Sprint To The Finish

This is the last week of upland bird hunting season here in Nevada and I will be taking at least one day off work this week so that I can get a few more days in the field before it is all over. Usually my annual pattern is that I am kind of worn out and relieved when the season is over, then two weeks later I am ready to cry myself to sleep at night because the realization that I am something like 7 months away from bird hunting again has set in.

I have been wrestling on and off the majority of my life starting at about 10 years old. I love one on one competition, and I can’t image a more pure form of it. In the last 8 years I have been training extensively in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is a form of submission wrestling, and Saturday I was promoted to black belt. So, that is my excuse for not hunting.

Sunday I hunted one of my all time favorite spots, and it was a letdown. My buddy Darin hunted with me and we knocked down some birds, but I was really expecting a lot more action than we found. We had a great time anyway though. The dogs got in some good bird work and they will sleep well today, so I am happy with that.

I have found more new places to hunt quail this year than in the last 8 or 9 years combined. I think that the forecast Wednesday is for a good quail hunt. Peepers beware...

A pretty nice view, if you ask me.

Between Porter and Cash, they don’t let very many get away… Porter found this cripple in a creek bed under this big boulder. (You can see the birds tail feather in the far back.) With a little prodding from a long stick I was able to get the bird to run out of the little cave, and Cash was right there to snatch him up as he was trying to get under another set of rocks.

Jay Kincaid

SHOT SHOW

Paolo and I were at the annual SHOT Show last week in Las Vegas representing Glacier Glove. It was a good time, like always, as it really is the most amazing place for people who are passionate about shooting and hunting. We had the opportunity to see a bunch of our dealers, and the opportunity to meet and hang out with a whole bunch of people that love to hunt just like we do. In particular I got to speak with a bunch of really good dog handlers and upland bird hunters. For me, that is always a pleasure. Thank you to everyone that stopped by our booth.

My wife was home with our 3 month old twins all week, and when I got home Friday night it was very obvious that she needed a break and that I would not be hunting on Saturday. It is VERY rare that she ever asks me to not go hunting, so when she does I know that there must be a good reason for it, and I don’t go. It doesn’t take a lot of common sense to know that she needed a break, so I hung out on Saturday with the babies, and was happy to do so.

I have never had what I would consider a good upland bird hunt after a really big windstorm, or during a big windstorm. Never. Not even one time… We had big winds in northern Nevada late in the week with gusts up to 70 mph. Sunday I hunted a mountain that I had hunted the weekend before. I only had a few hours, but I did not see a single bird. That is very rare. In fact I can only think of a small handful of hunts ever that I have not even seen a bird. I can add yesterday to that short list. No worries, next weekend I could have some of the best hunting of my life. All you can do is keep after it, and have fun either way. The good news is that some well needed moisture blew in, and every drop of that moisture is really helpful to our desert wildlife, especially in a dry year like this.

Our booth at the SHOT Show.

I looked over at my GPS on my dashboard Sunday morning and I thought that someone was messing with me. It is kind of hard to read, but it does say what you are thinking that it says.

Jay Kincaid

More Exploring

I  managed to talk my buddy Darin into another exploratory mission this weekend. We hunted a mountain that I had wondered about for years. This has kind of been the year for me to try a bunch of new stuff within an hour and a half of town. I really like this particular spot and the area in general, and I will for sure be heading back out that direction to hunt.

This may also be the first time that I can remember seeing chukar at a guzzler trying to get water in January. Unfortunatly the water in the guzzler was frozen solid. It is obviously really dry for this time of year.

Another cold clear day in the desert. We really need some moisture and it sounds like it may FINALLY be arriving this week.

The resiliency of the high desert. Sage brush growing out of a small crack in the rock.

Cash with a retrieve.

Jay Kincaid

Better Than Sitting on The Couch

I hunted this weekend with our Sales Manager here at Glacier Glove, Paolo, who is a good friend of mine. We didn’t have the best hunting ever, but it was a lot better than sitting on the couch doing nothing. We knocked down some birds and like always had a great time.

Porter on Point with Cash backing.

Cash (aka, Senor Blanco) making a retrieve. Just prior to this retrieve the dogs had a great point. Paolo and I walked in right on top of these birds, and knocked down four.

Porter found this bird dead, and Cash retrieved it.

Paolo with one of the Chukar.

A pair of Quail that Paolo knocked down.

I am always talking about the hunt itself, but this is the result of a good hunt. The best free-range organic meat in the world. We made these birds up into a nice Chukar Piccata. I dont think that anything tastes better.

