Quite a Day
First off, thank you to all those that gave me direction to hunt off of 209. Lady pointed 3 hens (One was being pecked on by a falcon in the middle of a windbreak) and we had two roosters flush. I shot the first hen. Missed on the roosters. If you don't want anymore details that the short of it.
Was sitting eating breakfast watching this rain, and then watched it start to let up. I eagerly decided, "Hey, I am only hunting 4 days this year and there's no room for fair weather hunting" So I packed up the pup and left the other at home hollering. (She is lame and I retired...)
Arrived at the DWG not 10 minutes later. I can tell you one thing straight away... did I ever under estimate the cover! I am 6'9" and the grass was taller than me. That's when I heard a bell, and I thought I should have put a bell on lady. Next thing you know lady ends up 150 yards across the field. If the man and his field lab read this, I am sorry for getting in your way. I am sure you were thinking who is the moron walking straight through a 200 yd wide 5 foot high field. - My goal was to try to push birds out to the edges, and after what seemed like a mile walk though the thick brush it just about took it out of lady and me.
Next we hunted a hedgerow next to corn and the "brier" was thick. Sticker bushes every where. Lady was born with nothing on her belly and I had forgotten her vest. Needless to say she was miserable and avoided the stickers.
Finally we got to some lower switch back grass, and the field had strips of cover about 15-20 yards wide. This went on for around 20 -30 strips. We started up at the top and hunted into the wind. Lady got pretty birdy and then FROZE, looking into the treeline. I approach told her to get it up and she moved in and a falcon came ripping out of the trees. I said good girl but she would not leave the trees. She finally found a dead hen the falcon had taken. Leaving the hen, not more than 15 steps out of the trees, lady rushed into the grass and again froze. I walked behind, whispered "gettem up". She obeyed and flushed a hen. I do not like to take hens, but I wanted to bring a bird home to my daughter, to teach her about birds, why we hunt, and how to clean them. So in this hen and rooster area, I took a hen.
The next point we where walking down a road, grass on one side trees and thick, stickery brier on the left. Next think I know, lady rushes in to the stickers about 10 yards and freezes. I get in position say the magic words an out bust a hen; strong and quick! (With the exception of the first hen, these birds reminded me of wild pheasants and not the stocked I am used to.) I do not shoot, given its a hen.
Lady was cold, tired and the stickers where taking effect. We decided to walk the roads back to the car. Half way we slipped down to the river, where lady was birdy as could be. We kept going, but nothing. She continued to work and work up the hill. Finally we got to a spot we could get up with out slipping in the mud. No sooner did we crest to the fielded plateau then a rooster flushed. As surprised as I was I didn't get a shot off. Put the gun back on safe and another chatter-driven rooster sprung. I threw some shot at it but to no avail. Surrounded by thick brier, we decided not to pursue. Instead, I did my ol pup a good one and carried her through the mess. And we slowly made are way back to the car. Time to rest, lick our wounds and contemplate another show down tomorrow. Loved being out, Love my dog, and loved hearing those roosters cackle!
