DECOY TACTICS THAT TEMPT TOMS

Author Randall Bonner with a Western Oregon gobbler he was “pretty proud of bringing in. It saw the decoys but got skeptical and turned away. I had the decoys placed so the birds would have to pass in front of me to get close to them, and I was able to close the distance with my shot as they got paranoid and began to

backtrack.” (RANDALL BONNER)

With spring turkey season just around the corner in the Northwest, here’s how one hunter deploys fake hens and jakes to increase his odds of bagging gobblers.

By Randall Bonner

The sound of a flock working towards your spread is the sort of adrenaline rush that makes your own heartbeat the only thing that can drown out the thundering calls of a gobbler talking turkey and strutting his stuff. That “hurry up and wait” anxiety over being in the right place at the right time, constantly questioning your decisions and patience, is what makes the mental game of cat and mouse with these critters such a fun challenge. While a good call can easily

Bonner’s theory with this decoy setup was to draw turkeys out of a hazelnut orchard to a meadow in front of the treeline he was blinded up in. “I intentionally set the jake to appear like it was following the hen and herding it away from where the rest of the flock would be to agitate aggressive toms to retrieve the hen,” he says. (RANDALL BONNER)

bring a tom within earshot or sight, the addition of decoys can help bring birds within range of a shotgun or bow tremendously, especially during the spring when targeting toms full of testosterone.

Sometimes any decoy is better than none, especially if you’re trying to pull a group of birds from a distance into your area. If you’ve done a little research online, you’ve probably seen some pretty aggressive birds come in hot and attack decoys, or “scoot-n-shoot” hunts where hunters lay behind a fan of feathers and move close enough to birds to reach out and grab them. While these videos are great entertainment, I’d advise lowering your expectations a bit on bird behavior, and be a little more realistic.

The same should go for your decoy selection as well. The more realistic your decoy is, the better chance you have at fooling a gobbler, especially if the bird you’re hunting is educated on decoys, which is fairly common if you’re targeting the same flocks year after year. Chasing pressured birds will test your patience and make you a better hunter. Perhaps the best thing to know about the use of decoys is when not to use them.

OREGON ALLOWS A maximum purchase of three turkey tags during the spring season. If your mission is to chase a limit, don’t show all your cards on opening day. If all you want to do is get a bird under your belt, it’s still wise to minimize your use of decoys early on until you’ve spent enough time in the field to pattern a flock’s behavior. Taking notes through a little preseason scouting removes a lot of the guesswork as well. Finding a roost is easy, but understanding where the birds land, what paths they take during the day to graze on a variety of forage, and how they interact with each other will set you up for success. Much like hunting waterfowl, there’s often a moment of confusion with educated birds, where you have to make a split-second decision on whether or not to pull the trigger, and the placement of your decoys should have some intelligent design that buys you some time to hit the bang button while your target is in range.

Turkeys generally move in a haphazard circle as they forage and loaf during the course of the day, often leaving the roost in the opposite direction that they return to it from. Depending on the timing of your hunt and your location, placing the decoys in a position that manipulates their approach to take place within range of a shot is more effective than tossing a decoy directly out in front of you in hopes it will draw their attention from any direction.

Decoys are also a tool that draws a turkey’s attention towards the decoy and distracts them from the subtle movements of adjusting your leg that fell asleep, swatting a spider off your nose, or lifting your gun to make your shot. Along with camouflaging your face and hands or sitting in a blind, consider decoys a form of concealment.

A lone jake wandering through a small clearing illustrates two decoying elements. Even as its body otherwise blends into grass and other low-growing plants (bottom), its head still stands out “like a sore thumb,” says Bonner, adding, “If trying to draw birds into a treeline, placing decoys where their body is hidden but their head is visible often works better on wary birds than leaving decoys out in the open.” Where the same young male turkey appears in the open (top), it displays “a subdued ‘strut,’ with its chest puffed out but fan down. This is how a jake decoy should look: as if it were assertive, but not exactly intimidating.” (RANDALL BONNER)

IN THE MORNING, setting up in the dark and remaining concealed from roosting birds can be a challenge. If the contours of the terrain or cover create better blind spots from birds, wait until they’re on the ground before you step out and place decoys.

