#upland bird hunting

[largemouthbassnation]

Valley Quail, Southern Oregon: The Journey Within - A Bird Hunter's Diary | Mark V Peterson

MarkPeterson #TheJourneyWithin #WTA In Part 6, Mark and his Father Earl are in Southern Oregon hunting Valley Quail, … source

[trashwaaveactual]

Government drones deactivated

[bones-n-bookles]

I also acquired a new hunting dog book and atlas book!

Game Dog: The Hunter's Retriever for Upland Birds and Waterfowl, by Richard A. Walter's. Originally published 1983, second edition published 1995

Goode's World Atlas, from Rand McNally, edited by Edward B. Espenshade Jr and John C. Hudson, with senior consultant Joel L. Morrison. Originally published 1922, 19th edition published 1995

[doecrossing]

I know that ppl get up in arms abt stuff like this sometimes but whenever I look at a woodcock I'm like. I want to eat that animal.

[petnews2day]

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness clarifies dog leash rules

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/X7QX6

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness clarifies dog leash rules

Duluth, Minn. — The U.S. Forest Service added new language to Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness permitting last spring, indicating that dogs must be on a leash of 6 feet or less while in developed recreation sites. The change raised questions about whether the rule applies during bird-hunting seasons, when most dogs are off-leash trying […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/X7QX6 #DogNews #Hunting, #Minnesota, #UplandBirds, #Waterfowl

[bonefall]

Ok, im back with more names. The bog was hard to find, so I’m basing it off of the area of Carrington Moss, which is in the area I think BB takes place if I’m reading the maps right

Also bc we’re talking about Shadowclan

Ok, so the names

First of all: Fen, Bog, Mire, and Peat, all names for this biome. There’s also marls, a rock found in the area

Again, I’ll only be using names I don’t remember being in the series (the obvious one being moss. It’s all moss)

Asphodel (bog asphodel), rosemary (bog rosemary), cranberry, cotton (cotton sedge), blackberry, bluebell, foxglove, iris, a plant called Mad-dog weed, also known as a water-plantain, admiral (red admiral), pipit (meadow pipit), partridge (gray partridge, but very rare) bullfinch, and bunting (reed bunting)

Close but you're a bit off-- Carrington Moss is, confusingly, an example of a moorland!

Specifically it is a lowland peat bog. Upland peat, lowland peat, blanket bog, dune heath, upland heath, lowland heath, maritime heath... all of these biomes are completely different, but all of them are referred to as moorlands.

Also, those names for the biome are not interchangeable. Those all have more specific meanings;

Fen: An alkaline wetland. Fed by fresh groundwater or runoff, these biomes are a lot richer in nutrients and the water is higher in oxygen. Because of this, they often have a much larger diversity of plant and animal species. Fens can sometimes become bogs over time.

Bog: An acidic wetland Thick moss, lots of dead matter, mostly a result of still water building up over many many years. Since the water is low in oxygen, you won't find many fish in these, and generally bogs are home to specialists who can handle the conditions.

Mire: Wet, muddy land that's hard to walk on Only synonymous with "bog" if you're using it in the informal sense of "being bogged down," not in the ecological sense-- a bog is a mire, but not all mires are bogs. You could have a mire made out of glue, tar, or caramel, if you were writing a really cool fantasy series.

Peat: A dark brown material formed from partially decayed plant matter. Essentially what happens when the top layer of moss or grass dies in a really wet place, is quickly grown-over by living plants, and then rots slowly underneath. A VERY important component of a bog, extremely useful as fuel.

For ShadowClan I'm actually modelling wetlands in and around Delamere Forest, specifically, because I ran into the issue you did of the British-English dialect having a lot of "overlap" in region names and scientific terms. If you want to go scouring for cool prefixes to suggest, you can check out Blakemere Moss, Black Lake, Mouldsworth Gap, and Abbots Moss.

Most of the plants you mentioned still grow here, though! Some other fun prefixes I've been thinking of though;

Lime (type of tree, no relation to citrus!)

