Spencer Patton came by to try out the English Setter pup, Flip on a few quail. Dr. Robb Frost, Troy Williams and Shawn Garrett came along to give their approval and then hunt some mini-quail coveys with Robb’s German Shorthair, Susie. Flip had fun, found all the birds, pointed a couple and got to find one dead and I think a new home. Susie did a nice job on the quail in the drenched field.
Philip Marti brought his lab, Reba, for a warm up chukar hunt. I set some chukar single and double sets in the East Bottom Field and Reba found all the birds. Philip and Reba had to head into the woods and across the creek to get them all. Reba did a nice job and is prime shape for her big hunt right before Christmas.
John Cavalettto brought out his hunting partner, his English Pointer, Burl to find some quail. The temperature had finally dropped so I set out quail in some double sets in the Clubhouse Field to help keep the hunt at a pleasureable time frame. Burl made it through the sets, but kept running into extra quail and pheasant running around the field and pasture. After getting more than I put out we headed back to the clubhouse for some hot coffee.
Arlon Long set up a hunt for this two neighbors, Lake Atchison and Grant Coooper for a pheasant and chukar hunt. Arlon brought his German shorthairs, Cooper and a new one, Coal to find the birds I set out in the Cabin Field. The young dog and young hunters had a good time clearing the field of game birds.
Larry Jones and Jimmy Robinson came out to run Larry’s dogs on some quail. Ike, the English Pointer was first to hunt the quail mini-coveys in the Clubhouse Field. He did an nice job finding and pointing the birds as well as retrieving the birds Larry knocked down. Next up King, his Brittany got in on the action and did just as well. I am pretty sure Larry would have knocked down all three on a rise, except he brought his double barrel, check out the first rise.
Butch Spelbring came out with his buddy Wayne McMorris and his pointer, Doc to hunt some quail and chukar. I set some chukar doubles and 4 quail coveys in the Clubhouse Field for Doc to find and point. Scenting conditions were excellent and Doc was on. Not only did they find their birds, but it seemed like 2 to 3 quail singles between each covey and double. It took a while to get around the field finding birds every 100 feet, not a bad problem to have, lots of action.
Bob Dasenbrock came out with his English Setter, Libby for a chukar hunt, that turned into a quail hunt also. I set some chukar in the milo plots in the East Bottom Field to get out of the wind, but on the way we ran into quail in the fencerow and field edge all the way down to the bottoms. Libby found all the chukar, twice on a few and a bunch of quail to boot.
Gary Rogers brought down his pair of English Pointers for a quail hunt. I set out some 4 bird coveys around the Cabin Field and the dogs pointed them out to Gary. He did a nice job shooting, getting 3 doubles on the covey rises, not bad with an over and under. The woods shooting was more challenging but a bunch of fun.
Shawn Garrett and Troy Williams of Resource One Advisors invited some friends and clients out for some upland bird hunting. Among their guests were former St. Louis Rams center, Andy McCollum and MLB pitcher, Spencer Patton. They hunted pheasant, chukar and quail from the south end of the Tinkerfarm to the Clubhouse Field and everywhere in between. After the hunt, we shared some incredible brisket and pulled pork from Iuka’s Smoked to the Bone. A little Q&A with the two athletes and an inspirational talk by John Brooks followed lunch, before a few headed back out to pick up a few remaining birds.
Robert Gretens and Mike Collins came out to hunt Robert’s two young German Shorthair pointers on some quail. Daisy won the coin flip and got to hunt first, she did a nice job, finding more than what I set. Duke was next, but not quite as successful. Robert’s cocker spaniel, Cruiser, got to come out to clean up the leftover quail, chance for everyone to have some fun.