For the sake of visibility, face decoys at a 90-degree angle to the projected path of the flock. The colors of the decoy’s head will draw the attention of an aggressive tom, but the bottom half of the bird doesn’t necessarily have to be that visible. Turkeys generally feel comfortable in grass tall enough they can see above, but feel like the rest of their body is concealed. Placing your decoy in a similar environment not only seems more believable to them, but inspires their curiosity.

Much like a hunter who hasn’t had his morning coffee, gobblers are pretty crabby first thing in the morning and often pick fights with each other

right after touching the ground as a show of daily dominance during their mating season. A subdued jake decoy is deadly to a gobbler waking up with ruffled feathers. The mere existence of another male turkey in their territory first thing in the morning is enough to get them stirred up and coming in hot.

DURING MIDDAY, AFTER turkeys have

been wandering and feeding for fights, and will avoid or simply ignore a jake decoy during their lunch hour. Later in the day, a jake and hen decoy pair is a great way to create a little jealousy among gobblers that may have been pushed out by dominant toms, or are simply wellfed bachelors willing to bully another bird to claim dibs on a hen. Consider placement of the pair in the direction of birds returning to the roost, as if the jake has picked up the hen at last call and is on his way home to score.

awhile, they’re no longer hangry and are a little more settled down. Removing the stand from a hen decoy and simply placing it on the ground out in the open imitates a lonely loafer that’s an easy courtship free of competition to a bearded bachelor bird. Some subdued yelps and purrs might help call attention to the decoy, but should be minimized. Most birds are looking for food rather than

This gobbler’s need to show dominance towards a jake decoy was its undoing for Bonner, who adds that the use of faux turkeys should be carefully considered lest you also educate a flock of birds about them and make them even more wary than they already naturally are. (RANDALL BONNER)

REGARDLESS OF TIME of day, use the

decoys to your advantage and manipulate the approach of an aggressive tom to create an element of surprise at short range. Setting up on a fence line or brushpile that creates a field of view that allows the turkeys to see the decoys but not you is ideal.

The addition of calling in the spring is deadly effective, but keep in mind that every time you hear a gobble, that bird is probably stopping, while a bird on the move is typically silent. A stubborn gobbler skeptical of decoys will strut and drum before it gobbles, so put your listening ears on and be patient when it gets quiet or you think the bird has changed direction when it’s not in your field of view.

Take your decoys with you in a bag so that you can hide them in the bushes and develop your intuition on whether to put them out or hide them away.

And if you’re hunting a large flock with a lot of birds, keep in mind that the gobblers you don’t kill will also be getting an education if you pull the trigger while they’re all in front of the decoys. While you might not be able to pick and choose the scenarios, setting up decoys on the whole group is going to make it a little harder to pull off once the surviving gobblers have seen it.

Taking into account the timing, location, scenarios and stages of the season before putting your chips on the table will give you the best shot at a winning hand, and hopefully the jackpot. NS

New hunting products Northwest sportsmen will be interested to learn about include Meopta’s MeoPro HD Plus 10x42 binoculars, Wildgame Innovations’ Terra Cell wireless trail cam and Benelli’s 828U Limited Edition.

(PHOTOS BY MANUFACTURERS)

More New-for’22 Products

Last month we barely scratched the surface talking about some of the new guns and ON TARGET By Dave Workman gear for 2022, and this month we’ve got more information.

First, a reminder: Don’t forget to buy your 2022 hunting license, which in Washington is good starting April 1. In the meantime, you can still go out on your current license and put the hurt on coyotes.