Linden (another name for lime, which there are two types of)

Sphagnum (Important type of moss)

Snipe (type of bird that picks up its babies and flies away with them)

Coot (funny name bird)

Chaser (type of dragonfly)

Podzol (ashy soil found in places where plant decomposition is inhibited)

Quiver or Quake (Describing the movement of thick moss that has formed over the surface of stillwater, Q is a really rare letter in WC names)

Vetch (Common type of plant with a name I think is really cool)

Nymph (Baby dragonfly)

Skater, Skimmer, or Strider (Bug that hunts by gliding across the surface of water)

[largemouthbassnation]

(Duck Hunting) Waterfowl and Upland Bird Hunting For Ducks and Dove in Mexico | Part 3

Join members Ty Wagner, Ken Ferguson, Ron Kelley, and Chancellor Archie as they extend their waterfowl season in Tamaulipas … source

[outofangband]

Birds of Maglor’s Gap and Lothlann

This completes my series on birds of the Fëanorian realms pre Amon Ereb!!

March of Maedhros, Himlad, Thargelion, Estolad

Flora, Fauna, geography and environment of Arda Masterlist

Maglor’s Gap was the widest break in the mountains and cliffs dividing Beleriand and the lands to the north. It lay between the blue mountains to the east and the March of Maedhros to the west. Lothlann was a wide expanse of plains to the north of the Gap. The rivers greater and little Gelion ran around the western and eastern borders.

Steppes and plains: Daurian, see see partridge, yellowhammer, black grouse, grey necked bunting, great rosefinch, imperial Eagle, steppe eagle, golden eagle, Mongolian ground jay (rare), greater short toed lark, upland buzzard, Pallas’s sandgrouse, laughing dove, great bustard, bush quail, gray, black and painted francolin, snowcock, little bustard, merlin, cheer pheasant, crested lark, painted sandgrouse, scrubfowl, common quail, brown accentor, ring necked pheasant, grey partridge, black bellied sandgrouse, common buzzard, black kite

By greater and little Gelion (stream/river): black faced bunting, Pallas’s bunting, pin tailed sandgrouse (summer only), white throated dipper, brown dipper, common kingfisher, hobby, swamphen

World building notes

--Laughing doves appear on the sigil of some of Maglor’s host who are particularly skilled in the use of song in battle

-Many of Maglor’s cavalry hunt or fight with birds including golden, steppe and imperial eagles.

-Game birds of the prairie steppes such as partridge make up much of the meat that the cavalry and scouts eat, along with hares.

-Most of the cavalry have horse hair plumes but some of the lieutenants and generals have feathers from pheasants or eagles.

-Emu are actually domesticated in some parts of the world and I love the idea of them being kept in both the Gap and Himlad as well as by peoples East of the Ered Luin. They have a huge variety of uses including leather, oil, eggs and meat. And the chicks are very cute 💙

-I am a huge proponent of prehistoric and extinct animals living throughout Arda, as per Tolkien’s comments about “all creatures which walk or have walked the earth”. I really like the idea of small brush moas living near the mountain borders of the Gap

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this press release from the Department of the Interior:

The Department of the Interior announced that more than $46.2 million in grants was approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission today, which will conserve or restore 91,425 acres of wetland and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, shorebirds and other birds in 17 states. These grants, made through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), will be matched by more than $99.1 million in partner funds.

In addition, the Commission approved��more than $11.7 million from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, providing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners the ability to conserve habitat on seven national wildlife refuges across seven states. The acquisitions will expand public opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and outdoor recreational access.

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission is chaired by the Secretary of the Interior and authorized under NAWCA. The Commission has helped conserve much of the nation’s most important waterfowl habitat and establish or enhance many of the country’s most popular destinations for waterfowl hunting and birding. 

“Across the country, migratory birds and their habitat are at risk due to drought, warmer temperatures and rising seas, said Service Director Martha Williams. “Projects supported through these grants help bolster wetland biodiversity and increase habitat for billions of migrating birds while expanding outdoor recreation opportunities for surrounding communities.”

North American Wetlands Conservation Act

NAWCA is the only federal grant program dedicated to the conservation of wetland habitats for migratory birds. Since 1991, over 7,000 partners have received more than $2.28 billion in grants for roughly 3,300 projects. Those partners have contributed another $4.53 billion in matching funds to improve more than 32.6 million acres of habitat, totaling more than $6.8 billion for wetland conservation that also benefits people, birds and other wildlife. Through NAWCA, federal funds are typically leveraged at twice the legally required dollar-for-dollar match ratio. Partners in NAWCA projects include private landowners, state, Tribal and local governments, conservation organizations, sporting groups, land trusts and corporations.

