Mearns with the Old Lady

[Red Rabbit]

Rica is going on 14 years old and missed the past two quail seasons due to ACL surgery and some minor hiccups. Mearns quail season opened this past weekend in Arizona, so she was treated to a new GPS tracking necklace (Garmin Alpha 100 w/ TT15) and a trip to the oak and grasslands near Sonoita. The main reason for the tracking collar is her oncoming deafness and inability to hear voice commands and whistles.


Saturday morning we hunted a favorite drainage but failed to turn a covey, although she did get birdy twice. Conditions did not seem too favorable as it has been rather dry and without morning dew.


Sunday morning saw us both with fresh legs hunting the drainage on the opposite side of the dirt two-track. Favor was upon her this day as she located four coveys, held a steady point without creep, and brought her limit back to hand.


It was a pleasure to me to see her hunt so well on Sunday since she has missed the previous two seasons. Fortunately the tracking collar was not needed as she hunted close and a bell in her neck was readily heard.


As an aside, carrying a new-to-me Weatherby 28ga o/u was a pleasure over the heavier 12ga version. It pointed well and did not seem to have any diminished lethality, except on my shoulder :-)

['Ike']

Pretty good for a 'old lady'...Great hunt!

[muledeerarea33?]

Sounds like she's been a good dog, not owning a hunting dog my self, when do they retire? She's beautiful but has signs of age. And as you say deafness is there or coming soon. I understand dogs are family (all mine are) and they like running and playing, but when is a hunting dog done?

[Big Browns]

Great job & great pictures!

[Pine Donkey]

Looks like Rica was lovin it!

[Tres]

Very nice! Great job. Dog still doing her job.

[stanley]

VERY awesome, Doug!! So great that you two are still making it happen all these years later!

 

The 'This post is for the dogs....' thread was recently reviived, and I found myself browsing through it looking at all of the dogs. There was Rica! Right there along side of you for many hunting adventures! Awesome stuff!!

 

S.

 

[Arizona Griz]

Very nice. Good looking dog.

[Big Tub]

Magnificent.

[wildwoody]

That's killer..

[firstcoueswas80]

Glad to see Rica out and about Doug. Also glad to see her nose still works!

[jonesface]

Very cool. Great pictures and thanks for sharing. I'm glad you guys got into birds. A memorable hunt for sure.

[Edge]

Always enjoy your pictures.

Grand ol Lady you have there.

All looked absoloutley heavenly.

[azbirdhunter88]

Good job

[Red Rabbit]

MD33- I hope she's like the energizer bunny and keep on going ;-)

Stan- Rica has been on all of my hunts and photo trips except the boat-based Sitka deer hunt on Kodiak. She's been the best $150 dollars I've ever spent.

Casey- she certainly does not have the endurance when we hunted about 10 years ago, but then neither do I. I hope you are doing well.

Jonesface- all of the birds we got were immature and did not have the full clown-face like in your avatar.

 

Rica was pretty tuckered after running the ravines Saturday morning, and I did not know if Sunday would happen for her. She bounced back well and was good for a few more hours on Sunday morning.