Switched out guns and my shells for some  2 3/4"  #8 shot for Snipe. Nice to be out of my chest highs and in my wellies. Off we went, back into the shallow flooded fields and she seemed to know what species we were after. As if to say "alright I got you you darn ducks, now it's my turn"! Right she was and the sun was just heading towards the mtns. on a bluebird day. Comfortable December weather and as we entered the flooded fields she got more excited with each step. Jumping around like a puppy and was barely able to keep her bearings about her. As we got 100 yds. into the field and she heard the action of my gun close she was all business. Nose down in full Kirby (vaccuum) mode. the slogging of 4 paws and 2 boots through wet marsh grass was abruptly interrupted by SCAMP, SCAMP as the first Snipe flushed with its vocal warning. Her head swung to make visual contact as I swung my gun to make a successful shot. We both connected and that was the first of our limit of 8 Snipe. One of those Snipe I had mounted and that is a fine reflection of her and her soft mouth. That was one of those days that I visit often in my mind. We were both dialed in for our individual roles, a team.

In 12 plus years there are many, many stories and I was blessed to be able to share many of  "our" adventures with all of you. I miss my Jet and will treasure the years we shared. She was a gentle soul who didn't ask for much, a very easy keeper who taught me volumes about patience, compassion and being kind. As the quote says
"I hope I can be the person my dog thinks I am" . It was a pleasure and honor to have been your mom, never prouder. Cheers to you Jet!


Women's Hunting Journal    Integrity For The Hunt

I want to thank Daphne Hougard for the bottom photo. Pretty much says it all.

The Big Freeze

I arrived home from a recent duck hunt just in time to spend the following day snow blowing and shoveling for the better part of 7 hours. All things considered I was no better off staying in Klamath County hunting ducks. The freeze is upon us now and here for the duration I'm afraid. Morning temps well below zero and a high in the teens. I had only made two trips to hunt waterfowl and now all the flooded fields are solid ice and the Klamath river also now with dangerous shelf ice and the potential for a full freeze across it's width. It has been many years since I've seen that river froze up tight as a drum, but this may be the year of a repeat performance. When I awoke at 3 a.m. Monday morning due to high winds slamming the little cabin and it's creaking sounds, I was hoping to get back to sleep for a short while. I never did and finally got up at 5 a.m. to a chilly 41 degrees inside, brrr. I fired up the wood stove and said hello to Jet and stalled her from her breakfast for as long as possible. Her internal clock is far better than any watch I've ever owned when it comes to her meal times. I got my cereal and coffee going and snuggled up to the wood stove. I mentally went through the packing of gear and cabin shut down checklist. The previous night it had snowed 5 to 6 inches and the west winds whipped up the Klamath into a fine froth of whitecaps.

On Saturday afternoon when we arrived it was brisk and quite comfortable. We took a lap around to jump our favorite ditches. We did get a nice Mallard, 2 Ring Necked ducks and we flushed a few Snipe, of which Jet made nice retrieves. In hindsight I wish I'd spent more time focused on hunting Snipe, as this was one of their last nights spent here before continuing on their migration south. Some of the ditches had thin layers of ice forming as did the flooded fields. Very few ducks in either places with the exception being the Klamath River where there were quite a few divers.

On Sunday the weather was turning colder with snow flurries, strong winds and white caps on the river. Jet stayed in the cabin as it was to dangerous for her to go in the river and I didn't want to take any chances. With her hearing about gone she is on auto pilot when a bird goes down and I didn't want her to get into trouble, or myself for that matter in rescuing her. I had a few good shots on a drake Spoonie and 1 Pheasant. The Spoonie was close enough for me to wade to it. I had to work hard to find the Pheasant, as he piled into a wide swath of tule's next to the river. This particular patch is dangerous because it has hidden water holes that are quite deep and ones footing is somewhat challenging. Tough enough for hunters but even worse for our 4 legged partners. They get more tangled that one can imagine, plus if they go front feet first into a water hole it can be life threatening. I've had to pull Jet out a time or two before when she's gotten herself into a predicament. When she gets that Pheasant scent in her head she is like a dog on drugs, she will not stop until she flushes them or I physically pull her out of there and convince her to come with me. Pheasants truly are her drug of choice.

Back to my story of retrieving the Pheasant without Jet's assistance. I spent a good 1/2 hour looking and had no luck finding the bird. I decided to walk the dike towards the old boat dock and loop around the field side of the dike in hopes of flushing the other rooster that I missed. After the better part of 1 and 1/2 hours I never did flush the second Pheasant and was now back up river from where I had dropped the Pheasant. I looped back to the river side of the dike and proceeded to go look some more for the downed Pheasant. I again "marked" the point from where I shot and took a straight line and this time after about 15 minutes I had succeeded. I was out to far before and made my way back in just a little and there he was crumpled in a pile, still warm to the touch. I was ecstatic as I hate to lose any bird or animal that I shoot. I was laughing to myself that Jet typically goes to short and now I tend to the opposite. Somewhere in there is a happy medium I'm sure. I felt like I deserved a can of Alpo for my efforts.

