TIED TO NATURE
magazine
THE UPLAND ISSUE: CLOWN QUAIL BADLANDS BUCKS ROGUE STEELHEAD ALBERTA UPLANDS MONTANA PHEASANTS POINTERS AND SETTERS UPLAND ROAD TRIP GEAR DIY DALL’S SHEEP THE PLIGHT OF SAGE GROUSE FIELD TO FLY
FALL 2020 DISPLAY UNTIL NOVEMBER 31, 2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
1
Strung Fall Photo Contest (Honorable Mention) Sawyer, a Brittany German shorthair mix, leads Charlie Fischer to pheasants on a southern Utah walk-in access property. Photo: Colin Clancy
2
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL 20202020 SUMMER
STRUNG STRUNG MAGAZINE MAGAZINE SUMMER FALL
2020
3
Strung Fall Photo Contest (Honorable Mention) “Duck hunting gives a man a chance to see the loneliest places [...] blinds washed by a rolling surf, blue and gold autumn marshes, a rice field in the rain, flooded pin-oak forests or any remote river delta. In duck hunting the scene is as important as the shooting.” — Erwin Bauer, The Duck Hunter’s Bible, 1965. Photo: Chris Ingram
4
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL 20202020 SUMMER
STRUNG STRUNG MAGAZINE MAGAZINE SUMMER FALL
2020
5
Strung Fall Photo Contest (Honorable Mention) Despite an unseasonably hot day in Southern Iowa, Junior didn’t slow down and was rewarded accordingly. Photo: Korey O’Day
6
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
7
magazine
FALL 2020
18
26 32 38 48 54 60 8
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Contents
FIELD TO FLY by Mark Lance “Although I’ve fallen hard for this bird-dog-upland-wingshooting-wild-game-on-the-table thing, a voice in my head still cries out, What about steelhead? What about trout?! Fly fishing remains a lifelong passion despite the call of the uplands. The fact that my favorite season for swinging flies overlaps with the upland season presents both a quandary and an opportunity.”
LIVE OAKS AND CLOWN QUAIL by E. Donnall Thomas Jr. “Mearns quail offer the most challenging wingshooting of any game bird on the continent. Imagine climbing through chukar terrain to shoot at birds whizzing through ruffed grouse cover while flying as erratically as woodcock.”
BADLANDS BUCKS by Nick Trehearne “Big country, extreme heat, and stalks that can take an entire day to execute—early season mule deer in Alberta’s badlands are one of the toughest hunts in Canada.”
ROGUE by Dave Zoby “They donned cheap sunglasses before opening the door. And then Allan Housman, humanities professor from Casper, Wyoming, two-time winner of the Ballard Excellence in Teaching Award, author of three books and one chapbook of narrative poems, and the state’s sole representative to the National Humanities Foundation, discovered himself surrounded by over 100 female cannabis plants, replicas of themselves, five-and-a-halffeet-tall, their stems drooping with the weight of flowers.”
FIRST AND LAST by Jim McLennan “If you choose to view things a certain way, you might see a number of symbolic or at least poignant points to ponder in the events of October 31 in the southern hills [...]”
THE PERFECTLY IMPERFECT NATURE OF PHEASANT HUNTING by Noah Davis “While Chris closes the distance, he speaks to his dog the way my father spoke to me as I shot jump shots on the basketball court: firm but with a tender recognition that the body knows what to do. I recognize that I am in the presence of something beautiful—a moment balanced but ephemeral, made more beautiful by its impermanence.”
POINTERS AND SETTERS: WHERE DID THEY GO? by Tom Keer “For some, there remains no greater thrill than to ride a walking horse through an endless prairie, arrive at a higher elevation, and see a brace of pointers locked up. Others praise the athleticism of a performance setter zigzagging through a tangled mess of primary- and secondary-growth forests and pinning a grouse. Nevertheless, times change and breeds fall in and out of favor.”
66 70 72 78 86 88 96
UPLAND GEAR GUIDE by Strung Staff Part of what makes upland hunting so enjoyable is its simplicity—grab your gun, load up the dog, and go. That works fine when you’re hunting close to home, but an upland road trip requires more forethought and planning. We’ve compiled a gear guide that will come in handy when you hit the road in search of new birds and new habitat.
TRAINER’S CORNER: SAFETY by Josh Miller “Opinions on the e-collar run the gamut from love to loathing. Like it or hate it though, there is no way to make a correction at distance other than an e-collar. Over the years, the e-collar—the “invisible leash,” I call it—has saved the lives of countless hunting partners, enabling essential communication in times of need and calling numerous dogs away from bad situations.”
RATIONS AND INTOXICANTS by Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley “The beauty of the boundless plains is that it’s full of opportunity, and a person only has to take advantage of it. I suppose as a hunter and forager, I’m wired to look for those opportunities: whether that’s dragging home a deer that’ll provide weeks of food, gathering an often-ignored wildflower to flavor my next batch of kombucha, or transforming a common weed into something delectable.”
NO SUCH THING AS EASY: AN ALASKAN DALL’S SHEEP HUNT by Brian Ohlen “In my experience, a hike-in sheep hunt can be more of a backpacking trip than a typical hunt. Animals do not densely populate the mountains, and you must travel far to find them. This isn’t a bad thing, because to follow sheep you have to go into the mountains—and what better place to spend your time putting one foot in front of the other?”
THINKING MAN’S GAME by George Jacobi “If rivers have personalities (and they do) this one is mature, focused, on a mission. It coldly it goes about the business and wordlessly communicates its message: “Be serious, boy, this is for professionals.”
CAPABLE PARTNERS by Levi Glines “Hunting is something I’ve done since I was young. It was easy for me to access, and I never considered how fortunate I am to have the physical capability to get outdoors. But all that changed last fall when my friend Chad Fix introduced me to a Minnesota-based organization called Capable Partners.” THE GROUSE FLIES AT DUSK: VANISHING MONARCHS OF THE SAGEBRUSH SEA by Reed Knappe “Though only a small percentage of Americans today are aware of the Greater Sage Grouse’s predicament, it may be the most momentous North American species under threat in our lifetimes. Herein lies the deeper meaning of the sage grouse’s status as a “landscape species”: they are indicators not only of the sagebrush sea’s integrity, but a litmus test for the willingness and ability of Americans to set aside space in our landscapes for nonhuman life, to safeguard traditions of outdoor life and wildlife appreciation which link us to past generations and to nature.”
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
9
magazine
Publisher: JOSEPH J. BALLARINI
Editor-in-Chief: RYAN SPARKS
Creative Director: SCOTT MORRISON
Conservation Editor: REED KNAPPE Fly Fishing Editor: DAVE ZOBY Upland Editor: TOM KEER
Waterfowl Editor: E. DONNALL THOMAS JR.
Wild Foods Editor: JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY Editors At Large: EHOR BOYANOWSKY
ALEXEI JD BOYANOWSKY JOE DOGGETT
MARK HATTER Copy Editor: LEILA BEASLEY
Website: MICHAEL DUCKWORTH
CREATIVE CONTRIBUTORS Denver Bryan Colin Clancy Noah Davis Levi Glines Logan Hinners Chris Ingram George Jacobi Lee Kjos Mark Lance
Jim McLennan Lynda McLennan Mia McPherson Josh Miller Korey O’Day Brian Ohlen Heather Thomas Lori Thomas Nick Trehearne
COVER
(Fall 2020 Photo Contest Winner) Although the bond may be tried and tested through many challenging and difficult conditions, the infinite trust we have standing behind our bird dogs can never be broken. Photo: Chris Ingram Strung Magazine is a quarterly outdoor lifestyle publication focused on upland, waterfowl, and big game hunting, fly fishing, wild foods, and conservation.
strung magazine 2300 Alton Road Miami Beach, FL 33140 (855) 799-3791
For Subscription inquiries visit: www.STRUNGMAG.com For Advertising inquiries: advertising@STRUNGMAG.com Editorial inquiries: editor@STRUNGMAG.COM All other inquiries: business@STRUNGMAG.COM ©2020 Strung Magazine. All rights reserved.
10
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
QUAIL HUNTING IS OUR PASSION
The World’s Premier Retailer & Hunting Lodge
Hunting Apparel • Fine Guns • Lifestyle Products
kevinscatalog.com (800) 953-8467 For Gun Inquiries (229) 226-7766 kevinsguns.com
Book Your Quail Hunt
huntsouthwind.com (800) 456-5208 2017 Orvis Endorsed Wingshooting Lodge of the Year STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
11
As the world becomes increasingly digitized, we’ve been asking ourselves how we can intensify the experience of reading a print magazine? I think part of the answer lies simply in the subjects we cover—hunting, fishing, the food we gain from those pursuits, and the conservation efforts to protect the places where we do it. One side effect of more screen time is that society becomes less conscious of our earthy sources and begins to regard nature as scenery, a backdrop to be admired, a playground. This is counter to everything hunting and fishing tells us about ourselves and our place in the world—we aren’t separate from nature, but tied to it. In his essay Before the Echo, Pete Dunne speaks to the transformative effect hunting has on our perception of our place in nature: “Think of the natural world as a great play, an incredible drama held on a world stage in which all living things play a part. When I carry binoculars, I stand with the audience [...] but when I carry a gun, I become an actor, become part of the play itself.” Those that hunt and fish know the intensity and meaning in this “becoming.” It is something we strive to convey in every issue of Strung. To help us do it we are always looking for unique voices, both new and experienced. And so, with our Upland Issue we’re introducing a fleet of new editors. As our new Upland Hunting Editor, Tom Keer brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about all things upland hunting, bird dogs, and wing shooting. For over 30 years Keer’s work has appeared across 75 titles earning him over 35 awards in the process. In this issue, his writing on the historical trends in sporting dogs raises interesting questions on the future of classic hunting breeds. Award winning writer and cofounder of Food for Hunters, Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley is a prolific author of wild game recipes and one of the leading wild food writers in the country. As our new Wild Foods Editor, she is the link between chef and hunter, exemplifying all the best things about field-to-table cooking. Keep an eye out for many delicious things to come. Dave Zoby is one of the greatest sporting writers of our time and its an honor to have him as our Fly Fishing Editor. Zoby
12
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
letter from the EDITOR has taught in Brazil, the Netherlands, Germany, and was a Fulbright scholar in Syria. Outside of writing he also teaches composition and creative writing at Wyoming’s Casper College. While Zoby joins Strung as Fly Fishing Editor, he also enjoys hunting pheasants, ducks, and grouse with his black Labs. I’m pleased to have him on our editorial team. Don Thomas is a name many readers will recognize. Thomas’ passion for waterfowl hunting is unsurpassed and we are delighted to have him as our Waterfowl Editor. Although labeling Thomas as just a waterfowl hunter would do him a disservice. Thomas has been a physician, commercial fisherman, bush pilot, hunting guide, and is an author of more than 20 books. He is a zealous bowhunter, fly fisherman, and upland bird hunter—a truly well-rounded sportsman if there ever was one. Reed Knappe is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. For years he lived in a remote Japanese river valley studying forestry and taking daily excursions to fly fish for amago trout. He studied history at the University of Chicago, environmental history at Montana State University, and continued his studies of the natural world at Harvard. His piece on Montana’s threatened Smith River in our summer issue as well as his article on the current status of sage grouse in this issue speak to his ability as a writer, commitment to conservation, and eternal interest in nature. I’m proud to announce him as our new Conservation Editor. With this fleet of new editors, we have a considerable talent pool to draw from. Our overarching goal is to make the outdoors as alive and dynamic as we know it to be. On behalf of our editorial team I invite you to enjoy the Upland Issue.
Ryan Sparks Editor-in-Chief
Photo: Scott Morrison
ACE, German shorthaired pointer OWNER: brian PIlgreen trainer: Fowlco Retrievers
NEW
PREMIUM PERFORMANCE
Kick Opening Day Into Overdrive Go beyond protein and fat with a new line of performance diets formulated to fuel different activity levels, promote post-exercise recovery and aid in maximum nutrient delivery. Š Mars and its Affiliates 2020. All Rights Reserved. STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
13
DENVER BRYAN Denver Bryan is a former wildlife biologist and long-time outdoor photographer, primarily hunting and fishing, with over 500 magazine covers and several books to his credit. Nowadays, he’s more retired than not, and lives by the motto, ‘Less film.....more bullets, bows and flyrods.’ For more on Denver’s photography check out his website at www.denverbryan.com
NOAH DAVIS Noah Davis grew up in central Pennsylvania and now lives in Missoula, Montana. His writing has appeared in Fly Fisherman, American Angler, The Flyfish Journal, Anglers Journal, The Drake, Fly Fishing & Tying Journal, Backcountry Journal, and Southern Culture on the Fly. Davis earned his MFA in poetry at Indiana University and his first collection of poems, Of This River, was published this August by Michigan State University Press. He hopes to become more familiar with all the wild birds Montana has to offer.
LEVI GLINES Levi Glines is a freelance photographer that grew up with a passion and love for the outdoors and wildlife. Hunting and fishing has always been a constant in his life, but recently he has poured his energy into photography, endeavoring to capture the spirit of the hunt. His photography seeks to shed a positive light on hunting and relate his appreciation for the beauty in creation. He currently resides in Minnesota with his wife Bethany, their three children, Hudson, Emmy and Bear, and Deutsch Drahthaar, Eikahey. Bethany and Levi are expecting twins this summer.
CHRIS INGRAM Chris Ingram is a outdoor photographer and writer living in Vermont with his wife Danielle and their pocket-rocket poodle, Greta, where life is focused on making time for the next upland or flyfishing trip. His motivations are rooted in sharing information, promoting kinship, and creating content in the sporting community. To tell a story and elicit emotion in a photograph really puts a feather in his cap. As a lifestyle photographer, he hopes his imagery speaks to the passion of wild pursuit that burns within each of us. His greatest achievements are the friendships and experiences he has generated along the way. To keep an eye on Chris and his work, check out www.featherwindcreative.com
MARK LANCE Mark Lance is a photographer and outdoor writer based in Colorado with his wife Sharon and bird dog Zeke. Mark is the founder of River Light Images, an outdoor lifestyle photography company founded in 1995. His photography is deeply entangled in the pursuit of trout and steelhead, upland wingshooting with versatile dogs, the great outdoors, and distant travels. His photography has been the visual foundation for many flyfishing brand campaigns, lodges, and outfitters. He is a frequent contributor to flyfishing, wingshooting, and conservation focused publications. See more of Mark’s work at www.riverlightimages.com 14
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Jim McLennan is a lifelong lover of the outdoors who indulges his twin passions of fly fishing and hunting upland birds with pointing dogs. He has written about both extensively, in magazines and in his four books about fly fishing. Jim and his wife Lynda live in southern Alberta where they split their time between fishing, hunting, photography, writing, and playing music. Together they own and operate McLennan Fly Fishing (mclennanflyfishing.com), a longstanding business offering fly-fishing instruction to people of all ages and levels.
MIA MCPHERSON
CONTRIBUTORS
JIM MCLENNAN
Mia McPherson’s images have been published in guidebooks, birding apps, national and international magazines including BirdWatching, Audubon and the American Birding Association’s Birding magazine, as well as a variety of other publications. Her photography has been displayed in several locations across the U.S. including interpretational signs, kiosks,
and museums such as her local Natural History Museum of Utah. She was gracious to give us the use of many of her images in support of Greater Sage Grouse conservation.
JOSH MILLER Josh Miller is the owner and operator of River Stone Kennels in New
Richmond, Wisconsin. After his college athletic career, Josh focused on his
true passion, training gun dogs. He has been training professionally for nine years. Josh has uniquely exhibited success over a range of competitions including retriever hunt tests and horseback pointing dog field trials. In
addition, he has won 6 NASHDA Championships with dogs he has trained.
Josh is also the Product Training Specialist for SportDOG® Brand where he
takes pride in educating people on the proper use of training tools to get the most out of their relationship with their dog. Josh spends as much time as
he can over the winter traveling the country with his dogs chasing waterfowl.
