Ptarmigan Hunt

Currently, I am watching over a house and taking care of the couples' dog.  So far so good.  The dog loves to hike and well, so do I, so we make a pretty great team.  While hiking last night, her and I noticed a lot of Ptarmigan.  We actually got pretty close without them flying away.  By the dog's demeanor, I knew what I had to do, take her hunting.

So today, on this 17th day of November, I shot my first ptarmigan.  After I had received the blessing from the dog's owner, I drove out to a quiet area and squeezed off a couple of .22 rounds to see if the dog would be able to handle it.  She did well, a tad spooked, but not shaken.  I traded out the gun for a shotgun and took to the trail.  The birds weren't out in the open as they were last night, but I still had a couple of opportunities to get some.

Enjoy the photos. By the way, this is my first time hunting by myself and I have never done so with a dog, let alone an untrained one.  What a great first out!

(NOTE the picture of the large bird below...  I came across that one last night.  It was already dead, but I wanted to illustrate why I am scared of eagles.  Be sure to note the talons and size relative to my foot--I wear a size 7.5 in women's boots)

Dead bird.  This is why I am scared of eagles.  Not only are they aggressive protectors of their young, but they have the strength to back it up.  The dog would not go near it.

Ptarmigan spotting on the hike yesterday.  Notice how the dog stopped and didn't rush up on them.  Too bad I didn't have a gun then.  She was so well tempered.

Close up of ptarmigan.

My first Ptarmigan.  Scout did such a good job retrieving too.

After I pulled the breast out, I let Scout have the remains.  The first time, I put the bird on its back, placed a foot at each wing, firmly pulled its feet, and the breast came off cleanly.  On the second bird, it was not so easy, but it was a cinch to field dress it nonetheless.

The victory hike back up the trail.  I could totally get used to hiking and hunting with a dog.  Thanks for the go-ahead Tina!