Palouse Outdoors: Women on the Wing hosts pre-season upland hunt

Smoke hung like a heavy fog in the Palouse River canyon, making for a simultaneously mesmerizing yet apocalyptic scene. The sun appeared ablaze, blood-orange behind the smoke as it climbed above the dark basalt bluffs.

Ahead, the moon was falling behind the horizon over Connell as if retreating from the sun. It was massive and glowing orange but confirmed that the smoke was less intense over the miles ahead. Good news for the Blue Mountain Pheasant Forever's first-ever Women on the Wing upland hunt – "Girls and Gun Dogs Get Ready."

Twenty women and their canine companions traveled from as far as La Grande, Oregon, to meet on September 10 on the dusty scablands at Limits Game Farm. Hopes were high for tuning up bird-finding skills before the October upland hunting seasons.

Three fields were identified, and hunter pairs were assigned time slots across the morning. My role was to serve as a mentor in any capacity needed, e. g. provide guidance on working and reading young dogs, assistance with new shotguns, coaching on where birds were released, or simply standing by for whatever. Easy enough.

For the 7:00 am hunt, I was fortunate to be placed with two young women and a year-old yellow Lab, Gus. While perfectly trained for waterfowl, Gus had never hunted upland birds. This introductory hunt would be a unique experience with an enthusiastic duck dog.

We shuffled down the powder-dry hillside into the coulee where milky green Russian olive rows stood near a cattail wetland to the south. To the north, sagebrush and grassland stretched out of sight. We were to hunt the southern field, so we headed toward the cattails through a small patch of sagebrush.

Dry and dusty are two things counterproductive to success for a bird dog, particularly one who has never hunted upland birds. Birds leave little scent as they move through cover, and that scent vanishes in dry conditions. Additionally, dust and other particles have the potential to confuse a dog's nose. Encountering the bird's "scent cone" directly is virtually a dog's only hope in these conditions, and this type of encounter can be abrupt.

Gus' short casts through the grasses led him near the sagebrush where the first bird of the morning was sitting tight. The bird got up to Gus' surprise, and the following gunfire clued him into this being an exciting gig. We pressed on to find a second bird, which followed in a similar fashion, leaving Gus to sniff the area and ponder his first taste of upland hunting. While a bird never fell for Gus, his introduction to the game was a success.

Later in the morning, I walked the northern field with two women and their experienced pointing dogs – a Pudelpointer and a large black and white German shorthaired pointer (GSP). A cloudy trail billowed as the dogs barreled down into the field.

"The first bird will be near the bottom of the road here," I cautioned.

It was after 10:00 am and the sun was beating down on the sagebrush strip at somewhere between sixty-five and seventy degrees. The dogs worked the area, but the bird was never seen, and such was the case for many birds across the morning.

We pressed on through the field as the two dogs crisscrossed each other's paths. The black and white GSP streaked one way while the chocolate brown Pudelpointer streaked the other. And then it happened. The brute of a GSP locked onto point, and when the pudelpointer crossed behind, it turned in behind the GSP to honor the point. Both dogs stood firm as their gunners eased into position. A striking, swoon-worthy scene, in my humble opinion.

Until this point, I was simply tagging along, taking in the show, but when the bird failed to materialize, I stepped in to assist, leaving the hunters to focus on their dogs and firearms. Both dogs stood confident, certain that the bird was there, but it simply would not move. Dropping to one knee and peering beneath the sagebrush revealed a pheasant sitting tightly, and making eye contact was enough to pressure the bird skyward.

Shots erupted from the sleek over/under twelve-gauge overhead, and the GSP soon returned, proudly toting the pheasant to his handler. Ultimately, two birds came to hand, thanks to the skills of the two dogs and snappy shooting.

As the morning concluded, English setters, Norwegian duck tollers, black and yellow Labs (both pointers and flushers), and possibly a Vizsla and Weimaraner had worked birds, in addition to the GSP and Pudelpointer. Their skill levels ranged from novice to decorated field trial masters, and the same could be said of their handlers. In the end, everyone endured the trying conditions with aplomb and left the field with a smile, eager for the general upland seasons to open.

Stories of the hunt were shared over a catered lunch, courtesy of the Pheasants Forever Ringold Chapter #656. A gear swap allowed participants to share and equip one another for the upcoming season. Mentors conversed over dog work and hunts to come. And all agreed, the event was a great success.

Women on the Wing embraces and strengthens the bond between hunter, canine, the dazzling upland birds they pursue, and conservation. This hunt was merely the beginning of a legacy for Women on the Wing in Washington State and the women who choose the path to the uplands.