My parents made the long trip last week for their yearly visit, so Dad and I were able to get out and hunt roosters.* Dad has killed several pheasants on a state put-and-take hunt in Illinois but never hunted wild roosters.*
The dog work on our first day out was far from what I wanted, but I expected it considering this was their first hunt of the season.* The 2 year old Griff, Kassie, was so excited that she was shaking when I got her out of the box.* She pointed a hen 50 feet from the truck and lost all composure after the flush.* She may have gotten away with covering ground that fast if it had been the first day of the season, but we were on block management that had been hit hard for four days already.* The older WPG, Cash, just turned 9, so his excitement is more manageable.* However, he was doing his best to keep up with the girl. (I take full responsibility for Kassie?s over excitement.* I?ve not spent enough time working with the 2 year old this spring and summer to balance her excitement with solid discipline.)*
By mid-morning the dogs had both regained their senses and were working at a pace that my dad could keep up with.* Dad is 71 and his ankles and feet bother him quite a bit, so he moves at a lot slower pace than I?d normally move.* He?d have been better off if I?d have just left Kassie at home, but I?m not sure that she?d have forgiven me.
We didn?t walk away with as many roosters as I?d have liked, but we had a good hunt together and made some memories.* We ended up with several good solid points and retrieves from Cash over the three morning hunt.* Kassie had several good points herself, that resulted in one missed rooster by Dad on the first morning and an unrecovered rooster by me on the last morning.* (I?d like to blame it on her inexperience, but it?s as much my poor shot as her inexperience.)* She also did a fine job of finding a rooster that managed to fly 100 plus yards when Dad connected after a point from Cash.* Kassie held a solid point on a whitetail doe that scared us both half to death when it jumped from the alfalfa. (Maybe she?ll recognize that scent next time.)* There was a good shot or two made as well as a display or two of poor shooting.* I also managed to kill a rooster with my grandfather?s old Model 12 16 gauge that I brought home over the summer.
Dad with a couple roosters
Model 12 rooster
Early morning
The dog work on our first day out was far from what I wanted, but I expected it considering this was their first hunt of the season.* The 2 year old Griff, Kassie, was so excited that she was shaking when I got her out of the box.* She pointed a hen 50 feet from the truck and lost all composure after the flush.* She may have gotten away with covering ground that fast if it had been the first day of the season, but we were on block management that had been hit hard for four days already.* The older WPG, Cash, just turned 9, so his excitement is more manageable.* However, he was doing his best to keep up with the girl. (I take full responsibility for Kassie?s over excitement.* I?ve not spent enough time working with the 2 year old this spring and summer to balance her excitement with solid discipline.)*
By mid-morning the dogs had both regained their senses and were working at a pace that my dad could keep up with.* Dad is 71 and his ankles and feet bother him quite a bit, so he moves at a lot slower pace than I?d normally move.* He?d have been better off if I?d have just left Kassie at home, but I?m not sure that she?d have forgiven me.
We didn?t walk away with as many roosters as I?d have liked, but we had a good hunt together and made some memories.* We ended up with several good solid points and retrieves from Cash over the three morning hunt.* Kassie had several good points herself, that resulted in one missed rooster by Dad on the first morning and an unrecovered rooster by me on the last morning.* (I?d like to blame it on her inexperience, but it?s as much my poor shot as her inexperience.)* She also did a fine job of finding a rooster that managed to fly 100 plus yards when Dad connected after a point from Cash.* Kassie held a solid point on a whitetail doe that scared us both half to death when it jumped from the alfalfa. (Maybe she?ll recognize that scent next time.)* There was a good shot or two made as well as a display or two of poor shooting.* I also managed to kill a rooster with my grandfather?s old Model 12 16 gauge that I brought home over the summer.
Dad with a couple roosters
Model 12 rooster
Early morning
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