BRIAN OHLEN Brian Ohlen grew up fly fishing and deer hunting in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The scent of sagebrush drew him west, where ever-larger rivers and mountains stoked his desire to explore. He received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Idaho and has worked across the west as a bicycle mechanic, logger, trail builder, and writer. Brian currently resides in Alaska where he revels in the ability to fill freezers full of wild berries, fish, mushrooms, and game. His freelance work has appeared in Backcountry Journal, Strung Magazine, and for many outdoor gear brands. You can follow his work @spoke_n_fly or at spokenfly.com
NICK TREHEARNE
Born and raised in Western Canada, Nick was self-taught when it came to not only photography, but hunting and fishing as well. This has not been a hinderance however - since his early teens and successfully taking his
first mule deer with a bow on his first day of hunting, Nick has personally taken over 100 big game animals ranging from Bighorn Sheep to Sitka Blacktails and his award-winning images have been used around the
world for magazine covers, international advertising campaigns, and fine art prints. These days, Nick is most happy while sharing camp with good people and taking part in their experiences, camera in hand.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
15
16
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
17
18
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
FIELD TO FLY STORY AND PHOTOS By Mark Lance
With Colorado’s dusky grouse season behind me, I look back at the days and the mileage—the time spent catching my breath in the clean mountain air, lungs on fire and legs achingly tired by elevation gains and descents. The Colorado high country has a lot to teach us about grouse and upland hunting in general. It was the logical place to begin our wingshooting season and avoid the energy-sapping heat of the plains below. Our home turf is also a good place for a reality check: to confirm our fitness, to knock the rust off the mount-swing-bang sequence, and to prove up the hours of training since last season.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
19
20
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
When I say “we,” I mean my bird dog Zeke
BC rivers are as spectacular as any in North
and me. Mountain grouse in September—
America; the mountainous terrain towering
“blues,” the old timers call them—is our
above the valley floor swallows you up. Fly
season-opener tradition. After a couple of
fishing for steelhead, each one swimming
weeks hunting them, we look forward to
upstream on a journey from the ocean
so much more of the upland season: more
to natal waters, is addictive. Pursuing
species, more terrain and covers, more hours
steelhead requires preparation, honed skills,
on the open road, more time outdoors. With
and persistence—not unlike upland hunting.
grouse in the game bag, however, I have
We diligently hit the water at first light
another itch to scratch.
morning after morning, driven by hope and addiction. A natural rhythm unfolded as
Although I’ve fallen hard for this bird-dog-
days and eventually weeks of steelheading
upland-wingshooting-wild-game-on-the-
drifted by. I don’t quantify success by the
table thing, a voice in my head still cries out,
number of fish hooked or landed; rather,
What about steelhead? What about trout?!
the currency in this game is the richness
Fly fishing remains a lifelong passion despite
of the experience: falling headlong into the
the call of the uplands. The fact that my
expansive views of surrounding beauty and
favorite season for swinging flies overlaps
feeling the force of big weather on your
with the upland season presents both a
exposed face, the freedom of movement
quandary and an opportunity.
along the river, and the immersion in a big natural system where humans are incapable
***
of calling the shots. You have to go with the flow. The reward is in there somewhere.
In the fall, the tilt of the earth whittles away at the daylight hours. Frost blankets
As I have come to realize, this currency
the landscape overnight, yet temperatures
and these rewards overlap with my upland
rise to t-shirt level during the day.
sensibilities. While pursuing steelhead I often encounter grouse. The rolling farmland
A late September road trip out of Denver
in the valleys and the vast stands of aspen
took us through the heart of Rocky
and birch giving way to conifer forests
Mountain upland country. Lots of it. Birds
where mountains rise up; clearcuts criss-
were heavy on my mind as Zeke gazed
crossed with an endless array of abandoned
intently out the window from his “shotgun”
logging roads and readily available water all
position in the front passenger seat. Idyllic
add up to wonderful grouse habitat.
country—except for the wind blowing sideways, pinning cover grass flat to the
Though British Columbia is in many ways
ground. I wondered if it would have the
similar to my home-turf grouse habitat, the
birds pinned down as well, or if an audacious
local grizzly population here meant that I
sharptail would move between cover and
had changed positions on the food chain;
crop today. Either way, scenting conditions
as a result, the snap of a twig or plunk of a
were abysmal. Only the most desperate and
pinecone falling to the ground took on new
diehard hunters would be out.
meaning. In addition, accustomed as I am to the more open landscape of Colorado, the
I had to suppress thoughts of birds,
dense dark forests here would challenge my
although the driving wind did dull the
reflexes to mount and swing my gun before
sting: No, we weren’t hunting this beautiful
thunderous wingbeats disappeared into
landscape today. We were just passing
the woods. A seasoned New England ruffed
through on another adventure, heading
grouse hunter would likely chuckle.
north. Way north. Across the country’s northern border. Two more days of hard
What to do?
driving, jet boat in tow, landed us in northern British Columbia with high hopes
The phrase “cast and blast,” though
of wild steelhead.
descriptive, is clichéd, conjuring images of
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
21
conquest and Saturday-morning-outdoortelevision high fives. “Cast and blast” simply doesn’t capture the deep, meaningful connection I feel between upland hunting and fly fishing. It took a while of puzzling over this before I finally put my finger on the crux of the connection: What really pulls these two passions together for me is fly tying. *** I have burned countless hours tying my own flies—as a creative outlet, to pass long winter evenings, and of course to match the hatch. My tying bench is littered with loosely organized piles of synthetic materials and feathers from genetically enhanced birds dyed in unnatural hues, all jammed into small plastic packages that I bought exorbitant prices. In my defense, there is also a special box of tying materials on the bench that contains the carefully prepared feathered skins of game birds, all of which were pointed and faithfully retrieved by Zeke. “Zeke’s Box,” I call it. And the flies I tie from those Hungarian partridge, sharptail, blues, and pheasant feathers in the box are “Zeke’s Flies.” I fashion a number of my flies after the centuries-old Yorkshire spiders. When tying these patterns, one cannot help but feel a connection to the very origins of fly fishing. Silk thread wrapped around a delicate hook, a tiny ball of hare’s mask dubbing, a couple wraps of a single Hungarian partridge hackle, and a neat silk head creates arguably the most iconic soft hackle profile on the water. If you can find them in fly shops, they will be in a bin labeled “Partridge and Orange” or “Partridge and Purple” or something similar. Simple descriptive names from a bygone era. From this simple fly pattern the imagination can run wild—or perhaps run amok, as in my case. These impressionistic patterns, tied from wild game bird feathers, are suggestive of mayflies and caddis either drowned or struggling to the surface. So simple, yet deceptive enough to dupe most fish. You can create the silhouette of larger bugs
22
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
AND THE FLIES I TIE FROM THOSE HUNGARIAN PARTRIDGE, SHARPTAIL, BLUES, AND PHEASANT FEATHERS IN THE BOX ARE “ZEKE’S FLIES.”
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
23
with longer grouse hackle, or double up the speckled grays of hun and mottled browns of grouse to create flies for swinging in burlier water. Game bird feathers also lend themselves to more modern fly-tying techniques. Composite loops, a technique borrowed from Pacific Northwest steelhead anglers, hold several materials at once and ultimately create the size, shape, and lifelike movement I’m looking for. I include synthetics to the loop for added color and shape before tying on various lengths of the longer fibers stripped from pheasant saddle hackles or the wispy leg plumage from a sharptail. Once the loop of materials is spun and wrapped around the hook, the fly takes on a life of its own. Typically, no two flies turn out the same. *** After BC, our upland season marched on across the prairie potholes of North Dakota, the National Grasslands of South Dakota, the Sandhills of Nebraska, and the corn rows of Kansas. In Montana we scratched the fly fishing itch with Bighorn river trout and the wingshooting itch in the nearby hills. In Wyoming we camped and fished and wore down the tread of good boots in search of sharpies and chukar. With a few birds in the freezer the season ended all too quickly, but we had laid down a fine blueprint for seasons to come. When I have the good fortune to hold a harvested wild bird in my hand, I appreciate its beauty and stand in awe of nature’s design etched in every feather. I strive to honor that bird with a good meal and extend its memory by tying flies from its plumage, which in turn are swung through big Western rivers in search of trout and steelhead. Every day that I hunt behind my dog, I see another day ahead when I can fly fish with feathers from the field. And when I fish with those feathers wrapped upon a hook, I relive a successful hunt in the field. It is through fly tying that I have found a fulfilling and lasting connection between upland hunting and fly fishing.
24
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
25
oaks -and-
quail By E. Donnall Thomas Jr. Photos by Don and Lori Thomas
another hour, it might be too hot for the
Maggie, my veteran female wirehair, and
dogs to smell, and in that heat, I can’t carry
it indicates that she’s on point somewhere
enough water to keep them going anyway.
above us. My ears tell me she’s a good 200 yards away and straight uphill, as usual. The
Sprawling from horizon to horizon, the vast
26
azure space overhead evokes the iconic
I was late to accept electronic locator collars
slope’s steep pitch and the unstable rocks
Big Sky Lori and I left behind in eastern
as a substitute for the bronze cowbells I
underfoot ensure it won’t be easy to reach
Montana a month ago. Friends back home
once used to keep track of my pointing dogs
her.
tell me the thermometer hasn’t risen above
in thick cover, but without one we wouldn’t
zero for days, but here in the Sonoran
be hunting now. We’d be looking for a lost
Lori and I break our 20-gauges and confirm
Desert I actually welcome the morning
dog, and never mind the birds she’s pointing.
their empty chambers. For safety reasons, I
chill on the shady side of the mountain. In
The monotonous beeping collar belongs to
won’t climb through loose rock like this with a
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Hunting one of North Americas least known, most underappreciated game birds.
loaded gun, and if the birds won’t hold until we
birds are right there, practically under her
Lori into an optimal shooting position, walk
get there, I don’t want to shoot them anyway.
nose.
in ahead of the dogs, and start kicking the
Mearns quail hunting is all about the dogs— always has been, always will be.
ground. If experience hadn’t taught me to trust Maggie, I’m not sure I would believe her.
The explosive covey rise makes me flinch
After clawing our way up the slope, we finally
Despite the density of the live oak canopy
even though I’ve experienced countless
spot Maggie, perfectly camouflaged in the
overhead, the ground cover consists of
others like it and knew this one was
dappled light filtering through the oak leaves.
nothing but sparse grass and rock that
coming all along. Lori’s shotgun barks as I
By this time Max, our younger male wirehair,
couldn’t possibly hide a covey of quail. We
concentrate on isolating a male from the
has joined the party and honored her point.
load our shotguns anyway. Guessing that the
blur of feathered bodies hurtling through
Maggie’s body language announces that the
nonexistent birds will flush uphill, I motion
the oaks and slap off a shot myself. First
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
27
impressions suggest that I’ve killed the bird
and tricky footing offer a stark contrast to
before noon. The later I look for them, the
even though the cover prevented me from
the easy going in the desert below.
more coveys I find.
seeing it fall. When Lori fires her second barrel, I spot feathers drifting through the
The proper common name for the birds
air uphill ahead of her. After waiting for a
Lori and I were hunting that morning is
straggler that never appears, I break my
Montezuma quail, but they also go by fool
shotgun, unload my second barrel, and tell
quail (for their allegedly naïve behavior)
the dogs that the time has come to stop
and harlequin quail (for their clownish
pointing and start fetching.
appearance). They are more commonly known, however, as Mearns quail, after
Our wirehairs have always been effective,
Edgar Alexander Mearns, the pioneering
if not necessarily stylish, retrievers. Ten
biologist who first formally described them.
minutes later, they are both guzzling happily
Like his contemporary Elliott Coues, Mearns
from their collapsible water bowl as Lori and
was an Army surgeon stationed in the
I sit on a log admiring the results of their
desert Southwest. The two men shared a
handiwork: three dead quail, each of them a
passion for natural history, and while Coues
polka-dotted, clown-faced male Mearns. I use
was studying the desert whitetail subspecies
the dogs’ continued panting as an excuse
that bears his name today, Mearns was busy
for all of us to linger in the shade before
with my favorite game bird and nearly a
setting off in search of the next covey.
dozen other species previously unknown to Western science. Who says doctors don’t do anything but make money and play golf on Wednesdays?
Of Birds and Habitat
Because of their unique habitat
Hunters who spend time in Mearns quail
requirements and behavior, Mearns quail
territory quickly learn just how tough the
hunting is distinctly different from the
Apaches really were. Southeastern Arizona,
pursuit of other quail including the nearby
the heart of Mearns country, consists of
Gambel’s and scalies. Live oaks are the
flat, arid terrain punctuated by numerous
essential component of Mearns cover, not
isolated “sky island” mountain ranges rising
because the quail eat acorns but because
thousands of feet above the desert floor.
they require oak canopy to nest successfully.
The Apaches were mountain people who
As with many game bird species, chicks need
regarded their lowland-dwelling neighbors
insects in their diet after hatching, but
with disdain. Their mastery of those winding
adult birds feed almost exclusively on oxalis
canyons and steep, rocky slopes enabled
bulbs, which they excavate with their long,
them to elude and outfight the combined
clawed toes. These characteristic “diggings”
forces of the American and Mexican military
are easy to identify. Since a typical Mearns
for decades prior to Geronimo’s final
covey’s home range isn’t much more than 20
surrender in 1886.
acres, when you find such signs, birds should be nearby.
Characterized by typical desert flora—prickly
28
pear, ocotillo, mesquite, and agave—the
Mearns quail are ground nesters that typically
open terrain below the mountains supports
spend the night huddled together on a sidehill
fluctuating populations of Gambel’s and
midway between ridgetop and canyon floor,
scaled quail (collectively referred to as
relying on their superb camouflage to keep
“desert quail” in Arizona). Hunting for both
them safe in a predator-rich environment.
can be excellent in good years, and while the
They keep bankers’ hours and seldom move
walking may be long and hot it doesn’t have
until the ground begins to warm midmorning,
to be punishing. Those willing to accept the
at which point they start downhill to dig and
mountains’ challenge will find desert flora
feed. Like many experienced Mearns hunters,
yielding to live oaks as elevation rises. This
I like to give the birds time to lay down some
is Mearns quail habitat, where steep slopes
scent and seldom head to the field much
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Hunting Clown Quail It really is all about the dogs. Absent a capable canine partner, a hunter may well never see a Mearns quail, much less shoot one—a reflection of the birds’ willingness to hold still, hide, and let intruders walk right past them without flushing. Of course, this same trait makes them an ideal quarry for pointing dogs. Essential qualities in a good Mearns quail dog include an excellent nose, stamina, the ability to cover a lot of rugged ground, and rock-solid steadiness while whoever is carrying the shotgun labors to reach the point. That often seems to take forever. Everyone has his or her own favorite gun dog breed, and I would not presume to tell anyone that that choice isn’t suitable for Mearns quail. I have hunted Mearns with pointers, setters, shorthairs, and wirehairs and have friends who hunt them successfully with everything from Pudelpointers and Brittanys to pointing Labs. While cripples don’t run like wounded pheasants, thick cover makes it hard to mark falls accurately, and downed birds can be hard to spot on the ground. These factors make retrieving ability a real bonus and help explain my personal enthusiasm for versatile breeds like wirehairs. I know a number of experienced hunters who share my opinion that Mearns quail smell different from, or just plain less than other upland birds. I’ve seen excellent dogs run right past coveys on their first Mearns hunt, and I’ve also watched veteran retrievers walk over the top of dead Mearns without noticing them. Although it may be tempting to ascribe these performances to poor scenting conditions in hot, dry air, I don’t observe the same phenomena on desert quail hunts in surroundings that are even hotter and drier. These same dogs usually do much better once they have a
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
29
30
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
season or two of Mearns quail under their
Mearns quail habitat is serious snake
belts.
country. Fortunately, quail season takes place in the winter, when the region’s dozen
I think Mearns quail offer the most
rattlesnake species are largely inactive.
challenging wingshooting of any game bird
While I rarely encounter venomous snakes, I
on the continent. Imagine climbing through
have friends whose dogs have been bitten.
chukar terrain to shoot at birds whizzing through ruffed grouse cover while flying
In terms of dog safety, I worry more about
as erratically as woodcock. As with all true
javelina, the region’s unique, indigenous
covey birds, the initial rise requires the
desert pig. (Biologically they aren’t true pigs,
hunter to isolate one bird from a dozen or
but it doesn’t hurt to regard them as such.)
more and focus on that bird alone—never
While javelina rarely attack people, they can
an easy task, especially if you are trying
be very aggressive toward dogs, and their
to shoot nothing but males. While there is
wicked teeth can inflict a lot of damage.
no legal requirement to do so, dropping a
Don’t be afraid to make noise while hunting
strikingly patterned cock bird always feels
(I think beeping locator collars help keep
more gratifying than killing a drab hen, and
dogs and hogs out of each other’s way), and
letting the females fly on also makes sense
if you spot javelina or smell their distinctive
biologically.
musky odor, head in another direction.
Mearns quail are very fast on the wing,
Thorny desert flora such as cholla and sand
and the cover they inhabit demands quick
burr can be a real problem for dogs in desert
reflexes and split-second decisions. Safety
quail habitat but are much less abundant
must always be the prime consideration,
in Mearns cover. Still, I carry a hemostat
and it’s imperative to visualize safe shooting
for thorn removal. The most common thorn
lanes and confirm the location of all dogs
problem in mountainous terrain arises from
and hunting partners as you approach the
cat’s claw, which grows up off the ground
point rather than wait until birds are in the
and is more likely to stick you than the dogs.
air. When that covey finally flushes, there will be a lot of confusion and not much time
Rocky footing is ubiquitous in Mearns
to respond to it.
habitat and can be hard on dogs’ pads. I don’t routinely boot my dogs as some friends do, but my wirehairs have toughened their feet during three months of Montana
Desert Caveats
hunting by the time they reach the desert for the winter quail season.
