First hunt with my new thin blood
 

Warfarin has kicked in. Doc says don't change your lifestyle, just be careful to not cut yourself or inflict trauma to the old body. I took that as permission to get back to chasing roosters.

First off, I have to say I'm lucky to have an understanding wife. I had arranged with a friend to accompany me to see if we could find some roosters. No solo hunting for me for the rest of this season. He had to cancel. I thought about trying some other guys but it was last minute stuff. Kay said she would go along, provided it was not an early morning departure. That was no problem, as I have not headed out for the last couple years much before 10AM. As it turned out, she and I left home at 11:45 and arrived in pheasant country at 1:00.
First stop, the birds were there but left the hedge row long before I was close enough to consider shooting. Worked the area for a while but they had all cleared out, so I headed off to the creek, where most had gone. Saw lots of tracks and wing/tail scuffs in the snow but didn't flush anything. Spent about an hour there.
Second stop was isolated cover that is about 200 yards long and 40-50 yards wide at the widest point. Snow was deep, so I picked one side and CHARLIE and KYRA got interested. A flock of huns and a single sharptail departed from the opposite side and were a long ways out. CHARLIE continued into the general area they had left and got quite intense around a bit of brush. A nice rooster popped out and I wasted two shots. It carried on for half a mile and went across a creek, so I did not bother to see about another chance.
Third stop was a good long hike along a creek, railroad tracks with an old elevator and some stubble fields. A few hens here and there and a lovely rooster with a long tail, the kind that flaps behind as it takes off. He was over a hundred yards out in the field and flew to the opposite side of the creek. A few more hens. I'm on the return and getting within a quarter mile of the car and CHARLIE put a nice rooster out of rose bushes. Dropped it dead with the full choke barrel at 40 yards. A little further along, more birds but no shots and then another rooster out of the rose bushes and right at me. I used the mod barrel first and thought a pellet or two had connected. Followed that with the full choke and he wobbled. Flew about another 60/70 yards and dropped dead. Hit the ice of the creek and slid to the other bank. That wasn't great because the ice was way to thin for CHARLIE. Found a spot that had potential to get across but it was touch and go. I made the jump and broke through but just got a wet foot. Got the bird and came back to the "crossing". It was not the same jump from the opposite side. This time, I got wet to the waist. Quick change of clothes at the car and headed for home.
A nice rooster crossed the road in front of us and dropped into some brush along the creek bank. There was still lots of shooting light left. Kay thought we should leave him for another day. I was nice and toasty warm in the car and agreed. We got home about 6:30. Very enjoyable day for me and I'm sure Kay enjoyed music and reading while keeping an eye on me so she would know where to direct EMS ! Gotta love a girl like that!!
So, a new to me VH saw five shots today (2 1/2" #7 Gamebore "Pure Gold" from England) and collected two nice roosters.
The damascus GHE stayed cased today, as I wanted to try the "new" gun. Still prefer the GHE, it fits me nicely but today's roosters will taste just fine, regardless of which shootin' iron delivered the payload.

Cheers,
Jack

CHARLIE reacts to missing with both barrels, especially after such tough slogging.

Glad to here that Jack!

Glad to see you are back at it Jack. Sounds like a good day!

Good on you Jack. Look forward to many more stories from your direction.

Glad you were able to get out, Jack. I had to miss the opening of pheasant season in Kansas and a trip to South Dakoda because of a knee. I had a knee replaced two yr ago and it has never done very well, so I had them operate it again and clean up the knee cap. that was last month. Was doing real well and the incision pulled open and had to go back in and have it sutured again, Seems like the staples pulled out. So now I am back in rehab and everything is on hold. One does not realize how much you miss an event until you can't partisipate . Next year. JVB

James: Here's hoping the knee works out for you and that you can double your hunting time next season to make up for this one.
Cheers,
Jack

Jack good to hear your back in the field. Don't over due it just enjoy each hour your there. Better to take it slow and steady and be able to do it again.

I pushed the bad foot Friday, gimped around for two and half hours this am and am paying for it now in a big way:cuss:

Good advice. Sure hope that foot heals up for you. Tough when one is addicted to the hunt. I think many here can relate to "gimping" around and paying for it later. The older we get the more we can succumb to something or other that lets us know we aren't kids any more. I was indeed taking it easy yesterday, right up until I had a dead rooster in a bad spot for retrieval. Not sure the Doc knew what my lifestyle included when he said I need not change anything. A dunk in the creek when all around is snow and thin ice is not quite the norm but I do believe in the game laws and had to make every effort to retrieve dead game.

Cheers,
Jack

Your retrieval efforts are to be applauded. A dunk in the frozen creek is no fun and at least you had warm cloths back at the car. Many many years ago when I was in college I hunted waterfowl a lot. One day we broke ice to get out on Saginaw Bay. This is a draw type hunt so we were there at 5am.

Being 25 and bullet proof we had closed the bar the night befor and after a greasy breakfast decided we could make the draw so off we went. We were in a flodded corn field and after the decoys were set that undeniable urge came upon me. As I couldn't find the canoe and couldn't wait any longer I got up as far as I could on a mound and made do. The mound gave way and down I went along with my gun a Browning A5. After I found the canoe I stripped down and rung as much water out of my cloths as I could but it was useless and I couldn't stop chivering. I made my way back to the truck where I sat naked with the heat turned up full blast and kept it that way all the way back home a ride of over an hour:eek:

I take along complete change and then some, including extra footwear and lots of socks and gloves. I have even started taking comfy slippers along for the drive home, whether or not my boots get wet. When we look back, we certainly felt invincible as young guys. When I was in my late teens, Dad and I were hunting the Bow River, south of Calgary, AB. We got lots of ducks in that spot. I dumped one near the river bank but in the water. I had waders on, so headed out to get it. I had the right angle on making my retrieve; however, the current shifted the bird a little further out. As it came by, I took an extra step and grabbed it but lost my footing. So.......... duck, Jack and the Savage 755A got dunked and the current caught me. The river is fairly shallow with boulders and gravel bottom and a current around 12mph. I played in the river as a little kid and kind of knew how to handle myself, but I had never been in at this spot, nor in the winter. I ended up bumping my way down stream and made it to the opposite bank about 150 yards across. I was drenched head to toe. I had read that a good response in such a situation is to strip and wring out the clothes and get back into them as quick as you can. So I did that. Dad thought I was a goner and all I thought was I'm just gonna get wet. He had to drive about 15 miles to be able to retrieve me, my duck and his auto loader. I kept walking and shivered a bit but, all in all, wringing out the clothes and continually moving warded off hypothermia. I still have that old autoloader. Dad mounted the duck for me but, over the years, it disappeared. The only specimen I still have is my first rooster taken on the wing. Would sure like another day afield with Dad but........so I take out his guns every once in a while and shoot a rooster for him and remember good times.
Cheers,
Jack