Throughout the day the snow squalls came and went as did the gusty winds. I retired to the cabin before quitting time and was happy to get my birds field dressed before darkness set in. The temperatures plummeted that night and I wondered if the cabin pipes would freeze and if there would be any birds left come morning. I knew with the temps being in the single digits the only open water was going to be the river. While I love to hunt the river it's no place to be by yourself in a winter storm. Even in fair weather early season hunts, I won't use my boat unless I've got a friend hunting with me. So the stage was now set for the arctic blast and big freeze of 2010. Jet and I hit the pavement at 0630 after a windy night in the cabin. The roads were glazed ice and not more than 3 miles down the road did I see my first SUV in someones front yard with a sheriffs patrol vehicle next to it. Driving north along the Upper Klamath Lake is a dangerous and treacherous piece of real estate. We drove slow and steady reaching home in a little over 3 hours for 120 miles. Happy to be home and looking forward to a good nights rest before we had to start the chore of snow removal in the morning.

As I sit here and type this story I am thankful for many things, even the ability to do the not so fun ones like snow removal. Jet and I want to extend our very best to you and your family and friends for a wonderful Thanksgiving. Please take a moment and think of those who are serving this country in harms way and their loved ones. We are fortunate to live in a wonderful country and lets not forget that freedom is not free. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Be safe out there.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Coming Full Circle

Well as promised here are some updates from past ramblings.

I mentioned awhile back that I was looking for a handgun for predator protection during my upcoming bow elk hunt. Well I was fortunate enough to meet up with a friend who knows way more about guns of all kinds than I will ever know in my lifetime. So I was in good hands when we went shooting. After some general discussion about calibers, gun weights, loads etc. and just how much power you need for predator protection, we commenced to start firing. We started with 38 cal. revolvers and worked our way up to the 44 Magnum. Several well known companies were represented and after the smoke settled I was partial to the Taurus model 425T. A 41 Mag in titanium which holds 5 rounds, is factory ported and a barrel lenght of4 in. The recoil was not an issue for me, yet weight is. This model in stainless steel weights 34.8 oz. and the titanium at 24.3 oz. Considering I will be carrying this on my day pack belt, I wanted the lighter model. Now the only catch is that Taurus discontinued making them a few years back so I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a used one online at the various gun brokers. If you here of anyone interested in selling this particular gun, I'd be happy if you pointed them my direction.

Moving right along now. My friend Dan and I did make it to the Klamath Basin weekend before last for some general cleaning and deer scouting. Success on both fronts. We managed to do such a good job last year that there was little left for this year. We did do some Knapweed eradication and a few minor odds and ends with the cabin. Not to mention a bunch of European Starlings jamming up the damper on the wood stove pipe. In fact it was so bad we had to take the pipe apart and then go dump them out. It was a case of dumb following dumber and even dumber down the pipe. No nest was even built. They just packed themselves on top on one another and then couldn't get out. No wonder there is a year round open season on Starlings.

A couple of the fields were flooded and the Canada Geese and hundreds of puddle ducks were having a great time resting there overnight and then departing at daybreak to the neighboring grain fields for the day. There were also White Faced Ibis enjoying the water as well as several pairs of Sandhill Cranes. What a treat. We did have a couple really fine meals too. I took my 50Th. birthday limit of Snipe and we bbq'ed them one night and the next evening we bbq'ed wetlands buck backstrap. Wow, what a great way to bring in the upcoming hunting season.

It wasn't til the next morning that we saw the bucks, oh yes the boys are BACK! That sure makes me happy considering I've got a deer tag for that unit. Just hope they stick around. I am pretty sure that the big 4 x 4 is the same one I saw last year. This year he has another young buck hanging by his side. We had taken our shotguns with the intentions of throwing a few clays but, after seeing the bucks we opted not to disturb them. I am hoping to get back there sometime in mid September just to take another look. The rifle deer season opens October 3.

Now the really exciting news is that our bow elk season is opening this Saturday morning. Can you say anticipation? Oh my how the natives are getting restless. The area I am hunting is the same that I have rifle hunted for the pat three years. Figured maybe if I change up the weapon and time of year that my luck will change too. So far my practicing has gone well and continues to. This will be my first time archery hunting elk during the rut and I am so excited. Hopefully things will get cooking in the mid to latter portion of September. I remain cautiously optimistic in my somewhat blissful ignorance. Realizing full well that there is so much to learn. A lifetimes worth and then some I imagine. Gotta start somewhere, so here I go.

