Rich Anderson
10-22-2013, 08:26 AM
The hunt was booked for 10/20 the guests had arrived and anticipation ran high and the weatherman has predicted a 50% chance of rain!
As we watched the Tigers squander their pennant bid the rain came down and as the evening grew longer and the refreshments diminished with each inning the rain turned to sleet. It was after midnight when we hung our heads in dispair at the loss of Detroit and headed off to bed.
Sunday was overcast with the temp in the low 40's and it was wet but not raining. Two friends who I haven't seen in a while and myself loaded gear and dogs into the truck and as the sun rose in the east we headed west to the Haymarsh. The rising sun would catch a hole in the overcast sky and illuminated the glory that is fall with the brilliant reds, yellows, burgandy and even the yellow corn stalks shone brightly in the rising sun.
Terry has become a long haul truck driver since the economy took a crap and he had to chage jobs and Jamie is recently retired and has a young Setter and wanted to get the dog out on some birds. We hunted ducks together in Manitoba for years but recently haven't had the opportunity to get together.
I thought the Haymarsh would be a good place to get a young dog on some birds and I had made arrangements for two fields of 40 acres each with a nine bird release. Upon our arrival there was a note saying that when we were done hunting our fields we might want to wander over to the two adjoining fields to the east as the previous hunters hadn't fared well and there were birds there.
We began along the edge of a ditch and it wasn't long befor Daisy locked up on a solid point. Jamies setter Clara didn't seem to interested at the time and the Rooster flushed. I was using a DH 16 Damascuss 0 frame and this was the first time I shot it. The IC bbl brought the big bird down and we were off to a good start. We gave the Setter a sniff and let her have some time with the bird.
As the day progressed Clara came into it and she pointed some birds and backed Daisy on a couple of occasions. We picked up a bird here and there but trying to get these guys organized was like hearding cats. Jamie was somewhat more interested in training his dog which was fine but our communication skills lacked something. Terry hasn't shot a shotgun in years and between the training and the less than stellar marksmanship several birds left to be hunted another day.
Daisy had gone on point in some pines and the bird was running ahead of her by a good 30 yards. I saw the rooster ahead of her but couldn't urge him to fly. Daisy is a slow dog when trailing a bird which is good in a way as even when she sees it she won't chase it but bad as she doesn't press it either. This particular bird worked it's way out into the field and caught a deer trail and was making it's get a way. Dasiy was on it's trail but I saw the bird running ahead of her. He flushed wild and headed for heavy cover. My finger went to the back trigger and the full choke barrel came into play and I hit him but not well. Terry marked where he fell in some tall canary grass that was surronded by water. It took some doing but Daisy found the bird.
All in all some good shots were made and some not so good ones were made. I missed a hen that went up at my feet. I thought this is in the bag but my face never met the wood and I missed with both barrels. Jamie hit it but not well but Daisy found her dead in some very tall grass. Daisy found three cripples that we would have lost for sure. Jamie flushed a rooster twice and thought he hit it on the second flush but wasn't sure. We looked where it went which was over a big pond but came up with nothing. It was here that Daisy'd beeper collar went dead and I didn't have a way to locate her. Even with my hearing aids in I couldn't hear her. Clara was doing her best to hunt dead but the frustration was rapidy mounting as the locator button wasn't working and I had no idea where my dog was. We hunted out the cover where we thought the bird was to no avail and headed back the way we came. I caught the tinkle of a bell and called in Daisy who held the rooster in her mouth!
We headed back to the truck so I could change collars and as I was walking Daisy at heel along the road Clara got a hint of scent and went on point. A hen rocketed out of the grass and Jamie dumped her and Clara rushed in and caught it. As we approached the truck I unloaded my gun and Clara found scent again and another hen fought for freedom. Both Jamie and Terry shot but it made it's escape good and will be hunted another day.
When we got back to the truck there was a GSP waiting , he had lost his way. A call to Tim and the owner was found and the dog returned. As they were leaving the area my phone rang and they told us of a rooster along the edge about 50 yards up the road. After getting the spare collar on Daisy and a drink of water for the dogs and hunters we were off. We never found that rooster but Daisy did. She pointed a bird that ran off and we never did see it again but Daisy never gave up and came back with a bird that had been shot previously and suffered only a broken wing.
The rain held off the clouds cleared to reveal a brilliant blue sky and the temps rose into the low 60's. Clara came into it and all in all did very well for a young dog and show lots of promise. Daisy didn't dissapoint either finding birds that we wouldn't have found without her. The first time out with the DH 16 was rewarding and those dangerous damascuss bbls held together and I have all my appendages:). We ended up with Thirteen birds for our efforts and watched at least a half dozen escape to fly another day.