The Commission also received a report today on 22 NAWCA small grants, which were approved by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council in March 2024. Small grants are awarded for projects up to $250,000 to encourage new grantees and partners to carry out smaller-scale conservation work. The Commission has authorized the Council to approve these projects up to $5 million. This year, more than $4.7 million in grants was matched by more than $10 million in partner funds. 

[pleistocene-pride]

Dinornis better known as the Giant Moa is an extinct genus of birds belonging to the moa family of the suborder order Dinornithiformes, a group of large flightless birds which lived on the islands of New Zealand some 2 million to 500 years ago. There are 2 currently recognized species the North Island giant moa (Dinornis novaezealandiae) and the South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus). These diurnal avians tended to be found in the lowlands of there island homes inhabiting Shrublands, Grasslands, Coastlands, and Forests where they occupied the niche of large terrestrial browsing herbivore similar to certain antelope, bovines, cervids, and giraffes of today, feeding upon Twigs, seeds, berries, leaves, flowers, fungi, vines, herbs, and shrubs. In life giant moas displayed a large reversed sexual dimorphism whereby the females were up to twice the size of males. With males reaching around 5 to 6.5ft (1.52 to 1.98m) in height and 120 to 195 (55 to 88kg) in weight, and females reaching roughly 10 to 12.5ft (3.05 to 3.81m) in height and 170 to 550lbs (78 to 250kgs) in weight these birds where amongst the largest to ever exist, with the North Island Giant Moa currently holding the record of the tallest bird ever and the South Island Giant Moa being the second tallest. However both are beaten in terms of weight by there fellow recently extinct ratite the elephant bird. Dinornis had long slim, elongated bones compared to other moa species, Maori historical accounts describe the animals as tall, two legged, tailess, wingless giants with slender necks. Brown, slightly streaked, downy, wool like feathers covered all of there bodies sans there heads, feet, and part of the neck. It is believed that the settlement of New Zealand by the Maori directly lead to the Moas extinction, as they were extensively hunted for there meat and feathers. Whats possibly more devastating was the introduction of Polynesian rats and dogs which likely destroyed moa nests and killed moa chicks faster than these large birds could mature and reproduce.The last of the giant moa likely died out around 1500 C.E. with the last species of smaller Moa the Upland Moa possibly holding out until the 1800s.

Art used belongs to the following creators:

Giova Favazzi

Mark Witton

Jaime Chirinos

Gabriel N. U.

Dana Franklin

[darkmaga-returns]

Democrat vice presidential nominee Tim Walz found himself in an unexpected spotlight after a video surfaced online that shows the “folksy” Minnesota governor struggling to use a shotgun.

The video was captured during a pheasant-hunting trip, the Daily Caller reported.

The footage shows Walz attempting to load a semi-automatic firearm, leading to a wave of discussion among the public and media.

During the governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, Walz’s difficulty with a Beretta A400 shotgun drew attention.

It comes amid renewed interest in his military service and criticisms from political opponents.

According to reports from the Associated Press, the annual Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener is a traditional event meant to launch the upland game bird season.

This year, the gathering took on an extra layer of intrigue as the governor’s handling of the firearm took center stage.

In the video, Walz is seen conversing with reporters while attempting to load shells into the gun’s magazine.

The governor identified the shotgun as a Beretta A400, which he had purchased during a period when he was more actively involved in trap shooting.

[justinquiambyao]

The Philippine Eagle, a unique bird of prey found only in the Philippines, is a true forest raptor that relies on pristine primary forests for hunting, nest building, and raising its young.

POPULATION STATUS: Critically Endangered

BODY LENGTH: 2.5-3.3 feet (76-102 cm)

WINGSPAN: 6.5 feet (1.9 m)

WEIGHT: 10-18 pounds (4.5-8.1 kg)

Despite its large size and striking appearance, the eagle is being threatened by habitat loss due to logging and the conversion of forest land into agricultural fields. As a result, it has been restricted to mountain slopes, which are less at risk.

The eagle is diurnal, hunting, flying, building nests, and participating in courtship activities during daytime hours. The forest is the only home for the Great Philippine Eagle. It is where they obtain food, reproduce, and nourish their offspring. Unfortunately, illegal logging and irresponsible use of resources have resulted to the disappearance of their forest habitat that brings deathly consequences to the species.

The Philippine Eagle is one of the most endangered raptors globally due to habitat loss due to the island nation's unique characteristics. This has led to problems for adult eagles, who lose nesting trees and prey to chainsaws and bulldozers, and young birds, who must find new places to live and settle down.

This rare and majestic bird species can be found nowhere else but in the Philippines. Losing the species to extinction would also mean the world losing a precious biological heritage. Ensuring the safety of the Philippine eagle population in the upland areas can result to additional source of income for the marginalized communities sharing the forest with the eagles through our biodiversity-friendly initiatives.

Sources:

The Peregrine Fund

The Philippine Eagle Foundation

#kammu_appan_i_Endangered_Animals_nu_madim_kaya_mefuku.

[thistledown-au-warriors]

fire and ice - chapter 1

< Prologue || Index || Chapter 2 >

Fire Heart shivered. His flame-colored fur still felt greenleaf-light, it would be a while before it was thick enough to keep out cold like this. He followed his mentor through the camp's gorse tunnel, a young rabbit in his jaws. The air was crisp and cold from an early sunset.

In his mind, he replayed last moon's victory at the ShadowClan camp: Broken Tail’s glittering eyes as the ShadowClan leader backed away, hissing threats, before fleeing into the trees after his traitorous companions. The remaining ShadowClan cats had been grateful to ThunderClan for helping them to get rid of their cruel leader, and for the peace ThunderClan had promised them while they recovered. 

Broken Tail had not just brought chaos to his own Clan — he had driven the whole of WindClan from their camp, right out of Clan territory. He had been a dark shadow in the forest since before Fire Heart had left his kittypet life to join ThunderClan.

But for Fire Heart, there was another shadow troubling his mind: Tiger's Claw, ThunderClan’s deputy. Fire Heart shivered again as he thought of the great ThunderClan warrior who had terrorized his own apprentice and kin, Raven Shadow. In the end, Fire Heart and his best friend, Gray Stripe, had helped the frightened apprentice to escape into the Twoleg territory beyond the uplands. Afterward, Fire Heart had told the Clan that Raven Shadow had been killed by ShadowClan.

If what Raven Shadow said about Tiger's Claw was true, it was best if the ThunderClan deputy believed his apprentice had died, for he knew a secret Tiger's Claw would do anything to conceal. Raven Shadow had told Fire Heart that the mighty tabby warrior had murdered Red Tail, the old ThunderClan deputy and his own former mate, in the hope that he would become the new deputy... which, eventually, he had. 

I must warn Blue Fur , Fire Heart reminded himself. Blue Fur had mourned Red Tail’s death with the rest of the Clan, believing him to have been killed in battle by Oak Heart, the deputy of RiverClan. Fire Heart had hesitated before, knowing how important Tiger's Claw was to her, but the danger was too great. Blue Fur needed to know that her Clan was harboring a cold-blooded murderer.

The past several days had been busy. It seemed that every time he and Gray Stripe weren't doing their camp duties or out with their mentors, Tiger's Claw sent them out on patrol or on hunting duty. Fire Heart had stayed alert, looking for a chance to talk with Blue Fur alone, but when he wasn’t out, the ThunderClan leader always seemed to be stuck in her den with the deputy or one of the bodyguards he'd appointed her and refused to dismiss in just case Broken Tail retaliated.

Fire Heart shook his head to clear it as Misty Step led the way to the fresh-kill pile. She deposited her own catch, a plump water vole, and turned her blue eyes back at him.

"Can you take your catch to the healers? I don't believe Violet Fang and Stone Pelt had their share yet." At Fire Heart's nod, she continued, gaze darkening. "Make sure he eats, please."

Stone Pelt hadn't been the same cat since Leaf Spots died. He only left the den when he really had to, such as when Violet Fang had to send him on an errand, and the older healer was having to pick up the slack for him. His interest in learning anything seemed to dwindle, and his appetite was near non-existent. Whenever Fire Heart saw the tom, he was reminded of Blue Fur's utterly defeated pose on the night of Lion's Heart's death. No one could blame the healer apprentice, he had lost his mentor and his father — Thrush Wing — in the span of days, and his mother lost some of her lives.

