Tag Archives: Rural Photography

December 19, 2025 · 6:39 pm

Oklahoma!

Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain! Henry and I went on a solo quail hunt in the western Oklahoma WMAs. We spent a day in each Sandy Sanders, Black Kettle, and Beaver River. With perfect, mild weather, it was a great walk in some of the best quail habitat there is. Agriculture is king here, and all the folks were super friendly, with handshakes of skin stretched over thick granite. There is an abundance of dilapidation here, and you could spend a month photographing the ruins if you are into that. It was a great experience being in this country, except for the $300 price for an out-of-state license. I will spell it out so you know I did not make a mistake with the decimal . . . three hundred fricken dollars! I got some decent pics, and I hope you enjoy them.

Henry, the best dog ever.

Sweet boy!

Were gonna find LOTS of quail in here!!

Gotta be quail in there!

Gotta be quail in there!

Nice point, but only on scent. I did hear the rapid baritone flapping of a departing bob. Never saw him.

Gotta be quail in them trees!

Gotta be quail in there!

Thick grass – no quail in here.

This is the Salami Nipple Barrel Cactus.

Not quail, but nice turkeys.

Oklahoma Democratic HQ.

Hard to believe there is no Buc-ees in this county.

This is a cow squeezer. It is used to address constipation or a buildup of gas.

Texola is one strong wind away from extinction.

This ranch house is in the Texas panhandle, on TX 305 just north of TX 213, south of Lipscomb, Texas. As I drove by at 70mph, a small covey of Bob White quail flew over my truck. I was surprised and pleased to see them. They were the only quail I saw on this trip.

$300.00

Thanks for visiting the Birdhunter! We will get ’em next time!

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November 9, 2025 · 2:52 pm

North Dakota is Loaded with Pheasants!

That is what we heard from reliable sources and locals. There are pheasants for sure, but 3 weeks into the season, hunting public land, we did not see that many birds, and few limits were taken. I would say there was almost enough to keep us interested, almost. We hunted out of McClusky, ND, because it is within striking distance of an abundance of PLOTS and government land open to hunters. The habitat was excellent, and the local folks were glad we were there and were very generous with information and access to their land. These small, remote AG towns really need hunters to show up and boost their economy. There are countless ponds and small lakes for the waterfowlers. McClusky is a good 13+ hour drive from Denver, where we live, so there was that. Regardless of my negative tone, it was good to be in the field with friends and dogs, the weather was wonderful, and everyone had a good time.

Henry is in top form and hunted hard every day.

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February 16, 2025 · 9:45 pm

Mining for Quail

Our season ended with a trip to the public lands of the Southwest in search of desert quail. We hunted the rugged country of the true West, where, 150 years ago, you might have been scalped by Indians, where the famous and infamous of western lore existed, and stalwart, hearty men mined the rocky ground for riches. This is a tough, rugged country, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time in it. I hope you enjoy these pictures of the hunt.

Henry is on point. He is 4 years old now, and I sure hope we will be hunting together for the next 6 years or so.

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December 13, 2024 · 10:21 am

Waterton Canyon

Living in Denver, we have Waterton Canyon less than half an hour away. It is an impressive and large canyon carved by the South Platte River. While I may know nothing about geology, I find the rocky canyon walls ruggedly beautiful. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the canyon because a herd of Bighorn sheep hangs out there. I hope you enjoy these non-bird hunting pictures.

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November 26, 2024 · 8:45 am

November Quail ’24

A great benefit of retirement is that you can hunt public land when most of the public is busy punching a clock, staring at a computer screen for hours. I did that for 50 years, and now I enjoy the benefit of time, as long as God allows it. On this two-day mid-week hunt, we encountered few other hunters, and the ones we did meet were super nice and in a great mood. They must be retired as well!

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November 3, 2024 · 6:41 pm

A Hot Start to 2024

Most of September and some of October were too hot to hunt if you were running dogs. Though it can be hard on the pups, global warming has made for some very comfortable hunting when we did get to go. I am not a cold weather fan, so I encourage the cows to keep farting away! Maybe we will be hunting quail in North Dakota someday. Here are some pictures from the three states we visited so far. I hope you enjoy them!