I'll keep you updated as the elk season progresses and I want to wish the rest of you good luck with your hunts too. Also a special shout out to Rick at Whitetail Woods for his 1 year anniversary and wonderful prizes, thank you in advance. Thanks also goes to Gary at Base Camp Legends for his help and support for the upcoming elk hunt.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Grilled Mediteranean Snipe

This is a delicious and simple recipe that in my opinion is one of the best for Snipe. Being that Snipe are small I suggest using this as an appetizer and savoring each bite. If you are fortunate enough to have plenty of Snipe, than make it the main course and figure 4 to 5 birds per person.

Ingredients:

8 Snipe aged 4-7 days
4 slices thick bacon
1/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c. Soy Sauce, low sodium
1/3 c. Brown Sugar
2 Garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Black pepper

Mix all ingredients less Snipe and bacon.
Par cook bacon and set aside.
Cut backs out of Snipe leaving legs and wings (to first joint) attached.
Add Snipe to marinade mix and leave for 4 - 6 hours.
Remove Snipe from marinade and wrap 1/2 strip of bacon around breasts securing with toothpicks.
Place Snipe on BBQ with white hot coals and cook til bacon is done and Snipe are Medium Rare.
You can also broil if you're out of charcoal or if you'd rather cook indoors.
I have prepared Snipe this way and let me tell you, it is hard to stop eating them. They are mouth watering delicious and you'll make a note to self remembering to harvest more in the upcoming season. Bon appetit!

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Well Hello Five - O, OMG ! Pt. 2

Oh yea, the afternoon Snipe hunt. That's where I left off. Alright so Jet and I had some food, I processed the ducks from earlier this morning and needed to get ready for round two.

More coffee as I grabbed my boxes of # 7 steel shot from my gunning box and began switching them out with the # 3's that I use for ducks. I got my hunting vest loaded with 7's and an extra box in the back pouch of my vest (just in case). Switched guns and double checked the chokes in my Beretta Silver Snipe 20 ga. making sure they were the most open ones I had. Alright, "Jet are you ready to go"? She was indeed and out the door we went at 1:30 p.m. for some fast flying Common Snipe action.

The afternoon was warming and the marsh was so still you could see ripples if a pin dropped. The ducks in the river were napping with heads tucked under their wings slowly moving with the flow of the current. No one was making a sound. We made our way out into the shallow flooded fields where the Snipe had been the weekend before. Jet was rested, recharged and fully immersed in the mission at hand, or shall I say paw? None the less, my heart is beating faster with each step I take, knowing full well at any second I am about to be startled. The silence broken by a flushed Snipe vocalizing its high pitched alarm: SCAMP SCAMP SCAMP! It so un does me for the first few flushes, then I settle my nerves, refocus and become hyper alert to the details on the ground around me. If you move slowly enough and train your eyes you can see the Snipe (sometimes) before they flush.

Alright, we have two in the bag and six to go for a limit. There are several flocks of about 15 to 25 Snipe per flock. This is great, I thought the cold temps might have pushed them south, lucky me! We continue to walk slowly ready at every second for a flush and Jet is having way to much fun. She is definitely doing a personal hunt of her own. She seems to have very selective hearing when we are Pheasant and Snipe hunting. Oh S--T, another one missed, and another, didn't even see that one get up. Geeze, my eyes are not getting any better, that's for sure. Ahh darn-it! Now you know why I grabbed that extra box of shells. O.K. time to get down to business. Stop trying to swing and shoot these little guys, do it like I know I can. Point and shoot, get my head out of my way and let my instincts work for me. Boom, 1 down- SEE? There you go, get'em as they flush going away!

After about an hour we had our 8 bird Snipe limit and proceeded to the Klamath River dike to sit a spell and pluck awhile. We did good not losing a single bird and one we knocked down got up and flew off again. So I don't think it was to worse for the wear. Facing south the sun reflecting off the water felt warm and jet was already sleeping again. Sometimes I wish I were a Lab. As I sat there plucking and watching some Buffleheads swim down river I am tickled with such a fine day in the field. Truly one of the best days ever. The first time that I have gotten a limit of divers in the morning followed by a limit of Snipe in the afternoon. Not only that, but shooting my Beretta Silver Snipe 20 gauge ta'boot. Not sure how I'll top this one. Pretty special indeed.













So far this fifty thing seems to be working pretty well for me and frankly, I'm real happy to be right where I am. I am thankful for my health, friends, 4 legged hunting partners and the ability to pursue my passions. Thanks to my fellow hunting bloggers for your support, encouragement, feedback, comments and for welcoming WHJ into your lives. If it weren't for you folks, I wouldn't be writing this, so Thanks! Looking forward to the second half and we'll see you in the field. CHEERS!

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt