[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Jack Cronkhite

Enjoyed reading through this post. Four weeks to the pheasant opener here and I’m getting antsy already. Charlie the wonder dog, like me, is starting to slow down. We will take it easy this year. I have hunted since I could walk with Dad. Since I could actually hold a firearm, I have shot at many game animals and birds over seven decades. Some I have taken home to enjoy at a family meal. Like all of us, there have been those unbelievable shots that connected and amazed and became topics of conversation for years. Someone inevitably would try to put the BS stamp on a true story but my mind has already moved on.

The question posed is the hardest shot. For me it is the “gimme” shot. I can’t count how many times this has happened but I remember the frustration of several. Always wild roosters. Dog is trying to hold the bird but bird does not cooperate. I take a step or two in direction of the dog when the rooster explodes practically under my feet. A straightaway gimme that keeps flying even after the second shot. That’s my toughest shot and the reason I will chase roosters until I can no longer walk. Cheers Jack

Jack, I hope you and your dog have many more chances, and that you can walk with Charlie for a long time to come. Good luck with your upcoming season.