Women on the Wing Clean Up with “Barbed Wire and Beer”
Extreme forecasted heat failed to stop nearly a dozen passionate women who gathered to clean debris from a public access property on the outskirts of Walla Walla in July. The event, dubbed “Barbed Wire and Beer,” encompassed just that – about 1,400 pounds of metal and debris, including a massive tangle of barbed wire, followed by lunch and a cold brewski at Hop Thief in College Place.
Barbed Wire and Beer was the latest event of Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever’s 2024 Women on the Wing program. Aimed at giving back to landowners who enroll in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s “Feel Free to Hunt” program, event attendees rounded up everything from errant metal and fence posts to discarded barbed wire and forgotten fencerows, as well as random litter. Two truckloads of debris were collected and hauled to the county landfill in just under two hours.
Conservation takes many forms, with habitat enhancement often coming to mind first. But keeping quality habitat free from safety hazards benefits wildlife, landowners, hunters, and bird dogs and supports long-term habitat management. Thanks to the Women on the Wing Committee for organizing the event, and all the attendees for supporting conservation and Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever.
Pheasants Forever Continues Youth Shooting Sports Tradition
Story by Brad Trumbo, published in The Waitsburg Times, June 6th, 2024
A beautiful early summer morning greeted nearly a dozen youth interested in the outdoors and shooting sports as they arrived at the Walla Walla Gun Club (Gun Club). The day’s event, sponsored by Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever (BMPF) in partnership with the Gun Club, was the opening act for a summer’s worth of shotgun skills events for youth age 18 and under.
The BMPF youth “summer series” celebrates the challenge and excitement of target shooting and builds the muscle memory necessary to connect with flying targets. While wingshooting may seem relatively modern, the sport was born far before the evolution of 20th-century firearms technology.
The roots of shotgun sports trace back to England, where Henry VIII was involved in developing a gun capable of firing multiple projectiles in the early 1500s. The art of shooting flying game caught fire in the 1600s with stalked or “walked-up” birds, taken once flushed, wrote Mark Murray in The Field Magazine. Murray further explained that wingshooting for practice likely didn’t occur before 1600 because the weapons did not support that type of shooting. The flintlock ignition system was a breakthrough for wingshooting, improving the “trigger-to-bang” timing sufficient for flying targets.
From the mid-1600s to the 1800s, both firearms and wingshooting underwent significant transformations. As Murray noted, the birth of the modern shotgun and shooting sports coincided with the introduction of a fully functional hinged breech, a feature common on single-shot and side-by-side or over/under, two-barrel guns, and the development of cartridges containing primer, propellant, projectile, and reliable firing pins. This technological advancement revolutionized the sport.
Live pigeons were used as targets in the early days of shotgun sport, but by 1900, live birds were being replaced with clay discs, which are still referred to as “clay pigeons.” Shotgun technology continues to evolve, but the “vintage” models made from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s are coveted by many. Names like L.C. Smith, A.H. Fox, Lefever, Ithaca, Merkel, Winchester, Westley Richards, and Parker continue to draw attention.
The BMPF youth summer series continues the clay pigeon shooting tradition, and the occasional vintage shotgun appears among the participants. The modern semi-auto loading gun is better suited for children learning to shoot because the reloading action reduces recoil and modern materials like synthetic stocks are lighter weight.
The BMPF youth shoots off the game “Five Stand” which involves five shooting locations with clays thrown from various places flying high, low, on the ground, straight away, incoming, and sometimes coming in pairs. These shoots are exciting and challenge the shooter to hone their technique and timing to connect with the clays.
The May event was unique because youth were taught safe shotgun handling and basic wingshooting techniques prior to the shoot. As always, one-on-one coaching was provided to anyone in need.
Wingshooting may seem as simple as pulling up the gun, covering the target, and firing, but many nuances of proper form and shotgun handling are easy to overlook and significantly influence the shot. For example, the basics of proper form include having the gun butt appropriately placed on the shoulder and the shooter’s cheek firmly on the “comb” (the top of the stock) to allow for sighting straight down the barrel. An improper gun mount is sure to result in a miss.