Lastly, I have got to say that I am starting to get really nervous about our lack of moisture. I know that there is still plenty of time left, but with that said day by day we are running out of time, and if we don’t get some serious moisture fairly soon, we are going to have no birds next year to speak of. And that is not mentioning all of the other desert critters that need the food and water that moisture provides. I am nervous….
Jay Kincaid

A Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone.
As I wrote about in my last update, my Dad was in town and we did some hunting. We got out one more day together and again had a great hunt. On our way out of where we hunted the first day we saw some birds in a place that I wouldn’t have expected. So, we went back to do a little bit of exploring and things worked out really well. That has kind of been the name of the game for me this year. I have been exclusively hunting within about an hour and a half radius of Reno, as I can’t be gone all day with the new babies at home. This has really given me a good opportunity to explore some places close to home that I have always wanted to explore. Some days this has resulted in hunts that were not very good, and other days it has resulted in some of the best hunts that I have ever had.

Cash on Point

Cash Retrieving

The Result of Another Good Day Hunting With Dad

Porter Retrieving

Cash Retrieving

Jay Kincaid

Hunting With Dad

My Dad and Stepmom came down for the week to hang out with us, and with the babies. Whenever Dad is in town we always find time to do something fun and depending on the time of the year that usually involves one of two things, fishing or bird hunting. I found a really good quail hunting spot this year and knowing that my Dad was coming down after Christmas I have kind of been saving it to hunt with him. Yesterday we hunted it together and we both had a great time. Limits of quail for the both of us, and another thing that was especially fun was that I shot my Grandfathers old Remington Model 31. I hadn’t shot a pump gun in years, so it took a little bit to get used to again. On more than one occasion I forgot to pump the gun, pulling the trigger two or three times, wondering why the gun only fired once. You always feel like a knucklehead when that happens, but I couldn’t have been happier to shoot that gun on that day with my Dad. It was a great day with lots of fun moments, and a lot of new memories.

Another Scenic Nevada Photo.

Cash on Point.

Dad with his two Labradors, Amber and Monkey, and our quail from the day.

Jay Kincaid

The Holidays

Since shooting the TV show a couple of weeks ago I have only been able to get out hunting one time. My wife, the Twins, and myself headed up to Oregon last weekend to see my family and that was a good time. Parts of the trip were good at least. The drive wasn’t good, and the sleepless nights weren’t good, but getting to see my family WAS really nice. Also drinking a little too much whiskey with my Uncle, Cousins, and Father always makes for a good time. For most of them this was the first time that they have seen the babies, so that was fun as well. One of my cousins told me in a joke, he said, “ Raising kids is easy. You only need to teach them two things; To love God, and to hate democrats” I don’t care who you are, that is funny. Well, maybe not as funny if you are a democrat, but still funny none the less.

With Christmas just a few days away it is always the same story for me. Try to figure out last minute what in the heck to buy for gifts, and try to make plans to hunt as much as possible. So, like usual this is what I am up to. I will be hunting at least a handful of days, and will be enjoying the first Christmas with my new family members.

I really want to wish all of you out there a Merry Christmas. I wish the best for you and yours and I hope that you have a great time this holiday season. I also really want to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I genuinely enjoy writing them, though my writing can be borderline at best, and whether or not we agree on everything that I write, it is no big deal because at the end of the day our passion for the outdoors and for life is the same. My continued personal challenge for myself is to keep moving forward making the most of every adventure. At the end of life I want to be sure that I’ve made the best effort to collect a crazy assortment of epic stories. Some happy ones, some sad ones, and some downright amazing, but the challenge is to search out these adventures and make the most of every opportunity. Up to this point in my life I have been very blessed in that regard, and I wish the same for you.

Lastly I would just like to take a second to mention my good friend Hank Anderson. Sadly he passed away last week. If I am honestly with myself, Hank was one of the very few people that you meet in life that you wish that you could be just like as a man. He was amongst the very best men that I have ever known, and it goes without saying that I miss him very much. Some of you know my dog Porter… I got Porter from Hank, and most everything that I have learned about training pointing dogs I learned from him over the years. Hank and I had some great adventures together, and I cherish those memories. All my best to the Anderson family.

Jay Kincaid

Sporting Dog Adventures - TV

I was privileged to be invited to film with Sporting Dog Adventures this week here in Northern Nevada. Alongside Jeff Fuller (host of Sporting Dog Adventures), Derick Cole (President of Webley & Scott, USA), and Paul (the videographer) we had a great time. My two dogs Porter and Cash were putting in a lot of hard work, and together we managed to get enough video content for a couple episodes which will air next fall on the Sportsman’s Channel.

Jeff Fuller and Derick Cole with some Chukar.

Derick shooting a bird over Porter’s point.

Derick and Jeff, at another scenic location in Nevada.