This is also a good time to start scouting for wild turkeys because the spring season will be upon us shortly. You’ll find turkeys over on the north side of Bethel Ridge, up on South Cle Elum Ridge, over around Liberty in Kittitas County, and up through Stevens County, and that’s just for starters.

I like to keep an eye open for turkeys whenever I’m cruising around in March and early April, looking for a songdog to plug, and that requires a good pair of binoculars.

By no small coincidence, Meopta has introduced the MeoPro HD Plus binocular in 8x56 HD and 10x42 HD. According to Meopta, the MeoPro HD Plus is a “completely redesigned Gen 2 version,” and both models offer a wide field of view with edge-to-edge clarity.

They feature a rubber armor exterior, which is pretty much standard among today’s binocular models, a redesigned focus wheel, and lightweight magnesium

A fan of double-barreled shotguns, author Dave Workman – here with a Franchi Instinct L over-and-under with 28-inch barrel – may not be able to resist a new 26-inch version (top) for his blue grouse hunting adventures, while the company’s new Instinct Sideplate (middle) is “a real looker”

body. Other features hunters have come to expect on quality binoculars are twistup eyecups, and they’re nitrogen purged, shockproof and fully sealed for fogproof and waterproof performance.

Lenses feature MeoShield antiabrasion coatings and MeoDrop hydrophobic lens coating to repel rain. The diopter adjustment is located under the right eyepiece.

They’ll also come in handy if you want to extend your hunting for coyotes, and before too long, you might see ground squirrels and other varmints showing up before spring grass growth gets in the way.

ONE THING I learned years ago is that some successful wild turkey hunters prep for the season by placing trail cameras in areas they expect to hunt.

Bushnell introduced the CelluCORE 20 Solar cellular trail camera back in January, and you just might want to check this out. This model boasts a rechargeable lithiumion battery and an integrated solar panel will extend battery life; up to 70 images can be captured in a day with four to six hours of direct sunlight.

According to Bushnell, the camera has high-output IR LEDs for better night range and battery life. The CelluCORE 20 Solar has a 0.2-second trigger speed and 1080-pixel, 30-frames-per-second video with audio. The video may be transmitted directly from the camera to the Bushnell Trail Camera’s app.

Stoeger’s new full-size STR-9F semiauto has a 4.68-inch barrel and a polymer frame featuring aggressive stippling for a firm hold, plus an accessory rail. (STOEGER)

The MSRP on this model is $179.99.

Another option is the Wildgame Innovations Terra Cell wireless trail cam and it offers a low-price data plan for a reported $12 a month.

This new camera model is loaded with features, including buck scoring, a hunt predictor, species recognition, mapping tools, photo scoring and more. It has 20-megapixel and a 16:9-format-image capability and it comes in a textured polycarbonate housing.

I’VE ALWAYS PREFERRED double-barrel

shotguns over pumps or semiautos, and this year there are some dandies from the folks at Benelli and Franchi.

First, let’s take a look at the new Benelli 828U Limited Edition model, which will certainly bring some drools from the double-gun crowd. The rotten thing is that Benelli produced only 200 of these guns – all in 12-gauge – so scramble!

The 828U LE has a nickel-plated steel frame with game scene engravings on both sides. The stock and forearm are crafted from AA-grade walnut with a satin finish and handsome checkering. Barrels are 28 inches and there’s a vent rib on top. Barrels feature the Benelli Surface Treatment, or B.E.S.T., gloss finish to prevent corrosion and rust.

The 828U LE has a single trigger and there’s a good recoil pad on the butt. The trigger group is removable for cleaning.

NOW COMES WHAT I personally consider a bit of a heartbreaker, as well as a temptation I may not be able to resist. About eight years ago, I succumbed to such temptation when I bought a Franchi Instinct L over-and-under shotgun with 28-inch barrels, interchangeable choke tubes and a handsome color-case receiver.