The BMPF youth shoots nearly always draw a diverse crowd of skilled and first-timers, and one young participant was happy to try his hand with some careful instruction. This young man was taught proper technique by one of the best shotgunners at the Gun Club, Ron Fastrup. You should have seen his smile when he smashed his first clay, a ground runner, one of the hardest to hit.
Ensuring children have a positive experience, particularly the first-timers, is essential to the BMPF mission. Conservation is the cornerstone of the organization, and getting children excited about the outdoors and shooting sports helps them find value in natural public resources and builds advocacy for the future of conservation. Thanks to the careful instruction offered by Fastrup, Dean Wass, and Larry Brown, the year’s first event was a great success.
The BMPF Youth Committee Chair, George Endicott, organizes the youth summer series events. The next events are scheduled for June 18th, July 13th, and August 17th, with family participation in the August event. BMPF pays Pheasants Forever membership dues for all youth participants, so current membership is not required for participation. For more information and to join in the fun, visit the BMPF website at https:\\bmpf258.org or email the Chapter at bmpf@bmpf258.org.
Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever’s Rooster Rally unites women in the outdoors
Story by Brad Trumbo, published in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, December 9th, 2023
Smoke billowed from the stovepipe jutting through the tin roof of the warming shack, creating a white cloud that screened the warm sunrays streaming through the crisp autumn air. A black iron sign with flushing pheasants boasted “Clyde Shooting Preserve” and stood prominent through the haze. Inside the shack, a teepee-shaped steel dome stood atop a brick-and-mortar hearth where the fire burned invitingly. Steam began to rise from a marbled blue and white porcelain-coated percolator that sat on a grate by the coals. Coffee would be ready soon.
Outside, 15 women and their bird dogs, each with a unique level of bird-hunting experience, had gathered for the “Rooster Rally,” an event hosted by Walla Walla’s Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever, Women on the Wing program (WotW), in cooperation with Clyde Shooting Preserve. The event aimed to connect women of all experience levels, hone dog work and wingshooting skills, and talk about habitat and conservation.
The morning began with the WotW program lead, Kelly Merrick, breaking the ice among participants as they gathered around the warming shack. Following routine introductions and “housekeeping,” Kelly covered the agenda for the day, beginning with the warm-up clay shoot and technique coaching, hunt logistics, and firearms safety. Participants were then broken into groups of three and assigned numbers for the hunt before being turned loose at the clay thrower.
Many participants had never met one another, but upland hunting and bird dogs are uniting. Jovial banter on dog breeds and shotguns drifted on the breeze as participants headed to the shooting stations. Events like this expose people to a wide range of bird dogs, from wirehaired Griffons and German shorthaired Pointers to various setters and Labrador retrievers. The shotguns of choice are just as varied.
Fortunately, I was in the mix to serve as a shooting coach while these enthusiastic women took aim at the flying orange discs. Our shooting station was the straight-away shot, which humbles me often, and the first participant watched the clay glide to the ground unscathed.
“You were a little behind that one. The breeze is just strong enough to push the clay in a right arc when it levels out, and that’s right about when you fired. Try covering the right edge of the clay on the next throw.”
When standing behind the shooter and watching the shot wad relative to the clay’s path, it’s often evident why a shot missed the mark. It felt odd to offer shooting advice, let alone for a shot I often miss, but my guidance was accurate. The shooter smoked the following two clays, then relinquished the shooter’s mound to the next willing participant. Everyone busted a few clays, and we even corrected a shotgun glitch just in time for the hunts to kick off.
Upon surveying the dog breeds, an Irish setter grabbed my attention immediately, which was no surprise given my preference for setters. I secretly hoped fate would pair me as the hunting mentor with the team following the stylish, vibrant red canine. Turns out, fate was paying attention. The Irish setter was once the choice field setter, but the pet trade diminished the breed’s hunting genes. I was curious how this Irish setter would approach the field and birds.
Patty, Penny, Kristin, and I followed Kristin’s red setter, whom I’m calling “Gretchen,” with the sun high upon our shoulders. Several things stood out to me about these women and Gretchen. First, these women were strangers, yet they came together as an organized group to cover the field methodically, safely, and strategically. Second, they each brought positive energy, generosity, and a desire to help each other have the best possible experience. Third, Gretchen was a fine-tuned, obedient, driven, no-nonsense bird-hunting machine that covered the field quickly, effectively, and with maximum grace and style. She had stolen my heart.
