TimJ
Well-known member
Had to take Deuce out today to burn some energy off of him. Yeah it sucks but it just has to be done. 
We have been running into some birds lately but I haven't been shooting too well. The main reason for no photos for a couple weeks. I keep meaning to carry the camera along to get photos in the field but with the rains we had this year the cover is extra thick. Not the most fun to walk through with a heavy camera around your neck.
Well today we tried a new piece of cover for us. It's a large Walk In Area with some marshy areas in it. We hadn't gone too far in when a hen busted out. Shortly after that we ran into our first rooster. Deuce tracked it and turned it back at me. It flushed and my poor shooting continued. We went a little farther and once again a hen flushed. Just a few yards after that I flushed a rooster that was down wind of Deuce. I dropped this one with one shot and Deuce found it. It was a nice big rooster, mostly we have been seeing very young birds.
We walked a long ways after that bird until we saw another. While Deuce was cutting through some cattails I could hear a couple pheasants running ahead of him. It seems like every time I am prepared for these runners they end up being hens. That was the case once again, two hens.
Now we were getting to that magic time when walking heavy cover. Sundown was coming soon and roosters could be heard in the distance cackling. We topped a small knoll and once again we had a bird flush wild about 20 yards from Deuce. It was a cackling rooster laughing at our feeble attempt. Deuce didn't give up circling down wind of where that bird got up. Sure enough he snaps into a point. I walked towards the point and up flies a hen. Figures she would hold. We had one more hen get up in that area before we high tailed it to one last area that looked good.
As we came along side an overgrown pond Deuce is clearly tracking a running bird, yes running pheasants seems to be the rule this year. He is on it for over 50 yards when the trail turns to the right and then back at me. Tricky bird doesn't know he has a tracking fool on his heels. Deuce flashed a point then moves ahead and flashes into another point. I know the bird is close now and there is almost no chance it will hold for long. I take a few steps towards him only to have a rooster erupt out of the switchgrass in front of me. I miss the first easy shot but now it is straight away and drops at my second shot. I hear a splash as it hits in the pond. Deuce is on it right away and sort of makes his first water retrieve, almost making this waterfowl related. haha I check the time after I take the bird from him and it is 2 minutes until sunset. Good job pup, that's enough.
Tim
We have been running into some birds lately but I haven't been shooting too well. The main reason for no photos for a couple weeks. I keep meaning to carry the camera along to get photos in the field but with the rains we had this year the cover is extra thick. Not the most fun to walk through with a heavy camera around your neck.
Well today we tried a new piece of cover for us. It's a large Walk In Area with some marshy areas in it. We hadn't gone too far in when a hen busted out. Shortly after that we ran into our first rooster. Deuce tracked it and turned it back at me. It flushed and my poor shooting continued. We went a little farther and once again a hen flushed. Just a few yards after that I flushed a rooster that was down wind of Deuce. I dropped this one with one shot and Deuce found it. It was a nice big rooster, mostly we have been seeing very young birds.
We walked a long ways after that bird until we saw another. While Deuce was cutting through some cattails I could hear a couple pheasants running ahead of him. It seems like every time I am prepared for these runners they end up being hens. That was the case once again, two hens.
Now we were getting to that magic time when walking heavy cover. Sundown was coming soon and roosters could be heard in the distance cackling. We topped a small knoll and once again we had a bird flush wild about 20 yards from Deuce. It was a cackling rooster laughing at our feeble attempt. Deuce didn't give up circling down wind of where that bird got up. Sure enough he snaps into a point. I walked towards the point and up flies a hen. Figures she would hold. We had one more hen get up in that area before we high tailed it to one last area that looked good.
As we came along side an overgrown pond Deuce is clearly tracking a running bird, yes running pheasants seems to be the rule this year. He is on it for over 50 yards when the trail turns to the right and then back at me. Tricky bird doesn't know he has a tracking fool on his heels. Deuce flashed a point then moves ahead and flashes into another point. I know the bird is close now and there is almost no chance it will hold for long. I take a few steps towards him only to have a rooster erupt out of the switchgrass in front of me. I miss the first easy shot but now it is straight away and drops at my second shot. I hear a splash as it hits in the pond. Deuce is on it right away and sort of makes his first water retrieve, almost making this waterfowl related. haha I check the time after I take the bird from him and it is 2 minutes until sunset. Good job pup, that's enough.
Tim
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