Newcomers to the desert Southwest will likely face hazards with which they may
A lot of good quail hunting takes place near
have had little prior experience. There
the border, and I commonly find tracks,
is no substitute for preparation prior to
discarded backpacks, and other signs
confronting them.
of illegal immigration. I also frequently encounter border patrol agents, whom I
Adequate water supplies are always the
have found to be uniformly courteous and
prime consideration in backcountry desert
pleasant. Border issues are complex and
travel, especially for hard-working dogs that
overly politicized, but I don’t worry much
aren’t going to tell you when they’re getting
about them while quail hunting.
dehydrated. I keep mental notes about known surface water sources—if there are any—and plan my hunting routes around them so the dogs can jump in and cool down as well as drink to their hearts’ content. I also carry more water than I think I’ll need
The Elusive Why? Describing the game and its habitat, and offering experience-based advice about hunting it, is easy. Explaining why a seasoned hunter would go through all of this to shoot a bird small enough to skewer on a toothpick and serve as an hors d’oeuvre becomes more complicated. Certain fish and game species acquire a mystique that somehow makes them more meaningful than the sum of their parts. This phenomenon is highly personal, and what arouses that elusive wow factor in one hunter may leave even close outdoor companions indifferent. These special quarries seem to choose us as much as we choose them. For me, the special few are steelhead in the water, bugling elk among big game, and Mearns quail when I reach for my shotgun and summon the dogs from the kennel. Despite the intangibles, there are reasons for my enthusiasm. Quail season takes place at the time of year when I need someone else’s warm weather most. Hunting Mearns keeps me in shape during months when it’s easy to forget what that feels like. These birds inhabit a fascinating ecosystem that never exhausts its supply of new flora and fauna to observe and ponder. Most Mearns quail live on public land, eliminating the need to seek access permission. But to summarize the why in one compressed scene, I would simply ask the reader to join me as I imagine one of my wirehairs frozen on point in a sun-drenched setting far from the nearest road, followed by an explosion of wings, tiny bodies zipping through the oaks, two quick snapshots, and then the outlandish plumage resting in my hand at the end of the second retrieve. Perhaps best of all, at the end of the day Lori and I get to take the birds home, clean them, grill them over a bed of mesquite coals, and eat them. Dinner doesn’t get any better than that—perhaps just because of the way we’ve earned it.
and offer it to the dogs regularly.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
31
32
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
badlands bucks A Photo Essay by Nick Trehearne Big country, extreme heat, and stalks that can take an entire day to execute— early season mule deer in Alberta’s badlands are one of the toughest hunts in Canada. We began glassing at first light and eventually found a group of bucks bedded in a large sage flat on the edge of a river. As the sun beat down, we slowly moved towards the group, circling and crossing
the river to get the wind in our favor. Edging closer to the target buck on our hands and knees, Devin Wilson, my hunting partner, came within a few yards of another buck we had overlooked. When it stood and fled it took several other bucks with it. Luckily, the biggest buck in the group, stood, stared indifferently at his companions disappearing over the horizon, and bedded back down.
Wilson crept closer until he was within 60 yards. Once in position, more than an hour passed before the buck finally stood and presented a shot. The arrow flew true and the buck ran less than 100 yards before piling up in the sage. With temperatures now in the low 100’s, the 8-mile pack out was long and grueling. Low on water, but high on the joy of a successful stalk, the hunt ended as challenging as it began.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
33
34
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
35
36
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
37
Illustration: Heather Thomas 38
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
rogue By Dave Zoby Illustrations by Heather Thomas
IN COLLEGE HE WAS BABY-FACED, A BIT CHUBBY IN THE MIDDLE. SOFT, THEY CALLED HIM. HOUSMAN COULD TAKE HIM IN ALL SPORTS: RACQUETBALL, BASKETBALL, WRESTLING, HORSESHOES, AND BEER DARTS. HE TOOK HIM ALL THE TIME. THEY DRANK ALL NIGHT LONG, AND LOGAN WAS INVARIABLY THE FIRST TO FADE. HOUSMAN SEIZED THESE MOMENTS TO PAINT LOGAN’S FACE OR GET SOMEONE WITH A CAR TO DRIVE LOGAN’S LIMP BODY OUT INTO A COW PASTURE AND DUMP HIM WITH JUST A BLANKET AGAINST THE DEW AND CHILL. LOGAN WOULD WALK BACK TO THE DORMS THE NEXT MORNING, CHUCKLING, CARRYING HIS BLANKET. “ONE OF THESE DAYS I’M GOING TO SHOW YOU,” HE WOULD SAY.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
39
They fished one day, Housman and Logan, in the New River, just outside of Blacksburg.
“Tell Sadler I’m presenting a paper. He
They caught pumpkinseeds and little
always goes for that.”
smallmouths on spinners. There were college kids all over the rocks. There were radios
“All right,” said Carrie. She went outside of
going. That was over 30 years ago.
the outreach building to smoke in the wind.
Logan flunked out of college his junior year. They lost touch. In graduate school Housman bumped into Logan at a grocery
There was so much to do in Ashland: An
store in Richmond, Virginia. They stood
incredible number of boutique wineries
in the rain in Carytown and talked. Logan
were sprouting up in the Applegate Valley.
was working construction, building decks
There were restaurants bowing to the
and patios for the newly rich who dwelt in
faddish force of farm-to-table cuisine.
the outer rings of the city in 4,000-square-
Organic produce and goat soaps were for
foot homes. “Pricks,” he said of them.
sale at nearly every shop. There was a coffee
“Wannabes.” Housman told Logan about the
culture, two respectable co-ops, and a world-
book he was writing on Stonewall Jackson.
class film festival occurring on the very
Logan invited him to come watch Monday
same dates Housman had booked. There
Night Football at his apartment. Housman
were poetry readings, live music, sidewalk
turned him down. They lost touch for real.
sales, and garden tours. But Housman was keenly interested in only one thing:
Only by the miracle of social media did
steelhead fishing. He packed his waders, his
they find each other again. Logan Bruell
boots, and his 8-weight. Logan told him not
owned an excavation business in Rogue
to worry about flies.
River, Oregon. He was also a river guide. The pictures of steelhead and happy
“Dude, the run is sort of petering out. But I
customers proved it. He reached out to
bet something will turn up. I always seem to
Professor Housman first. Housman was
catch something when no one else does.”
jetting between conferences, one in Italy on the Baroque, and one in Miami on the
Logan’s voice rang with a confidence
Afro-Cuban diaspora. He didn’t have time to
Housman recognized in big game outfitters
immediately respond. And he forgot for a
and backcountry skiers. He was surprised
while. What did they ever have in common?
to hear it. He remembered beating Logan
Housman asked himself. But you couldn’t
at basketball, catching him flatfooted and
argue with the photos of 30-plus-inch
driving past him for an easy bucket. He
steelhead.
remembered Logan going to the cafeteria and stuffing his face with meatloaf.
Housman found a conference in Ashland, Oregon, that took place in the spring—about
Housman never actually made any of the
when he imagined the steelhead fishing
conference events unless you count the
might be good. He contacted Logan and
opening social where local Oregon pinot
they exchanged messages but never actually
noir was served in plastic glasses meant to
spoke in person. Housman bought tickets
resemble champagne flutes. He picked up
and had his secretary pay the conference
his conference packet: a schedule, his name
fee. Carrie also arranged his hotel and rental
badge, and a water bottle. He saw his name
car.
on the program, for a roundtable discussion about the future of humanities education.
“Housman,” said Carrie, “you’re breaking
He went downtown to a brewery and
the bank on this one. The dean said no
foundered after three pints of potent IPA.
more conferences until the state approves
He woke the next morning and called Logan.
a budget. I’m guessing you already know that.”
40
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
“Hey, I’m about done over here and thought,
if you had some time, we could hit the river a day early,” said Housman.
HOUSMAN HAD SHRUNK, LIKE THE REST OF US, WHILE LOGAN HAD BECOME ENORMOUS, ROMANESQUE, BEARDED IN THE MANNER OF LONGSHOREMEN.
Logan laughed. He said something about the taxpayers’ money. He had to go over to Dixonville to pick up two Bobcat loaders he had won at auction. But he said he and his woman would come meet him in Ashland that evening, and maybe have a beer. Housman suddenly felt like a prisoner in Ashland. He avoided the conference and went sulking through town in a rain shower. He purchased a day pass and sat in the
Unimpeded, Windy lunged forward and
darkened theater with the film-fest crowd.
hugged Housman for a long moment. Her
He committed to several documentaries
perfume, her breasts against his chest, the
in a row and found himself exhausted by
honest smell of wine—none of it seemed
mid-afternoon. He skipped his scheduled
real.
appearance at the roundtable discussion. Instead he lounged in the hotel hot tub,
“Logan has told me so much about you,” she
reading a magazine on local happenings—
said.
wine tours mostly—and silently begging not to be recognized by the academics who
Housman was instantly suspicious. What did
strolled along the grounds with their name
Logan say about him—that he beat the guy
tags displayed on their breasts: Vice Deans,
in racquetball for five semesters? Housman
College Ombudsmen, Executive Academics,
made an effort to stand taller, to lower his
and Officers of Strategic Planning. Housman
voice in the style of Logan.
pulled on a sweatshirt and snuck out to a tapas place where he drank local beers
“Logan tells me you teach humanities,” said
incognito. He waited for the call.
Windy.
Logan was somewhat drunk when he walked into the restaurant. He brought to mind Guillaume Guillon-Lethiere’s painting
They drank some more. It was decided, over
“The Death of Cato of Utica.” In fact, the
the drinks, that Housman would jettison
similarities were striking. Housman had
the whole conference and come to Rogue
shrunk, like the rest of us, while Logan had
River with them. The wine was making them
become enormous, Romanesque, bearded
frenetic.
in the manner of longshoremen. And he had become a river guide on the Rogue, no
“Screw this place,” said Housman.
less. His girlfriend, Windy, was clinging to his jacket. She was a tall redhead, perhaps
“Wait until you see my side project,” said
half his age. She beamed at Logan as he
Logan. He grinned.
looked around the room for Housman. Housman was alarmed at the size of Logan.
“Do you think we can fish tomorrow?” said
He couldn’t get over it. The handshake, like
Housman, a little too hopeful, a little too
working with stone and hammers, nearly
pleading.
caused the professor to shriek. “We’ll see,” said Logan. He turned to Windy. “Them guys who sold me the Bobcats made
“How about you, babydoll? Do you want to
us stand around and drink their BS wine for
go fishing?”
about two hours,” he said.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
41
Windy smiled widely. Her teeth were perfect.
“It’s everywhere, man. That’s what you should be writing about,” said Logan.
“She’s badass on the river,” said Logan. “Catches more fish than the guides around
Logan’s house sat on a hill surrounded by
here.”
towering Pacific firs. There was a sports car in the driveway and a shop with big double
They grabbed Housman’s briefcase, threw
bays. There was acreage. Every light in the
his button-downs in his duffle, and tossed
house was on. There were bags and bags of
the conference frass into the garbage.
Fishy Peat, a type of local potting soil. There
They collected his waders, boots, and fly
were pallets of it. But you couldn’t smell
rod, though Logan said that he probably
decaying fish or peat. All you could smell
wouldn’t need them. He said the river was
was pot.
murky and they’d be using bait. There was no arguing with Logan. On the way out to
“I have a small operation compared to the
the car, Housman passed one of the deans
other dickwads around here,” said Logan.
from New Mexico State whom he had known over the years.
Housman didn’t know where to stash his duffle. The rooms were full: camping gear;
“Later, Jeffrey,” said Housman. “I’m off to
rifles and scopes; mounts of bear and deer
parts unknown.”
yet to be bracketed to the walls; expensive tables and chairs, some still ensconced
“Take me with you,” sang Dr. Jeff Suell. “This
in bubble wrap; a fly-tying desk with an
humanities conference lacks humans.”
enormous variety of hooks and materials. Fly rods and bait casters stood in every
But it wasn’t to be. Jeffrey had to ride it out.
corner of the house. Commercial art was
“Ride it out,” said Housman.
sitting on the carpet with no indication that it would ever find its way to the walls. There
They sped out into the night, Housman,
was a hot tub for eight burbling endlessly
slightly buzzed but not completely illegal,
and wine racks full of an impressive wine
driving the little rental, Logan following in a
collection—mainly Oregon and Washington
huge diesel truck with so many aftermarket
reds. One room was full of weight machines
accoutrements that Housman didn’t know
and a bench press, a rarely used spinning
what their purpose might be. They dropped
bike for Windy, and a plasma television on
the rental car off at the airport. Housman
the wall. Every room had a plasma, now that
had to use considerable effort to reach up
Housman could focus. The newly built deck
to grab the handle of the truck and pull
sprawled out into the damp Oregon night.
himself up from the pavement. The leather
There were two chrome grills. Housman
seats were slippery with polish. Inside, the
accepted a beer from Logan and stood out
truck’s instrument panel lit up with devices
on the porch while Wormser gobbled a bowl
and gewgaws of all sorts.
of kibble.
“I know it’s stupid,” said Logan. “But I can’t
“You can see that I had a visitor. Cost me
help myself.”
over 30-grand because I ran my mouth too much and they knew when I’d be away,” said
There was a pit bull puppy in Windy’s lap.
Logan.
His name was Wormser, or Wormsley. He was called both on the short drive along
“They got your plants?”
Interstate 5 to Rogue River. As they
42
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
descended into the valley, the hillsides lit
“Yep. They smashed my security cameras
by yardlights and the twinkle of dairies,
with a rock and hopped the fence. I was
Housman caught the unmistakable whiff of
days away from harvest. But oh well. It’s a
marijuana drifting in through the windows.
learning process.”
STRUNG STRUNG MAGAZINE MAGAZINE SUMMER FALL
2020
43
Logan said he thought he knew who it was,
compared to some of the others. He
but wasn’t 100 percent sure—otherwise
followed one text, Grow like a Pro, and never
he’d handle things himself. He said he had
freelanced or changed the recipe. It was,
moved his operations inside and had a little
in his words, “legalish” to grow this much
something for the thief if he tried again.
pot. He took in over a quarter of a million dollars a year, all in cash. But like so many
“And by the time I put plants back outside,
other entrepreneurs in the valley, he could
Wormser will be 100 pounds. He’s cute now,
not deposit the cash in the bank. He had to
but he’s a working dog, sure enough.”
stash it—or buy things.
The smell was so intense inside that
“That’s why I have two badass boats and that
Housman worried he’d get damaged just by
ridiculous truck,” he chuckled. “It’s all a joke.”
standing in the living room. Could it seep through his skin? There was a holy glow
Lying in bed, Housman thought about
coming from the basement. Inevitably,
how Logan, college dropout and sorry
Logan led him down the stairs while Windy
athlete, had transformed into a purveyor
played tug-of-war with the puppy.
of cannabis and a top river guide. Housman envied him because he was only able to be himself, Professor Allan Housman. He had no vehicle to change it. Yet he, too, could
THE ROGUE WAS ALL IT WAS SAID TO BE: WILD, TUMBLING, SHOCKING TO LOOK AT. THE TREES WERE BUDDING. WILD TURKEYS GOBBLED FROM THE DESPERATE CLIFFS AND INCLINES. THE WATER HAD A BLUISH TINT.
grow pot and get rich. How hard could it be? He grew tomatoes in Wyoming each summer, for god’s sake. But then again, Maddy would never allow him to take such risks, especially in Casper where they were 30 years behind the lax attitudes toward marijuana. He thought about the thief who ripped out Logan’s outdoor plants. What if he returned for the rest? Housman got up and crept through the house. He rapped on Logan’s door. “Logan? Should I have a pistol or a shotgun or something?” he hissed.
They donned cheap sunglasses before opening the door. And then Allan Housman, humanities professor from Casper, Wyoming,
“Bro, I’m trying to make love to my woman. Go to bed.”
two-time winner of the Ballard Excellence in Teaching Award, author of three books and one chapbook of narrative poems, and the state’s sole representative to the National Humanities Foundation, discovered himself surrounded by over 100 female cannabis plants, replicas of themselves, five-and-ahalf-feet-tall, their stems drooping with the weight of flowers. There was water moving somewhere—Logan’s automatic watering system. The timer kicked off, and the fans came on and began oscillating over the pungent nation of marijuana plants. Logan explained that his grow was tiny
44
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
They didn’t fish. Logan put on a new shirt, one of the styles Housman saw his students wear. Windy wore knee-high leather boots and a tight sweater. They toured the valley wineries, sampling the various vintages, sipping from taster glasses, talking about steelhead fishing and spey rods. Logan had scads of photos on his phone—primarily pictures of happy clients holding the torpedo shapes of a steelhead. One photo was a nude of Windy standing among flowering cannabis. She was unaware of
what Logan was showing to Housman. She
the university’s, because he didn’t want any
“Follow my instructions and you might do
was dreaming already, her eyes glazed over
questions from Dean Sadler.
okay,” he said.
The next morning, awake in the fugue of
Logan rowed expertly through a series
Housman was let down that they wouldn’t
marijuana vapors, Housman thought about
of rapids and chutes. He told them to
be swinging flies. He hid his disappointment.
the fish that swam out in the sea among
“hold their fire” as he navigated the boat
He wanted only to fly fish so that he could
the seals and whales, the fish that swam
by feathering the oars. He rowed with
go back to Casper and show Bill Mayor
upstream past gill nets and duck shanties to
confidence, power, and a dash of insouciance
and the rest an image of himself with
make its redd in little creeks and rills. It did
the other guides didn’t have. The others
a steelhead, the fly rod resting over his
all this, and then went back to sea. He had
hacked away at the surface of the river
shoulder like you see in magazines. They
never caught a steelhead. He had only read
while Logan let the river do most of the
would be side-drifting, explained Logan.
about them.
work. Windy hooked a fish as soon as Logan
like the gliding Applegate.