Gretchen’s first point came just minutes into the hunt. She encircled a large tuft of Great Basin wildrye, then slowed to a creep before pinpointing the scent and standing staunch. Kristin approached Gretchen at 90 degrees to her right as I coached Penny and Patty on preparing for the shot and minding shooting lanes. Kelly’s prior safety talk included honoring each other’s shooting lanes as a courtesy and safety practice, and these women had taken note.
The rooster had run from the approaching dog and hunters in quintessential pheasant fashion. When no bird flushed for Kristin, Gretchen picked up the track and pegged the bird on the other side of a swale that bisected the field.
Kristin rushed in, pushing the bird skyward, and adeptly connected with a swift shot. The moment was textbook, but to my surprise, Gretchen retrieved the bird with alacrity. Retrieving is typically a taught skill for setters, but Gretchen appeared to do it naturally. I felt a sudden urge to find a red setter of my own.
The remainder of the hunt followed suit. Gretchen pinned birds while the hunters honored each other’s shooting lanes and shared opportunities. One flush sent a bird climbing steeply and quartering back toward the hunters. It passed from right to left very close over Patty’s shoulder. Her swing on the bird was clean, but her shots fell behind.
“I can’t believe I missed such an easy shot,” Patty said with disappointment.
“No, you did great. That shot was actually really tough,” I replied. “That bird was so close that the shot pattern did not have time to expand. Also, the bird was angling toward you and climbing fast. It’s too easy to shoot behind the bird in that situation. It’s best to take a breath, pivot, and track the bird as it passes, then mount the gun and swing through as it travels away.”
Penny demonstrated fine wingshooting skills but had more than skills in her pocket. Lady Luck followed Penny and sent most of the birds across her shooting lane. Kristin also generously deferred flushes and shot opportunities as she had already achieved her goal of watching and handling Gretchen.
At the hunt’s conclusion, the trio returned to the warming shack, ribbing each other like old friends on near or not-so-near misses and how Penny’s back must have hurt from carrying so many birds.
At the warming shack, the atmosphere was abuzz with storytelling. Tales of adroit shooting and lessons learned, fancy dog work, and first-time birds for hunters and dogs were shared among the crowd. Kit Lane, owner, and operator of Clyde Shooting Preserve, provided a game bird cleaning demonstration, and Kelly shared delectable game bird recipes, bringing the experience full circle in field-to-fork fashion.
The Rooster Rally successfully united women through upland bird hunting by providing a positive hunting experience, exposure to hunting with bird dogs, and education on pheasant behavior and wingshooting techniques. Providing these experiences is foundational to Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever as a nationally recognized outdoor education and outreach organization. Fueling a passion for the outdoors and conservation brings a return on investment by encouraging future conservation advocates and leadership.
Local Conservation Organizations Have a Field Day with Dixie Elementary School
Story by Brad Trumbo, published in the Waitsburg Times, Palouse Outdoors Column, December 7th, 2023.
In late October, the Walla Walla County Conservation District (WWCD), Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever (BMPF), and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) hosted Dixie Elementary for a conservation field day. Alison Crowley, Project Manager with the WWCD, leads the WWCD “Conservation Connections” program, which promotes conservation-related outreach and education. As a part of Conservation Connections, Alison led Dixie Elementary School students through completing a riparian habitat project in 2022, and she approached BMPF and WDFW to cooperate on a similar gig this year.
Rain threatened with ominous skies as WDFW Biologist Corrie Thorne Hadley and BMPF volunteers Larry Boe, Eric Hockersmith, George Endicott, and I (Brad Trumbo) eagerly awaited the arrival of the students. The South Fork Coppei Creek tumbled in the background as a damp wind rustled bunchgrasses and whistled through ponderosa pine needles. The crew quickly laid out plants, rakes, and shovels, anticipating plugging in 40 shrubs and seeding native grasses and forbs in a creekside meadow. The moment we finished, the bus arrived carrying 15 enthusiastic third through fifth-grade students, led by Alison and a cadre of the finest educators from Dixie Elementary School.
