Turkeys and Pointing Dogs

Some folks are surprised to learn that during the fall/winter season here in Kansas, you can use dogs to hunt turkeys.  We don't go out specifically looking for turkeys but there are usually a couple of days each fall that we do encounter turkeys while quail or pheasant hunting and Mike usually gets a turkey or two for the freezer and table.  There is a lot of meat on a turkey, especially compared to our favorite little bobwhites, so getting one is always a welcome bonus.

Once in a while we like to take just a single dog out since it allows you some good time with that dog plus the opportunity to see how the dog does all on it's own.  So one day in late November shortly after the setter puppies were born, Mike took Fr Brit Belle out for a solo hunt and they headed to an area with good tall grass and quail habitat.  Shortly after starting out Mike saw Belle getting birdy and at the same time he saw several turkeys flush out ahead and fly off into the tall grass.  Belle disappeared into the tall grass and Mike found her on point, facing across a small draw.  As he walked in, turkeys began to flush from in front as the always composed Belle stood and watched.   The turkeys however were so flustered that one gobbler made a fatal mistake and flew back toward Mike.  As it passed, he dropped it clean and dead with his 28 ga sxs.  He has found that if you shoot them just under their wing that they drop dead.  I have seen him do it before and it is quite surprising to see such a large bird drop stone cold dead from the air.  

Mike tagged the 20 lb bird and placed it at the fence at the edge of the field to pick up on the way back to the truck.  They continued forward and before long Belle was again on point.  Only this time it was a nice sized covey of quail that flushed up - gotta love Kansas!  Mike zeroed in on one but thought he had missed it but a few minutes later grinned as Belle came back down the draw with the bird in her mouth.   They continued up the draw in hopes of finding some quail singles to work.  But when Belle went on point at the end of the draw it was a turkey that flushed close by.  Again the 28 showed that it is to be taken seriously and the second bird dropped.  Belle went on to point 4 more turkeys that morning but Mike had to pass them up since he had only 2 tags.  One of the things we love about Belle is that so many (most?) dogs lose their cool when they get into a bunch of turkeys but not her, she remained as cool as a cucumber on every one of those turkeys, as if it was an everyday experience.

I greeted them when they pulled up the drive and Mike said "only 3 birds today."  But then he pulled out 2 big turkeys and one little quail.   A memorable day.