Dry Hollow Ranch
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| Interesting Links City of Pomeroy State of Washington, Hunting State of Washington, Fishing Fish Counts, E. WA. and Idaho WA. State Hunter Safety On Line Hunting Licenses Hunter Reports Special Hunt Applications | Umatilla National Forest Wooten Wildlife Area Forest Recreation |
Winter Newsletter
Hello Hunters & Friends!
We’d like to take this opportunity to Thank you for your business, friendship, and kindness this past year. The Ranch has grown with good people staying with us, and word of mouth advertising between guests. These printed words can’t begin to convey the emotion with which we express our gratitude for you all…THANK YOU SO MUCH.
We hope this letter finds you warm, happy, healthy, and enjoying the slower season. I wonder how many spouses got a new shotgun and shells this year? We know a guy who wrapped a pair of new western boots for his wife for Christmas. When she opened the gift, she said “Oh, thank you but they are too big for my feet.” He said he couldn’t understand how that error happened, but when he tried them on HIS feet, they fit just right so he kept them. True Story!
The dogs and I had 3 points, separate days, on badger this past hunting season. Yes, I said BADGER. Those cranky little varmits are sure a package of meanness. Luckily the pups figgured out the danger of the hunt, and cautiously approached them so they didn’t get hurt. The points were a little “different” looking, and by the third day it happened, I was able to tell them to leave the game without getting close to the striped, squatty fella with big teeth. I like them better at a distance!
We had a low key deer hunting season. There were miles walked, a blister or two, beautiful sunny fall days, and good stories around the dinner table. We managed to have a mule deer hanging the first day, and a couple of good effort shots on a white-tailed buck. Venison stew on a cold winters day is still our favorite.
I got to try out our Little German dog “Boone” and his natural ability to blood trail game. After field dressing a buck, I returned to the area from where I first shot. I took him on a leash to where I knew the wounded deer had crossed, and didn’t give him any commands, just waited to see what would happen. He nearly pulled my arm out of the socket! Like a very strong magnetic field, he was off like he couldn’t stop himself. Amazing! He over-ran the track on a sharp corner, then picked it up without another lose all the way to the carcass, about 400 yards. Many times, there were no visible drops of blood. The Germans have bred these versatile dogs for years to assist them in locating wounded game. They even test the dogs with a 20 or 40 hour old blood trail. I am glad I tested his ability, and now will be quite confident in his tracking, should we ever need it. I just hate to lose crippled game. This doesn’t fall into the category of hunting deer with dogs, as long as the dog is leashed and you have no weapon. However, if you are tracking a wounded animal that will need to be dispatched upon location, that might be a “gray area” of the law in this state. I always “break” my dogs from running live deer early in their education, but this blood trailing is a different category for their nose work.
Thank you Jerry and Steve S. for the muddy boot scraper and shop vac for the Bunkhouse. Those guys have been great at thinking of things to make everyone’s stay a little nicer at the Ranch. Jeff T. donated some videos for our collection too. Jayson H. sent us some new reading material. All your thoughtfulness is much appreciated. Just a reminder, we have moved the video library to the back porch in the Farmhouse Lodge for everyone. There are some hunting videos, old westerns, and modern flicks for your viewing pleasure when it is too dark to be out hunting. We still have the $3 credit per VHS, if you want to get rid of old movies.
Gary retired Oct. 1st, and has been happily (for me) underfoot at the Ranch. He worked for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for 36 years. We moved on the Tucannon River in 1995, where he managed the W.T. Wooten Wildlife Area until his retirement. Since that station had housing, he only got to come home weekends. And weekends mean Team Roping Jackpots & Rodeos…so…he wasn’t around the Ranch much. Many of our guests teased about Gary being make-believe, but maybe now some of you will finally meet the Ol’ Cowboy. Retirement has taken on a whole new meaning for Gary. He is working harder around the Ranch than he ever did while he was employed! He gets less pay, and longer hours here at Dry Hollow!! Lucky Guy!
I was lucky enough to have a few “magic” days hunting this past season. You know the ones? I’m referring to perfect dog work, honored pointing, collapsed shot technicolor roosters, and amazing retrieves. They may be few and far between, and not all occurring on the same day, but they are worth the wait when they do happen! I always call them a GIFT day. The ones that stand out in my mind for a long time afterward, and still bring a smile memory. When my legs no longer can stand the uphill walks, I will think back on the GIFT days. I will re-tell the stories over and over to the grandkids and smile because they won’t be able to shut me up (I’ll pretend I’m deaf). For now, I will look forward to more hunting, in hopes for another GIFT day.