Hadley kicked off the event with introductions before leading the students down to the creek bottom. There, I dove into a discussion on various native plants and the benefits they provide to a variety of wildlife and pollinator species and the environment. When asked to identify the benefits of native shrubs, a dozen hands shot up among the Dixie Elementary School crowd.
A mix of berry-producing serviceberry, Woods’ rose, golden currant, and blue elderberry were on the species list for the day, and the students learned precisely what benefits they provide.
“The berries provide food for birds,” said a young lady with dark hair wearing a lavender sweater.
“Birds like to nest in shrubs,” said a young man in a camouflage jacket.
“Exactly right,” I replied. “But what about the rose? Do you think wild roses provide any food?”
I pointed to the crimson rose hips, which triggered excited responses. Deer and birds eat rose hips during winter. The fruits reward wildlife with flavor and nutrition; wildlife disperses the seeds.
“What about the rose thorns? Do you think they might protect birds from predators?” I asked.
Not only do shrubs provide good nesting cover for songbirds and other food and cover sources for wildlife, but species like roses provide good protection from predators for songbirds and even small mammals and upland birds when patches grow large enough. Additionally, shrubs in riparian areas provide erosion protection and food and energy to streams by dropping insects and leaf litter.
“Sounds like you all should be teaching me,” I said.
“These are sharp kids!” Alison replied.
“In that case, let’s put some plants in the ground!” I exclaimed.
Splitting the kids into four groups, Corrie, Alison, Eric, and I wandered off in different directions toward small groups of shrubs that we had pre-placed for the students. The group leaders explained how to plant woody species before dropping the shrubs into the ground.
My preferred sequence for planting potted plants is first to remove the pot and check for root binding. Plants grown in a pot for too long will have roots that encircle the root wad and need to be broken free. Once the roots are freed up, I place the plants in the hole on a bed of loose soil, then lightly pack loose soil around the plant’s roots. Woody plants should not be planted below the root crown (where the roots flare out from the main stem into the soil) to avoid stem rot.
The students were familiar with planting potted plants, so we quickly set them free to complete the planting. Small hands worked with alacrity and possessed a clear advantage over adult hands for packing soil around the roots. While planting, each group’s leader used their planting site to explain the importance of choosing good locations. It’s important to pick a site that offers good soil moisture and sunlight and is not directly beneath a tree limb, for example. Clearing around the plant holes helps to reduce competition with other plants and invasive species.
With the initial plantings wrapped up, Corrie gathered everyone back to the middle of the site. Given all that the students had just learned, it was time they put their knowledge to use.
“Everyone, grab some plants and spread out along the downstream end of the property. This time, we want you to pick your own planting sites,” Corrie instructed.
An excited conversation ensued as the kids fanned out along the meadow’s edge. Naturally, the students formed teams with their best buddies, and off they went, searching for open spots in the cottonwood canopy free of invasive species like Himalayan blackberry.
I followed behind with a battery-powered auger and was pleased with the planting sites that the students had chosen. Planting interested them, and they wanted to do the job right. Some students even chose to plant with hand trowels for the full experience and challenge of planting by hand.
With the shrubs in the ground, the conversation turned toward grasslands, invasive species, and reseeding open patches along the hillside above the creek. Again, we discussed the benefits of species diversity and native grasses and flowers, many of which overlap with the woody species. Corrie led the charge, teaching about removing thatch and opening the soil surface with a rake to allow good seed-to-soil contact. Again, the kids broke into groups, taking rakes and seeds and spreading out across the hillside.
Students worked their rakes feverishly and tossed grass seed upon the breeze. The cool, damp morning air had become comfortable due in part to manual labor, but the clouds had thinned, allowing a hint of sunlight to shine upon the shoulders of the students and volunteers.
Everyone enjoyed the seeding activity, but the greatest attraction was a meadow vole that appeared immune to the bustle of a dozen bodies dancing around it as it frenziedly fed. The students gathered to watch the vole at work, tossed seeds for it to snack on, and built a protective thatch fortress where it could eat peacefully.