They’d use globs of cured roe for bait.
told her to cast out the left side of the boat. It was raining. It was 40 degrees. Logan
The drag screamed. The silver fish leapt
“Right now it’s the only way we’ll see a
had some wool pants and a wool jacket for
four, five, six times. It was what Logan called
steelhead. Flies are a waste of time. The
Housman. They reeked of Kush Crush. There
an “upriver” fish. It had yet to spawn, so
water is too dirty. Trust me.” Windy nodded.
was no way around it.
it was hefty and gasping when they finally
They drove the backroads to several
netted it. Logan was tender with the fish,
wineries, indulging in Logan’s last crop,
Housman needed coffee. He was unable,
his big, chubby fingers deliberately cradling
smoking it in the form of a cigar-sized
though, to work the Italian espresso
the fish and removing the hook.
doobie. The cabin of the truck fogged up.
machine that had arrived the day before. “I
The puppy nibbled Housman’s fingers until
told those losers to set it up,” Logan said. He
“See you later, girl,” he said as he released it.
they bled.
was back and forth to the garages, loading
Windy swooned.
the boat, making leaders. Windy tried to get In Grants Pass they went to a bistro and ate
the chrome machine to produce coffee. It
lamb chops and drank two bottles of Oregon
only belched steam. After a while, they gave
red. Windy complained bitterly about people
up and drove in the darkness, with the boat
The amount of gear they were leaving on
from Portland coming to rural Oregon and
rattling behind, to a Dutch Bros. Logan paid
the bottom of the river troubled Housman.
ruining things. They voted incorrectly, she
for their coffee with a hundred-dollar bill
Nearly every fourth cast, Housman lost
said.
and tipped the girl $20. Windy bit her lip and
either his hook, his lead weight, or all of it.
pouted.
He couldn’t tell the difference between the bottom and a strike. He baited his own hook
“But I bet those voters are the reason the marijuana laws liberalized—the people
“What’s your problem?” said Logan. “That
and Windy’s, using bits of sticky orange roe
around here would have us praying in school
girl works her ass off.”
that Logan had cured himself. Windy, an
and rounding up Muslims,” said Housman.
experienced angler, hooked and landed four
He realized his mistake too late. Logan
steelhead before Housman had his first bite. Housman’s fish leapt once and departed.
leaned back in his chair and squinted at Housman. His chest looked carved from
The Rogue was all it was said to be: wild,
marble—that painting again.
tumbling, shocking to look at. The trees
“You have to let him take some line,” said
were budding. Wild turkeys gobbled from the
Logan. He adjusted the drag on Housman’s
“What do you know about it?” said
desperate cliffs and inclines. The water had
reel.
Logan. He launched into a jag about the
a bluish tint. It was nearly noon when Housman caught
government making it hard for the everyday guy, like himself, to make a living. He griped
“Hell, it’s clearing. Maybe we could have
his steelhead. There was an elbow in the
about taxes, about the media. He was the
thrown flies,” said Logan. Housman had
river, and a back eddy. Housman casted
only one who talked for 20 minutes. Windy
forgotten his Sage. Logan put his oars
his glob of roe into the swirling waters.
caught the waitress and ordered another
in their locks. The boat had the image of
His line ran, and a fish broke the surface.
round of drinks. When the check came,
a salmon on the bow. The insignia said
Housman held on for dear life as the
Logan stared at Housman. Housman took
“Bruell’s Outfitters.” Wormser sat in the
steelhead ran upriver for several moments,
the cue and reached for the check. The
boat and chewed the anchor line. Housman,
then turned and burned back downstream.
amount was staggering. But he was getting
the wool pants sagging in the rear, hopped
Logan brought the drift boat to a sandbar
a free fishing trip and staying at the man’s
in and took his seat. Logan handed him a
where Housman was able to tire the fish
house. Housman used his personal card, not
spinning rod.
out. Logan deftly netted the steelhead and
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
45
removed the hook. He, not Housman, held the fish as Windy snapped a photo with Housman’s camera. Housman leaned in close to the fish like an idiot. Then Logan slipped the fish back into the river.
They partied after Housman’s fish. There was Kush Crush enough for everyone— even the other river guides and clients, if they wanted. There were magnums of champagne and pink grapefruit juice for mimosas. Pop! The plastic stoppers came out of the bottles with force and landed 40 yards away in the middle of the river. “Dammit, I probably shouldn’t do that,” said Logan. He rowed and netted the
floors. Windy was texting from the couch.
But he had his photo of the steelhead, even
stopper and flipped a friendly middle finger
Logan was putting the fishing gear away.
if he didn’t catch it on a fly.
to a guide he knew.
He asked Housman to clean the floor. He said he owed him that much, at least. He
He twisted an ankle jumping out of the
Back in town the party continued. They
gave Housman—two-time Ballard Award
truck. Logan spun his wheels on the wet
drove over to Grants Pass. The parvenus and
Recipient, author of several books and a
asphalt. Housman dragged his stuff toward
newly promoted grow experts swarmed the
chapbook—a roll of paper towels. He said he
the terminal. His luggage looked puny
boutique bistros with Alaska Airlines Gold
had to go into his basement to check on his
and insignificant—stuff you were free to
Cards and little knives clipped on their jeans.
plants.
leave behind, cheap second-hand stuff. He
They all had girlfriends they didn’t deserve,
limped into the airport, his mind not quite
observed Housman. There was duck confit,
right, his fingers still smelling like salmon
white asparagus flown in from Germany,
roe and pot. He feared his computer bag
sushi incorporating local seafood shipped
At 5 a.m., Logan drove Housman to the
was permanently impregnated with the
over that very day from the coast. Windy
airport in Medford. They stopped at the
smell of cannabis. He worried people would
ordered a cup of cioppino with ling cod and
Dutch Bros and the same girl attendant
report to Dean Sadler his absence from the
fresh octopus. She hardly touched it.
flirted with Logan. She said she had a
conference.
boyfriend at the moment. They changed locations several times.
Housman sat in the lobby and watched the
There were bottles of wine and local beers
“That’s okay, girl,” said Logan. “I’m a patient
rain streak down the glass like fish moving
that carried potent alcohol levels. Logan
man.”
across a wide and undiscovered river. All this
had a huge appetite from rowing all day.
will end up in the Rogue sooner or later, he
He ate his portions and most of Windy’s.
At the airport Logan shook Housman’s hand
thought. Jets rumbled and shook the whole
She was there and not there, texting back
so hard the professor nearly squeaked.
airport as they took off to parts unknown.
and forth with her daughter who needed a
He told Housman not to write about his
ride. It occurred to Housman that he’d have
operations in Rogue River. Then he thought
The rain was coming steadily now. A woman
to teach an extra summer class to pay off
for a moment while the truck gurgled. “Go
standing near the ticket counter moved
his credit card when this was all over. They
ahead and write about this if you want.
away from him and sighed. She could
climbed into the towering truck and growled
I’ll be living in Mexico by the time anyone
smell the Kush. She glared at Housman.
out into the night to find more places with
publishes it.”
People were already tired of the marijuana
food and drinks. They smoked more. They
46
revolution. They liked it better when getting
didn’t know what to talk about, all of them
“No one reads anymore,” said Housman.
caught was a felony. But not their kids—no,
stoned and staring into their cell phones.
He was feeling sorry for himself. He had at
not theirs. This kind of confusion leads to
least 10 more years at the outreach until he
dictators and mass executions, thought
Back at the house, Wormsley crapped in
retired. It was snowing in Casper. He checked
Housman. It’s the kind of thing that caused
the kitchen on the newly installed bamboo
the weather on his cell every 10 minutes.
Cato of Utica to tear out his own guts.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
PRESENTATION & CONTROL. HANDBUILT FROM SCRATCH. SCOTTFLYROD.COM • (970) 249-3180
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
47
FIRST AND LAST By Jim McLennan Photos by Lynda McLennan
48
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
THE EVENT PLANNER FOR LAST YEAR’S BIRD SEASON MUST HAVE BEEN NAMED MURPHY.
an hour or so as long as there was water on the route, but with bird numbers what they were, half an hour wasn’t enough. He was a dog suddenly slowed by the inevitable and unwelcome weight of age.
If something could go wrong, it did. A wet
And in the midst of such a season as this,
spring in southern Alberta (which was
a dog that had seemed ageless turned out
But the final day of October stood apart
two in a row if you’re counting, and I am)
not to be. Brittany Mike, an unexpected
from the disappointment and excuses like
meant spotty numbers of both Huns and
gift from Ben Williams 10 years ago, had
an island in an ocean. The day’s initial virtue
sharptails. The wet spring was followed by a
his 11th birthday a few months before the
came from familiar sources: the sounds
wet summer that delayed the grain harvest
season began. He’d had several lifetimes
and fragrances of October, the sensory
and kept my canine hunting partners and
of experience on the Alberta plains and
impact of walking where the plains meet
me out of the wheat and barley stubble
continued to hunt well into his later years.
the mountains, the fellowship of favored
until the season was half over. And when
Just moments before sunset brought his
companions, all magnified and intensified
the harvest was finally complete and the
10th season to a close, he ripped off a
through autumn’s perfect light.
fields accessible, in entirely un-Alberta-
determined, almost frantic half-mile cast
like fashion the weather turned too hot
to the far side of a stubble field, where he
This was a Sunday, and Sundays are
to safely run dogs. After that I left on
found a pair of November Huns and held
designated as family hunting days. Family
my annual hunting trip to the plains of
them for the time it took two tired hunters
means my wife Lynda, who hunts carrying
southern Saskatchewan. There my partners
to reach him on weary legs. But the signs of
a camera; our daughter Deanna, who hunts
and I were met by a “weather bomb” of
decline appeared in the off-season. He was
carrying a 20-gauge; and Deanna’s husband
wind and snow that kept us indoors drinking
now showing a little less stamina, his breath
Brandon, who married into this family with
coffee (and other fluids) and watching
coming a little harder and raspier, even
full knowledge of its loopy obsession with fly
baseball for four days. Not a shot was fired.
after shorter runs. He was still good for half
fishing and bird hunting.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
49
50
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
is pandemonium: A dog would point a long Prior to meeting Deanna, Brandon had no hunting or fishing experience, yet after hanging around with us he seemed genuinely happy to accompany us on our various excursions. Initially this was likely because he was agreeable to any activity that put him in close proximity to Deanna. But he was quickly smitten—especially by fly fishing—and is now always the last one off the water, no matter where he fishes or how late it is. On the hunting side, Brandon became interested first in the dog work and the setting and landscape of our hunts, but we pushed him over the edge by introducing him to shooting clay targets on some informal outings with a hand trap. An athlete, he liked this and took to it quickly, though he had to get accustomed to seeing his wife break more clays than he did. Then for Christmas we gave him a gift of instruction at a local sporting clays club. This improved his shooting and intensified his desire to hunt, but he first had to pass an exam and obtain his Hunter Education Certificate. So until that hurdle was cleared he continued to walk with us and take photographs. This last Sunday of October we were on a friend’s ranch that lies on the eastern slope of a long set of hills in southwestern Alberta, a place I’ve hunted sharptails for over 25 years and the place where I’ve laid each of my previous bird dogs to rest on a small hillside facing the mountains. The cover on the ranch is pasture land with plenty of rough fescue grass broken by patches of wild rose, buckbrush, willow, and occasional hawthorn in the coulees that bleed down the valley to a small creek. The creek bottom is overgrown with chesthigh grass and head-high willows. Birds often gather there in impressive numbers, and that was where we used to find the greatest numbers of them—until we got smart and gave up hunting there. We gave up because the best word to describe the events that transpired in the creek bottom
way out, but as we beat our way through the brush toward the dog, a bird would get up off to the side where we couldn’t see it. Then more would get up out front, behind, and all around. We could hear them, but we couldn’t see them. Then the dog would point again, this time much farther up the valley, and we’d start the whole futile process again. So in recent years we’ve opted to stick to the open grassland above the creek, which produces more civilized hunting and better dog work, if fewer bird encounters. The land above the creek is perfect open country for big-running pointing dogs. You need a beeper collar because of the rolling terrain, but you can find the dog when the collar gives you the message. This day, as per our routine, Lynda and Brandon carried cameras, and the responsibility for the other kind of shooting fell to Deanna and me. Along with Mike we had his kennelmate, Nash, a four-year-old white setter with a mild superiority complex. This was the last day of Southern Alberta’s sharptail season, a day that usually falls well after those birds’ brief time of cooperative behavior in front of pointing dogs. Lateseason sharptails usually gather in large groups, flush early, and fly far, heading for the horizon until they simply disappear. But we came anyway, because it was the last chance to do so this year, and because it’s our favorite place to hunt. The morning was chilly, and a band of clouds hovered above the hills to the west. Those same clouds would warm the day later when they morphed into a Chinook arch, but for now all they produced was a biting wind. We ran Nash in a big circle above the creek, through some smaller draws that usually produce a few sharptails, and worked our way back to the truck. He found a small group of birds and pointed them but then decided he was mistaken. He broke point, and the birds flew. We watched, waved the dog over, and carried on.
Back at the truck, we set up lawn chairs and ate lunch as the day started to warm. When we were ready to resume hunting, I suggested that Deanna and Brandon take Mike and work west into the wind while Lynda and I moved the truck and met them over near the corrals in 30 minutes. Deanna is an experienced hunter and loves to handle the dogs but rarely gets the chance because her father is always in the way: planning the hunt, making the decisions, blowing the whistle, waving his arms, and generally running the show. Here was an opportunity for her to hunt Mike without me, and it was an opportunity for something else, too. After I’d attached the beeper collar to Mike and given the whistle to Deanna, I reached into the back of the truck and handed Deanna the 20-gauge she has prematurely
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
51
inherited from me in the same manner I obtained it from her grandfather. Then I reached in again and pulled out the sideby-side that I’d been shooting. “Take this and some shells,” I said, passing the gun to Brandon. He didn’t reply, but his demeanor and smile suggested he agreed with the idea. He did not have a license; I knew that. But I also knew that he would have one soon, and that he had already proven himself safe with a gun. I suppose it’s also obvious that I didn’t expect to encounter a game officer anywhere in this area code. Lynda and I moved the truck west along the gravel ranch road. About halfway back, at a place that afforded a reasonable vantage point, we stopped and got out the binoculars. Out there on the flat pastureland we could monitor their progress intermittently—a glimpse of blaze orange here, a glint of sunlight on steel there. A few minutes later I saw Deanna walking purposefully with her head up and her gun closed. She normally carries the gun open, as do I until approaching a dog on point. She disappeared behind a bit of higher ground and we saw nothing for a few minutes. Then she came into view again, and we watched her remove her orange cap, set it on the ground and start searching for something. When we met them at the truck, we learned that Mike had found several birds, coming up with three points in his half hour, and that Deanna and Brandon had each shot a single sharptail. There were smiles and high fives all around, and many megapixels burned in many cameras. Deanna and Brandon began the ritual of plucking and drawing their birds, jabbering happily away. Before they finished, I decided to take Mike on a last short hunt before we packed up and headed for home. The old guy was tired, but he loped over across the road, working back toward me into the low brush and disappearing from sight. When I heard the collar switch to single beeps I walked towards the sound and found Mike facing me, standing on point in a shaft of rich, late-day light. I stopped for a moment and made a conscious effort to savor everything
52
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
I could about the moment: my appreciation for this dog’s exemplary career, the beam of light, and the privilege of hunting such a place as this. When I stepped in front of him a single sharptail clattered and clucked out of the low brush, turned toward the far hillside, and fell with my shot.
WHEN I STEPPED IN FRONT OF HIM A SINGLE SHARPTAIL CLATTERED AND CLUCKED OUT OF THE LOW BRUSH, TURNED TOWARD THE FAR HILLSIDE, AND FELL WITH MY SHOT.
If you choose to view things a certain way, you might see a number of symbolic or at least poignant points to ponder in
didn’t know then but which came true the
And all this in the midst of a dismal bird
the events of October 31 in the southern
following spring when the years overtook
season. So does it mean something? Is there
hills: Brandon shot his first bird, doing so
his kidneys and we made a quiet drive
some kind of lesson here? Or are we better
in the same place and over the same dog
down to the Porcupine Hills to unite him
off simply embracing the adventure and
his wife had seven years earlier. Moments
with his predecessors at the top of the
acknowledging the mystery?
later I shot Mike’s final bird—something we
little valley.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
53
The
Perfectly
Imperfect Nature of Pheasant Hunting
54
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL 20202020 SUMMER
By NOAH DAVIS Photos by DENVER BRYAN CHRIS SIDESLIPS down the
coulee slope toward his setter, Drake, who stands on hard point at the other side of the drainage. I remain above and watch the scene unfold between Chris, Drake, and a pheasant hidden somewhere in the grass. Each is held in suspended animation in relation to the other: human to dog to rooster. Chris, finger on the safety, is drawn closer to Drake. Drake’s spotted body held taut in a graceful blend of training and instinct. The pheasant pinned to a patch of cold Montana ground by Drake’s stare.
And here I am, beginning to descend over the lip of the coulee, struggling to keep my footing on the thawing dirt that was frozen white an hour ago. While Chris closes the distance, he speaks to his dog the way my father spoke to me as I shot jump shots on the basketball court: firm but with a tender recognition that the body knows what to do. I recognize that I am in the presence of something beautiful—a moment balanced but ephemeral, made more beautiful by its impermanence. And then like a logjam during a flood, the moment is jarred and ended.
The day had been marked by missteps. At the first field, all the roosters flushed wild and disappeared above the irrigation pivots a hundred yards away. In the next pasture, Chris and I bumrushed a stand of willows. Twenty birds lifted and scattered. Chris hit a rooster high but then turned to watch my poor shooting instead of marking where his bird landed. Another rooster rose late, crossing from left to right in front of me at 15 yards. I hurried my first shot, surprised at the size of the bird I was hoping to hit, and was too late on my second, forgetting I
***
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
55
HIS FIRST SHOT SWAYS THE BIRD, AND I SCREAM ENCOURAGEMENT LIKE ANY GOOD TEAMMATE.
