Your Toughest Shot -- Bird and Setting

[Craig Larter]

1st. Blue quail running in front of you and the dogs, flushing while your on the run at 40 yards.
2nd. Green winged teal flying from behind you, unseen, then straight away at mach 10.

[Bob K]

A grouse flushing from a snow roost. By the time I recover from the surprise, he's halfway to the next county.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Bob Kimble

A grouse flushing from a snow roost. By the time I recover from the surprise, he's halfway to the next county.

I've missed lots of grouse in the snow, but never been in on a snow roost flush. I'd like to add that to my "missed birds" list.

[Kent Nickerson]

Once years ago I was stationed just down a South Carolina hedge row from a very pretty young lady who was doing a mighty fine job of killing most of the reasonable doves that came over her. She was also polite, calling out incoming birds for me. On one of her calls, well that dove was just way, way too high for me...but I swung on it and shot anyway. I swear, it took that stone cold dead- in-the-air bird neigh onto 10 seconds to fall to earth. I was absolutely amazed. She called out "great shot!" I can still see that bird falling today.

[mobirdhunter]

...and it's clear to see why that one was memorable...on many levels. Always nice to make a tough one with a witness.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Kent Nickerson

Once years ago I was stationed just down a South Carolina hedge row from a very pretty young lady who was doing a mighty fine job of killing most of the reasonable doves that came over her. She was also polite, calling out incoming birds for me. On one of her calls, well that dove was just way, way too high for me...but I swung on it and shot anyway. I swear, it took that stone cold dead- in-the-air bird neigh onto 10 seconds to fall to earth. I was absolutely amazed. She called out "great shot!" I can still see that bird falling today.

Good story, but it would have been better if you told us tht you immediately proposed marriage to her and she reached up with her gun and dropped a screamer and said "I will."





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[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Good story, but it would have been better if you told us tht you immediately proposed marriage to her and she reached up with her gun and dropped a screamer and said "I will."
.

Now we're in Hallmark Channel territory! (But it would be a heck-ova story!)

[mobirdhunter]

Oh, the different ways we miss! I thought I knew them all, but you guys are giving me new options. I'm glad to see the "treed bird flush" on more than one post.

[charlie cleveland]

my worst shot was a day when duck hunting it was 2 degrees that day i had on hip boots standing in water just 2 inches below the top of my boots..along comes a wood duck from my left to my right...i turned very quickly my body moved but my feet had sunk in the mud they did not move with my body i pulled the trigger but missed as i was turning..i got off balance and started falling my feet came loose outa the mud and here i go trying to keep my head above water.. after 4 steps of stumbleing i caught a tree i had went up to my shoulders but only my head stayed above the water.... never touched that duck...it was over 2 mile back to the truck most of it knee deep water and mud covered in thin ice...finally got to the truck and turned that heater on high it took me a half aday at home setting right by the heater to get warm that day...never will forget that miss on that duck...charlie

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

my worst shot was a day when duck hunting it was 2 degrees that day i had on hip boots standing in water just 2 inches below the top of my boots..along comes a wood duck from my left to my right...i turned very quickly my body moved but my feet had sunk in the mud they did not move with my body i pulled the trigger but missed as i was turning..i got off balance and started falling my feet came loose outa the mud and here i go trying to keep my head above water.. after 4 steps of stumbleing i caught a tree i had went up to my shoulders but only my head stayed above the water.... never touched that duck...it was over 2 mile back to the truck most of it knee deep water and mud covered in thin ice...finally got to the truck and turned that heater on high it took me a half aday at home setting right by the heater to get warm that day...never will forget that miss on that duck...charlie

Yikes. Reminds me of some "over my wader" stories I could tell from my days as a trapper.