Alison rounded everyone up as the seed bags were emptied and the morning’s work completed. The students gained a firm grasp on planting techniques and expressed their knowledge of habitat enhancement and restoration benefits for pollinators, wildlife, and the ecosystem. They were so effective that everyone agreed to meet again in the spring of 2024 at a shrub-steppe enhancement site to learn about planting project maintenance and arid land management.
Thanks to the teachers and students at Dixie Elementary School, Alison and the WWCD, Corrie and WDFW, and my fellow BMPF volunteers for making the most of this field day. Events like these are foundational to meeting conservation missions and developing future advocates for the environment and public resources.
“Sharing the Land” and Conservation Values
Published July 6th, 2023 in The Waitsburg Times
Aldo Leopold is known as the visionary behind modern wildlife and habitat management. He understood the connection between ecosystem integrity and wildlife abundance and diversity. Perhaps more important, Leopold understood where and how humans fit into the balance, and how to communicate and connect people with one another and the landscape.
Leopold’s theories on wildlife management needed proving, and in 1931, he found the perfect scenario. While living in Madison, Wisconsin, Leopold met a farmer in Riley, a small farming community nearby, who needed labor and expertise for managing poachers and habitat. Leopold convinced the farmer and 10 other landowners to allow him and a few of his friends to manage the habitat and wildlife in exchange for hunting access. Thus, the Riley Game Cooperative was born.
Many hands and skill sets make property management an easier lift, and over a decade, the Riley Game Cooperative connected Leopold and his city friends to the land and landowners. They saw the fruits of their labor in habitat development and the response of pheasant, bobwhite quail, songbirds, and other wildlife in harmony with a productive farm. The landowners enjoyed this as well with the bonus of Leopold and company controlling illegal trespassing and hunting. Leopold had proven his wildlife management vision which led to his first book “Game Management” in 1933.
Leopold’s teachings have influenced conservationists and wildlife managers Since “Game Management” was published, but his most prominent work is “A Sand County Almanac,” published in 1949, two years after Leopold’s death. Within this book, Leopold shared his vision of “…a widely accepted and implemented set of values based on caring—for people, for land, and for all the connections between them.” The book continues to sell worldwide, is published in 14 languages, and is often a required reading of collegiate-level studies in natural resources and wildlife management.
Doug Duren, a present-day Wisconsin conservationist, is an educated earth scientist, historian, and study of Leopold’s. He operates his family’s 400-acre farm for timber, grass-fed beef, and wildlife. Doug serves as the managing partner for the farm and leads conservation efforts as the farm’s management focus.
Upon Doug assuming the managing partner role, a singular goal to keep the farm economically viable became clear. The required upkeep and cost of labor were untenable for one man, but Doug knew the story of the Riley Game Cooperative well. Doug developed his own vision of a conservation cooperators network connecting landowners, hunters, and access seekers he calls “Sharing the Land,” founded on Leopold’s values of “caring for people, for land, and the connections between them.”
Leopold founded the Riley Game Cooperative on conservation specifically, but Doug has broadened the concept to include wildlife and habitat alongside other farm maintenance needs. Through the Sharing the Land concept, public “access seekers” may provide general and skilled labor in exchange for hunting access. Labor ranges from chores like brush clearing and fence maintenance to skilled carpentry, electrical, masonry, and habitat management. While hunting access is the clear reward for labor, the benefits run far deeper.
Sharing the Land has fostered relationships between Doug and the hunters who volunteer their time, sweat, and skills that help the farm function for both production and conservation. Additionally, the access seekers gain a sense of pride and ownership in their contributions to the farm, which results in deeper gratitude when a game animal from the farm graces their family table. There is no more rewarding experience than playing an active role in the land that provides food for the family.
The Sharing the Land concept has been so successful for Doug that he developed a program to facilitate the process for other landowners, and the demand is there from the hunting populous. Over 60 percent of the US landmass is private land and the large tracts of public land are largely in the Western US. The demand for hunting access coupled with the portfolio of skills required for land and property management makes programs like the Riley Game Cooperative and Sharing the Land viable.
Habitat management is a laborious task, but when facilitated by programs like Sharing the Land, the labor and expertise may be readily available. For this reason, Walla Walla-based Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever (BMPF) hosted Doug Duren and his business partner, Lyndsey, in June to explore Sharing the Land and better understand how BMPF could support the concept’s implementation here in Southeastern Washington. Where public land and public access are at a minimum compared to other parts of the state and the western US.