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March 4, 2024 · 9:01 pm

Public Quail

Hunting public land is often a choice driven by economics, but it’s also an excellent option for those pursuing bird hunting objectives other than body counts or a tailgate covered in feathered carcasses. That is what preserves and expensive guided private land hunts are for! Since we hunt mostly for our dogs and to be in the open spaces with enough wing shooting to keep it interesting, hunting public land works well for us. Access is usually about free, but the downside is that often there is not an abundance of game. We are happy with the handful of birds we usually find, but the truth is that we rarely take a limit, and sometimes the number of birds is zero. Because that is the norm, the times we do get into them are extra special, appreciated, and never taken for granted.

I hope you enjoy these pics from this season’s Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico public land hunts; looking for my favorite game bird of all time!

Thinking about quail.

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November 17, 2023 · 9:34 pm

Bird Hunting in Flyover Country

We do love hunting the flyover country. The Great Plains and its small towns, where the pace is slow, the people are mostly friendly, and the food is fried. These are places rich in Western history, where we ponder the tough souls that lived and died on the land and the relics they left behind. Vast sections of public land still remain here, wild places where self-reliance is mandatory, and the beauty of God’s creation is on dramatic display. Something is endearing about the modest accommodations, the lack of opulence, the absence of pretense, and the value of functional utility in the rural West. We certainly enjoy the sparse humanity and the consequent silence of these desolate places. I do lament the dying rural communities we see that once had a purpose but are now dilapidated ruins, holding on, rotting in disrepair until they disappear into forgotten history.

I do hope you enjoy these pictures from our hunt.

Henry, on top of the world!

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December 24, 2022 · 11:35 am

Louisiana Coastal Duck Hunt

We had the great fortune to have a Louisiana top-shelf chief and friend who hosted us for a coastal duck hunt a few weeks ago. We hunted with local guides out of Holly Beach, about two hours east of Houston. The weather was warm, and the mosquitoes were thick, but we all had a terrific time. Complimenting the duck hunt was incredible Louisiana cuisine from our friend Grant. He has a deli and grocery in Baton Rouge that you can check out HERE. Venison roast, gumbo, fried shrimp and catfish, boudin, shrimp and sausage pasta, and muffuletta were all on the menu. Oh my, it was all so good!

This is Doc. He is not scanning the skies, but staring at his pal, our guide Graham.

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November 6, 2022 · 12:11 pm

Public Land Hunting – Oct ’22

The focus this year is hunting western public land. Vast sections of BLM land, national grasslands, and state hunter walk-in access provide abundant opportunities. So far, we have found tolerable pressure, encountering few other hunters, and bird numbers have been acceptable. I hope you enjoy these pictures from our October hunts. If you are interested, these hunting spots are all about 125 miles southeast of Houston. Hope we see you there! 🙂

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January 23, 2022 · 8:13 pm

Sun City Kansas Quail

We enjoyed a Kansas wild bird quail hunt with Upland Bird Guide Service out of Sun City, Kansas. Very nice accommodations in a renovated, old bank building, and excellent cuisine from our Louisiana guide, Jamie Johns, added to the enjoyment. The hunt was great fun, the birds were thin but that is expected in the current down cycle.

It is common for pointers to bloody the end of their tail as they run through the brush. This old boy was super focused and gave himself a blood bath as his tail whipped back and forth. This speaks to the focus and drive that these dogs have.

Let’s roll!

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October 13, 2019 · 6:31 pm

Colorado Fall Colors

This year, the fall colors in Colorado were spectacular and lasted a bit longer than usual. The dry, cool fall days promoted rich colors that lasted weeks instead of days as we sometimes see when it is wet and windy. Most of these pictures were taken outside of Aspen, Colorado on a drive down Castle Creek Road. With this beautiful color, it really doesn’t matter what kind of camera equipment you have. You only need to worry about the light and composition. I hope you enjoy these shots!