As Fire Heart padded towards the healers' clearing, the delighted squeals of kits sounded through the camp. He saw Swift Bird near the nursery giving a badger-ride to two of Frost Shine's kits, while the other two scampered around his heels eager for their turn. Hop Speckle watched them diligently, no doubt letting the younger queens have some time for themselves, only sometimes turning to lick her heavily pregnant belly.

It was good to see Swift Bird having some fun with his younger denmates. Little over a quarter moon before, Golden Flower's other kit — Leaping Lynx — had suddenly passed away. The young molly got very sick after eating something bad, and despite Violet Fang's best efforts, she joined StarClan. One of Brindle Face's kits had also gotten sick, and he too passed away - which Blue Fur seemed to have taken just as badly as the kits' mothers. Fire Heart felt his claws slide out with rage as he remembered overhearing Dark Pine telling his apprentice that perhaps the old molly had poisoned the kits so she wouldn't have to treat them properly, despite being part of the ShadowClan raid and rescue mission, and thus having seen Violet Fang prove her loyalty.

The ginger apprentice brushed his way through the ferns. A large split rock stood in a corner of a small shaded glade. Leaf Spots had lived here for a long time before Violet Fang, and the tortoiseshell's stale scent still clung to the leaves. By the small pool on the edge of the clearing, Stone Pelt crouched, staring at the water with a pile of roots beside him. He didn't acknowledge Fire Heart as he walked in, but began half-heartedly washing away the dirt from some of the roots.

Fire Heart nodded at him, regardless of whether the tom saw it or not, and made his way through the clearing to the crack in the rock where herbs were stored.

Violet Fang was busy storing herbs inside. There were several heaps of leaves gathered in front of her. Fire Heart had never seen the inside of the split rock, and squinting through the darkness he could make out two nests inside beside a pile of moss, and several rows carved in the stone, where the old molly was placing the herbs in. Fire Heart's mind sparked the faint recollection of a Twoleg kitchen, and he shook his head to clear it.

Violet Fang paused to look at him. "Fire Heart." she greeted. "Come to bring us some fresh-kill?"

Fire Heart nodded, placing the rabbit on the ground. "Misty Step and I just came back with it." he informed. Then, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Stone Pelt wasn't paying attention, he lowered his head to whisper. "She asked me to make sure that Stone Pelt eats."

Violet Fang grimaced. "I've been trying. No cat should be that lean this early in leaf-fall." her tail lashed. "That young fool is letting himself drown in his grief. At this point he'll just drag himself to the fresh-kill pile and lie down in it."

Fire Heart blinked, taken aback by the fierceness of her words. "Shouldn't you go easier on him? He's lost so much." 

Her orange gaze bore into his eyes with an intensity that made him want to look away. "So have his clanmates. So have his sisters and mother. And if he doesn't pull himself together, they'll lose him too." She meowed. Fire Heart felt himself swallow dry. Violet Fang stared down at the rabbit. "Tell your mentor not to worry. I'll deal with Stone Pelt."

She grabbed the fresh-kill between her jaws and quickly brushed past Fire Heart to get to her apprentice.

Feeling like he'd been dismissed, the ginger tom left through the fern tunnel before he could overhear their conversation.

***

Fire Heart licked his lips. Gray Stripe lay beside him washing his flank. They had just finished sharing a meal beside the apprentices' tree stump. The sun had set and Fire Heart could see the moon, almost full now, gleaming in a cold, clear sky. 

He began to wash his paw, his eyes flicking around the camp, searching hopefully for Blue Fur.

“What are you looking for?” meowed Gray Stripe through a tongueful of fur.

“Blue Fur.” Fire Heart answered, lowering his paw.

“Why?” Gray Stripe stopped washing and looked up at his friend. “You’ve had one eye on her ever since Leaf Spots' vigil. What are you planning to do?”

“I have to tell her where Raven Shadow is, and warn her about Tiger's Claw.” Fire Heart meowed.

“You promised Raven Shadow you’d tell them he was dead!” Gray Stripe meowed, sounding amazed. "We sat vigil for him!"

“I only promised to tell Tiger's Claw he was dead. Blue Fur should know the whole story. She needs to know what her deputy is capable of.”