The Sharing the Land program consists of an online resume system where landowners detail their needs and values and access seekers identify their skills and interests. Doug and Lyndsey vet the resumes to match the access seekers with landowners. BMPF contributes conservation labor and resources to landowners who already provide public access, but Sharing the Land may provide BMPF another avenue to open lands to outdoorsmen and women who seek meaningful recreation opportunities.
Most outdoor enthusiasts carry their own set of conservation values and are willing to care for the land upon which they recreate. Private landowners retain the rights to their land, but Doug reminds us that we cannot achieve success alone, nor can we take the land with us when we go. “It’s not ours, it’s just our turn.” A win-win-win for landowners, outdoor enthusiasts, and the ecosystem may just be attainable through the conservation cooperators network, Sharing the Land.
For more information and to see how the program works, visit www.sharingtheland.com, and share your ideas on program implementation in Southeastern Washington with BMPF via email at bmpf@bmpf258.org.
Doug Duren is a passionate Wisconsin conservationist and founder of “Sharing the Land,” a program developed to connect landowners with outdoor enthusiasts to share land management responsibilities and reap mutual rewards.
Corrie Thorn Hadley Receives 2022 Polaris Habitat Stewardship Award
Each year, we present the Polaris Habitat Stewardship Award to a Chapter volunteer who made a significant contribution to our habitat mission across the year. This year’s Award recipient is Ms. Corrie Thorne Hadley.
Corrie has served the Chapter well over the past decade, playing a proactive role on the Habitat Committee. Corrie has leveraged the Chapter’s partnership with WDFW to identify and channel resources to projects that promise to pay off for wildlife, pollinators, and outdoor recreation. In 2022, she assisted the Chapter with lining up several new projects, and contributed about 1,000 plants and labor to two of the Chapter’s long-term projects. She secured grant funding in addition to WDFW and Chapter funds for mutual projects, and it doesn’t look like she is slowing down any time soon!
Congratulations, and thank you, Corrie!
2022 National Chapter of the Year
See the full list of 2022 National Chapter Award recipients here!
Read the Walla Walla Union Bulletin Story here!
PF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AWARD – BLUE MOUNTAIN CHAPTER
First chartered in 1988, the Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever Chapter #0258 of eastern Washington is one of the most active education and outreach chapters in the country. This small-town chapter, based in Walla Walla, Washington, maintains a solid core team of leaders that coordinate a variety of conservation and education programs that are strongly supported by the surrounding communities.
2022 was a big year for the chapter with stellar youth participation and overwhelming success of the Women on the Wing (WotW) initiative in its inaugural year. Chapter volunteers hosted 23 education and outreach events for youth, adults, and families interested in connecting with the outdoors and learning more about Pheasants Forever. Events included learn-to-shoot, learn-to-hunt, hands on habitat field days, informational clinics and other general community events. In total, these efforts connected with over 450 participants in the calendar year and resulted in 40 new chapter members.
Women on the Wing Hosts Pre-season Upland Hunt
Originally published in The Waitsburg Times, 6 October 2022 (hunter names are fictional)
Smoke hung like a heavy fog in the Palouse River canyon, making for a simultaneously mesmerizing yet apocalyptic scene. The sun itself appeared ablaze, blood-orange behind the smoke as it climbed above the dark basalt bluffs.
Ahead, over Connell, the moon was falling behind the horizon as if retreating from the sun. It too was massive and glowing orange, but confirming that the smoke was less intense over the miles ahead. Good news for the Blue Mountain Pheasant Forever’s first ever Women on the Wing upland hunt – “Girls and Gun Dogs Get Ready”.
Twenty women and their canine companions traveled from as far as La Grande, Oregon to meet September 10th at Limits Game Farm, on the dusty scablands. Hopes were high for tuning up bird-finding skills prior to the October upland hunting seasons.
Three fields were identified and hunter pairs assigned time slots across the morning. My role was to serve as a mentor in any capacity needed, e. g. provide guidance on working and reading young dogs, assistance with new shotguns, coaching on where birds were released, or simply standing by for whatever. Easy enough.
