mstand
Member
Dmac was nice enough to invite me and the hounds to some ground he has close to home. He had been seeing good numbers and thought this would be a good hunt. Truthfully I was kinda skeptical because with large numbers, comes more eyes. But, I am game for any invite.
We get there and this is the first thing that greets us!
Man, my heart jumped! We made ourselves real visible and allowed the birds to move off into a slough. I though this would be how we would get them.................They had other ideas. :-(
So we move to another piece of property and birds are getting up everywhere. But as I said. More bodies equals more eyes. We couldnt get close. On our way back to the truck we check a small tree line that has fallen timber and that long prairie kind of grass. Max goes on point and is holding it for a good long time. I get there and he moves off a bit and starts to search again. But he is acting like something is moving under the grass.
Earlier, we had run into enough bunnies to keep a houndsman happy. So, owning a V-dog I knew the chances where good that this was the case. As Max moves off, Dmac said that I had a rabbit heading my way. I shrug it off and he and I meet up for a quick chat to gather our next plan of attack.
About that time Max's alarm goes off and he is on point again just 5 ft from us. Abby, my old lady, comes in and goes on point with Max. SO now I know there is something there. I tell Dmac to be ready. I go in and kick around, stomp around................nothing. SO now we both have our gaurd down..............Another rabbit! I get behing my female and I nudge her with my foot! "Get em Abby! Get em!" Expecting a rabbit.
Abby lunges int to the matted grasses ad out pops a rooster!
I had just enough time for th thoughts to run through my head that there was NO way I was going to make this shot. I was off gaurd and in a wooded area. It was more like a grouse hunt in the position I was in. Yet, I owed it to the hounds to try. I raise the Citori in such haste that all I managed to hit was the unfortunate tree that the bird glided by. Now, I knew I was behind and was worried that I would not get him. This time I took a deep breath and waited for him to swing around the tree and into the clear before squeezing off the last round.
WHen I lowered my gun, I could see that I must have just winged him. He was in a panic and looking for a place to run too, but it was to late and he knew it. Max was coming at him from one direction and Abby from the other.
The rest of the day was much of the same...............minus the bird in the bag. It was a good time and it is always good to see the birds on the rebound.
I hope this wasnt my last wild hunt of the year, but if it was, what better way to end it then with good dogs, great friends and a bird in the bag.
Where he was hiding.
We get there and this is the first thing that greets us!
Man, my heart jumped! We made ourselves real visible and allowed the birds to move off into a slough. I though this would be how we would get them.................They had other ideas. :-(
So we move to another piece of property and birds are getting up everywhere. But as I said. More bodies equals more eyes. We couldnt get close. On our way back to the truck we check a small tree line that has fallen timber and that long prairie kind of grass. Max goes on point and is holding it for a good long time. I get there and he moves off a bit and starts to search again. But he is acting like something is moving under the grass.
Earlier, we had run into enough bunnies to keep a houndsman happy. So, owning a V-dog I knew the chances where good that this was the case. As Max moves off, Dmac said that I had a rabbit heading my way. I shrug it off and he and I meet up for a quick chat to gather our next plan of attack.
About that time Max's alarm goes off and he is on point again just 5 ft from us. Abby, my old lady, comes in and goes on point with Max. SO now I know there is something there. I tell Dmac to be ready. I go in and kick around, stomp around................nothing. SO now we both have our gaurd down..............Another rabbit! I get behing my female and I nudge her with my foot! "Get em Abby! Get em!" Expecting a rabbit.
Abby lunges int to the matted grasses ad out pops a rooster!
I had just enough time for th thoughts to run through my head that there was NO way I was going to make this shot. I was off gaurd and in a wooded area. It was more like a grouse hunt in the position I was in. Yet, I owed it to the hounds to try. I raise the Citori in such haste that all I managed to hit was the unfortunate tree that the bird glided by. Now, I knew I was behind and was worried that I would not get him. This time I took a deep breath and waited for him to swing around the tree and into the clear before squeezing off the last round.
WHen I lowered my gun, I could see that I must have just winged him. He was in a panic and looking for a place to run too, but it was to late and he knew it. Max was coming at him from one direction and Abby from the other.
The rest of the day was much of the same...............minus the bird in the bag. It was a good time and it is always good to see the birds on the rebound.
I hope this wasnt my last wild hunt of the year, but if it was, what better way to end it then with good dogs, great friends and a bird in the bag.
Where he was hiding.
. so it looks like this is how my wild bird season ends. febuary and march will be the local hunt club.