This is the Webley & Scott Shotgun that I hunted with for the Show. It was a beautiful 20 gauge gun that fit me perfectly. Without a doubt I would recommend their shotguns to anyone, and infact they are on the top of the list for myself when I buy a new gun. Check them out online http://www.webleyandscott.com/home/index/4371.0 and ask for Webley & Scott at a sporting goods store near you.

Jay Kincaid

More Mixed Bags

I managed to talk my buddy, Darin, into trying a new spot with me on Saturday. We were able to get into some birds, but it wasn’t really what we were expecting. I am still on the fence regarding whether or not I would hunt it again. The good news is that we got into some quail, and I will go back for those specifically once there is some snow on the ground.
This week I will be filming here in Nevada for a TV Show. I will let you all know the details of that, and how it went next week.

Cash Retrieving.

Darin with his Dog, Cash, and the birds form the morning.

Jay Kincaid

More Reasons to be Thankful

The weekend before last I kind of took a beating. I didn’t have very much time because of the new babies, but I still slipped out for a short hunt on Saturday and on Sunday. At the end of the weekend I only had a couple of birds to show for the effort, and considering the little bit of sleep that I have been able to get lately it hardly felt worth the effort. It was one of my slowest weekends of bird hunting ever, but I am not going to complain. That why it is called hunting.

This weekend things were very different. I was able to get out two days and was fortunate to find a huge amount of quail. Friday I was able to bag a limit of quail and 4 chukar. It was a great hunt and if I would have had more time I am sure that I could have finished up my chukar limit as well. On the drive home I made the easy decision to head back to the same spot to specifically hunt quail the next morning. We don't get a lot of good opportunity for quail in Northern Nevada, so I wanted to be sure to take advantage of it.

Early Saturday I was back to where I found the quail the day before, and it did not take long to locate them. Within an hour I had my limit, and I had two happy dogs. I also bagged one chukar, but only becasue he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, not because I was hunting for them. On the way back to my truck I ran into some Mountain Quail, but I did not shoot any. For the life of me I could not remember if the two Mountain Quail limit was in addition to the 10 Valley Quail limit, or if it contributed to the 10 quail limit. So, I decided to play it safe and leave them alone. There was no reason to be greedy, and because I wasn’t 100% sure of the regulations it was the right thing to do. I know they are there, so hopefully I can find them again in the future. As for the Valley Quail, there are plenty left, but I am going to leave them alone for a while. Maybe until we get some snow on the ground. I cant think of anything more fun than hunting quail in the snow.

Last weekend I had as much fun hunting as I have ever had. I am thankful for the opportunity.

Cash on Point

Porter on Point

Porter retrieving

Fridays Birds

Cash Retrieving

Saturdays Birds

A beautiful Valley Quail
Jay Kincaid

Ready for a Road Trip

I have spent the last few weeks staying really close to home, as my wife and I have two new little ones to look after. I have been able to sneak out with the dogs for a few hours at a time to get them some exercise, and maybe bag a few birds while we are at it. This has resulted in some surprisingly good days of hunting close to home, and also some days that were not so good. It’s no big deal either way, as the expectation isn’t very high. If the dogs get to run for a couple of hours and we can score some birds in the process, that is a good day. With that said, I am ready for a little bit of road time. I am not sure when this is going to happen, but I have a four day weekend coming up, so maybe it will happen soon…..

Below is a picture of Cash on point in the rocks. For some reason these Chukar wanted to be right in the middle of a fresh burn, despite the fact that there was good habitat in all directions surrounding the burn. This burn looked like the moon. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why they wanted to be there, as there certainly appeared to be much better options close by, but they did. Most chukar hunters will read this and assume that maybe the birds were there because there was green up in the burn. That’s the first question that I would ask. Chukar hunters know that desert game birds are obsessed by fresh green sprouts of grass. There was no green grass though, so who knows why, but them. Regardless that is where they were, and it was a challenge getting close to them.
Jay

Twins, Sleepless Nights, and…… Chukar

My wife had twins about a week and a half ago. A boy and a girl. In honesty I can say that it was the most amazing day of my life. It took six days but we all came home from the hospital together, happy and healthy. Now back at home I am getting caught back up on work and life in general. This has meant sleepless nights and a lot of learning, but it is all good. Did I mention sleepless night?

The dogs have reacted really well to the babies, as we assumed that they would. They are both very curios and they have both been very gentle. Porter likes to check the babies out, but does the majority of his observation from a distance, but each day is becoming more comfortable around them. Cash on the other hand is already trying to sleep right next to the babies and investigates with his nose as close to them as he can possibly be without actually touching them. We are obviously very happy with both dogs. My dogs are genuinely part of the family and that has never been truer than it is now.