For the 7:00am hunt, I was fortunate to be placed with two young women and a year-old yellow Lab, Gus. While perfectly trained for waterfowl, Gus had never hunted upland birds. This introductory hunt would be a unique experience with an enthusiastic duck dog.
We shuffled down the powder-dry hillside into the coulee where milky green Russian olive rows stood near a cattail wetland to the south. To the north, sagebrush and grassland stretched out of sight. We were to hunt the southern field, so we headed toward the cattails through a small patch of sagebrush.
Dry and dusty are two things counterproductive to success for a bird dog, particularly one who has never hunted upland birds. Birds leave little scent as they move through cover, and that scent vanishes in dry conditions. Additionally, dust and other particles have potential to confuse a dog’s nose. Encountering the bird’s “scent cone” directly is virtually a dog’s only hope in these conditions, and this type of encounter can be abrupt.
Gus’ short casts through the grasses led him near the sagebrush where the first bird of the morning was sitting tight. The bird got up to Gus’ surprise, and the following gunfire clued him into this being an exciting gig. We pressed on to find a second bird, which followed in similar fashion, leaving Gus to sniff the area and ponder his first taste of upland hunting. While a bird never fell for Gus, his introduction to the game was a success.
Later in the morning, I walked the northern field with two women and their experienced pointing dogs – a pudelpointer and a large black and white German shorthaired pointer (GSP). A cloudy trail billowed as the dogs barreled down into the field.
“The first bird will be near the bottom of the road here” I cautioned.
It was after 10:00am and the sun was beating down on the sagebrush strip at somewhere between sixty-five and seventy degrees. The dogs worked the area but the bird was never seen, and such was the case for many birds across the morning.
We pressed on through the field as the two dogs crisscrossed each other’s paths. The black and white GSP streaked one way while the chocolate brown pudelpointer streaked the other. And then it happened. The brute of a GSP locked onto point, and when the pudelpointer crossed behind, it turned in behind the GSP to honor the point. Both dogs stood firm as their gunners eased into position. A striking, swoon-worthy scene, in my humble opinion.
Until this point, I was simply tagging along, taking in the show, but when the bird failed to materialize, I stepped in to assist, leaving the hunters to focus on their dogs and firearms. Both dogs stood confident, certain that the bird was there, but it simply would not move. Dropping to one knee and peering beneath the sagebrush revealed a pheasant sitting tightly, and making eye contact was enough to pressure the bird skyward.
Shots erupted from the sleek over/under twelve-gauge overhead and the GSP soon returned, proudly toting the pheasant to his handler. Ultimately, two birds came to hand, thanks to the skills of the two dogs and snappy shooting.
As the morning concluded, English setters, Norwegian duck tollers, black and yellow Labs (both pointers and flushers), and possibly a Vizsla and Weimaraner had worked birds, in addition to the GSP and pudelpointer. Their skill levels ranged from novice to decorated field trial masters, and the same could be said of their handlers. In the end, everyone endured the trying conditions with aplomb and left the field with a smile, eager for the general upland seasons to open.
Stories of the hunt were shared over a catered lunch, courtesy of the Pheasants Forever Ringold Chapter #656. A gear swap followed that allowed participants to share and equip one another for the upcoming season. Mentors conversed over dog work and hunts to come. And all agreed, the event was a great success.
Women on the Wing embraces and strengthens the bond between hunter, canine, the dazzling upland birds they pursue, and conservation. This hunt was merely the beginning of a legacy for Women on the Wing in Washington State and the women who choose the path to the uplands.
Women on the Wing – Learn to Hunt and Shoot
Press Release published in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin 29 May 2022
The threat of rain didn’t stop twenty-three enthusiastic women from arriving at the Walla Walla Gun Club on April 30th, 2022, for a Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever (BMPF) Women on the Wing (WotW) event that was not to be missed.
The Learn to Hunt and Shoot event was the second in a lineup of events across the calendar year aimed to encourage women to explore upland hunting and provide them with the tools to succeed and experience the enjoyment of the uplands. Additionally, given conservation is the foundation of Pheasants Forever’s missions, habitat identification and enhancement are focal points of the WotW program.
