Another ,"see if you can find the dog",picture. Hint:10:00 left
This photo was taken on December 25, but it will give you some idea of what happened. Today it was overcast. I parked right where the trees come up to the road. The ditch is out of the picture to the right. We eventually hunted clear to the trees that are just a thin dark line in the distance. We then walked down the county road back to the pickup. The picture makes it look like quite a walk, but the whole hunt was less than 2 miles. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I spent most of the day hanging nets, but I felt like I had to get out at least an hour before dark. A five minute drive got me back to the same area where I had taken my son-in-law Tim on Christmas day.
Because of the wind direction, I approached it from west to east, which was the opposite of the last time I was there. We plunged into the patch of short, planted fir trees that you can see in the picture. Almost immediately the dogs were on good scent. Twenty seconds later I saw two birds flush out of the bottom of the planting of trees near the drain ditch 100 yards away. They flew downwind to our right. We hunted down through the trees to the ditch, rather than go with our game plan. We followed the birds.
The dogs were running in stubble next to the deep grass of the creek bottom, then jumped into good cover to hunt. Juneau would run out to the limit of her allowed range, then hunt back upwind. Lilly was doing the same thing but in smaller bites.
After a few minutes of this, Lilly snapped around on to a solid point. Juneau, who had run past the bird, spotted Lilly, then ran back to join her. It was a heart-warming sight. My two dogs locked up broadside to me, waiting. I thought about what a great picture this would make, when I realized that I had forgotten the camera.
I walked up, took one step into the tall grass, and out exploded a rooster. I calmly dropped him with one shot. Both dogs jumped the creek, then Lilly made the retrieve back across the water. When she gets to water she is very calculated and thoughtful. I've never seen her swim with a bird in her mouth. She always finds a place where she can wade, or cross on a bridge.
It's not often that everything comes together so nicely. For the three days before this, I had hunted hard and gotten no shots, but remained very philosophical about it. Now that I was carrying a rooster in my vest, I realize that for a hunter, there is nothing as fulfilling as a well executed point, shot, and retrieve. Walking around enjoying the exercise and view is fine, but is not quite enough.
Because of the wind direction, I approached it from west to east, which was the opposite of the last time I was there. We plunged into the patch of short, planted fir trees that you can see in the picture. Almost immediately the dogs were on good scent. Twenty seconds later I saw two birds flush out of the bottom of the planting of trees near the drain ditch 100 yards away. They flew downwind to our right. We hunted down through the trees to the ditch, rather than go with our game plan. We followed the birds.
The dogs were running in stubble next to the deep grass of the creek bottom, then jumped into good cover to hunt. Juneau would run out to the limit of her allowed range, then hunt back upwind. Lilly was doing the same thing but in smaller bites.
After a few minutes of this, Lilly snapped around on to a solid point. Juneau, who had run past the bird, spotted Lilly, then ran back to join her. It was a heart-warming sight. My two dogs locked up broadside to me, waiting. I thought about what a great picture this would make, when I realized that I had forgotten the camera.
I walked up, took one step into the tall grass, and out exploded a rooster. I calmly dropped him with one shot. Both dogs jumped the creek, then Lilly made the retrieve back across the water. When she gets to water she is very calculated and thoughtful. I've never seen her swim with a bird in her mouth. She always finds a place where she can wade, or cross on a bridge.
It's not often that everything comes together so nicely. For the three days before this, I had hunted hard and gotten no shots, but remained very philosophical about it. Now that I was carrying a rooster in my vest, I realize that for a hunter, there is nothing as fulfilling as a well executed point, shot, and retrieve. Walking around enjoying the exercise and view is fine, but is not quite enough.
A short time later we came to a fenceline. I then turned back into the wind finished the hunt as planned.
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