56
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
was shooting an over-under and not the pump-action I had left in my apartment back at grad school in Indiana. A blown layup in the middle of Montana. After setting up along the next line of willows at the back end of a farm, I watched 30 pheasants sail over the cut wheat and into an irrigation ditch 200 yards away. We chased them but only flushed hens. Back in the truck, I found the roast chicken Chris had packed for the day: half the breast and a leg had already been eaten. “You should be an expert in frugality,” commented Chris while checking his phone. “Every grad student needs to know how to stretch his food. I never forgot! I can get eight meals from a whole chicken. I’ve already had three off that bird!” In the warming cab of the truck, I poured a balsamic dressing over the breast and scraped the cold meat with a plastic fork.
Chris slammed on the brakes as three roosters crossed the road in front of us and onto private land. The two trailing roosters rushed back over the berm onto the ranch we had permission to hunt. We parked quickly and cornered the birds in a copse of trees along a stream, but they flushed directly away, never offering a shot. Drake led us upstream, the long hairs of his tail swaying like milkweed seeds, following the crosshatching of tracks left by deer, pheasant, and mice. The only cover we saw ahead was another small stand of trees; when we reached the tangle, however, the pheasants flushed to our left, up and over the coulee rim. I love to watch birds fly, so those pheasants soaring and then landing a half-mile away was enough to make me smile. While we caught our breath from the quick climb, Drake pushed us forward along the fence line with flash points until he held in the steepest vein of the coulee. ***
I was drowsy from a lack of sleep the night before. Between the hot air hitting my cheeks from the dashboard vents and the sound of Drake picking burs out of his coat in the crate behind us, my eyelids drooped dangerously low. With the not-entirely-pleasant smell of myself rising from the now twicedried sweat of my shirt, I rested in the perfectly imperfect: safe and warm, healthy and full, hours to go and miles of fields and ravines left to walk—and yet no birds had fallen and cratered the snow to their shape.
As Chris sideslips down the slope toward Drake, I stand above, struck dumb at the scene of a dog flexed and a hunter ready—until Chris tells me to get down and cut off the bird so it won’t run. After 20 seconds, no bird flushes—20 seconds of ridged, poised stances that would make a painter blush in worry that their rendition might fall short. Mercifully the balance of the moment shifts like rocks after rain, and we
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
57
return to the skewed order of things: Chris leans down to grab a chunk of frosted dirt, which he tosses between Drake and himself. Drake lunges toward the movement, stepping on the rooster that cackles and flies to Chris’s left. His first shot sways the bird, and I scream encouragement like any good teammate. His second shot, a beat later, crumples the pheasant. The tiny failings—and here the word failings is too definite, too full of judgment—to bring down the first bird of the day made that moment perfectly imperfect, just as all birds seem when their feathers are interrupted by shot and then a retrieve. Chris graciously lets me carry the bird to the truck, only a short walk away. My palm sweats from the small body’s heat, and Drake licks my hand clean of blood before he jumps into the back. When I toss the bird into the cab, feathers swirl in the stream of hot air pumping from the vents.
58
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
59
Pointers and Setters: Where Did They Go? By Tom Keer
When it comes to pulling out my wallet
“Because they find all of the birds?”
for a pup, my greenbacks go towards performance cover dog setters. A while back
former positions in the top 5. Which was over a century ago, between 1900-1910.
“No. To keep the fleas off of my setters.”
Yikes.
and I still am. As a hardcore setter man, I
I learned two truths. The first is that the
The setters’ and pointers’ lack of popularity
knew I’d catch some grief. To determine the
joke applies to any two breeds. And the
isn’t a newsflash to me or my wife Angela.
blowback, I dropped a bombshell of a joke on
second is that 20 years later my jaw still
When we cut our setter loose, the over-50
Peter, a hunting buddy. Like me, he loves all
clicks when I chew a piece of steak.
crowd immediately recognizes our breed. We
I’d been thinking about getting a pointer,
bird dogs—but he’s a pointer man.
setter in years and had one as a child.”
“Hey, Peter,” I said. “I’m thinking about
goes well beyond upland pointing dogs. We
The under-50 crowd, by contrast, offers
getting a pointer.”
both like breeds that used to be popular
up, “What nice spaniels you have! Are they
but have fallen from favor. In 2019, the
springers or Brittanys?” Angela fields those
American Kennel Club (AKC) ranked the
questions, as she is far more polite than I
English setter as a middling 98 in a list of
am.
“You?” he asked.
60
commonly hear, “I haven’t seen an English But Peter and I share a common bond that
“Yup. I think it’s important to have an
193 breeds. The pointer came in a tad lower
English pointer in my kennel.”
at 115. That’s a freefall from both dogs’
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
61
THE IRISH SETTER EPIDEMIC No one blinks an eye when I say my first bird dog arrived in 1972 and was an Irish setter. The Irish setter’s popularity soared in the early ‘60s, with the AKC registering about a 1500 percent increase from 4,000 pups per year to over 60,000. Those dramatic numbers moved the Irish setter from a respectable 27th place on the AKC list to a whopping 3rd. But there was a hitch, one that made me cuss at a young age: Outcrossing was largely ignored in favor of line breeding from show stock. The goal was noble, with a focus on carrying forward the breed’s best qualities. But those lines
trend analyses. Herzog confirms that, like
registrations dropped 95 percent to just
almost everything else, dogs can be trendy.
over 3,000 pups. These days, selective breeding programs have returned the Irish
In some cases, movies and books cause a
setter to its former glory, and the breed
breed’s increase in popularity. In 1962 the
currently ranks as the 77th most popular
Disney film Big Red, about a bird hunter and
breed.
his Irish setter, made the breed a household name. Old Yeller’s eponymous dog may have
My breed myopia began with my next pup—
been a cur, but in the movie the character
for after a decade of frustration I switched
was played by a yellow Lab/mastiff mix.
to English setters. I have remained loyal ever
Again, yellow Lab numbers swelled. 101
since.
Dalmatians made spotted dogs famous;
BREED POPULARITY AND TREND ANALYSIS
Lassie led to a collie boom. High-profile celebrities affect breed popularity as well. Paris Hilton created a run on Chihuahuas,
Dr. Hal Herzog, Professor Emeritus of
and her little dog landed on the cover of
Psychology at Western Carolina University, is
Modern Dog magazine. The cover story
all show and no go.
one of the world’s leading anthrozoologists,
noted that her pup lived in a $325,000, two-
which is the study of human–non-human
story doghouse.
By 1974, the breed’s focus, drive, and
interaction. Part of his research focuses on
became way too tight, and the result was painful. The stunningly gorgeous dogs were
attention spans had weakened so much that a crash began. The fall from grace
62
didn’t take long, and by 1986 Irish setter
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
the impact of pets on human health and
Dog registries are one way to chart breed
well-being, and that course of study leads to
popularity. The AKC, founded in 1876,
is one organization dedicated to breed
Labs and Chessies, versatile dog breeds like
registration. The United Kennel Club (UKC),
Shorthairs and Griffons are also enjoying
founded in 1898, is another. UKC focuses
newfound attention.
much of its attention on hunting dogs, with registrations coming from all 50 American
Volmert attributes the shift away from
states and 25 countries. The Field Dog Stud
“single-purpose specialists towards all-
Book is the oldest purebred registry and
purpose dogs” to a number of factors. In the
dates back to 1874. Beyond the big three
past, he says, owners often had “a pointer
are other clubs and registries such as the
or setter for upland hunting and a Lab for
American Purebred Registry, the American
waterfowling”—each one time-consuming
Canine Association, the North American
and expensive to train and maintain.
Purebred Registry, and many more. With
Versatile dogs—good at waterfowling,
so many different registries it’s difficult to
upland hunting, and hunt tests—are also
scientifically prove one specific trend. As
often biddable and therefore excellent
numbers increase in one registry, they may
companion pets at home. Hunting families
decrease in another. Add to this the fact
that also enjoy outdoor activities like hiking,
that some breeders don’t maintain accurate
trail running, or water sports are pleased
records and others don’t register at all, and
with versatile dogs.
the study of breed popularity becomes even more difficult.
“Versatile dogs are better than ever,” continues Volmert. “They are intelligent and
Brett Volmert, Pro Development Manager
have good bird smarts as well as excellent
for Eukanuba Sporting Dog, reports that
conformation and stamina. If you like to
bird doggers are increasingly turning to
hunt ducks in the morning, hunt birds in
nontraditional choices: German Shorthaired
the afternoon, and then have a family dog
Pointers, Vizlas, Griffons, Spinones, and
curl up next to your kids on the couch in the
Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, as well as
evening, then a versatile dog represents a
flushing breeds like English Field cockers and
good choice.”
springers and pointing Labrador retrievers. In waterfowling, traditionally dominated by
HIPSTER HUNTING Many new upland bird hunters and waterfowlers fall into the “hipster” demographic: They have grown up with technology, favor alternative lifestyles, and are heavy social-media users. In general, hipsters are nonconformists—or perhaps we may say that they conform to nonconformity—which may explain the hipster interest in versatile dog breeds like Drahthaars, German Shorthaired Pointers, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, and Munsterlanders. The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) recognizes 30 different breeds, which means that young hunters can find a breed that reflects their hunting style and game of interest. They’re also able to differentiate themselves from older bird doggers who run pointers and setters. UKC Vice President Todd Kellam, himself a hunting dog enthusiast for 47 years, suggests that technology helps fuel the uptick in the popularity of versatile breeds because research on even obscure breeds is just a click away on the Internet. “The Braque Francais, Pudelpointer, and Munsterlander are more prevalent than ever before,” he says.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
63
Over the past two decades two versatile rising stars are the Epagneul Breton and the Boykin Spaniel. “The Bretons,” says Kellam, “excel at both pointing dog field trials and hunt tests. Boykins are so well represented at the UKC/Hunting Retriever Club Grand Hunts,” continues Kellam, “they are now surpassing Chessies and are quickly closing in on the number of Golden Retrievers. Ironically (or maybe not) both of these upand-coming breeds are talented, big-hearted hunting dogs in a small package.”
SEMPER FI For half a century, retired Marine Corps Capt. Bob Priest, nobody’s idea of a hipster, stayed true to English setters and pointers for grouse and woodcock hunting and Labs for waterfowl. Last year he switched to a versatile Spinone. Why? “My hunting style changed as I aged,” Priest explains. “Running through heavy grouse cover, stepping over logs, bending under conifers, and mucking through swamp bogs is for younger men. At my age I walk carefully, cautiously, and silently, all of which requires a cautious, closer-working dog.”
64
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Versatility was also a factor for Priest, who wanted one dog that could perform in both uplands and marshes: “I now live in the western foothills of Maryland where I hunt quail and flight woodcock—but I also travel to the Eastern Shore for waterfowl.” Priest did his research and found that Spinones “hunt close, work at a moderate speed, are easy to train, and are good on both upland birds and waterfowl. I’ve had Tosca for a few years now and couldn’t be happier.”
POINTER NATION
CONSIDERING PREFERENCE
Jerry Havel, owner of Minnesota’s Pineridge
The UKC’s Todd Kellam believes that all
Grouse Camp, has owned a lot of setters;
hunting dog owners (upland and waterfowl)
these days he’s a card-carrying member
can be classified into one of three groups:
of Pointer Nation. “I started bird hunting
“First, you have the hunter who chooses
about 40 years ago,” he says, “and we
what he or she believes will be the most
founded Pineridge Grouse Camp in 1988.
productive breed possible for his or her
My dad was a Lab man, but when he saw
chosen sport.” Included in this group are
I was more into upland hunting than
hunters who keep more than one breed of
waterfowl he bought me a setter. I stayed
dog because they place more importance on
with setters for 20 years, with a preference
individual talent than breed parameters. This
for performance cover dog setters. I loved
group may well include owners of rare breeds.
horse through an endless prairie, arrive at a
started guiding professionally, I wanted the
The next group are those who prefer one
locked up. Others praise the athleticism of
ultimate upland dog: athletic, bird smarts,
breed over another for what Kellam calls
biddable, light on its feet, and fast. I wanted
“personal or sentimental reasons.” Perhaps
dogs that were easy to break all the way
it’s looks or biddability. Perhaps it’s a
through, to retrieve to hand, and to adjust
childhood familiarity with a particular breed.
to terrain ranging from the Minnesota
In addition, says Kellam, needs change as
grouse woods to the Montana prairies to
older hunters acknowledge that they can no
the South Georgia quail fields. The search
longer keep up with a certain breed.
breeds are enjoying their heyday.
pointers.” Havel insists that he doesn’t
In the third group are the nonconformists,
Hunt the breed you prefer, so long as you
snub other breeds: “In fact, we’re having
drawn to the oddball dog. These hunters
a NAVHDA testing program at the camp
enjoy working with a dog that “others might
in a few weeks, and you won’t see a single
view as unique,” Kellam says. Of course,
pointer.” In the final analysis, though, Havel
breeds that are unusual in the United
says, “I’m a pointer man.”
States might be plentiful elsewhere. Still,
everything about those dogs, but when I
for the ultimate bird dog led me to English
the trendsetter has a lot of research to do:
“Consider,” Kellam reminds us, “that the United Kennel Club recognizes more than 60 breeds of hunting dogs in the Gun Dog group alone.”
PARTING SHOT In days gone by, Madison Avenue ad men used English pointers and setters to hawk everything from peaches and tires to soda pop and cellophane. For some, there remains no greater thrill than to ride a walking higher elevation, and see a brace of pointers a performance setter zigzagging through a tangled mess of primary- and secondarygrowth forests and pinning a grouse. Nevertheless, times change and breeds fall in and out of favor. Pointers and setters are considered passé by some; new versatile
ensure that your dogs are properly trained and cared for. Then when you cut them loose for a run, you will appreciate the truth in the words of the late George Bird Evans: “Only men who have given their souls to gun dogs can know the fullness of this moment.”
