One of Those Days!

[Harold Pickens]

Ever had one of those days when you couldnt hit anything? I did yesterday. After getting back from 17 days in the North Woods grouse hunting, pheasant season opened up. There are no longer any wild pheasants in eastern Ohio, so this is a released bird hunt. Our club raises and releases pheasants, year round on the 4000 acres that we own. After a couple of weeks, they can be quite challenging (and yes Ive hunted wild birds before), but alot easier than grouse.
I decided this year to carry a different Parker each day I hunted. I had killed 10 birds with 10 right barrels before the wheels fell off yesterday. I was carrying my first Parker a VH 16 1 frame with 28" barrels, I've probably taken 400 grouse with that gun. Missed 4 birds in a row over point, but in tough cover conditions, when after missing with the first barrel , a back leg dropped and the bird went down on the second shot. Took Fancy over to the spot where she imeadiately went on point, but it was on a hen pheasant. Try as I might we couldnt find the bird. Decided to go back to the truck and get Doodle, she is a good dead bird finder. 50 yds from the truck Fancy hit a hard point and wonder of wonders, the bird dropped on my first shot--shot # 10 of the morning. Took Doodle over to the area where I had lost the other bird and after while she pointed near a brush pile. I walked in and a pheasant tried to get up, but couldnt, and Doodle retrieved it. Was happy about that, but not my shooting.
Today was back to normal, 2 points, flushes, and shots with the VHE 20, and 2 dead birds.
I'll post pictures with the guns and dogs on a different thread.