The morning kicked off with discussions led by the WotW Steering Committee on what drew this varied group of conservation leaders into upland hunting, followed by gear, gun dogs, finding good pheasant cover, and the value of conservation.
Guest speaker Corrie Thorne-Hadley, Private Lands Biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), presented her experience being a lady in the field who works one of the most important programs to sportsmen and women – the private lands access program. Corrie works with landowners to enroll their acreage into one of several types of public access including “feel free to hunt”, “hunt by written permission”, and “hunt by reservation”.
Corrie walked the participants through WDFW’s online hunt planner tools and hunt reservation system, and provided insight into the varied signage seen around the private lands open to the public and how to respect those lands, given access is a privilege. In closing, Corrie presented her habitat enhancement duties and cooperation with BMPF to make on-the-ground improvements on local properties.
Throughout the morning, WotW Steering Committee Chair, Kelly Merrick, broke up the discussions with trivia and prizes to those who could answer habitat-related questions such as “What three things do pheasant need to survive”? The answer? Food, water, and shelter – the three basic survival components of all living beings. Kelly used this question to segue into a deeper dive on habitat identification.
The morning concluded with a feast of homemade pheasant stew and brats off the grill, and with their tanks full, the participants moved right into firearms safety and shooting technique training with Bob Bloch of the Walla Walla Gun Club.
Shooting technique is more complicated than just shouldering the gun and squeezing the trigger, suffice it to say that if the eye, barrel, and bead are not all in perfect alignment, target acquisition will suffer. As the participants split into two groups – one experienced and the other inexperienced – trap shooting began under various levels of coaching.
The inexperienced group was afforded one-on-one coaching for proper shoulder placement of the shotgun butt, proper eye alignment down the barrel, and assistance with “picking up” the clay as it sailed straight away from the trap house. For some, the event provided their first clay-shooting experience, while others had never shot at all.
At the end of the day, everyone walked away better equipped and energized for the upcoming upland bird season. Be it wingshooting mechanics, habitat considerations, hunt planning tools, or a combination of all aspects, the Learn to Hunt and Shoot event was a great success.
Join BMPF Saturday June 11th at 10:00am for the WotW Hike for Habitat Scavenger Hunt at Bennington Lake in Walla Walla, WA. Online registration is at Women on the Wing – Hike for Habitat Scavenger: Sat, Jun 11, 2022 (myeventscenter.com). For more information, contact the WotW Committee Chairperson, Kelly Merrick at WOW@bmpf258.org.
2022 Annual Banquet Summary
Blue Mountain Pheasants Forever (BMPF) held its 31st annual fundraiser banquet February 26th, 2022 at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds Pavilion. Per usual, the community offered overwhelming support for the non-profit habitat organization.
Tickets were sold at $90 for a single Pheasants Forever membership with options for guest meals. Meals were capped at 400 and sold out in the week leading up to the event. The combination of having a great time supporting a great cause and enjoying the exquisite catering of A Chef’s Creation once again led to a full house.
The evening’s events kicked off with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, sung by Cadet Lieutenant Kaden Kerr & Cadet First Sergeant Raquelle Justice of the Walla Walla High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) while the Color Guard presented the American flag. Rifle Team Cadet Captain, Cassidy Hanson, followed with a brilliant speech of the JROTC rifle team’s accomplishments, made possible in part by the relationship and support between BMPF and the JROTC.
Concluding the opening ceremony, attendees mingled to the humor of emcee, Scott Beiber, and offered additional support to BMPF through participation in the various raffles and silent and live auctions throughout the night. Ladies shooting and spa packages, fine rifles and shotguns, bird dog training packages, and fine art and wine set an excited tone for those willing to purchase tickets, cast a bid, and take a chance on winning great prizes for a noble cause. The community’s generosity raised $28,052 net funds, which will fund habitat enhancement, youth and women outreach events, and family and member hunting and shooting opportunities.
Thanks to the numerous BMPF donors and sponsors, auctioneer Nick Nelson, the Banquet Committee (Marisa Wachter – Chair, Makaiwi Wachter, Mike Davis, Sheri Davis, Andi Bigler), and the many volunteers that assisted with gathering donations and event setup and takedown, making the 2022 banquet wildly successful!