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
65
66
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
strung U P L A N D magazine
GEAR GUIDE
1. PakMule Cargo Carrier- $795 (pakmule.com) PakMule is a TIG welded aluminum cargo carrier perfect for upland adventures. It holds nearly the same amount of gear as half a full-size pickup bed, but being 100% aluminum, its light enough to carry and won’t rust. On a recent road trip from the Dakotas to Texas we loaded a PakMule with two coolers, over 100 lbs. of dog food, and all our camping gear. It never flinched. Beyond its rugged construction we love that you can raise the hatch of your SUV while the PakMule is fully loaded. This makes kenneling your dog and grabbing gear for the field quick and easy. If you’re finally going on that upland road trip you’ve been dreaming of, we highly recommend taking a PakMule along. 2. Danner Pronghorn Boots- $230 (danner.com) Upland hunters have strong opinions about what boots they strap on their feet and after two decades, Danner Pronghorns have reached an almost iconic status among serious hunters. That’s because Danner strives to make the holy grail of hunting boots—light, durable, and waterproof. After two decades of honing, Danner’s fifth generation Pronghorns live up to their legacy. Taking advantage of the latest materials and technology they sport a Vibram outsole for reliable traction on rugged terrain and a GORE-TEX waterproof liner that keeps moisture out while letting your feet breathe. We tested these boots scrambling up rocky Idaho hillsides for chukar and plowing through Minnesota snow drifts for pheasants. Not once did they let us down. 3. RuffWear Overcoat Fuse Jacket- $80 (ruffwear.com) Short haired bird dogs can suffer when temperatures plummet, but the same cold weather makes pheasants sit tight. RuffWear’s Overcoat Fuse is a perfect solution for hunting in wet, frigid weather. RuffWear has been making dog coats, chest protectors, and harnesses for years and the Overcoat Fuse combines all three into one seamless garment. We found it especially handy when parking near busy roads where we prefer to walk our dogs in on a leash. Just clip the leash to the outside of the coat, and the integrated harness gives you plenty of control. After several hunts we appreciated the convenience of this rugged workhorse of a jacket. Just slip it on your dog and go. 4. Igloo Seat Top Water Jug- $40 (igloocooler.com) We’ve gone through our fair share of “camping” water jugs that failed us the first chance they got. Then we realized what every construction worker and little league coach has known for decades: you can’t beat an Igloo water jug. But, you can beat on it. We hauled ours all over the country, bouncing it down dirt roads and continually tossing it in and out of the truck. The Igloo water jug is tough, doesn’t leak, keeps your water cold when its hot and prevents it from freezing when its cold. As a bonus, it doubles as a seat after a long day of chasing birds. 5. SportDog SportTrainer Series- $180-$220 (sportdog.com) Whether you run close working flushing dogs or long-range pointers, the SportDog SportTrainer series lets you pick and choose the options you need to create an E-collar system catered to your needs. Our favorite feature is the easy-to-read OLED screen that simultaneously displays all the information you need like selected dog, stimulation level, battery status, and mode so you don’t have to toggle through different options in the field. By adding additional collars, the system expands up to six dogs. We really liked that multi-dog mode remembers your previous settings for each dog, so you don’t have to go through a setup at the start of each hunt. With ten levels of stimulation, as well as vibration and tone options the SportDog SportTrainer series is customizable to fit any situation. 6. Carhartt Rugged-Flex Upland Field Pant- $70 (Carhartt.com) Traditionally, when it comes to upland hunting pants you have to choose between durability and comfort. With Carhartt’s Rugged-Flex Upland Field Pants you get both. These pants are tough enough to beat through the gnarliest cover, yet so comfortable you’ll want to keep wearing them at the end of the day. This is thanks to Carhartt’s Rugged Flex stretch technology that allows uninhibited movement while maintaining the abrasion resistance and durability Carhartt is known for. With a water repellent finish, they keep you dry on long hunts through wet grass. After two seasons of using these pants we can’t recommend them highly enough.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
67
68
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
7. Federal Premium Upland Pheasants Forever High Velocity Shotgun Shells- $25 (federalpremium.com) Pheasant and grouse hunters often relegate No. 7 ½ shot to clay targets, quail, and other small upland species, but Federal Premium’s new Upland Pheasants Forever High Velocity shells prove otherwise. Shotgun shell technology has come a long way in the last few years, and these shells are a perfect example. The 12-gauge, 2 ¾ inch load shoots 1 ¼ ozs. of copper-plated shot at an impressive 1500 fps for incredible reach and stopping power. Cut one open and you’ll find more than 400 No. 7 ½ pellets per shell. Best of all, a portion of the proceeds from every box sold goes to support Pheasants Forever’s mission to preserve and enhance pheasant habitat. 8. Tuf-Foot- $15 (tuffoot.com) Our dogs rely on their feet as much as their noses to find birds. Foot conditioning is important throughout the season whether you are hunting in hot rocky conditions or late season snow and ice. We’ve been using Tuf-foot for years to condition our dogs’ pads and can affirm it works. Tuf-foot both toughens and protects paws to keep dogs in the field and has been shown to aid in the healing of sore, cut, and tender paws. It has worked wonders for our pointers and now our first-aid kit has a bottle of Tuf-foot as standard equipment. 9. Gunner Kennels- $400-$700 (Gunner.com) As hunters, our dogs mean a lot to us. Come fall, many of us spend as much time with them as we do with our closest friends. So why would we put our dogs in flimsy plastic kennels that need replaced every few years? Gunner Kennels are double wall rotomolded and have a proven record of saving dogs in real accidents. They come with a lifetime warranty and have been put through over-the-top stress tests—like withstanding 4,000 lbs. of force and 200+ foot cliff drops—to demonstrate their durability. If you are serious about your dogs’ safety, you can’t do better than a Gunner Kennel. 10. ReadyDog Gun Dog First Aid Kit- $140 (readydogproducts.com) From barbed wire cuts to porcupine quills, anyone who’s hunted for long knows its not if, but when your dog is going to be injured. Designed with hunting dogs in mind, the Gun Dog Kit from ReadyDog provides the confidence and tools to handle almost any canine emergency and surpasses every other canine medical kit we’ve tried. Highly organized and well designed, the Gun Dog Kit comes with two see-through pouches and a third Field Pouch that allows you to take first aid with you in your hunting vest. The Gun Dog Kit gives you the tools to deal with trauma and serious injury when immediate veterinary care is not available. 11. Eukanuba Premium Performance Line- $60 (28 lb. bag) (eukanuba.com) Some dogs work in short bursts while others run all day. Eukanuba, founded in 1969 to produce scientifically developed kibble for sporting and working dogs, now re-affirms their position by using the latest nutritional science and technology to create their Premium Performance line. Eukanuba Premium Performance provides four specially created products, (Sprint, Exercise, Sport, and Work) that best suit a dog’s exercise levels and nutritional needs through varying blends of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. New in the Premium Performance line, antioxidant cocktails aid in post-work recovery by defending against free radicals, and every blend is rich in vitamins, minerals, and other key nutrients that supports the unique needs and demands of sporting dogs. Whether you hunt rabbits with beagles, run long ranging pointers for quail, or harness up a team of sled dogs, Eukanuba’s Premium Performance line sets a new standard in sporting and working dog nutrition. 12. Duck Camp Head Guide Hoodie- $150 (duckcamp.com) Upland hunters dream of frosty fall mornings and Duck Camp’s new Head Guide Hoodie is the perfect layering piece for chilly walks through the uplands. This fleece lined hoodie is the most comfortable layer we’ve ever worn under our bird vests and we appreciate not having to pluck burrs off at the end of the day thanks to its durable nylon face-fabric. Elastic cuffs keep the sleeves from getting in your way while controlling e-collars or mounting your shotgun and its roomy, adjustable hood seals out the wind while still allowing plenty of room for your favorite hunting hat. From the tailgate to following rover through thick cover and back again, this full-zip hoodie provides warmth, comfort, and durability on cool-weather hunts.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
69
TRAINER’S CORNER:
SAFETY By Josh Miller
Most of us would do just about anything
come when called and bring the bird back
As a teenager I went pheasant hunting in
to ensure the safety of our family. And for
to their general vicinity to complete the
western Minnesota with my dad and his
many of us, “family” includes our four-
retrieve. Some owners insist on professional
friend, who routinely competed with his
legged hunting partners. How can we ensure
training, and others prefer to train entirely
highly trained Labradors. At the end of the
the safety of these loyal dogs?
on their own. But no matter the standard
second day of our hunt, a group of three
and no matter the trainer, I believe that one
birds (two hens and a rooster) got up, and I
Training comes first. Training teaches the
training tool, the e-collar, can help all of us
watched as my father knocked down the big
key commands and skills that will keep
meet our common dog training goal: safety.
ringneck. My smile quickly faded and my jaw
a dog under control, and it also teaches
dropped at the most desperate screams I’d
dog owners how to communicate with
Of course, opinions on the e-collar run the
ever heard: My dad’s friend yelling—begging
and handle their dogs to best ensure their
gamut from love to loathing. Like it or hate it
his black Lab to stop. Timber, in pursuit
safety. Training takes time, and training
though, there is no way to make a correction
of one of the hens, was headed for a very
continues: As a dog ages, more and different
at distance other than an e-collar. Over the
busy road that bordered the property. We
training is required.
years, the e-collar—the “invisible leash,” I call
watched in horror as both the bird and dog
it—has saved the lives of countless hunting
went over the road and through the cars.
As a professional dog trainer, I understand
partners, enabling essential communication
The fact that Timber came home that day
that dog owners define “training” and
in times of need and calling numerous dogs
is nothing short of a miracle. The moral of
“trained” differently and hold their dogs to
away from bad situations.
the story is that even the best-trained dog
different standards. Some want the Ferrari
is still a dog. In a moment, all of Timber’s
of hunting dogs, with all the bells and
Two anecdotes are enough to explain my
elaborate training went out the window.
whistles—the dog that will run every blind
advocacy for the e-collar. Both are horror
With an e-collar we could have made a
retrieve to perfection, whether over 50 or
stories with happy endings, and both events
correction that kept him safe.
450 yards. Others simply want their dog to
were completely preventable with the use of an e-collar.
70
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Photo: Lee Thomas Kjos
“THE FACT THAT TIMBER CAME HOME THAT DAY IS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE. THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT EVEN THE BESTTRAINED DOG IS STILL A DOG.”
My second anecdote comes from small-town
Pancakes and his owner made their way
and after his family had endured seven
Iowa, home to a little German Shorthaired
toward a brush line where they had often
nights of fear and anxiety.
Pointer named Pancakes. Don’t let the
found birds in the cover. When he got over
name fool you: This dude is one of the best
the hill he didn’t see Pancakes. He looked
Recall that both of these stories feature
field trial dogs I have had the pleasure
around and to his surprise saw a deer
highly trained dogs with experienced,
of handling. His owner’s office is full of
running across the field a few hundred yards
responsible handlers who found themselves
Pancakes’ blue ribbons and trophies. I had
away with a white streak of Shorthaired
without the one tool capable of keeping
people tell me that if they saw Pancakes on
Pointer in hot pursuit. Pancakes had never
their dogs safe. In case of an emergency,
the running order, they didn’t waste their
chased deer before, but in that moment it
which is by definition an unpredictable
time making the trip to the field trial. He
didn’t matter.
eventuality, dog owners need an e-collar,
was that good. But that isn’t the story. The
and that means the e-collar needs to be
story is that Pancakes almost never got the
A couple hours later I got a phone call from
chance to be great.
Pancakes’ owner, panicked and desperate.
deployed before everything goes south.
He had searched all afternoon, blowing his
Of course, the e-collar is no magic wand:
After a round of Pancakes’ training was
whistle and calling until hoarse. Pancakes
It must be introduced and used properly.
complete, his owner made the trip to
was nowhere to be found. Now his owner
Handled with care, however, this important
Wisconsin to pick him up. He drove Pancakes
had to drive home and explain to his two
tool can ensure dog owners that their
home and took him out to the preserve the
young boys why their beloved Pancakes
faithful hunting partners remain safe. And
next day to get him on some birds. After
wasn’t with him.
safety is the one thing we can all agree on.
getting to the field the owner realized he had forgotten Pancakes’ e-collar and GPS
Incredibly, the eight-day-long search for
collar. No big deal, he concluded; after all,
Pancakes had a happy ending: He was found
he had hunted all last season and had rarely
after enduring seven nights of Iowa winter,
needed to use it.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
71
rations
and
intoxicants By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
72
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
the great american desert My view of the Great Plains region has
having to sit in traffic when commuting to
changed dramatically over the last decade. I
work. I like that the more rural the area, the
long held the belief of the “Great American
greater the chances that a stranger driving
Desert,” that “flyover state” was an apt
in the opposite direction might wave “hello.”
name for this sparsely-populated, “flat”
And yes, I’ve fallen in love with the land and
place. As far as I knew, there was the West
its understated beauty.
Coast, the East Coast and the place in between that Oregon Trail pioneers were
The thing is, it doesn’t matter what you
just trying to get through. The game,
tell “coasties” about the Heartland— the
embarrassingly, was my earliest impression
secrets of the Great Plains can’t be told in a
of the Midwest, and if someone had asked
slogan or a picture, which I’m told is worth
me what I knew about the Great Plains out
a thousand words. As an outdoor writer and
of high school, I would’ve blurted out “Dust
photographer, I personally find the prairie a
Bowl” and little else.
challenge to photograph and describe, not because there’s nothing there, but because
Whoever thought to put the words “great”
it’s so vast that it’s nearly impossible
and “plains” together must’ve had a sense
to capture in one frame or convey in an
of humor, because the connotation stuck.
elevator speech. It is this great immensity
The Midwest has long had a PR problem:
that makes the region so special.
Mark Twain compared the Great Plains to “one prodigious graveyard,” and Sir Arthur
I love walking a pheasant field under endless
Conan Doyle described the region as “arid,”
blue sky on a crisp, fall day; chasing grouse
“repulsive” and “a barrier against the
over sprawling sandhills that extend beyond
advance of civilization.”
the horizon in every direction; watching the woods come alive at the crack of dawn while
“Nebraska. Honestly, it’s not for everyone.”
in the pursuit of white-tailed deer; fishing
That was Nebraska Tourism’s campaign slogan
a lake and having it all to myself; coming
last year—no kidding. I guess it sort of worked
home with as much wild chokecherry, plum,
because Stephen Colbert took the bait— one
or mulberries, that I can carry.
of the few times Nebraska made national news last year— and had I never left Los
The beauty of the boundless plains is that
Angeles, I would’ve sneered and continued on
it’s full of opportunity, and a person only
with life not knowing any better.
has to take advantage of it. I suppose as a hunter and forager, I’m wired to look
As fate would have it, though, life did pull
for those opportunities: whether that’s
me from the West Coast, and in early 2021,
dragging home a deer that’ll provide
I will celebrate 8 years of living landlocked.
weeks of food, gathering an often-ignored
Now, I can’t help but understand the self-
wildflower to flavor my next batch of
deprecating humor. I even participate in it.
kombucha, or transforming a common weed into something delectable.
“Stay away.” “There’s nothing to do here.”
I am a whole person because of the
“Nah, you don’t want to move here.”
knowledge and skills I’ve gained while living on the plains—I wouldn’t be able to do what
I’ve come to enjoy “the good life,” as
I do now had I never left Los Angeles. So,
Nebraskans like to say. I live 30 minutes
for my premiere installment as Wild Foods
from Downtown Omaha, but I’m still not far
Editor, I give my gratitude to the land. She is
from the nearest dirt road. I appreciate not
home, she is life-giving, and she is generous.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
73
grouse with prickly pear cactus Great prairie chickens and sharp-tailed
they are covered in nearly-invisible spines
This recipe features grouse with a double
grouse are true native birds of the Great
that will make your fingers sting for hours—I
dose of prickly pear fruit. The fruit is usually
Plains. They and prickly pear cactus share
made that mistake on my last hunting trip.
magenta in color, with a floral, watermelon-
the same space in the sandhills of western
Use gloves or, better yet tongs, to pick and
like flavor. They are delicious chilled and eaten
Nebraska, so it’s possible to find both during
handle the fruit. Look for tutorials online on
fresh, or made into a syrup to be used in all
a single outing; September grouse seasons
how to safely harvest and remove the spines
sorts of recipes. The seeds are edible, but don’t
often coincide with the ripening of the
before cooking. If you’d like to try this recipe
try to chew them—just swallow whole. Fruit
cactus’s fruit in the fall.
but don’t have access to wild fruit, Mexican
size will vary depending on species and region;
grocery stores typically carry prickly pear
smaller fruit are best juiced or made into
fruit year-round—spines removed.
syrup rather than eaten whole.
Be careful when you harvest and handle prickly pear fruit straight from the field, as
Servings: 1-2 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes Ingredients Breasts, legs and thighs from one sharp-tailed grouse or greater prairie chicken, skin on preferred Kosher salt, to tasteO 1 teaspoon of Tajín Clásico Seasoning ½ teaspoon of chili powder 1 large prickly pear fruit, optional Salad greens Quark or goat cheese 2 teaspoons of oil
Prickly Pear Vinaigrette 2 tablespoons of prickly pear cactus syrup (see recipe below) 2 tablespoons of neutral oil ½ teaspoon of chili powder 2 tablespoons of lime juice ½ teaspoon of dried oregano 1 teaspoon of finely chopped cilantro Kosher salt, to taste
Smoky Prickly Pear Syrup (makes about 1 cup) 1 pound of prickly pear fruit, cut into large pieces ½ cup of water 1 ancho chili pepper, seeds removed 1 cup of sugar Special equipment: Cheesecloth
74
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
1 Take grouse out of the refrigerator one hour prior to cooking. To make the syrup, combine prickly pear cactus fruit in a saucepan with water and an ancho chili pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 45 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Use a potato masher to help release juice from the fruit. Next, strain as much juice as you can through cheesecloth, catching the strained liquid into another saucepan. Add sugar and heat to dissolve. Set aside and allow to cool.
2 Pat grouse dry with paper towels and evenly distribute Tajin and chili powder over the pieces, and then season lightly with kosher salt. Add enough cooking oil to coat a skillet and heat on medium-high. When oil begins to shimmer and slightly smoke, cook grouse for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the grouse and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes tented with foil.
3 Meanwhile, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients to emulsify. Peel and slice one whole prickly pear fruit. Gently toss salad greens and sliced prickly pear with the vinaigrette to taste, and transfer to a plate. Top salad with quark/goat cheese. Serve with rested grouse.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
75
76
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Spicy Prickly Pear Margarita Servings: 2 Ingredients 1½ ounces of prickly pear syrup 3 ounces silver tequila 2 ounces of triple sec 2 ounces of fresh lime juice Rimming salt or Tajín Clásico Seasoning 4 slices of serrano pepper Lime wedges or slices, for garnish Ice
directions Use the prickly pear syrup recipe in the previous spread. The dried ancho chili adds a bit of smoke to the syrup, while freshly sliced serrano peppers provide refreshing heat. Use regular rimming salt or Tajin. With a lime wedge, moisten the rims of two margarita glasses and then rim with salt or Tajin. Fill glasses with ice and set aside. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add prickly pear syrup, tequila, triple sec and lime juice. Shake for 30 seconds and then strain into cocktail glasses over ice. Garnish with slices of lime and serrano.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
77
78
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Adrenaline coursed through my veins, but was quickly replaced by a sense of grip—that familiar feeling that years of rock climbing had prepared me for, an impression of the consequence and exposure that go hand in hand when traveling in no-fall zones. We were descending from a mountaintop perch into a bowl where my hunting partner Peter and I expected to find a Dall’s ram waiting in the rocks below. Rather than take the long, reasonable way down, I convinced Peter that the direct route down a steep chute was possible. The chilly August weather was slowly melting a large patch of snow and ice at the top of the chute, sending a stream into the gravel-sized scree below. The result was a flowing emulsion that sent the whole chute moving as soon as we set foot in it. Rather than be caught in an avalanche of rubble, we attempted to down-climb the margins, hugging the chausey rock walls, which dislodged and crumbled just as quickly. Peter took the lead, climbing across a precipice and then traversing the scree chute. The route promptly crumbled behind him and rolled down the mountain as he took refuge in a safe alcove.
AN ALASKAN DIY DALL’S SHEEP HUNT By Brian Ohlen
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
79
He had now descended through the worst
the day, our backs were fresh and ready to
of the chute but looked back up at me and
push on, enabling us to go the extra distance
shouted, “I wouldn’t want to do that again!”
needed to find sheep.
“How bad was your route?” I yelled back.
