Christmas hunt with big Radar and little Aspen, and Miss Scott

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Christmas day arrived finding me with my faithful friends big Radar and little Aspen. Much like when I was a kid, hunting on a holiday still is a real treat, especially with the Christmas present which I bought myself. What can I say? When I saw a 1890 W&C Scott and Sons 16 gauge Premier Grade featured in an add in Shooting Sportsman from Kirby Hoyt of Vintage Doubles I pulled the trigger. I received the gun in two days and had her ready for our holiday hunt!

I arrived at my favorite pheasant farm where Andy the owner told me to go hunt his farm because there should be left over birds hiding from predators such as fox, hawks, and hunting dogs. I offered an access fee but he would not take a dime. He even lent me a beeper to try out on Aspen! I really like that darn thing…

The day’s conditions were wet, just plain wet at 35 degrees and the tail end of 24 hours of rain, rain, rain. We started hunting in a fog followed by a light rain that mostly quit but came back on and off throughout the day. Needless to state the black soil of the farm was soft and muddy. Conditions were not the greatest but hey, it was Christmas day and I was surrounded by unconditional love! Unconditional That is until Radar and Aspen scent a bird. The heck with Mark when there are birds to hunt!

Radar is 13 and Aspen not yet 2 so there is a world of difference in their energy! The first field we hunted had a lot of standing water so I was real glad that my old Danners had a fresh coat of Sno Seal. Anyway, Aspen was out ahead with Radar and me in tow. She would go back and forth sniffing what seemed to be every bird scent from the past month. I saw a rooster cross a lane a couple times so we pursued only to end up at the edge of posted property. Smart bird! I should have swatted that cockbird on the ground! No, I couldn't do that. After an hour or more Aspen came to point which is good since she is a pointing Lab. She held point for 30 seconds or more but then she flushed a hen. Okay, we have to work on that. Back to the story... Up came the svelte 6 pound 3 ounce Scott launching an ounce of nickel plated hard #5’s and down came the first bird of the day.

After a thorough search over the next hour via a double dose of canine olfactory capabilities I concluded that it was time to stop trudging through mud and waist high switchgrass and move to another field. After a stop at the pickup for coffee and dog biscuits we moved to field #2. We had two hours afield and since my old boy will also hunt in two days I left him in the truck for a long nap as the young fireball and I saddled up for a long adventure!

A zig-zag pass through the field taking in a couple strips of sorghum rendered nothing terribly stimulating to Aspen so we moved to a favorite drainage ditch between harvested bean fields. As one might have guessed the ditch had been filled by the recent rains into a long, narrow slough of standing water. Aspen being a water dog didn't mind at all as she waded in, crossed over, and came back across the water. Suddenly she got real birdy. You know, when a dog’s movements turn into what appears to be a fast moving robot following a faster moving nose! Aspen stopped on a point and up came a hen passing in front of me. I spun around 180 degrees to my right with the Scott. Bam! Down came bird number two.

Next we hunted a strip of corn on the edge of field #3. Oh boy was having the whole farm to ourselves great! Aspen disappeared into the stalks as I tried to keep her within 30 yards. She was on hot scent and sure enough a rooster flushed out of the over side a seven foot tall corn stalks. I fired two shots anyway but missed completely. I watched the bird fly trying to note about where it landed. Not that it would matter for unless I had somehow broke one of its legs with a stray pellet. The darn thing upon landing would certainly run into the deep, thick cover of the switchgrass. Back to the strip of corn and darned if Aspen did not disappear ahead of me for a few seconds and woosh! A second rooter was gone with me not wasting any ammo. Once again I watched where it flew and tried to pinpoint its LZ (landing zone).