Gray Stripe lowered his voice to an urgent hiss. “But we only have Raven Shadow’s word that Tiger's Claw killed Red Tail.”

“And don’t you believe him?” Fire Heart couldn’t help feeling shocked by his friend’s doubts.

“Look, if Tiger's Claw lied about killing Oak Heart in revenge for Red Tail’s death, that means Red Tail must have killed Oak Heart himself. And I can’t believe that Red Tail would have deliberately killed another Clan deputy in battle. It goes against the warrior code — we fight to prove our strength and defend our territory, not to kill each other. Plus, Mossy Patch was there too, and she backs up Tiger's Claw's word. She's Blue Fur's daughter. This puts in question her loyalty.”

“But I’m not trying to make accusations against either of them!” Fire Heart protested. “It’s Tiger's Claw who is the problem.” Fire Heart had never met the old deputy, but he knew Red Tail had been deeply respected by all the Clan. And from what he knew, Mossy Patch was a very loyal and kind cat, and had been too far away from Tiger's Claw by that point to see what he did. He didn't believe she would lie to protect him over telling her mother the truth, but rather just didn't think to not trust her Clanmate's word.

Gray Stripe didn’t meet Fire Heart’s gaze. “What you are saying has implications for Red Tail and Mossy Patch's honor. And none of the other cats have a problem with Tiger's Claw. It was only Raven Shadow who was scared of him.”

An uneasy shiver ran down Fire Heart’s spine. “So you think Raven Shadow made the story up just because he didn’t get along with his mentor? His own mother's littermate?” he inquired scornfully.

“No.” mumbled Gray Stripe. “I just think we should be careful.”

Fire Heart looked into his friend’s worried eyes and began to wonder. He supposed Gray Stripe did have a point — they were both mere apprentices still, so they were in no position to start hurling accusations at one of the Clan’s most senior warriors.

“...It’s okay.” Fire Heart meowed at last. “You can stay out of it.” A twinge of regret flickered in his belly as Gray Stripe nodded and returned to washing. Fire Heart believed that Gray Stripe was wrong to think it was only Raven Shadow who had a problem with Tiger's Claw. His own instincts told him that the ThunderClan deputy should not be trusted, and Black Leopard had seemed disgusted at the way her brother had not-so-subtly hinted at her son being a traitor. He had to share his suspicions with Blue Fur, for her safety and the safety of the Clan.

A glimpse of gray fur on the other side of the clearing told Fire Heart that Blue Fur had emerged from her den — alone, for once. He scrambled to his paws, but the ThunderClan leader leaped straight up onto the Highrock and called to the Clan. Fire Heart lashed his tail impatiently.

Gray Stripe’s ears flicked excitedly as he heard Blue Fur’s call. “A ceremony?” he meowed. "It must be Swift Bird's. He completed six moons this quarter moon."

He bounded over to join the cats gathering at the edge of the clearing, and, still itching with frustration, Fire Heart followed.

The small black-and-white kit padded into the clearing, with Golden Flower beside him. His soft paws made no sound on the hard earth, and his fur glimmered like it had just been thoroughly groomed. Swift Bird walked toward the Highrock with his pale eyes lowered and Fire Heart almost expected to see him tremble — there was something in the slope of this kit’s shoulders that made him seem too young and timid to be an apprentice. 

“Swift Bird.” Blue Fur meowed, staring down at the kit. Her fur looked hastily groomed, but her voice was clear and steady. “You have completed the age of six moons. It's time you began your journey as an apprentice.”

There was no flash of determination in the eyes of the black-and-white kit as he looked up at his leader. Instead his amber eyes were wide with anxiety.

Fire Heart turned his head as Pale Tail got up from the crowd. 

"Pale Tail must be the mentor, he had been dropping hints he'd be getting his first apprentice for days." Gray Stripe whispered in Fire Heart's ear.

Blue Fur spoke again, beckoning the warrior. “Pale Tail, you were Dark Pine’s apprentice. He taught you well, and you have become a fierce and loyal warrior. I hope you will pass some of these qualities on to Swift Bird.”

Fire Heart searched the brash warrior's face for an expression of disdain as he looked down at Swift Bird. But the warrior’s eyes softened as he met his new apprentice’s gaze, and gently the two Clan cats touched noses. “It’s okay, you’re doing fine.” Pale Tail murmured encouragingly. Yeah, right , Fire Heart thought bitterly. Just because he’s Clanborn . Pale Tail sure didn’t welcome me like that. The warrior had taunted him viciously on his first day with the Clan, mocking his kittypet origins. Fire Heart had disliked him ever since.