This year, Franchi tells me there’s a 26inch model available, and it’s making me crazy! Those shorter tubes would make it perfect for tramping through the grouse woods, and a bit lighter for traipsing across the canyons for chukar and quail, not to mention the occasional ringneck I encounter quite by accident!

Like my gun, which has proven itself a grouse-killer extraordinaire, the 26-inch model features automatic ejectors, an A- grade walnut Prince of Wales-style stock with nice checkering and a satin oil finish, a good vent rib with a fiber optic front sight and a vented divider between the upper and lower barrels. It’s got a horizontal barrel selector switch, and the gun comes with full, modified and improved cylinder choke tubes.

The Instinct L comes in 20-gauge with 3-inch chambers. The MSRP on this smoothbore is $1,449. Franchi, you’re killin’ me!

As if this wasn’t enough, Franchi has also added the Instinct Sideplate, the company’s first sideplate-style O/U, and it’s a real looker. Available in both 12- and 20-gauge with 3-inch chambers, the Instinct Sideplate has an AA-grade satinfinish walnut stock and Schnabel-style forearm with handsome checkering and a Prince of Wales-style grip. The 28-inch vent rib barrels are finished in deep blue and the receiver is color-case hardened with gold inlays depicting American gamebirds. The trigger is also gold-plated.

The Sideplate comes with C, IC, M, IM and F extended black chokes. This one has an MSRP of $2,229.

LAST MONTH WE talked about a compact Stoeger 9mm pistol, and this time around we’ve got the details on Stoeger’s full-size STR-9F handgun. This semiauto has an overall length of 7.95 inches and a 4.68inch barrel. The pistol has a tough black polymer frame with aggressive stippling for a firm hold even in wet weather, and an integrated accessory rail.

Stoeger designed this pistol with ambidextrous thumb-index recesses and magazine release positioning. There are cocking serrations fore and aft on the slide, and the STR-9F comes with a 17-round double-stack magazine, or a 10-rounder for states with magazine limits. The pistol has a tactile loaded-chamber indicator on top of the slide and three-dot sights. The MSRP is $329.

None of these guns premiered at the January SHOT Show, incidentally.

But this column learned from Winchester that the company has added three caliber choices to the USA Ready ammunition line. New this year are loads in 10mm, 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC.

In 10mm, there is an FMJ load for practice and competition, and a USA Ready Defense load for personal defense. The latter round features a Hex-Vent hollowpoint bullet designed for positive expansion.

The 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC rounds are offered with a 140-grain open-tip projectile for long-range shooting.

And for all of you podcast fans, Hornady recently announced their new endeavor, The Hornady Podcast. Hosted by Seth Swerczek, Hornady communications manager, this podcast is available on the following platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts and Vimeo. NS

COLUMN

Navigating Hunting Seasons, Rules And Weapon Choices

Hunting regs have grown increasingly difficult to interpret each year. You may BECOMING even come across A HUNTER people who joke that By Dave Anderson you need a lawyer to interpret today’s rules pamphlet – which is not far from the truth! This is especially true for someone who is just starting to get into big game hunting. In this article, I hope to outline the different hunting options and seasons the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Unfortunately, big game licenses are not a one-size-fits-all package. In most of the states within the region, you will be required to pick which weapon you want to hunt with. The options you must choose from include: archery, muzzleloader or modern firearm (rifle). In addition, for Washington elk, you also have to choose between an Eastern or a Western tag. In Washington, you can also participate in a lottery for a chance at a multiseason permit. In other words, you can pay extra money for a chance to have more opportunity. ONCE YOU DETERMINE which weapon you want to hunt, you can choose to apply for special permits. You don’t have to, of course, if you want to just hunt a general open season, but these special hunt permits also allow you to apply for other big game animals in addition to deer and elk. These include moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats or antelope. These permits are geared to giving you better

Some facets of becoming a hunter are not as straightforward as others, like making sense of increasingly complex regulations – meant to eke out as much opportunity as possible, but sometimes all but requiring a lawyer to decipher – but author Dave Anderson aims to help new sportsmen successfully navigate their way to and through the woods in

hunting opportunities, trophy potential or antlerless options.

