[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

WELL, I TOOK 5 BOXES AND ONLY USED 35 SHELLS AND THAT WAS FOR 4 GOOD HOURS OF HUNTING.
THE DAY STARTED OUT RAINING AND A COOL 60 DEGREES. THE FIRST THREE BIRDS ENCOUNTERD WERE STILL WET AND DID NOT FLY. ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE HUNT I MET MY FIRST CHUKAR EVER. SURPRISED THE HELL OUT OF ME AND ALL I COULD DO WAS GIVE IT A ONE BBL SALUTE. HERE I WAS EXPECTING A QUAIL AND THIS SMALL CHIKEN POPS OUT FROM NOWHERE. I WAS FOLLOWING THE POINT AND I STILL DID'NT SEE IT TILL IT TOOK OF LIKE A ROCKET. AMAZING CAMOFLAUGE.
WELL THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A SIGNAL OF SOME SORT CAUSE AFTER THAT THE QUAIL WERE FLYING JUST FINE. THEY LOOKED LIKE SMALL ROCKETS. I MISSED MY FIRST THREE QUAILS AND THE GUIDE, W.C., LET ME KNOW THAT I HAD TIME, NO NEED TO RUSH. I GUESS THAT GOT ME FOCUSED. AFTER THAT I WAS A DIFFERENT STORY.
WE WENT BACK TO THE TRUCK AND GOT REBA AND MARTHA, ENGLISH POINTERS, THEY WERE NOT PRETTY TO LOOK AT BUT THEY WERE AWSOME. WHAT A PLEASURE TO SEE TWO DOGS WORK TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY BACK EACH OTHER UP. TWO DOGS ON POINT, WHAT A SIGHT.
ANYWAY, FIVE MINUTES LATER REBA GOES ON POINT, I APPROACH FROM BEHIND AND TO THE SIDE, FIVE FEET FROM THE DOG, IT FLUSHES, ANOTHER CHUKAR. THIS TIME I WAS MORE COMPOSED, I MISSED WITH THE RIGHT BBL, NOW SHE'S ABOUT 30 YARDS AWAY AND DIVING FOR COVER, NEXT THING I KNOW THE LEFT BBL GOES OFF AND COUGHT HER ABOUT THE 3 FEET FROM THE GROUD. DON'T WORRY, NO DOGS WERE NEAR SO IT WAS A SAFE SHOT TO TAKE.
I DID IT MY FIRST KILL EVER. I STILL CAN'T GET THIS SILLY SMILE FROM MY FACE. WHAT A THRILL WHEN ALL THAT PRACTICE AT THE SPORTING CLAYS PAYED OFF. I ACTUALLY SURPRISED MYSELF I THINK I DID REAL GOOD. AT ONE TIME W.C. CAME UP BEHIND ME AND SAID "YOU HUNTED BEFORE" SO I GUESS I WAS DOING OKAY.
TWO OTHER SHOTS I REMEMBER. ONE BECAUSE I DID NOT WAIT AND AS SOON AS THAT QUAIL TOOK OFF I SHOT. SHE WAS ONLY ABOUT 20 YARDS AWAY AND TOOK A FULL CHARGER RIGHT UP THE TAIL. NOTHING BUT MINCE MEAT.
THE OTHER SHOT I SMILE JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY W.C. NOTICED I WAS HOLDING MY SHOT WHEN THE BIRD WENT BEHIND A BRANCH OR A BUSH WERE I COULD NOT SEE IT. HE TOLD I HAD TO SHOOT RIGHT THRU THE BRUSH. WELL, THIS LITTLE ROCKET TOOK OF I MISSED WITH THE RIGHT BBL AND NOW IT'S BANKING HARD LEFT AND HEADING FOR THE GROUD LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL. ABOUT 40 YARDS AWAY I CATCH UP TO IT, PASS IT AND TAPPED THE TRIGGER. ALL I SAW WAS PINE NEEDLES FLY EVERYWHERE AND THE QUAIL HIT THE GROUND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PINE TREE. THAT HAD TO BE THE SHOT OF THE DAY, MAN I WAS PUMPED. ALL IN ALL I HAD A FANTASTIC DAY. THE FINAL TALLY WAS ONE CHUKAR AND ELEVEN QUAILS. SIX HIT ON THE FIRST SHOT.
YOU ALL GONNA HAVE TO EXCUSE ME ON THE FEW PICTURES BUT I WAS TOO MUCH INTO THE HUNTING PART THAT I FORGOT TO TAKE THE CAMERA OUT OF MY POCKET.
THE FEW I GOT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE TYPE OF TERRAIN WE WERE HUNTING AND ONE OF THE DOGS, JEFF.
I USED MY 0 GRADE 16 GA HAMMER GUN CHOKED MOD AND MOD SO I WAS USING RST'S SPREADER SHOTS. 7/8 OZ OF #8 SHOT IN 2-1/2 SHELLS.