Alaska’s summer weather offers no guarantees. I’ve been snowed on in August,
“Really bad,” shouted Peter, “but it doesn’t
shivering through long glassing sessions and
matter. I don’t think it exists anymore.”
trying to pick out white sheep in a landscape blanketed in snow. Rain is often the norm,
At this point the adrenaline was gone,
and one can expect to be weathered in, forced
and I was left shivering on the side of the
to hunker down and take refuge in the tent.
crumbling mountain. The route down now
When the clouds roll down the valleys and
seemed too risky. Reluctant to continue
visibility disappears, the only thing to do is
down but forced to make a move, I decided
catch up on sleep or school your partner in
to bail on the descent and climb back out.
cribbage.
Sticking to more solid material seemed
This particular summer was different:
safest, and I started climbing the face
We were blessed with sunshine and warm
of the chute wall. I felt more confident
temperatures. Blue skies and t-shirt weather
moving up the cliff, deliberately placing
made for easy glassing and travel. We took
each foot and testing every handhold before
our time, using binoculars and spotting scope
committing my body weight. We were 20
to pick apart each mountainside and valley,
miles by foot from the truck; this was no
hoping for a telltale glimpse of white. With
place for a misplaced foot or handhold. The
no sign of sheep, we pushed deeper into the
rifle and backpack were cumbersome, but it
backcountry.
felt good to be moving up the wall. Though I have largely given up rock climbing, the
Hunting promotes wonder and observation.
movement was familiar. I quickly made
Rarely do I exercise my senses to such a
progress and regained the ridge top where
degree in other pursuits. Musty smells
we had spent a few anxious hours earlier,
suddenly pique a hunter’s interest, betraying
patiently waiting for a shot opportunity.
the past movements of animals. A distant bugle or scrape of hoof on rock quickens the pulse. Hunting imparts a heightened sense of meaning to what would otherwise be a
In my experience, a hike-in sheep hunt can
backpacking trip—and by all accounts, we were
be more of a backpacking trip than a typical
having a glorious backpacking trip. We hiked
hunt. Animals do not densely populate
and glassed for days, finding massive bull
the mountains, and you must travel far to
moose and brown bears. We swam in turquoise
find them. This isn’t a bad thing, because
lakes, climbed mountains, and traversed
to follow sheep you have to go into the
rocky ridge tops. We both agreed that the
mountains—and what better place to spend
trip was shaping up to be one of the most
your time putting one foot in front of the
pleasant backcountry journeys either of us had
other?
experienced in Alaska. We spotted numerous sheep, but none old and large enough to be
Our trip started from the road, where we
considered legal.
loaded our gear onto homemade pack
80
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
wheels assembled from spare bicycle
Finally the weather changed, and the rain and
parts in my garage. If the terrain allows,
fog stirred the sheep from their lofty cliffs.
pack wheels are a boon to carrying weight
The morning of the fifth day brought rain and
into the backcountry: They increased our
clouds, prompting us to lounge in the tent and
speed, and at the end of the first day, we
sip instant coffee while making plans for the
shouldered our fully loaded packs for the
day. From the vestibule of the tent, I glimpsed
first time, now 10 miles from the truck.
something unexpected: six Dall’s rams
Rather than feeling tired and done for
descending the mountain above camp. They
2020
HUNTING IMPARTS A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF MEANING TO WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE A BACKPACKING TRIP— AND BY ALL ACCOUNTS, WE WERE HAVING A GLORIOUS BACKPACKING TRIP.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
81
came lower and lower, eventually to within
With renewed vigor we set out after them,
us to move slowly, carefully glassing each
shooting distance. We were pinned down in
climbing into the foggy mist that shrouded
slot and cliff as it became visible. Working
the tent, which was now functioning as a
the peaks above. After a few hours we
painfully slowly, we eventually spied the
blind. From the vestibule door, I trained the
gained the ridge separating our valley from
curling, weathered horn of a ram 300
spotting scope on the rams. None appeared
the next, working our way down the long
yards below the ridge.
to be legal, but it was hard to tell as they
ridgeline, stopping frequently to peak over
were on the move and never provided a
the edge in search of the rams. The terrain
The horns of a sheep show growth rings,
steady, broadside view. We watched as they
was craggy and provided ample places for
or annuli, similar to those of a tree. During
crossed the valley and climbed the opposite
sheep to bed. We had the high ground, which
the summer months the horns grow quickly,
mountainside. Finally, the last ram stopped
is an advantage when hunting sheep. From
adding mass and length, whereas during the
and turned his head.
their perspective, the more common place
hungry winter horn growth slows, leaving a
for a threat to appear is downslope—so they
dark, dense ring. Hunters can count these
typically bed facing downhill. Instincts told
annuli and thereby determine the age of an
“He might be legal,” said Peter.
82
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
individual animal, but that doesn’t mean
The weather was fickle, but we were blessed
another indication of legality. Though I didn’t
counting is easy. Anyone who has spent time
with a period of broken sun and clouds. I
make the decision lightly, I eventually concluded
looking at sheep through a spotting scope
quickly unpacked the spotting scope and
he was indeed a legal animal. Peter confirmed
knows the challenge of judging the age of
belly-crawled into glassing position, where I
my impression.
these animals. In most Alaskan game units,
had a perfect view of the ram. Though still
a ram must be eight years old, show a full-
300 yards away, his broadside horns were
Our location wasn’t an easy one to shoot from.
curl horn, or have both horn tips broomed
wet from the mist; sunshine illuminated
We were on a spine of rock that tapered into a
(broken) off to be legal. Some rams are
the annuli, making them pop with incredible
point as it extended into the bowl, with cliffs
obviously legal, and the decision is easily, but
clarity. Again and again I counted eight annuli
on three sides. We both managed to crawl
in my experience, there are far more barely
on both horns. It was also clear that he was
into a decent spot to shoot from, using a
legal animals. Judging the prey becomes a
not full-curl. The flaring horn tips did not
rock to brace the forend of the rifle. My pulse
matter of great discussion and stress.
complete a perfect circle, but they did appear
quickened with the inevitability of the shot,
to achieve the same angle as the bases,
but my excitement was premature: Just as we
MY PULSE QUICKENED WITH THE INEVITABILITY OF THE SHOT, BUT MY EXCITEMENT WAS PREMATURE: JUST AS WE GOT INTO POSITION, A CLOUD OF FOG ENVELOPED US
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
83
84
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
got into position, a cloud of fog enveloped us, and visibility dropped to 20 feet. There was nothing to do but wait for the sky to clear. The wind was blowing slightly, so there was a chance an opening would present itself. Minutes turned into an hour with little change. We piled on every piece of clothing we had, but inactivity and wet wind quickly chilled us. After an hour and a half, we were shivering and losing hope. And then the skies opened, and we had a clear view of the scree field below. Amongst the rocks was a lone ram, no longer bedded but standing and clearly ready to move out. I glanced down the valley and saw our clearing wouldn’t last long: Another bank of fog was quickly approaching. I struggled to find the sheep in my scope as my heart went from resting pace to kick drum speed. Now or never, I thought, and touched the trigger, sending 130 grains of copper speeding towards its mark. Every hunter eventually makes a shot he or she regrets. My shot struck home, but the sheep didn’t immediately fall. Before I could reload a second round, the clouds returned, and we were enveloped in fog once again. My mind played images of a lost, wounded animal—a hunter’s worst nightmare. Luck was on our side, however, and the clouds departed for a second time. At the bark of Peter’s rifle, the sheep collapsed, and the deed was done. Only the task of descending the mountain was left.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
85
The Thinking Man’s Game George Jacobi
An hour on the river and you’re already talking to yourself. Standing in the sagebrush of the Harriman Ranch, you squint into the golden sunlight of early afternoon, trying to make out a rise form
those fish. The body, the shoulders, are just
through the glare on the water. The Henry’s
too big to hide.
Fork of the Snake River flows by, seemingly oblivious to your designs on its celebrated
These guys will eat two or three surface
rainbow trout.
insects and then disappear for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, of course, several other fish that
If rivers have personalities (and they do),
are out of your reach will become visibly
this one is mature, focused, on a mission.
active, just to mess with your head. While
Coldly it goes about its business of being a
you take the time to figure out the potential
premier trout fishery. The Fork wordlessly
drift of your fly, you miss your chance to
communicates its message: Be serious,
pinpoint exactly where the trout is. Rats.
boy—this is for professionals. There is
He’s stopped rising anyway. You know if you
no better place to experience the intense
cast here and now, you’re either wasting
challenge of hunting a large trout with a
your time or you’ll spook him. You edge
dry fly. These Henry’s Fork rainbows live in a
closer and wait some more, but the surface
liquid corridor that continually brings them
stays still. A white pelican lumbers by, low
food. They don’t need to eat; they choose to
and noisy. You don’t even notice. Come on,
eat. Fat, contented creatures, their decisions
fish. You cast deliberately short to see what
are subject to revision or rejection in an
kind of float it will produce. The dry fly,
instant.
about 3 feet closer to you than where you think the rainbow is, skates during the drift.
Bees buzz, dry weeds rustle. The Idaho
Well, oops—that ain’t gonna work.
heat is ruthless. A few fish begin rising in
86
midstream, where three underwater rocks
Casting upstream here, as you’ve learned,
confuse the swift and swirling surface even
is no better. You settle for being directly
more. You wade out to casting distance with
across from the spot where you saw the
painstaking delicacy, a lion trying not to
fish. Now you should be able to lay a left
disturb the grasses while stalking the herd.
curve cast above the trout, get the best
Quartering above the activity, you settle in
shot at a natural drift, and have the leader
to watch. A good trout is just above one of
straighten out and drag the fly, if it must,
the boulders. Though they make only the
below the trout. This position also gives you
tiniest of sips to feed, the very best fish will
an upstream and a downstream cast at two
sometimes give themselves away by what
more trout rising nearby as you rest your
resembles a boat’s bow wake. This is one of
target fish, a situation that increases your
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
chances of a hookup—or at least relieves
the banks this morning; most of them are
as your imitation floats by. Several fruitless
impatience. Sounds logical, son. How about
now gone, but you’re convinced that if the
casts later, you’re not sure if there is micro-
you show me? The Fork is murmuring again.
trout had been taking them as they fell,
drag on the presentation, if it’s the wrong
every fish in the river—and especially the
fly, or if you just cannot time the floating fly
If the dam release is right, the Henry’s Fork
bank feeders—would have been active,
to the trout’s schedule. On the bright side,
in the upper Last Chance/Ranch section
and they were not. A few hatching Pale
even easily visible drag—and yeah, you’ve
is essentially the same piece of water for
Morning Duns are on the water, #16s and
created some here—doesn’t prevent the fish
three or four miles. It differs mostly in the
#18s, and a few rusty spinners of the same.
from coming back to eat natural flies after a
velocity of the current. Pool and riffle are
Now and again one of the larger mayflies
brief timeout. Perhaps these guys are used
not appropriate terms—at first glance, it
shows itself, as do caddis flies. Too sporadic
to seeing real bugs drift haphazardly in the
is one endless slick run. Knee-deep to step
to be of concern. So you’ve gone with a
conflicted surface currents.
into, it becomes little more than wader-deep
#18 Comparadun-type rusty-bodied dry
in the middle of its 40- to 50-yard width.
fly, which splits the difference between a
Given the erratic timing of the rises
There are few fast channels, nasty riffles,
Paraleptophlebia and a PMD spinner. Hah.
there has been no way to adjust your
or treacherous mudholes. You can wade at
This language, foreign to all but the fly
presentations to the trout’s feeding rhythm.
will, albeit carefully. Long, waving weeds
fisher, just means you’re making what you
You attempt to be the first fly over the
hope is an educated guess.
fish after its rest period. No dice. You try
blanket most of the bed, harboring every local aquatic insect by the millions. It’s as if an engineer designed a perfect trout stream
being the second fly, just after a rise, which The Henry’s Fork of the Snake is an ideal
sometimes appeals to the trout: “Oh, look. I
combination of tailwater and spring creek.
guess I’ll have another.” Nothing doing. OK,
and decided variety
Roaring out of the bottom of the Island
something about this is not working. Was
was therefore
Park Dam reservoir, it stays cold and is
that the Fork in your ear? Could be time to
unnecessary.
rarely affected by runoff. It is born in the
go to the foam beetle.
Thick
same limestone bedrock that forms the
macrophytes
Yellowstone caldera, that alkalinity
Locals refer to this as the Henry’s Fork—
create upwelling
accounting for the richness of its biota.
emphasis on Henry—as if the South Fork
Henry’s Fork rainbow trout are heftier than
and all the other tributaries are secondary.
and a complex series of currents on
fish of the same length almost anywhere
And they are. Others just snidely say, “THE
the surface. Concealed
else. It is usually appropriate to use a 4X
Fork,” as in the only fork. You were last here
between milfoil and elodea
tippet on a #18 fly, as trout will dive into
years ago and still recall what seemed to
most of the time, fast-growing
the weeds and break off on lighter line if
be a 4- or 5-pound rainbow that took your
trout are protected from the ubiquitous
given a chance. A tippet of that thickness
dry fly, flew into the air, and snapped your
ospreys as well as from fly fishers.
and stiffness is of course out of balance
leader. Guides like to say these trout
with such a small fly. As you can imagine,
have PhDs as well as Olympic-quality
You wait some more. Ah, there he is. Now
that makes the challenge of a natural drift
physiques. Cliché, but true.
you know where to drop the dry fly. But
even harder.
what fly? You’ve had time to consider the
Despite its disconcerting fame, the
bugs; what is this trout feeding on? The
Alkaline murkiness and the reflection of the
supposed crowds, and the myriad other
caddis emerger imitation from last night
sky preclude you from seeing whether the
classic rivers within a day’s drive, you are
won’t cut it and has been clipped off. There
trout comes to the fly and refuses, merely
here at the Henry’s Fork again, and you have
were a zillion trico spinners dancing above
tilts up to look, or just waves a fin scornfully
nothing to complain about. You and two old
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
87
friends share about a half mile of otherwise
as it lands, to mend it appropriately, and
With unconscious eye and arm, you throw
empty river, gleaming in the late July sun.
to control its drift. You can’t expect to just
the perfect cast above that spot. The beetle
Although you arrived together, each of you
look at where you think it’s going to go and
gently sails cleanly over the trout’s lie and
is now alone on the hunt, with only the
immediately see the bug floating.
begins to swing around your side of the rock.
inside of his own head to keep him company.
Then with a rush, the big rainbow catches
You love this. It does not bring you close
The first cast is again short; the beetle
it from two feet behind, coming half out of
to nature, it brings you right into nature.
sweeps by the rock, making a wake behind
the water. You set the hook solidly. You’re
Poised between the trout and the fly, you’re
it. More distance and more slack, please. The
on. Not bad, whispers the Henry’s Fork.
now part of the eternal cycle of predation—
rainbow eats again, nose, dorsal fin, and tail
both parts, in fact. A privilege few get to
in turn peeking above the surface. Oh, yeah,
feel that anymore.
he’s quite formidable. This could be the final act of this absorbing experience. Don’t blow
Although it’s a size #14, the foam beetle sits low in the water, barely visible. When casting, you need to follow the unrolling leader with your eyes to find it immediately
Photo: Scott Morrison
88
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
it. Better do it right the first time, boy.
TYLER ROEMER
When we buy a river, it belongs to everyone. Western Rivers Conservancy buys and protects land along the West’s greatest rivers. We do it for the sake of fish, for the benefit of wildlife and to improve access to our most treasured waters and the wildlands around them. Most of all, we do it for the river. We count on support from people like you, those who know the value of clean, cold water, healthy rivers and public access. Contribute today at westernrivers.org.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
89
HUNTING IS SOMETHING I’VE DONE SINCE I WAS YOUNG. IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO ACCESS, AND I NEVER CONSIDERED HOW FORTUNATE I AM TO HAVE THE PHYSICAL CAPABILITY TO GET OUTDOORS. BUT ALL THAT CHANGED LAST FALL WHEN MY FRIEND CHAD FIX INTRODUCED ME TO A MINNESOTA-BASED ORGANIZATION CALLED CAPABLE PARTNERS.
CAPABL PARTNE 90
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
LE ERS
A PHOTO ESSAY BY LEVI GLINES STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
91
Hunters who are passionate about passing on their hunting heritage often focus on getting the next generation outdoors. In the past, I have volunteered as a youth hunting mentor, but I had never considered introducing a disabled person to hunting or helping a disabled hunter get out more often. When I learned Capable Partners is committed to making the outdoors more accessible for disabled hunters and anglers, I jumped at the invitation to get involved. Chad invited me to tag along and photograph a waterfowl hunt with himself and Nate Sjolin. On the morning of the hunt, Chad showed up early to set up the decoys and blinds so when Nate and his buddy James Swaggert arrived, the only thing left to do was set Nate up in a kayak and float down to the blind. From the outset it was clear Nate was just another passionate hunter like me. We quickly hit it off, discussing the intricacies of late season mallards.
92
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
93
The rest of the morning was a blur—constant action as pods of ducks zipped down the creek and turned into the decoys. There was camaraderie and celebration just like any other hunt. Everything felt right. It is why I love hunting and I’m sure it’s why Nate, James, and Chad love it too. On my drive home after the hunt I thought about how much I take hunting and my health for granted. To hunt alongside Nate was to join a camaraderie with him—a camaraderie known only to hunters—and to appreciate his abilities and disabilities alongside my own. The hunt gave me a new level of respect for disabled hunters and made me appreciate the joys of hunting even more. And yet, at the end of the day, this was just another waterfowl hunt. One with other passionate hunters, who just like me, simply wanted to enjoy the day out on the creek.
