A windsept shortgrass prairie full of cholla, prickly pear, soapweed yucca, blue grama and buffalo grasses, prairie sage wort and junipers were the settings for a great day of chasing scaled quail in the canyon lands of eastern Colorado.  Our first solo trip for the season.  A time to run my 6 month old coverdog setter (a Pennstar prodigy) with her sister on wild coveys…a time to get educated on birds.

Not a soul on the prairie except for the lonely rancher that stopped to check on his scrub cattle…we chatted about his love for this country and how he inherited this lifestyle from his father years ago.  He talked of how modern technology like a drone could improve his quality of work & lifestyle on the prairie by checking on his cattle and stock tanks miles away from the nearest road.

The wind howled and my thoughts were of ghosts of native Coloradoans on the prairie before the Spaniards came in search of cities of gold…before settlers scratched out a meager living on these shortgrass prairies…a time when life was simple.  I love these shortgrass prairies and canyon lands and have a kindered spirit with the ranchers and families that call them HOME.

Cinder got education on wild running scaled quail today.  We found several nice coveys and even poked a few in the bag.  No points just yet…but I saw her excitement and intensity.  It’ll come in good time…just need to be patient and loving.
Day dreaming of my return!  Until then…
Setter Feathers