Each state has different names for this application process. For Washington, they are called special hunt permits and raffles. In Idaho and Oregon, they are called controlled hunts. The three states have totally different programs when it comes to how these programs and special draws are operated.

Washington runs off a points program where each year you do not draw you get a point. The more points you have, the better the odds you have at drawing a special hunt. Oregon’s is similar, with the exception that three-quarters of controlled tags are allocated toward those with preference points, and the remaining quarter to everyone who puts in. Idaho is a true lottery; there are no points. Everyone is given the same chance with a lottery system.

However, the number of big game tags available will vary between residents and nonresidents. For Idaho controlled hunts with 10 or fewer tags, no more than one nonresident tag will be issued. If there are more than 10 tags available, only 10 percent can be awarded to out-of-staters. Idaho puts their residents first when it comes to these controlled hunts, which is one of the major reasons my family and I relocated to the Gem State.

Montana is similar to Idaho; however, they also have a bonus points program. This program gives you additional drawing chances but can only be used for first-choice drawings. Every year that you are unsuccessful in the drawing, and you participate in the bonus points system, you will be awarded a point.

If you are interested in pursuing out-of-state hunts, I highly recommend visiting each state’s fish and game website to research the different options available. These sites will have a section on licensing and the basics around the drawings and controlled hunts/special permits.

IN THE REST of this article, I will break down the different seasons based on weapon choice and my favorite big game animal to hunt – elk! I personally love to hunt any of the weapon choices and throughout the years of living in Washington, I hunted and took game using all of the available options.

The first thing to consider is the time of year you wish to hunt. Each discipline has different months or discrete time periods to hunt. In addition, if you are lucky and draw a special permit, these will also have specific months and days attached to these hunts.

If you want to hunt bugling elk during the rut, this will be the month of September and in most cases, you will have to hunt with a bow. There are some wilderness area hunts where you can hunt the rut with a rifle. However, this is not as common, as these hunts are very remote and take a lot of effort to get back to where they take place. They are not easy-access areas.

IF I HAD to choose, hunting archery is probably my favorite way to harvest a big game animal. It is quiet and you do not have to worry so much about hunting pressure like you do during the rifle season. That said, in the last 10 years, I have seen archery hunting pressure increase, with much larger participation than in years past. This is in part to archery equipment being more reliable and easier to use with better effective range. In addition, the influence that YouTube and social media has had on our society, especially the hunting community, has directly impacted the increase in hunting participation.

With the increase in archery hunting videos on YouTube, people can see that putting together an extended day trip with a backpack is not that far out of reach. Just remember that these hunts are far from easy. You will pay in blood, sweat and tears to accomplish this type of hunt. It is very physically demanding. I always

Many hunters are in it for the meat, outdoor experience and camaraderie of camp, but if trophy animals are what you’re after, you’ll probably want to become familiar with putting in for special permits, which up your odds of at least encountering bigger bucks and bulls. (DAVE ANDERSON)

The great thing about hunting the Northwest is that there are so many options in terms of weapon choices and seasons, which begin as early as late August and stretch into December and even January, in the cases of special permits. Anderson has pursued big game with a rifle, muzzloader and bow, but counts late-season archery elk as among his favorite hunts. (DAVE ANDERSON)

ask the question, What will you do when you have a 700-pound bull elk down on the ground? You have a 60- to 70-pound pack that you hiked in with and you need to get the bull out and processed in a reasonable amount of time to prevent spoilage. Archery hunts typically occur when temperatures are still warm to hot and the last thing you want to happen after all your hard work harvesting an elk with your bow is for the meat to spoil. Will you be able to get it out beforehand? This is always something you want to consider when choosing these hunts.