A great day with old friends, bird dogs and a Parker shotgun, it just doesn't get any better than this.
As we watched the Tigers squander their pennant bid the rain came down and as the evening grew longer and the refreshments diminished with each inning the rain turned to sleet. It was after midnight when we hung our heads in dispair at the loss of Detroit and headed off to bed.
Sunday was overcast with the temp in the low 40's and it was wet but not raining. Two friends who I haven't seen in a while and myself loaded gear and dogs into the truck and as the sun rose in the east we headed west to the Haymarsh. The rising sun would catch a hole in the overcast sky and illuminated the glory that is fall with the brilliant reds, yellows, burgandy and even the yellow corn stalks shone brightly in the rising sun.
Terry has become a long haul truck driver since the economy took a crap and he had to chage jobs and Jamie is recently retired and has a young Setter and wanted to get the dog out on some birds. We hunted ducks together in Manitoba for years but recently haven't had the opportunity to get together.
I thought the Haymarsh would be a good place to get a young dog on some birds and I had made arrangements for two fields of 40 acres each with a nine bird release. Upon our arrival there was a note saying that when we were done hunting our fields we might want to wander over to the two adjoining fields to the east as the previous hunters hadn't fared well and there were birds there.
We began along the edge of a ditch and it wasn't long befor Daisy locked up on a solid point. Jamies setter Clara didn't seem to interested at the time and the Rooster flushed. I was using a DH 16 Damascuss 0 frame and this was the first time I shot it. The IC bbl brought the big bird down and we were off to a good start. We gave the Setter a sniff and let her have some time with the bird.
As the day progressed Clara came into it and she pointed some birds and backed Daisy on a couple of occasions. We picked up a bird here and there but trying to get these guys organized was like hearding cats. Jamie was somewhat more interested in training his dog which was fine but our communication skills lacked something. Terry hasn't shot a shotgun in years and between the training and the less than stellar marksmanship several birds left to be hunted another day.
Daisy had gone on point in some pines and the bird was running ahead of her by a good 30 yards. I saw the rooster ahead of her but couldn't urge him to fly. Daisy is a slow dog when trailing a bird which is good in a way as even when she sees it she won't chase it but bad as she doesn't press it either. This particular bird worked it's way out into the field and caught a deer trail and was making it's get a way. Dasiy was on it's trail but I saw the bird running ahead of her. He flushed wild and headed for heavy cover. My finger went to the back trigger and the full choke barrel came into play and I hit him but not well. Terry marked where he fell in some tall canary grass that was surronded by water. It took some doing but Daisy found the bird.
All in all some good shots were made and some not so good ones were made. I missed a hen that went up at my feet. I thought this is in the bag but my face never met the wood and I missed with both barrels. Jamie hit it but not well but Daisy found her dead in some very tall grass. Daisy found three cripples that we would have lost for sure. Jamie flushed a rooster twice and thought he hit it on the second flush but wasn't sure. We looked where it went which was over a big pond but came up with nothing. It was here that Daisy'd beeper collar went dead and I didn't have a way to locate her. Even with my hearing aids in I couldn't hear her. Clara was doing her best to hunt dead but the frustration was rapidy mounting as the locator button wasn't working and I had no idea where my dog was. We hunted out the cover where we thought the bird was to no avail and headed back the way we came. I caught the tinkle of a bell and called in Daisy who held the rooster in her mouth!
We headed back to the truck so I could change collars and as I was walking Daisy at heel along the road Clara got a hint of scent and went on point. A hen rocketed out of the grass and Jamie dumped her and Clara rushed in and caught it. As we approached the truck I unloaded my gun and Clara found scent again and another hen fought for freedom. Both Jamie and Terry shot but it made it's escape good and will be hunted another day.
When we got back to the truck there was a GSP waiting , he had lost his way. A call to Tim and the owner was found and the dog returned. As they were leaving the area my phone rang and they told us of a rooster along the edge about 50 yards up the road. After getting the spare collar on Daisy and a drink of water for the dogs and hunters we were off. We never found that rooster but Daisy did. She pointed a bird that ran off and we never did see it again but Daisy never gave up and came back with a bird that had been shot previously and suffered only a broken wing.
The rain held off the clouds cleared to reveal a brilliant blue sky and the temps rose into the low 60's. Clara came into it and all in all did very well for a young dog and show lots of promise. Daisy didn't dissapoint either finding birds that we wouldn't have found without her. The first time out with the DH 16 was rewarding and those dangerous damascuss bbls held together and I have all my appendages:). We ended up with Thirteen birds for our efforts and watched at least a half dozen escape to fly another day.
A great day with old friends, bird dogs and a Parker shotgun, it just doesn't get any better than this.