Don’t forget to sign up for the Annual Pheasant Tail Feather jackpot for 2006. The $5 entry fee will be divided between the winners of 1.) The longest tail feather and 2.) The most black bars on a rooster tail feather. That is $10 for both separate contests, but you can only enter one if you’d rather. The sign up will be posted on the office wall at the Ranch. To enter, phone and leave a message, or email a note to [email protected] to let us know you are IN, mail or drop off the entry fee whenever you are hunting in the area. It’s easy! It should be FUN to see those long tails!
Classifieds
| Stud dog. AKC German Wirehaired Pointer. Good Bloodlines & Handsome. $500 or pick of litter pup. Call George Norris, Heppner Oregon 541-676-9962 German Shorthaired PUPS for sale. Good Stock. Call Mick & Linda Scott 509-843-3088 Pleasant Valley Kennels Reservations now accepted for fall 2006. Bunkhouse $60/night & Farmhouse Lodge $120/night. RV hookups are $300 for the entire upland season. Check the bottom of this information page for lodging availability for 2006. ‘95 Prowler camper. 26 ft. with 24 ft. awning. Microwave, AC, TV hookups. Large shower. Couch makes into bed. Double propane tanks. Excellent condition. Valued at $6,525 but Asking $5,500 OBO. More details call Laurie 509-386-7007 or Rick 520-5434 Gift Certificates for birds or lodging at Dry Hollow Ranch, for that hard to please hunter. Phone or email us and we will mail one to your gift recipient. 509-843-3892 SPECIAL HUNT DEAL…We are running a Harvest Special #2 on a gamebird hunting package. It consists of 10 pheasant roosters, and 12 chukar released the morning of your hunt, for $375. Bring as many guns, dogs and friends as you like, for a whole day of Ranch hunting. Tired of walking a zillion miles? This is a more “sure” thing. |
*Classified ads are free. Next Newsletter comes out in March if you have anything to sell, want to purchase, hunting partners needed for a dream trip etc. We limit the meet-a-date ads to family members only – ha ha!
Our Dog, Boone, can’t walk and chew at the same time. I’ve noticed this every evening for the past several months, but now have clinically diagnosed his condition to “Delayed Owners Gratitude”, or DOG for short. Here’s the program he has me trained for…Just prior to bed-time we do and entire yard survey for the perfect pee spot. I discretely watch while the sniffing and selection process takes place, but usually give him some privacy while he waters the chosen shrub. No problems thus far. Now the set-up… He vanishes in the darkened recesses for a last minute-pre-bedtime hunt. The prey is usually limited to tweetie birds roosting in juniper bushes ,who screech out and flap into the blackness, or a freshly dug field mouse. I empathize with them but hey, a bird dog takes what he can get! I allow a certain amount of time for these nightly rituals, governed entirely by outside temperatures and my clothing selection. To persuade obedience, I hand a dog biscuit to pup when he returns. A classic case of “Delayed Owners Gratitude”! He slowly crumbles the biscuit, like it may be his last one, and thoroughly enjoys every morsel while my teeth chatter and I mumble to myself. Welcome to the world of dogs.
BUNKHOUSE RESERVATIONS
| Reserved Available |
| February 2006 – Bunkhouse | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10Smith | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17Werst | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | ||||
| March 2006 – Bunkhouse | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7Poorman | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
| April 2006 – Bunkhouse | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | ||||||
| May 2006 – Bunkhouse | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
Closed June, July, August
| September 2006 – Bunkhouse | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28McKinney | 29 | 30 |
| October 2006 – Bunkhouse | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20Conroy | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27Schroder | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 | ||||
| November 2006 – Bunkhouse | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3Shook | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10Conroy | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||
| December 2006 – Bunkhouse | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | ||||||
FARMHOUSE LODGE RESERVATIONS
| Reserved Available |
| February 2006 – Lodge | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17Taylor | 18 |
| 19Dmitriev | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24McCollum | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | ||||
| March 2006 – Lodge | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7Poorman | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
| April 2006 – Lodge | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14Schroeder | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | ||||||
| May 2006 – Lodge | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
| September 2006 – Lodge | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 30 | ||||||
| October 2006 – Lodge | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20West | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26Short | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 | ||||
| November 2006 – Lodge | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2Turner | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8Taylor | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24Schroeder | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||
| December 2006 – Lodge | ||||||
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26Schroeder | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | ||||||