94
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
95
96
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
In the field, the back end of a truck takes on the role of a great family kitchen. The only difference is the counter is a tailgate and the house belongs to Mother Nature. In either case, there’s no place we’d rather be. UPLAND GEAR FOR ANY SEASON. ORVIS.COM
W
E
A
R
E
B
I
R
D
H
U
N
T
E
STRUNG MAGAZINE
R
S
FALL
2020
97
The Grouse Flies at Dusk:
Vanishing Monarchs of the Sagebrush Sea By Reed Knappe Photos by Neil Losin and Mia McPherson
and forbs between them, are critical to the
To witness a community of sage grouse
bird’s ability to feed, shelter from predators,
lekking is, by all accounts, a sublime
nest, and raise its young. Likewise, access
experience: at once profoundly alien and
The sagebrush sea, scarcely known to the
to ponds and streams is vital, particularly
timeless, yet also charming and somehow
majority of U.S. citizens, is one of America’s
in the season where growing chicks rely on
moving. Males spar dramatically but
most vital and ambiguous landscapes.
protein from insects. Unlike other upland
harmlessly with their wings, then pivot
Ranging over much of the inland West, its
birds, the sage grouse has no muscular
abruptly to begin a curious dance. Nineteen
millions of acres traverse eleven states,
gizzard for grinding food and cannot subsist
bladelike tailfeathers erect in perfect
forming a vast mosaic of increasingly
on the agricultural grains and hard-shelled
symmetry, heads drawn back into a glowing
fragmented, mostly public lands. To the
seeds favored by other game birds. This
white mantle, their chests thrust forward to
casual observer, it can seem a desolate
feature puzzled Lewis and Clark, who gave
disclose globular ochre chambers that emit
and forbidding place, a great unknowable
the bird its first Euro-American identification
a throbbing percussion, overlain by whistles
emptiness, and yet this vast biome teems
in 1805. Unlike other grouse, its digestive
and clucks. Difficult to describe, the grouse’s
with life. This huge, enigmatic landscape
system is uniquely adapted to the sagebrush
symphony calls to mind a distant, echoing
has always been home to some of America’s
leaves it consumes year-round; sage grouse
ricochet of rubber bands or bouncing balls,
most beautiful and iconic animals, as well as
are able to process the toxic turpenes which
accompanied by a gentle fluting that feels
a crossroads of stubborn conflict between
make sagebrush undesirable for other birds,
neither rhythmic nor random. The effect is
economic forces, cultural traditions, delicate
most ungulates (pronghorns being a partial
not musical in any conventional sense, but
ecosystems, and native and nonnative
exception) and livestock.
nonetheless carries a strange and elusive
species. No wildlife species dwells so expressively and precariously within these
The grouse’s most distinctive and best-
contradictions as the Greater Sage Grouse.
known feature, however, is its reproductive
Scientists have demonstrated that many
behavior: after spending most of the year
lek sites have remained in annual use for
Once numbering an estimated 16 million
apart, males and females congregate on leks
centuries, and their destruction by various
animals, America’s largest and most
in late winter and early spring. The term
means can cause populations to vanish
eccentric upland bird has declined over the
comes from the Swedish “leka,” meaning to
from surrounding habitat. Infrastructure,
past century to barely 400,000 individuals,
play, and there is indeed something playful
urban sprawl, mineral and energy extraction,
chiefly owing to reduction and degradation
about their rituals. When not tussling for
noise pollution, wildfires, climate change
of its habitat. Half the historic sagebrush
dominance, the males enact a flamboyant
and species invasion, among many other
prairie is gone, and large portions of
choreography of sound and gesture to
factors, can devastate leks and permanently
the remainder have become degraded
impress the gathered audience of hens.
displace attendant grouse communities.
or discontinuous. Although sage grouse
Females then offer themselves to the male
Unfortunately, however, the threats to sage
share their deceptively vibrant and vast
with the most convincing performance;
grouse persist far beyond lekking season.
home with hundreds of other plant and
their exact selective criteria are a matter of
Speaking generally, the Greater Sage Grouse
animal species, no other animal so clearly
continuing debate and study. Competition
faces two primary sources of encroachment
and fatefully occupies the position of a
is oddly fierce, with more than 75% of hens
into its habitat, divided roughly along the
“landscape species” here. The sage grouse
choosing the same individual male within
borders of its eastern (ID, MT, WY, CO, ND
is obligate to the sagebrush sea: it cannot
a given lek, leaving large remainders of
& SD) and western (CA, OR, WA, NV, UT)
survive outside of, or even in compromised
frustrated, celibate drifters. The winners,
ranges, although there is overlap to these
tracts of this habitat. Large, comparatively
by contrast, often enjoy a wild frenzy
threats on both sides. In the western range,
long-lived and slow to reproduce, the
of copulation: a recent study recorded
typified by smaller and more isolated
birds depend upon unbroken stretches of
one successful contestant mating with
populations of grouse the biggest threats
sagebrush in uniquely vulnerable ways.
37 females over the course of as many
are invasions of plant species and wildfires.
Extensive ranges of mature sage plants,
minutes.
Owing to a variety of factors including
with healthy communities of native grasses
98
elegance.
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
fire management and climatic shifts,
Photo: Neil Losin
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
99
conifer trees –most notably junipers– have invaded large swathes of formerly unbroken sagebrush. These trees, like other vertical structures including powerlines, storage tanks and buildings, provide perches for birds of prey that ambush mature sage grouse and their young. When their terrain goes vertical, grouse migrate to less perilous territory. Still more problematic are invasive grasses, worst of which is cheatgrass. This Eurasian native chokes out the indigenous forbs and grasses which critically supplement the grouse’s diet for much of the year, then withers early in summer (earning its familiar name, as ranchers and herders felt “cheated” by the loss of livestock forage so early in the season). As cheatgrass dries out, it provides a singularly potent fuel for wildfires, burning sufficiently hot and continuously to kill adjacent sagebrush, which are either displaced entirely by successional plants or take long decades to rebound into a mature ecosystem. Fire cycles are less than half of what they once were in many places, leaving no time for ecosystems to recover; more than a quarter of Great Basin sagebrush habitat has burned since 1980. Despite valiant efforts, the science of restoring sagebrush habitat is still in its infancy; biologists have yet to unlock the keys to restoration, and results have been frustratingly uneven and sporadic. In their eastern, more populous range, the Sage Grouse’s biggest problems are more overtly human in origin. While instances of overhunting were recorded in the 1800s, the rapid development of farming and ranching in the twentieth century exacted a much greater toll. The healthiest, tallest sagebrush often grow in the same deep, rich soil deposits appropriate to agriculture, and with the expansion of irrigation, much of that territory gave way to fields of wheat, hay, and other crops. In Montana alone, 19% of prime sagebrush habitat disappeared forever, while 84% has been affected by agricultural development. The use of herbicides and insecticides gave further
100
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Photo: Mia McPherson
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
101
momentum to the destruction of sagebrush
by 79% in just 12 years. Scientists
precipitous decline has been the product
ecosystems, and vast tracts were burned to
discovered that grouse populations could
neither of hunting pressure nor predation
increase hay production. While only 10% or
cope with well pads at a density equal or
by other animals, but overwhelmingly a
so of the total historical range succumbed
less than 1 per square mile; most fields
consequence of steady historical destruction
to agriculture, it was probably the best 10%
contain anywhere between 16 to 128 pads
of the sagebrush sea itself. Nonetheless,
of original grouse habitat.
per square mile. In a still stranger turn,
the long tradition of sage grouse hunting
biologists in the Powder River range found
may be in its twilight years, as declining
In recent decades, however, booms in
that sage grouse populations near coalbed
populations across much of the range have
mineral and fuel development across the
methane extraction sites were plummeting
led to ever more stringent regulations over
intermountain west have posed a more
by more than 80%. The culprit: the birds’
recent decades. In the case of California,
immediate threat than agriculture and
acute susceptibility to West Nile Virus,
Washington and the Dakotas, permitting
ranching. The extensive infrastructure
spread by mosquitos breeding in holding
has ceased entirely, and many states are
required to extract mineral wealth, in
ponds for water used in pumping out the
down to hunting seasons of a week or less,
particular oil and natural gas, has been
gas. Until 2016, however, significant brakes
with bag limits of one or two birds –harvests
shown by study after study to critically
existed on the kinds of development which
below impacting any but the most pressured
compromise the integrity of sage grouse
threatened sage grouse in the densest
local populations. Oregon is typical, with tiny
populations, through a dizzying variety
bastions of its western range.
tracts managed individually for a decreasing
of mechanisms. Drill pads, power lines, roads and fences all fragment and
As one would assume from these dire
relatively liberal hunting season of 30 days,
degrade delicate habitat. Noise, water,
processes, the conservationists and
although numbers taken in neighboring
and soil pollution ensue. Formerly healthy
biologists I spoke with, and most of the
Wyoming (the Sage Grouse’s greatest
populations in the intensively developed
relevant scientific literature on the sage
remaining stronghold) are still higher,
fields of northeastern Wyoming plummeted
grouse, seem to concur that the species’
despite its shorter, 10-day season.
Photo: Neil Losin
102
number of permits. Only Montana retains a
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Intersecting directly with the questions
signed a plan simultaneously denying ESA
around lekking territories. According to
of upland game regulation has been the
listing to the species and instituting an
the plan, the BLM would strictly prohibit
struggle over listing the Greater Sage
aggressive range-wide conservation plan,
disturbance of more than 5% of the highest-
Grouse under the Endangered Species Act.
bringing together a vast and outwardly
priority habitat, and implement strict
Recognizing acute declines in populations
unwieldy coalition of environmentalists,
protections of identified mating grounds
across significant portions of its range,
lobbyists, sporting organizations, ranchers,
and nesting areas across more than 10
conservation organizations began
energy representatives, and a deep roster
million acres of choice sagebrush landscape.
petitioning and filing suits for enlistment
of state and federal agencies. As the
There seems to be strong consensus that
in the 1990s, culminating in a series of
explicit goal was forestalling the need
the collaborative agreement provided a
legal battles in the first decade of the
for ESA enlistment of sage grouse, the
sound basis for protecting sage grouse
2000s. In 2010, the grouse was denied
agreement contained a comprehensive
and staving off the necessity of listing
listing, but declared a candidate for future
suite of robust and science-based provisions
the bird. The plan’s fatal (though perhaps
enlistment, momentarily deferring the issue
with unprecedented scope, including
unavoidable) weakness was that it
but portending major changes in the near
implementation of conservation easements
presumed cooperation by subsequent
future. At that time, the USDA launched its
across huge tracts of the bird’s range, and
administrations—an assumption that
Sage Grouse Initiative, making strenuous
strict controls, based on recent studies,
proved tragically shortsighted and naive.
efforts to mesh grouse conservation
over how sagebrush steppe could be
plans with the needs of ranchers and rural
developed—from wind farms to fossil fuel
Before the agreement could bear fruit, the
landowners, encompassing 1,300 ranches
wells, to infrastructure like roads, fences
Trump administration came to power, and
and 5 million acres of private land. After
and power lines. The plan called for removal
quickly dedicated itself to unraveling all of
years of wrestling with different agendas
of encroaching conifers, identification and
the initiative’s injunctions and agreements
and reconciling private and public interests,
restoration of habitat critical to young
that obstructed its allies in the energy
in 2015 Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell
grouse, and the creation of generous buffers
industry. In 2018, the administration scrapped the 5% limit on development of high-priority habitat, reopening 9 million acres of the critical habitat and distributing a stunning cascade of energy leases on hitherto protected public lands. Protective buffers around mating areas were dropped, science-based standards for protections were disallowed, and strict management requirements for oil, gas, and livestock grazing overturned. Requirements for compensatory mitigation were also quietly excised, while the overarching goal of “no net loss” to sage grouse populations disappeared from agency plans. According to one veteran conservationist I spoke with, the most devastating step taken by the Trump administration has been blocking government agencies from collection and analysis of population data, eliminating a critical component of conservation measures. With this move, federal agencies found themselves barred from tracking the grouse’s year-by-year population status, making protective interventions impossible and creating a dangerous absence of knowledge of the species’ condition. In defiance of the order, state agencies and even federal officials have continued gathering local data, in
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
103
hopes of keeping tabs on as much of the
Whether hunters choose to acknowledge it
sage grouse from enlistment, would see the
population as possible. A critical source of
or not, their side in this battle has already
Endangered Species Act undermined in its
this data comes from hunters, who deposit
been chosen. The Sage Grouse Initiative
entirety, threatening several thousand other
wings in collection boxes or by mail, and
was successful, however briefly, because
listed species and dramatically multiplying
report statistics from their hunts.
it mobilized a diverse coalition of private
risks to other threatened organisms. It is
and public interests on behalf of grouse
not entirely implausible that the sagebrush
In another small hopeful step, many
conservation, charting a path forward to
sea, quietly and persistently under attack,
partners to the conservation plan
robust habitat protections without resorting
might become in a few short years the final
resisted the administration’s rollback. In
to sweeping federal interventions—last-ditch,
battleground over all nationwide species
one example, a Montana District Court
blanket solutions that would put an end to
protections.
overturned 440 new energy leases on
sage grouse hunting, cut off recreational
protected sagebrush habitat. Oregon has
access to huge stretches of sagebrush
Though only a small percentage of Americans
also made notable efforts to uphold the
landscape, and alienate ranchers and other
today are aware of the Greater Sage Grouse’s
provisions of the 2015 agreement. Most
rural constituents whose buy-in to grouse
predicament, it may be the most momentous
of the 1.6 million acres of new leases sold
conservation was hard-won. Because the
North American species under threat in our
by the BLM have persisted, however, and
sage grouse is an umbrella species over
lifetimes. Herein lies the deeper meaning
these will be difficult to reverse even if
millions and millions of acres of landscape,
of the sage grouse’s status as a “landscape
subsequent administrations are more
their listing could mean an end of access to
species”: they are indicators not only of the
sympathetic to sage grouse
sagebrush sea’s integrity, but a
conservation.
litmus test for the willingness
Despite the Trump
and ability of Americans to set
administration’s best efforts,
aside space in our landscapes
it is unlikely that the grouse
for nonhuman life, to safeguard
will go extinct in the near
traditions of hunting and
future. Large islands of
wildlife appreciation which link
undeveloped and mineral-
us to past generations and
poor habitat exist (though
to nature. The loss of sage
in growing isolation) across
grouse not only diminishes our
its range. Rather than
material world, carving a piece
reassurance and complacency,
from the heart of what is most
this fact should give us pause
beautiful and unique in this
to reconsider how we define
continent, but impoverishes
animals and their habitat as
us spiritually, depriving future
“threatened” or “endangered”.
generations of the right to
If absolute extinction is our
exist alongside magnificent
only benchmark, we will allow
creatures.
species, even ones like the sage grouse
hundreds of other species in that ecosystem,
which define landscapes spanning half
from antelope to elk and mule deer, among
The German philosopher Hegel famously
a continent, to dwindle down to almost
innumerable less sought-after species.
remarked that “the owl of Minerva
meaningless relict populations: vulnerable
104
spreads its wings only with the falling of
to future pressures, stricken by genetic
Veteran conservation figures I spoke
dusk”—meaning that philosophers could
bottlenecks, inaccessible to all but a
with agreed that enlistment under the
only hope to understand a given historical
privileged few, and certainly unavailable
ESA—though it may eventually become
period as it was passing from the earth.
for hunting. This is, of course, the fate of
necessary—would inaugurate an era of
As we contemplate the doubtful future of
many species in the world today, but few
unprecedented legal struggle concerning
this majestic and irreplaceable American
are symbolic of so vast and fundamental a
wildlife. The current administration’s utter
bird—caught between ecological changes,
geography as the sage grouse.
indifference to the future of Sage Grouse,
energy and agricultural interests, deceitful
and their efforts to undermine inherited
politicians, hamstrung government agencies,
Hunters have a critical role to play in this
conservation plans, may well culminate in
upland hunters and conservationists—we
moment of decision. As of late, energy
renewed pressure to list these animals under
can only hope that future generations will
lobbyists have used calls for an end to
the ESA. A still bleaker scenario, hinted at
not find themselves lamenting how the sage
grouse hunting as a political foil to greater
by the administration’s recent drafting
grouse took flight at dusk.
protections from oil and gas development.
of legislation to permanently disallow the
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
Founded in Austin, Texas, built in Switzerland, every SEAHOLM automatic watch exceeds industry standards for shock resistance, water resistance and anti-magnetism. Learn more about SEAHOLM® at www.seaholmautomatic.com
SHOCK RESISTANT
WATER TIGHT
ANTI - MAGNETIC
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
105
Strung Fall Photo Contest (Runner Up) “I’m very poor at dates and numbers and what happened at what time in our life. But if my wife mentions the name of a dog we’ve owned and loved, I can re-create the dog’s life with us, and consequently my own.” – Jim Harrison. Photo: Logan Hinners
106
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
107
Hunting Apparel • Fine Guns • Lifestyle Products kevinscatalog.com (800) 953-8467 Kevin’s Gunroom • kevinsguns.com • For Gun Inquiries (229) 226-7766 108
STRUNG MAGAZINE
FALL
2020
