Rendezvous at the Haymarsh

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

One of the best benefits of PCGA membership is the fellowship of persons with like minds. I can’t tell you how many new friends I’ve never met via this forum. Regardless of our distant locations we exchange information, photos, thoughts, and opinions via these forums, email, telephone, and at Side by Side shoots such as the Southern, Hausmann’s Hidden Hollow, the old and new U.P. shoots, and at local shoots such as at Lapeer Michigan, Major Waldron’s, and many others. Sometimes however it’s great to get together to use our side by side’s for their original intent, hunting birds.

Those of us who build fine collections of Parkers and other doubles do so by work on our collecting and even more so, by work in our professions to build the capital for acquisitions of fine guns. Then if one considers family obligations and so on there leaves precious little time to hunt with distant doublegun friends. Finding a date that would work for everyone’s schedule was tough but Rich the Crusty Old B’tard, Brad Bachelder the gunsmith, Jeff Kuss the moderator, and I could hunt together was though. We selected the Saturday after Christmas and Rich offered to host the hunt at Haymarsh Hunt Club near Morey Michigan. The Haymarsh lies 45 minutes from Rich and Brad’s, but from opposite directions. The same for Jeff and I but make that near three and a half east and southwesterly distant.

Jeff and I arrived early at Brad’s gunsmith shop in Grand Rapids Michigan. We both dropped off projects for Brad’s skilled hands, talked Parkers and other guns, and dreamed up something as a future surprise for all. At 8 AM I showed my watch to Brad stating, “It’s time.” We all know that any good gunsmith has no relevance of time… : ) The four of us were on the road in a few minutes heading north with 45 minutes travel afore us. Arriving at the Haymarsh we were delayed a half hour by a large group gathered for a tower shoot. Despite a light rain, which held fairly constant throughout that 45 degree day, we gathered round our pickups admiring each other’s Parkers to include a 30” DHE 20, a restored Trojan 20, at least one CE Fox 16, and my W&C Scott and Son Premier 16. There was a lot of admiration, desire, and maybe a hint of envy as doned our reading glasses to clearly see the fine engraving on these pieces of history.

It was a quarter to ten when we unleashed the dogs and set afoot through the mud. Did I mention that we had rain this day and had pretty much received the same for most of the past two weeks? At least the cover grass was wet enough to hold the bird scent. Daisy, Rich’s German Shorthair, ranged far and wide in pursuit of bird scent but would lock up on point like a statue and hold seemingly forever until Rich or another hunter would arrive. Radar, my 13 year old Chesador started the day hunting with the other dogs but tired quickly to instead walk or hunt close to me. There he stayed for the day. Aspen, my 20 month old Pointing Labrador would range left, right, and ahead but if need be I’d ping her with an electronically generated tone from her collar. She’d look for me but lacking scent all blaze orange clad people look pretty much the same to a dog. I’d give her the “circle up” signal with a hand rotating high above me to which she’d come home or at toward me until she’d scent a new bird trail. Yes, trail for on a rainy day with strong winds pheasants don’t fly as well or maybe as easily as when their feathers are dry. Those Chinese chickens would rather run than fly so forgive me for being Captain Obvious but we and especially the dogs had to hunt hard. We were hunting a relatively flat field of 160 acers on which the wind blew steadily from the east to southeast. Now, a quarter mile square which is a heck a lot of ground to hunt for two young dogs, an old dog who barely hunts, and a group of hunters whose average age was 60 years or better. Add to that a continual heavy mist or light rain which rendered the hunters’ eyeglasses and shooting glasses unusable.

Our group of distant friends hunted for the next four hours covering maybe half the field. During that time we flushed all the birds set out for us and then some. In the open cover grass all witnessed Aspen making some picture perfect points on birds. The bad thing is that I haven’t taught Aspen to hold the point no matter what until I send her into the flush. The good, no great thing about her points are they are within three feet of the bird. I’ve never had a canine bitch before and wasn’t too sure about Aspen during her first whiny year but I now could not be any happier with her in the field or at home. Nice puppy!

Back to the hunt… Rich had Daisy working the field. She’d range wide and lock up on point. Rich would follow up going forward of the point and if the bird was not found would send Daisy forward again. One point turned into a drive in which Rich and Jeff saw the bird running forward several times over 600 yards. Along the way to flushing a very uncooperative rooster, three hens flushed as a covey forward of gunning range. Their flight left Haymarsh property landing on posted land. That is why it is called hunting rather than shooting.

I made a couple good shots on birds but was more pleased to watch Jeff and Brad shoot pheasants, especially from one of Aspen’s points. Jeff hasn’t had a dog in a few years due to the demands of farming and Brad rarely finds time away from his work restoring our Parkers to as new condition. Rich being semi-retired hunts more than I and it shows in how well Daisy works birds. I try to go afield with my dogs weekly where Aspen gets better with every hunt. Oh, before anyone of us shot at a bird during this hunt something fantastic happened! As Rich and Brad watched Daisy work our right flank, Aspen got really birdy. I advised Jeff to keep his eyes on her as did I. Radar was meandering off to our left when I heard a flush. “What the heck?” I asked myself as I turned my head sharply to see that Radar had found and flushed the first bird. In his day Radar was a magnificent pheasant hunter. He would flash point pheasants and lock up on chucker. I believe that perhaps pheasants “twitch” or display nervousness when a dog points then a couple feet ahead. How still would you be if a lion or a grizzly bear was a couple feet away ready to eat you? Anyway, Radar will always have a place at my side afield so long as he can walk.

So a group of old and I do mean old friends got together on a less than perfect day to share time afield with great dogs and make memories. Afterward we stopped at a local eatery to replenish our bodies before the long drive home. There we talked of the hunt, of collecting Parkers, of women, and of life. Some days are much better than others…

Editor’s Note: Sorry that I didn’t’ capture any better photos but rain, rain, rain under heavy, low clouds doesn’t allow much light for decent photos. I left the trusty Nikon in the truck and shot these with my pocket miracle, a smart phone. The color you see in the photos was there but not apparent to us during the hunt. I pulled it out via simple photo editing software. The raw photos looked more black and white than color.

[charlie cleveland]

my my what a good hunt..i guess most of us was on that hunt too...glad to see the dogs working so well...charlie

[DoubleDown]

Despite a little rain, it looks like you guys had a great day. Thanks for writing up the story and posting it Mark, I enjoyed reading it. Has me looking forward to my next pheasant hunt.

Mike

[Harold Pickens]

I was waiting for someone to post about the hunt, as I knew you were going. that same weather hit here today, and since I had hunted the past 2 days, gave some tired dogs a break. Sounds like a great time was had by all.

[C.O.B.]

Even though the weather was against us it was a good day. Daisy continues to amaze me and I wish I had another companion just like her and pray the next one will be as good. I took Gunner's Gun and he didn't let me down.

[Richard Flanders]

I know those fields well. And the running birds. I'll hunt there with you again Rich.

[C.O.B.]

Daisy and I will be ready.