Laura Kovarik. writer for Guns America Digest, brought her dad, Jim, out for his first upland bird hunt. Travis Devall came out with his dogs to do the guiding on the pheasant, chukar and quail I set out in the Clubhouse and pasture fields. They picked a beautiful day and had some great points and rises, including the one where Jim brought down his first pheasant.

John Cavaletto came out with his old buddy, Burl, a stylish English Pointer. I threw out some quail from the tower in the Clubhouse Field the flew out in random fashion, finding their own spot of cover to duck into. Burl and John hunted the thick prairie habitat and found nearly all of the birds, and chased a few pheasant around. I got out to film a couple of the rises. Great first hunt of the season.

Brad Pardue came out with his chocolate lab, Jake to get some early season work on pheasant. This was Jake’s first trip of the year so I stashed some birds in the East Bottom Field prairie strips for him to work. He found and flushed them all and Brad did his part coming back with almost all his birds.

Dale Phillips brought out his wirehair, Franklin and two buddies, Tim Lillie and Adam Mercer to hunt some upland birds. I set out some pheasant, chukar and quail coveys in the Cabin Field for Franklin to find. They all knocked down some birds that Franklin pointed, including Adam on his first upland bird hunt.

Randy Ruskey came out to hunt some quail, so Travis Devall brought out his trio of setters and pointers to find the birds set around the prairie edge of the Cabin Field. Patches, Zip and Sadie found them all plus a few more. Birds were flying well and some got away.

My cousin Cameron came out with his drone to get me some nice aerial views of our bird hunting fields.  Check out all that beautiful cover and then pick the one you want for your next hunt.

Dale Wehmeyer came out with his two sons, Matt and Mark and two labs, Nellie and Jack for a pheasant and chukar hunt. I filled the Clubhouse Field with birds and the labs did a nice job finding and flushing the birds from the thick cover. I get to see a bunch of the action and there was a lot, birds flushing, flying and then folding.

Jack Krackenberger along with his old friend and weimaraner, Jasper took a break from the Chicago suburbs for a bit of time in the fields and timber around Sandy Run. The first day, he enjoyed being in the gallery of the Central Prairie Field Trial Club’s Fall Trial. The next morning was a bit wet, but he headed to the woods for some squirrel hunting. Jack saw a few but the wet, noisy timber was not good conditions. In the afternoon I took Jack on a pheasant hunt in the Clubhouse Field. Mack and Sol found Jack’s pheasants and when we got down to the bottom field Jack’s LC Smith 12 gauge took down a rooster trying to escape to the creek. Another enjoyable evening in the clubhouse and some coffee the next morning and Jack and Jasper had to head back to Chicagoland.

Todd Davis set up a pheasant and chukar hunt for his son, Tyler and friends, Michael and Quentin Smith. Steve Sanders guided the group around the Cabin Field with his pointers and lab. It was the boys first upland bird hunt and they had a bunch of opportunities and each harvested their first birds.

Dude and DJ Lemaster came up from Kentucky with their young squirrel dog, Jace, a Mountain Heist to get him on some squirrel. They had four good hunts, getting Jace some much needed work on squirrels. The last afternoon DJ and I took out a couple of bird dogs after some of the pheasant running around. DJ had a few opportunities but the leftover roosters are getting pretty smart. Enjoyable guests to have in the lodge.