Hunting Boots are a pretty personal thing and I’ve looked at countless pairs to replace the ones I have now. After having several friends recommend them, I finally settled on a pair of Insulated Kangaroo Boots from Cabela’s. These will replace a pair of Field and Stream boots I found at Bass Pro Shops – to be honest I like the $80.00 price of the F&S boots better – and I’ll continue to use the LL Bean Boots (I prefer the 8″ height) for sloppy weather/short hunts. I remember when my grandfather gave me my first pair of Bean Boots for Christmas when I was a teenager. I really felt like I had arrived!
A comprehensive article at whole-dog journal.com on the risks and dangers associated with various chew toys. While rawhide chews seem to have the most universal approval, there are risks with them as well.
From the article:
“The freshness factor alone is a good reason to try to buy American-made rawhide chews for your dog. But it’s also true that it’s less likely that illegal or toxic chemicals are used in the products’ manufacturing if the products are made in the United States. Lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium salts, formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals have been detected in low-quality hides.”
You can read the entire article here
A friend gave me a gun sock and I have to say that I really like the idea. These Socks have are silicon-treated and I keep my shotgun’s in one when I store it during the off season. I also think they are nice for when its a snow or rainy day and the gun gets some moisture on it. Sure you wipe it down, but putting it in the sock seems to help with wicking off the moisture. Especially nice if you have a bit of a drive before you can fully clean the gun.
A couple of weeks ago I took my first trip out to South Dakota for a Pheasant Hunting trip. We had seven guys and two dogs. Definitely could have used more dogs! We hunted on some private ground near Doland, SD.
Not a big town at all, but friendly folks, and a couple of nice taverns/restaurants nearby.
We had good weather the first day, saw a fair amount of birds and Ruby got a workout in. She did a great job finding birds in some of the shelter belts and holding them tight until we got there. Its always a challenge when folks that have never hunted over a ranging pointer do it for the first time, and an even bigger challenge when you have a flusher and a pointer as the only two dogs in the group. Animals and humans both acquitted themselves well and we had a great day.
A couple of nights we ended up at the Time Out and had a great time hanging out with the locals.
I’m not so sure Ruby approved.
Last two days were a bit rougher weather-wise but we saw hundreds of birds and the hunting was good. Ruby ranged out a bit and between the wind and the miles of corn it took some time to get her back on track. She also pointed a bobcat in a rock pile, but fortunately we got her and the other dog away before they mixed it up.
I took Ruby hunting at a club near Portage, Michigan. We had a good hunt, even tho it was a little warm. Unfortunately she cut her leg on something and I had to run her to a local vet. They put in 5 staples and she’ll be fine. Although it might slow her down for the South Dakota trip.
The thing that concerned me was that it took me almost an hour to find and get to an emergency vet as “normal” vet clinics were all closing up for the day. I keep a first aid kit and I know enough to be dangerous, but if it was bleeding worse it could have been a problem.
I had heard of this stuff, EMT Gel, and so I’ve put some in my dog’s gear bag. I’ve got a pretty good first aid kit, but in a pinch I think the EMT Gel could be, literally, a lifesaver. 
We had a pretty warm day to hunt and so the dogs got limited action, but all in all it was a nice hunt. Lots of finds and some great work by the dogs – that’s the entire point of going for me – some interesting displays of shooting skills, but that’s pretty much par for the course. I swear that the dogs look back at us and shake their heads sometimes.
Ruby:
I heard today that Ruby’s Dad, “Rev” has passed away. He was a heck of a dog to hunt with, and I’ll miss the chance to do it again. Lots of great memories of this dog, but the one that stands out was when Ruby was a pup and I took her down to run with him in some of his training. She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight months old and his harness caught on her back leg.
Kevin said “whoa” and Rev held like a rock while this puppy yipped and flopped behind him trying to get loose. We got her loose, no one was worse for the wear (except maybe me) and she took off out ahead of us like nothing had happened. I could have sworn Rev gave her a look and then went on about his work.
Great genes and I’m lucky to have a dog sired by him.
B and H Clyde’s Revenge
I picked up a Bore Snake at Cabelas. I have to say its one of the best inventions for a quick cleaning of a shotgun at the end of a day. I’m not suggesting that it is a substitute for a thorough cleaning, but rather that its a great way to keep a gun clean during a hunting trip.
Its really simple to use, one run through the barrel and the shotgun is pretty well clean. I’ve seen folks use some Hoppes #9 on the end to loosen things up. Its great for in the field cleaning. Comes in several gauges and the best part is its washable – though I’d be sure not to washing any other clothing with it as the little brass brushes would surely make a mess out of them.
I finally found a pair of nylon Wick Chaps. I think I’ve been searching for these things for a few years now. I really like that they are durable, have a zipper on the sides that make them easy to get on over jeans and a quick clip mechanism that lets you hook them over your belt.
They fold up nicely and are easy to clean up.
Hazel was Ruby’s dam and I think Ruby gets her durability and toughness from her. I always enjoyed hunting with her and the hunts in Central Illinois will most definitely be a lot less fun without her.
She was liver and white like my dog, so that always won a spot in my heart for her.
You can read more about Hazelnut here
