Here is my Christmas Gift to you all.  Here are some pics that made me smile from the first part of the Sandy Run season.  Hope you enjoy them.

Jake and Josh Groesch came down for a pheasant hunt on a cold, wet nasty day.  Travis Devall drew the short straw to have to bring his dogs out to track down the running pheasants I set out in the Cabin Field.  But, Patches and Zip did their job, finding more pheasants plus a couple of chukar spread around the big area.  Just wished Travis would have cleaned off his camera a couple more times.  

John and Garrett Wright came down from Pana with their buddy Tyler Seibert to hunt some pheasant, quail and chukar.  They picked a wet day, so I set out a few more pheasant and a covey or so less quail.  Steve Sanders brought out a few pointers and his lab to find, point and flush the birds out of the Cabin Field.  Pheasant were running, the chukar were flying and the quail were staying out of the rain, but they had a nice hunt and came back with a mess.

John Germanceri set up a hunt for his friends and family, Jeff Winfield, Nathan Goncher and Eric Valentine.  They brought along their  Pudelpointer, Jake to help Jeff Powell and his dogs find the pheasant and chukar I stashed around the wet Clubhouse Field.  I am not sure what happened, but they came back with more roosters than I put out, but let almost all the hens go, quite chivalrous. 

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.