a covey of grouse

[Ed Norman]

When I was in my early 20's I hunted behind a wire haired pointer that a friend had. The dog went on point, 4 or 5 grouse flushed, I took a shot and 2 birds fell. My buddy and his wife were there, she said he got 2 birds!! Fast forward 40 plus years later. We have had our brittany for 3 hunting seasons now. My first hunt with him 3 years ago he pointed 8 grouse and a woodcock on opening day, 5 of those were in a covey and those birds flushed one right after the other. I never took a shot, I thought they were to far away for a shot. Two days ago, I went out for an hour hunt, cash pointed 3 woodcock that held, I missed every bird I shot at. I went to another area that was what I call a mid growth woods with a lot of poplar trees, ferns, some crabapple trees etc. He went on point, as I walked in a grouse flew right between us and behind me, a very hard shot, but it was the most open shot I have had this year. I missed that one too, we went to where I saw the grouse fly and hunted that whole area to make sure I didn't kill that bird. (I did the same for the woodcock I missed earlier) I was in an area of this woods I have not hunted yet, I saw about 5 acres of ferns going down into a small valley, not many trees, a perfect spot for woodcock. My brittany cash went on point, I walked towards him thinking I might actually get a shot in here. A grouse flushed to my right, I pulled up and 2 more flushed I swung on those two (thinking double) and pulled the trigger, then I pulled the rear trigger, I realized I did not take the safety off. I was dropping the gun, cash was still on point another grouse flew, I pulled up on that one, then another one flushed, gun still won't fire, the 6th bird flushed and flew right up into a tree about 20 feet away and 20 feet high and just looked down at me. I opened my gun, shut it, pushed the safety on and off and figured out I must of had a bad case of buck fever, or my thumb just slid off the safety and didn't move the safety lever forward. On the way home, I stopped by my brittanies breeder and he said "buck fever" was the cause. Yesterday I hunted for 30 minutes before work. Cash goes on point, woodcock flushed everything worked fine. I am kind of glad I had buck fever, I will have a smile on my face the rest of my life thinking about that moment with my brittany cash.