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.

Sean Abernathy set up a pheasant and chukar hunt for his two sons, Michael and Ty, and friend Kevin Carroll. I set out some birds in the Clubhouse Field and got Sol and Ava out to find them. The weather was sunny, warm and a bit breezy, so the pheasants were on the run. The boys both knocked down their first birds, pheasants and chukar and we headed back to trade out pups and get some water. Mack and Hildy got to go after the ones that got away and they did well cleaning up some hidden chukars and running pheasants.

Keith and Don Criner came up from Arkansas with Tyler Ginn, Don Brawley and David Bailey on their way to waterfowl hunt on the Illinois River. They stopped by for an upland bird hunt, a bed and some food. I filled up the Clubhouse Field with pheasant, chukar and quail for the first round and got out Sol and Mack to find them. They picked a warm afternoon and it seemed that we saw pheasant running down every path we came to. After many points and shots, I changed dogs added a few more birds to the mix and got out Ava and Hildy. Another successful trip around the Clubhouse and into the pasture and bottom fields after the moving birds. I smoked some chicken for dinner and filled them with coffee, eggs and bacon for their trip north the next morning.

Sean Abernathy set up a pheasant and chukar hunt for his two sons, Michael and Ty, and friend Kevin Carroll. I set out some birds in the Clubhouse Field and got Sol and Ava out to find them. The weather was sunny, warm and a bit breezy, so the pheasants were on the run. The boys both knocked down their first birds, pheasants and chukar and we headed back to trade out pups and get some water. Mack and Hildy got to go after the ones that got away and they did well cleaning up some hidden chukars and running pheasants.

Larry Kleiner brought out his crew of wild bird hunters for a warm up on some quail a few days before the season opened. Six hunters brought six dogs. There was Holly, Candy, Trigger, Ginger, Daisy, and Molly . . . I think, mix of setters, pointers and german shorthairs, bunch of dogs in the field. I set out some nice sized coveys in the Clubhouse and Bottom Fields. I was able to stick around for the first three rises and they only let a few escape into fencerows. I hope they had as much fun on the wild ones.