Lesson Learned

Cutter and I headed out for some birds yesterday. It was windy and although I didn't think it would be great, we had nothing better going on so; to the field we went. I thought about setting up for ducks but I haven't seen a ton of ducks yet so it's all about the pheasants, huns and sharpies. It is pretty cool out here though. Where else do you know of where you could shoot three types of upland birds and ducks all the same day? And if you were really ambitious; pheasants, huns, sharpies, ruffed grouse, Franklins and spruce. Oh yeah, and I missed a snipe yesterday too...yes my Camp Tanadoona friends, snipe are real.

We headed out to one of the Hutterite colonies I've hunted in the past. It's not great but good enough. Last year Cutter got whacked out there twice by porcupines. Once a dog gets hit by one of those critters there's one of two ways he can go. Either they garner a respectful fear of them or an absolute distain and they will attack everyone they see regardless of the implications. Fortunately for Cutter, he doesn't have the latter in him.

Cutter worked hard yesterday and found some birds. We would have done pretty well if I hadn't missed a couple lay-ups. At one point he looked like he was getting birdie and was about to go head first into a thicket. He stopped just before disappearing and looked back at me. He was obviously apprehensive and I started to say, "Hunt 'em up, Cutter. Find the bird!" but his demeanor was very different so I looked at him instead and said, "It's up to you buddy. You don't have to go in there."

Cutter turned and left the thicket alone and I wondered if there was one of those bastards in there. We moved on and found a few more birds and then Cutter came to another thicket and did the same thing. This time, however, it wasn't quite as thick and was on my side of the ditch so I took a look and sure enough, there he was - a quill pig.

It's a relief to know he's gotten the message on these nasty critters. They can really ruin the day for the hunt and put your dog in an incredibly painful and dangerous situation. He didn't show any resentment for the porcupine and never once showed curiosity. He knew what it was and he knew he wanted no part in it.

So here's question, since these porkies aren't protected and are considered non-game animals, should I have shot this guy so that the next dog didn't get whacked or should have I left it alone? I did shoot one that got Cutter last year and I kind of felt bad about it. The porky wasn't doing anything wrong, just minding his own business so why should it die? We are coming into his environment, right? All he's trying to do is protect himself and if the dog doesn't mess with it, it's not going to mess with you. But most dogs don't know not to check it out and that's when they get whacked. Should I protect the next dog or protect the natural wildlife?

No offense to the next dog owner but that quill pig is still alive. If it were a rattlesnake, however...

Ok so one last thing. I don't have any endorsements but I do get pro-deals from Simms, Columbia, TFO Rods, RIO line, ExOfficio, Redington, and Orvis so what I say is my honest opinion. I tend to lean towards the best deal but I am concerned with quality as well. The best wading boots I've had are Simms. RIO treats us well. TFO rods are the best bang for the buck and my Redington waders are bomb-proof and didn't cost an arm and a leg. I have had the hardest time, however, finding hunting boots that don't either kill my feet or mess up my back. The other day I decided to go with Danner Pronghorns after they were recommended by a friend and I can't say enough about them.

I hiked about six miles yesterday chasing birds. I was a little tired at the end of the day but no hot spots or fatigue in my feet or legs and my back this morning never felt better. I know it seems like a pretty insignificant endorsement but I can't tell you how important it is to take care of your feet and I feel like I have found the boot for me. Happy feet, happy hunt. I can't believe it took so long.

Keep 'em where they live...