Despite all of this baby business I have been able to sneak out a couple of times locally to run the dogs on some chukar. I have had a lot of fun hunting locally and have actually done pretty well considering the time constraints.

I had to bonk a rattle snake over the head with a big rock on Sunday. He was the most aggressive rattler that I have ever been around striking at me from a distance immediately. I was probably going to kill him regardless, but because of his bad attitude I enjoyed killing this one. I hoped that they would have gone to bed for the winter but apparently not. It seems like I am hearing stories of lots of snakes this year. I have been buzzed more than a couple of times myself and that is never fun. The dogs have avoided them so far and hopefully we can make it through another season without incident.

Below are a handful of hunting pictures from the last week.
Jay

Cash proudly retrieving. As he should be.

Porter putting in work.

Porter finding another one.

Cash with another fine retrieve, after another fine point.

More Questions than Answers

Some days, specifically hunting days, I am left with more questions than I am answers…..

How is it that 5 days in a row I can get out of bed the exact same way, but on the sixth day my dogs know immediately before I am even fully dressed that we are going hunting?

How is it that an hour in the field only feels like fifteen minutes?

How is it that an experienced dog can smell the difference between a live bird and a dead bird?

How can you see a covey of birds land in the sage brush 75 yards in front of you, but 2 minutes later they can vanish as if all along they were just a figment of your imagination?

How can a dog on the very worst hunt still run with the same high energy and optimism for hours on end, even if we haven’t seen a bird all day?

Why does Spam and Eggs taste like the greatest breakfast that you have ever had when camped out in bird country?

Why does a cold cheap beer taste so much better after a day in the field?

Why do I sometimes still see chukar tracks in the snow when I close my eyes at night?

When dogs dream, do they dream of chukar hunting?

Is whiskey really as necessary as it seems around a camp fire?

How can a crippled bird with 2 ½ inches long legs give a long legged hunting dog a run for its money in a foot race?

Jay

More Of The Same

I was able to get out and hunt two days this weekend and like always, we had a good time. Friday I hunted with my buddy Justin and we got into some birds right off the bat, but then spent the rest of the hunt struggling. Funny how that can happen. I had the opportunity to hunt some new country, and I always enjoy that.

Sunday I hunted with my friend Paul. We hunted an old tried and true spot and put a woopn on them. I played around with a GoPro head mounted video camera and got some cool video. I will post that when I figure out how.

The dogs hunted really nicely all weekend long and I could not have been happier with them. They were pretty beat last night, so I was happy to see that they looked refreshed this morning. I am hoping that they don’t both come down with Kennel Cough, but that is another story. Apparently it is supposed to get cold, and I am really looking forward to that. I got buzzed by another rattle snake on Sunday and I will be relieved to not have to worry about those for the rest of the season.

When your dog does this, you had better be ready. It’s on!

Jay

Local Birds

It is hot here in Northern Nevada, and rather that make long road trips to only be able to hunt for a few good hours, I spent this weekend hunting close to home. There are a bunch of birds within an hour of town if you know where to look for them, and that is lucky for me, as I am going to be spending a lot of time hunting close to home this year. My wife is due with twins in just over two weeks, so for the most part that will keep me close to town for the rest of the season.

Do you ever have a day in the field where everything you do is just unlucky? All day it just seems like you make the wrong move and nothing ever really works out? Well that happens with dogs too. Cash had one of those days yesterday. He never necessarily did anything wrong, but he just kept having bad luck. As many great days as he has, yesterday was just one of those bad days. No big deal, it happens to all of us from time to time, dogs included.

I was lazy with the camera and did not take many pictures this weekend, but I took a few here and there.

Cash retreiving.

P-Dog making a retreive.

Cash with another one.


Jay

Waterfowl

My co-worker/friend Paolo and I got invited to go duck hunting here in Northern Nevada by our good friend Darin Elmore on Wednesday, so we took Darin up on the offer. Paolo and Darin are waterfowl hunting nuts, and I grew up hunting waterfowl, but for me it had been maybe 8 or 9 years since the last time, so it all felt new to me again, and that was really fun.

There were a ton of ducks in the area and we shot a good number of birds. Darin’s retriever named Cash (He also has a dog named Cash) was the star of the day, finding our birds and doing all the hard work. He is a great dog, and whether we are chukar hunting or waterfowl hunting I and am always happy to be around him.
Big thanks to Darin for the invite and the hunt.

Cash retrieving a Redhead.

Cash in the Blind, waiting patiently.

Darin and Cash – Primetime hunting.

A Redhead.

A pair of Greenheads.

Jay