First hunt with my new thin blood

[TARNATION !!!]

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.