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December 21, 2018 · 11:04 pm

Pushing Our Luck in North Dakota

Last year, our guide called to say that the bird counts were down and the hunting might not be so good.  We went anyway and had a terrific hunt!  This year the guide called again and said “hey, seriously, this year is going to suck” and advised that we skip again but we still went.  After all, these bird hunts are much more than hunting birds. . . right?  You know . . . camaraderie, communing with nature, getting away from accountability for a while, riding in pickup trucks with shotguns, hunting-camp cuisine, etc.  We were pushing our luck!  This year, we were rewarded with a dastardly cold hunt and the lowest bird count in our 20 years of chasing roosters.  All part of the game though.  The great hunts are appreciated because of the tough times endured.  This was definitely not the worst and we are glad we went.  Everyone is looking forward to a future of more birds and less frostbite!  Of course, bird dog Tex has no idea what I am whining about.  He had a terrific time!

Majestic Tex

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November 22, 2018 · 10:36 pm

Huns

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Here are some pics  from our hunt on the rolling prairie a few weeks ago. This is a good year for Hungarian Partridge. Not the covey counts you find on Texas quail but enough to keep our interest and make this a great hunt. I am thankful that we live in proximity to such beautiful, wild country!

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The Hungarian Partridge is a fast flying covey bird. They don’t hold as well for a point like quail or pheasant but when they flush it is some fast shooting. Beautiful bird!

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November 22, 2016 · 9:43 pm

Another Great ND Hunt!

Another year of great weather! This makes two in a row. We have been hunting ND pheasants for 15 years and this annual event is like a dear old friend. We can’t wait to get back every year and are always a bit sad when the hunt is over. This is one of those things that you know, at some point, will come to an end so we savor every minute, every bird, every point, every step in the field and every moment of comradery with our friends and fellow hunters. As we grow older, the hunt is cherished simply because we are here, in the vast openness of North Dakota – away from the grind, away from the responsibility, away from the noise. This time afield, immersed in God’s creation, is our connection with what is real and what matters. I hope you enjoy these pictures from a perfect hunt.

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A picture perfect lay-up.

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October 16, 2016 · 8:05 pm

Colorado Aspens

Since Tex is in traction there is no point in hunting just yet. So we took a weekend and went to Aspen to see the fall colors and hit them near their peak. Beautiful stuff!

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February 1, 2016 · 9:48 pm

Wild Quail . . . Finally!

The biblical drought that tormented the western quail country for the past decade has subsided for now. The moisture provided the basic life elements (water, plants and bugs) allowing the quail to return to areas where they seemingly were gone forever. This is a wonderful testimony to nature’s amazing ability to recover when given a chance. We took advantage of the bird rebound with an end of season hunt.

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A beautiful cock and hen

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December 5, 2015 · 4:46 pm

Fair Weather Pheasant Hunt

What a difference a year makes . . . .

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Our annual North Dakota pheasant hunt last year, sub-zero temps and blowing snow. Not so fun!

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This year was sipping beer in short sleeved shirts! Much more fun!!

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October 17, 2015 · 7:13 pm

Montana Sharptails

DSC_5340Neither Tex or I had ever set foot in Montana until this trip so we were excited about hunting a new state. We made it up to the Hi-Line area near Hinsdale in search of sharptail grouse, hungarian partridge and hopefully some sage grouse. “Hi-Line” refers to rail line that runs through the area. It is the northernmost rail line in the country and is only 42 miles south of Canada.

We ran into birds every day, but not nearly as many as we expected especially given the great weather this year and rosy bird hunting forecasts. Maybe we need to realign our expectations when chasing grouse on the Great Plains!  All things considered we had a great time. A terrific bunch of guys, nice  weather (but a bit too warm), and an impressive amount of open country for the dogs to hunt and run made this worth the 13 hour drive from Denver.

One thing about these prairie birds, once they have been hunted it is tough to get close to them. They vacate quickly and typically leave no one behind. We found sage grouse by glassing the country with binoculars. That was a first for me and I was amazed that we spotted them.

These vast, empty plains are quite beautiful and you have to respect the folks who call this home.
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November 2, 2014 · 9:48 am

A Hot Time in South Dakota

The bird counts were way up over last year but so was the temperature. We had terrific weather with blue skies and temps pushing into the low 80’s. The unseasonably warm weather was great for the hunters, but pretty hard on the dogs. We had to keep a close watch on them to be sure they did not overheat.

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