We hunted up and down the rows of stichgrass in that field with Aspen disappearing and reappearing many times over. I was so glad she was wearing the beeper. Then, suddenly Aspen found rooster #1. Unfortunately I didn't see the cockbird until it was out of range. Yup, I just watched it sail airborne to what seemed the far end of the field near the river. Aspen and I pressed on and on hunting the rest of the rows of six foot tall switchgrass. After an hour or so we had combed that field adequately so it was time to move to the next field. Not to forget rooster #1, at field's edge, near a fallen tree, Aspen got birdy once again. Disappearing into the grass she pushed out the elusive cockbird. Up it was flying nearly over my head. I waited for it to gain some distance before unleashing nearly 200 nickel plated pellets toward its tail! Down he came landing in the thickest switchgrass imaginable for lower Michigan. It's a good thing that Aspen is but 55 pounds and skinny allowing her to slip through the weave of grass to her prey. After a minute or two she made a noble retrieve emerging from a sea of grass with the many colored bird in mouth.

As we left that field I dropped the two birds on a big rock knowing baring any bald eagles they’d be there for on our return. From there we crossed a land bridge over the river and headed to the far end of field #4 to push a strip of corn. Hmmm, can’t let Aspen get too far ahead in the corn... What to do? When she entered the corn I’d let her get maybe 20 yards ahead and I’d activate a tone in her collar via my remote control. I had her on a virtual yo-yo which worked pretty good for she pushed up another rooster at the end of the corn. Bam and those number 5’s did their job once again on bird number 4. Remember that these are all left over birds that I didn't pay for. What a nice Christmas I was having!

From there we hunted up and down the field through many strips of switchgrass finding nothing. Finally, after almost five hours afield I was ready to call it a day. I led Aspen to the top of the grass covered dyke along the river to start a half mile walk to the truck. She sniffed as she zig-zagged the length of the dyke until getting birdy once again. Up came roster #3 which in hindsight was probably one that flew away from me and my Scott in field #3. The angle was in line with its escape an hour or so prior. The bird rose toward me and my swing was slow, very slow. I waited for a good shot and Miss Scott made the rooster take a swim in the river with Aspen getting a bath in the process. Whew! Now we could head home.

We walked across the bridge and another 200 yards to the big rock and dead birds. There I took five on my butt of was it four? My body was too tired and sore to sit for long so I loaded the birds into my game bag and preceded to “hump” four birds to the truck. A quarter mile later we were within 20 yards of the truck and once again Aspen went birdy! I stated aloud, “Aspen I am just going to stand here (rather than following her).” She worked the tall switch grass back and forth for a few minutes and up came a hen. That hen was putting yards between me and my lethargic swinging of the otherwise nimble Scott 16 gauge. Boom went a cluster of nickel plated #5 and at 40 yards the hen dropped like a rock. I may have aimed that shot but who cares. That made three hens and three roosters for a Christmas day hunt to be remembered! Spending a precious day with my loving friends was priceless.

PS: Did I state how much I really like my little Scott? Between hunts she will keep her big bother company in my safe…

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

A few more photos...

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

More?

[Opening Day]

Looks like you had a fantastic hunt... That is one beautiful gun can't wait to see it in person.

[Double Lab]

What a great story Mark. Looks like Aspen is coming right along. Beautiful gun, how long are those barrels?

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

Beautiful gun, how long are those barrels?

Hi Daryl,

Barrels? Not long enough for me but at 26" with dual beads it shoots great. She was rebarreled by Armaf so it has 2 3/4" Nitro proofs. Oh, I'd much rather have the original Damascus barrels but try finding any W&S Scott small bore sidelock! Sometimes it is what it is and maybe for the better...

Mark

[charlie cleveland]

what a great day you had with your friends and the new gun..made my day too i feel like i shot a coupla those phez.mysef...charlie

[Kensal Rise]

Once again, empirical evidence proves that good dogs hunt better for good guns...

[Harold Pickens]

Another 16 ga??? We may have to rename you Big Friend Sixteen.
Good dog work sure makes the day.

[charlie cleveland]

nice nice nice...charlie