There are also late-season archery hunts that you can participate in as well. For years, I hunted the late bow season in Eastern Washington and enjoyed high success for cow elk. I stopped participating in this hunt when the regulations changed over to spike only. For me, I preferred the late season, as I did not have to worry about spoilage as much since the temperatures were often below freezing and more often than not there was snow on the ground.

THE NEXT WEAPON/SEASON choice to

consider is muzzleloader. Muzzleloader season lands between archery and rifle hunts, generally in the beginning of October. There is a late season at the end of October into the beginning of November, as well from roughly Thanksgiving into December. For elk, you can still have a chance to hunt while they are rutting.

Each state will have different rules when it comes to muzzleloaders regarding whether you can use 209 ignition primers or a scope. Be sure to check your regs or consult your local sporting goods store to figure what you need to be legal. However, remember you are 100 percent responsible for what you have and do, not what someone told you, as they could be wrong or misinformed. Bottom line, be sure you know what is legal and what is not!

Muzzleloader is another season that will usually have less pressure than rifle season, and I think there are also fewer black powder hunters than there are archers. Outside temperatures will also be lower than during the early bow hunt. Again, I personally prefer lower temperatures for hunting, and I could go down a whole rabbit trail of why, but I will spare you all the boring details.

THE LAST, BUT not least, weapon choice/ season is modern firearm. Generally speaking, most people who first get into hunting start with rifle season before venturing into the other disciplines. Nowadays, rifles are much more advanced and capable of performing than the person behind the trigger. Seasons vary from state to state. In some states – Idaho, for example – deer season overlaps with elk season, offering more opportunities for folks out in the field.

There are pluses and minuses to hunting with a rifle. If you are hunting a general season tag, you are most likely going to encounter a sea of fellow hunters in the field, and in Washington they will all be wearing orange (recommended but not required in Idaho and Oregon, though big game hunters 17 and under in the latter state must wear it), sometimes making for a big pumpkin patch on the mountainside. Indeed, you’re not likely to have a draw to yourself unless you decide to hike off the beaten path. Sometimes it does not take much to get away from people. I have done an incredibly good job of not seeing other people for days; it just requires more effort and time.

The advantages of a rifle are the distance from which you can harvest an animal, as well as wind being not as big of a deal. You can often go undetected by the big game animal you are hunting since your effective range is further with a rifle compared to a muzzleloader or bow. With the right combination of rifle, scope, and ammunition, you can harvest a deer or elk at 300 yards or more. But if you choose to try to shoot at something further, please be familiar with your rifle and be proficient with your shooting capabilities. There is a

General rifle season is still the most well-attended hunt in the Northwest, even if it’s shorter and generally held outside the rut. Modern firearms offer the advantage of being able to down an animal from a greater distance, but it comes with a responsibility to make a one-shot kill so the animal

doesn’t suffer. (DAVE ANDERSON)

lot that can go wrong when shooting long distances. The last thing you want to do is wound an animal and chase it for days or kill it and not find it. Overall, hunting with a rifle can be fun, especially when you are able to get away from all the crowds.

LASTLY, I WANT to emphasize that whatever weapon you choose to use, you need to practice, practice and practice some more! You are out there attempting to take the life of an animal. Deer, elk and other big game critters are tough and their only job in life is to survive and reproduce. You want to be able to quickly take that life and not have them suffer. As a guide, I have chased my fair share of wounded game – it is not fun!

Do your due diligence – you not only owe it to yourself but the animal’s life to do the best job you can do. Do not be that person who picks up their weapon a week or even a month before the season, throws a few downrange and calls it good. Always remember, Proper preparation prevents poor performance! NS

Mally’s last hunt. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

The Last Hunt

As I write these words, there are two days left in duck season. I was going to invite friends along, but I just GUN DOGGIN’ 101 want to hunt alone By Scott Haugen with my two dogs, Echo and Kona. Selfish? Maybe, but I don’t think so. A dog lover understands why. stranger in my area, asking if I knew of any easy-to-navigate private land where they could take their nearly 14-year-old black Lab on her last hunt. I didn’t reply right away, but I immediately knew my answer. That night I got three hours of sleep, as it was all I could think about: a dog’s last hunt. The next morning I replied, and said I had a place for them to hunt.