He glanced around the rest of the Clan and felt a pang of resentment as the cats began to murmur congratulations to the new apprentice.

“What’s up with you?” whispered Gray Stripe. “Our new denmate will be the one picking the elders' ticks now.”

Fire Heart twitched his whiskers in amusement, and pushed away his resentment. It was true, he and Gray Stripe had been training intensely for three moons now. Their warrior ceremony was getting closer and closer. 

He had a Clan name and was a part of ThunderClan now, and surely that was all that mattered?

[theuplandsoul]

Golden Years

"It’s common knowledge among avid upland hunters that game birds follow boom-or-bust cycles that are largely dependent on the habitat and climatic conditions in their home range. You can add all the guzzlers you want and reduce bag limits to near-zero, but unfortunately, there’s only so much that can be done to bolster populations if Mother Nature isn’t intending on cooperating at specific times throughout the year.

Most chukar hunters are also extremely reticent to share anything in the way of, well, any form of information at all. Each of these devil birds is hard-won, and the best chukar spots out this way are protected with blood oaths of absolute silence. For good reason.

I know of the prevailing sentiment back East that the ruffed grouse is the king of all game birds, an assertation which find absolutely ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong; they’re neat. If it was all I had around me, I’d probably like them more, too. But one trip into the arid chukar hills dotted with hundred-year-old mining debris and open-range herds of black baldys and the covey flush after an easy two hundred calorie burn up the side of a cliff should disabuse even the most aggressively proud flatlander of those notions.

It’s been a banner year for chukar hunting out here… wherever here is. Building on two years of average to above-average recruitment, we’ve had the biggest coveys in a half-decade or even longer. More birds in more places and more hunters in more places, if you had to sum it up in a sentence or less.

The highlight was getting Elko Baby his first chukar. I saved one of the wings and dried it out in a sprinkle of borax, and it will go on a plaque with his first Gambel’s, too. This is what the abundance of birds meant to me this season; more trips, weekly trips with the dog so he can do his favorite thing in the world and find the birds.

With each contact he gets a little sharper.

Usually I stick closer to home and chase Gambel’s for the majority of the season. Maybe make a poke or two up north for the devil birds. But this season has been all the chukar, all the tume. Elko Baby likes the chukars. It runs in his blood, hailing from the legendary Sunburst Brittanys kennel out by Hell’s Canyon. Chukar is what they do up there.

He’s young — less than two — and he still has a bit of puppiness left in him. In between solid points and clutch recoveries, he’ll still bump birds here and there. He loves it, and I love his enthusiasm with each flush. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him. I am still getting a handle on the “bird dog training” thing, and I doubt I’ll ever be as keyed-in as most of my friends. Maybe I couldn’t care less.

We hike, we shoot a lot, we have a great time. Him and I.

I’ve spent more days in the field than any season past, not solely for the promise of birds, but for the cumulative experience of it all. It is the archetypal upland hunt, the memories themselves a trophy of the highest caliber as this wonderful boom year has finally wound down.

It won’t always be this way. No real precip to speak of this year as of press time. It seems wildly unlikely that next year will be a repeat of what we experienced for the last few months. Elko won’t always be able to put on seventeen hard miles and get up and do it again the next day. There will come a time when he won’t be here at all.

Some mornings, it’s real hard to drag myself out of bed at 0400 and spend a hundred dollars on gas to drive three hours each way into the chukar hills.

I think about the Aurelius quote — “… is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?” — and about the effervescent nature of every single opportunity we have. It’s some sort of moral mandate not to spoil these chances, these gifts that we’ve been given.

I think, too often actually, about another quote from a few philosophers across the pond.

“So understand Don’t waste your time always searching for those wasted years Face up, make your stand And realize you’re living in the golden years”

The boom years. The golden years. They’re here for the taking and once they’re gone, they’re not coming back."

[largemouthbassnation]

Youth upland bird hunt at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area

Jared Vogt, an avid bird hunter from Salem, was an observer supporting Aaron Grumbo, 14, of Salem during the youth upland bird … source