Pace maker

Holy cow, it’s hot out there. The temperature gauge says it’s only 79 degrees, but it feels more like 90. The dogs and I were on the mountain at 8 and my truck said it was a cool 44 degrees as we headed up the hill. Sad thing was we were going to be on a southeastern slope most of the morning, and unless a cloud appeared from nowhere, we were going to be in the sun all morning.

The boys started with their usual excitement and covered the hills sniffing hard for a scent of chukar. Once before they could get the scent, a covey busted and flew down the slope helping keep both me and the pups excited. But it wasn’t long before they both were stopping in the shade of a sage bush waiting for me to squirt some water in their mouths. A little refreshment and off they went in search of the elusive chukar.

They found a few coveys that would hold and I found a way to see through the sweat in my eyes to down some birds. There was more excitement for the boys to get the birds to me and out of their mouths than most hunts. Today they just wanted to get those feathers out of their mouths and get a good shot of H2O and maybe find some shade before starting all over.

I don’t know if it’s because of the tall cover this year, or there just has been that much dust everywhere, but you can actually see dust flying off the brush as the dogs run through it. My pants are covered with dust and pollen after a hunting trip. I know the dogs sneeze much more this year than in the past. 3 hours is about the max in the field for them right now. By that time they have gone through 2 gallons of water. My pack is lighter, but the dogs are through by the time we return to the rig.

But through it all I found a device that helps me get up the hill quicker. I’ve had it for quite a few years but never used it a such. I now have a pace maker. As I’ve gotten older my hearing doesn’t hear as well over my heavy breathing. At times I don’t hear that the boys are on point. So I get a pouch that sits over my chest about where my heart is. It straps to my vest. I’ve redone my Alpha to tone and vibrate when the dogs have treed their quarry. After they have been on point for 30 seconds or so I feel a vibration over my heart and I know it is time to pick up the pace in the direction I last saw them. Yes, I could remove the Alpha from the pouch and look to where they are, but I’m too tired for any extra movement.

I knew that with my lifestyle I might some day need a pacemaker but I never knew it would come in the form of a hunting device. Now I Just keep my Alpha close to my heart and it tells me when to pick up the pace.

Be careful out in the heat.