Shorthair Hunters
Member
Week 9 already, where is this season going?
Saturday morning finds us starting at our usual WIA with cloud cover and a slight breeze with 16 degree temps. With excited dogs covering the still good cover we only pushed one hen out of her hiding spot. We headed to the next WIA where about halfway through the field the two labs flushed the early morning rooster up and back towards us splitting the two of us which turned out to be a bad decision as both my cousin and I pelted him on both sides. Once the bird found its way into my cousins game bag we started pushing on only to have the labs flush another rooster flying left to right out in front of me but I was just behind it with my shots so we continued towards the road where we turned east for a bit then back south. With the sound of a bird taking flight I turned to see my cousin make a nice going away shot on his second bird of the day, with me literally stepping right beside a hen that busted giving me a good thrill, if only it was a rooster. Walking the east edge of the field produced one rooster running on us but took flight towards my cousin but was able to avoid his shots.
After our morning conversation with the land owner we headed out to the wheat field where we had several nice points with hens fleeing their hiding spots. This was the first time this year we did not put up a rooster in this field but was nice to see all the hens. We headed over to a crop circle corner where just as we turned to walk by the cut corn Orley pointed; not a hard point so as I was kind of ready for a bird but I thought she was not quite sure where the bird was so when the rooster flushed coming from right to left I was quick to mount my 20 gauge and take my first bird of the day. We finished the corner and headed north through the wheat crossing the access road and into another crop circle corner where the dogs got birdy at the fields point flushing a rooster which my cousin hit but not knocking it down. We watched the bird fly and fly and fly figuring it was gone then just as you could barely see it the bird turned skyward like a jet fighter, I start yelling "its dying its dying" then as the rooster life left him he rolled over and fell to the ground. We saw this same thing happen on the first bird of the season opening morning so when he went straight up we knew he was done. So we started the very long walk into the cut corn and after about 400 yards I saw what I thought was a bird in between the corn rows and it was just that, we found it. I didn't think we would have found it being so far from us so that was a great find knowing it would not go to waste.
Turning back south again heading towards the truck just about 30 yards to the edge of the field my second rooster just couldn't stay hidden in the wheat. 3 birds for my cousin and 2 for me, one more so lets head over to the pump and try that end of the field, we seem to do good over there. With a quick drive to the pump we jumped out of the truck and with my cousin playing guild we joked about getting the last bird with in a 100 yards of the truck again like we have done a few time already this year. Well it wasn't a 100 yards but more like 50 and out he came with my cousin yelling "rooster" and a single shot ringing out. 1:30 in the afternoon and we are done for this week, so after photos and talks about how this year has been our best year we headed for home.
Saturday morning finds us starting at our usual WIA with cloud cover and a slight breeze with 16 degree temps. With excited dogs covering the still good cover we only pushed one hen out of her hiding spot. We headed to the next WIA where about halfway through the field the two labs flushed the early morning rooster up and back towards us splitting the two of us which turned out to be a bad decision as both my cousin and I pelted him on both sides. Once the bird found its way into my cousins game bag we started pushing on only to have the labs flush another rooster flying left to right out in front of me but I was just behind it with my shots so we continued towards the road where we turned east for a bit then back south. With the sound of a bird taking flight I turned to see my cousin make a nice going away shot on his second bird of the day, with me literally stepping right beside a hen that busted giving me a good thrill, if only it was a rooster. Walking the east edge of the field produced one rooster running on us but took flight towards my cousin but was able to avoid his shots.
After our morning conversation with the land owner we headed out to the wheat field where we had several nice points with hens fleeing their hiding spots. This was the first time this year we did not put up a rooster in this field but was nice to see all the hens. We headed over to a crop circle corner where just as we turned to walk by the cut corn Orley pointed; not a hard point so as I was kind of ready for a bird but I thought she was not quite sure where the bird was so when the rooster flushed coming from right to left I was quick to mount my 20 gauge and take my first bird of the day. We finished the corner and headed north through the wheat crossing the access road and into another crop circle corner where the dogs got birdy at the fields point flushing a rooster which my cousin hit but not knocking it down. We watched the bird fly and fly and fly figuring it was gone then just as you could barely see it the bird turned skyward like a jet fighter, I start yelling "its dying its dying" then as the rooster life left him he rolled over and fell to the ground. We saw this same thing happen on the first bird of the season opening morning so when he went straight up we knew he was done. So we started the very long walk into the cut corn and after about 400 yards I saw what I thought was a bird in between the corn rows and it was just that, we found it. I didn't think we would have found it being so far from us so that was a great find knowing it would not go to waste.
Turning back south again heading towards the truck just about 30 yards to the edge of the field my second rooster just couldn't stay hidden in the wheat. 3 birds for my cousin and 2 for me, one more so lets head over to the pump and try that end of the field, we seem to do good over there. With a quick drive to the pump we jumped out of the truck and with my cousin playing guild we joked about getting the last bird with in a 100 yards of the truck again like we have done a few time already this year. Well it wasn't a 100 yards but more like 50 and out he came with my cousin yelling "rooster" and a single shot ringing out. 1:30 in the afternoon and we are done for this week, so after photos and talks about how this year has been our best year we headed for home.