I had no idea who the person was, as their social handle didn’t have a name. I didn’t background check them, as I probably should have, or ask any questions about their personal life, hunting experience, or what they wanted out of the hunt. Three days later we set a time to meet the following morning. The last note from them said, “Oh, by the way, my name is such and such, and my husband’s name is so and so.” I already knew their dog’s name – that’s all that really mattered.

We met early the next morning, walked to the blind, tidied up the decoys and made sure the situation was good for

their aging Lab. Then the couple walked back to the truck to get their dog. I didn’t follow them, but went in another direction to hunt with my dog. Kona and I had a great morning, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my guests and their dog.

A FEW HOURS later I put Kona in the truck and went to check on them. They had ducks and were happy, but solemn. I wanted to chat but respected their precious time. I petted their dog, watched her hunting instincts override her aging body, and looked into her eyes, with little conversation.

The dog was lying outside the blind, in some mud and rocks; she didn’t care that it was cold and uncomfortable, for this spot was easier for her to spot birds from than the dog blind I’d constructed. Her eyes

Our dogs risk everything to appease their innate drive, and please us, something we strive to reward until

the very end. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

We never forget those extra special retrieves. Here, the author’s dog, Kona, a pudelpointer, brings in a prized Eurasian wigeon following an impressive mark and water retrieve. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

grew big and her tail wagged when she saw ducks, or thought she saw ducks. One of my favorite things when duck hunting with dogs is watching their eyes and body language as they spot ducks. They spot way more than we do, and get more excited and tense with anticipation. They also scold us when we miss.

The aged dog had a retrieve while I was there and I was honored to see it. She moved slow and steady, but with purpose. Her long slow-wagging tail quickened as she approached the wigeon in chest-deep water. Water didn’t fly from her tail in tiny droplets, as I’m sure it once did.

The old girl ended up having a good day, and her eyes and body language confirmed it. She was in her happy place. Her owners were so appreciative, but quiet, and rightly so.

WHEN IT COMES time for my dogs’ last hunt, I want to be with them, just me. I want no one else around to think about or have to talk to because every precious second with them is valuable and passes all too swiftly. Pause. Tears are now slipping down my face as I write these words, because I dread the last hunts with my dogs, even though it’s years away. Then, suddenly, Kona is at my side, looking up at me with his big dark eyes, resting his heavy head on my leg and wagging his tail. I bend down to

kiss his big juicy nose and he licks my face. He never licks my face. He’s not a licker. He licked every tear, even as they flowed faster, now. He awoke from a sleep in the other room to come console me, something dogs do, something we can’t explain, that sixth sense. But it’s these moments that are so special and build an even deeper bond, which makes parting with them even more painful.

A few weeks ago I was hunting in Texas. A 19-year-old young man had one of the best performing Labs I’d ever seen.

“When he dies I won’t get another dog,” he shared, as he took a goose from the dog’s mouth. He’d trained the dog himself, didn’t think he’d ever develop a bond as strong as this with any other dog, and just plain dreaded the end, though the dog was only 2 years old. I understood exactly what he meant.

No matter how much we prepare for the end, it’s never going to ease the pain. We don’t know if it’s going to be sudden or drawn out, if it’s going to entail a final drive to the vet or if it will happen in their sleep. All we can do is make the most of every moment we have with our hunting companions and make their lives as enjoyable and rewarding as possible, for we all know a good hunting dog consistently risks their life to not only do what they’re programmed to do, but to please us, and such a genuinely powerful relationship is deeply painful when it comes to an end. NS

Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time writer. See his puppy training videos and learn more about his many books at scotthaugen.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.