The first snowfall of the year was a teaser. It was like licking the beaters without getting to taste the cake. Instead of storms lining up out in the Pacific Ocean to bless us with pow-pow, Mother Nature has given us high pressure. Blue skies and cold temperatures. Perfect chukar hunting conditions.
I've been getting out with the bros lately, chasing the mountain bird that haunts the foothills around Boise. All hunters enjoy the fact that fifteen minutes from the capital city we can find ourselves in prime chukar country.
But because of my frequent jaunts into the rocky, hill country, I have been reminded of how important it is to have a good hunting dog when chasing these wily birds. In the last year and a half I lost both of my dogs. The final reminders of my youth, gone. An unpleasant reality check that adulthood has somehow found its way into my life. Sort of.
I will never fully find myself trapped by the comforts of a "normal life," but it would be nice to have a full-blooded pointer to hold chukars for me in the steep terrain. But one needs a home before one can have a dog. I still find myself stuck in the constant quagmire between rent and living out my car (or my parent's house).
Like a child, a dog takes time and constant attention. Basically a dog needs everything that I can't give right now. A place to live, money for shots and food, training time.
My dad ran Springer Spaniels when I was growing up. Awesome family dogs, a great flushing pheasant dog, and decent with chukars. But I've found myself becoming more and more specialized as I've grown older. Hiking and hunting. That's all I want to do anymore. The steep terrain of the chukar provides a challenge unlike any other bird. And so I would like a dog that is bred to chase these masters of the mountains. But pointers are so hyper. You have to ride them like a wild horse to get them to slow down enough to eat. And they tear up any yard you put them in. A landlord's nightmare.
In the summer your fly rod wouldn't be for fishing any more. The only thing my graphite rod would be used for is to train a pointing dog to point with a feather on the end of the line, giving the dog a little movement with the rod while teaching it to hold birds. Forget fishing.
I can imagine trying to get on the river. Any time I would want to go on an overnighter I would have to get someone to take care of the dog. I can hear the phone conversation.
"Yeah, Barney, could you take care of my dog for a couple of days. It might tear out your fence, dig up your yard and shit all over the place, but other than that it's really well behaved."
Probably wouldn't happen. So I guess I'll resign myself to chasing birds dog-less or with a friend's pup. Maybe I'll have a house of my own someday. Or maybe not.
No comments:
Post a Comment