First hunt with my new thin blood

[King Brown]

Chesterton said something like "All power comes from the direction and control of exuberance," Jack. I made the connection as I read of Jack and Kay finding a way to share their lives and the great outdoors in the looming winter of Saskatchewan.

I tagged along with my Dad in those covers when he was a BCATP pilot instructor at No. 4 Saskatoon in the first years of the war before he went overseas and was shot down in 1942 and became Goering's prisoner in Stalag Luft III.

[TARNATION !!!]

Thanks King. Having lived in married bliss for 40 years (well if I don't forget the next anniversary), we are pretty much an extension of each other. I did try to convert her to a hunter in our youth but to no avail, even after finding her a nice little .22/410. She enjoys eating but doesn't like dwelling on how the protein came to be in serving sizes on the plate. The dip in the creek was no surprise to her, she just shrugs that stuff off.

Here's a salute to your father. Hope some of the boys he trained took out a few over there. For those who may not know BCATP was the British Commonwealth Air Training Program and very active in Canada during WWII. Still can encounter some of the air combat shooting ranges and bombing targets on the prairies. Not a place to look for roosters, although they do frequent one of those locations I know - but then so does 70 year old unexploded ordinance

[Alligator]

Jack: I take it from the warfarin statement you must have had a little problem with the old "ticker"? I had an aortic dissection Memorial day weekend and am lucky to be alive! Things like that really wake you up to the enjoyment of life while you can. Money and work are necessary evils but aren't as important as taking one of the old doubles afield and enjoying God's creation in the company of loved ones. I went with my son, grandson, and four or their friends [all 45 years old and down] to Calvin Humberg's neck of the woods for the Kansas opener last weekend and had a blast even though most of the time I blocked and let the young bucks walk. The old man can still hit a rooster even if he can't walk the CRP grass. Glad you are at it!!!! Lee.

[TARNATION !!!]

Lee: Blood clot lodged in a lung. Caught before it got out of there where is could have caused a lot more grief. As it was, I spent a week in hospital to get the old bod back into fightin' form - well a walk with the dogs and "easy" habitat for roosters, which will likely happen again one day this week when the weather cooperates.
Cheers,
Jack

[todd allen]

Thanks for sharing the memories.

[TARNATION !!!]

Originally Posted by Jack Cronkhite

Would sure like another day afield with Dad but........so I take out his guns every once in a while and shoot a rooster for him and remember good times.
Cheers,
Jack

Not often one quotes oneself. Today was a bright, sunny day but cold (-20 Celsius). Decided to try a "tribute to Dad" day. It was short, left home with Kay at 1:30pm and arrived at a favorite spot around 2:45. Left around 6:00pm and back home by 7:30.

I took Dad's SKB XL900 12ga semi-auto (I did take the GHE but as back-up this time). CHARLIE and KYRA hopped out and had little patience for me fumbling with mittens to load three Winchester Super X long range 1 1/4 oz. #6 shot. (Apparently antique or vintage, but to me sort of new - purchased a case in the late 70's or early 80's and still have three boxes so how can they be antique). We wandered through some weeds and along a couple hedge rows. It was tough going. The snow wasn't particularly deep but it had a hard crust that broke through with every step. The other problem with snow is the bird tracks everywhere. I kept expecting birds to flush but canine noses kept telling me that I needn't be tensed and at the ready. We finished that spot without seeing a bird. Next was to drop onto the creek right at the bridge as the snow was not deep there, like it was at most other access points. Today, I was able to walk on water with the creek being frozen solid. CHARLIE was getting birdy through the cat tails. I could see the air fill with fluff from time to time and I picked up my pace, as best I could without ice skates. The ice maker for a hockey rink could not have done better than mother nature had. The creek was like glass and the co-efficient of friction for my boot soles was zero I'd guess. CHARLIE was about 15 yards ahead of me and KYRA was beside me and decided she better join CHARLIE. As she raced to catch up with her pack mate, the rooster flushed. SKB shouldered, trigger pulled, rooster down, CHARLIE right on it and KYRA closing fast. CHARLIE told KYRA in no uncertain terms that she had no claim to this one. CHARLIE then picked up the rooster and for the first time did not just drop it to say here it is, come and get it if you want it. Nope, this time CHARLIE and rooster were putting distance between us. I called her. She stopped and looked at me and then almost came back to me. She dropped the rooster about ten feet away and made sure once again that KYRA knew to keep her distance - nothing fierce, just one of those "get your attention" growls. I guess that's progress. Maybe she'll eventually do a full retrieve but I really don't care, as long as the birds are not lost and she has definitely taken care of that. Now, if one could read the future, even the next couple hours, I would have headed to the car, loaded up and come home around 4:00pm as all that happened for the next two hours was a lot of hiking and two hens spotted. But hey, it was a fine time anyway.
So, this was Dad's rooster and the next time out will be back to Parkers as both starter and back-up.

UPDATE: On the eat heartily front this rooster cubed and fast fried in the wok. A few veggies and some quinoa boiled in pheasant broth made for a meal. Dessert? Banana/chocolate/nut muffins - a team effort between Kay and I.
Cheers,
Jack

[David Hamilton]

I had a hell of a time with Warfarin. Couldn't keep it even. Either not therapeutic or at the edge of bleeding through my pores. There are some alternates and a new drug not yet on the market. Fortunately I am past that phase of atrial fib, at least for the present and can get by with aspirin. I will be shooting Pheasants next Saturday but, alas, released birds including pigeons. Better than nothing and about all we can expect in this part of the country. I need some of those GameBore #7s in 2 1/2" for my DH with 32" barrels and 2 5/8" chambers. David

[TARNATION !!!]

David: Still working on stabilizing level. Since leaving the confines of a cozy hospital bed with 3 square meals a day plus an evening snack and heavy doses of W and another unpronounceable injection to the belly, my levels have dropped to almost the same as any Joe on the street. So each week, after a blood test, the doc wonders what the hell I do and increases the W dose. If he doesn't know, I sure don't (well I do know what I do but not why my body is practically rejecting this drug). All that said, I'm a fatalist. What will be, will be. Que sera, sera. Predestined (not totally sure on that). So whenever my time runs out, it is on with the next adventure or........... Until then I hope to exercise the dogs, myself and a few old shotguns until my own fitness level won't allow. Gotta keep moving and stop taking icy dips in the creek.
Cheers,
Jack

[Old and Reliable]

When I was about 14 we had a "dropper" a Brit-Setter mix. Specks was a bird finding magnet as long as you were hitting birds- but if you missed a few, she shut down. My boyhood pal and I went out on the opener, all day drizzle- we were soaked. About 4:00 PM she locked up on a huge rooster and I went in over her point and it got airborne- wingspan like a B-29, water spraying from its feathers-and I pumped out two hurried shots from my 20 M12 and never cut a feather- she turned and gave me a look like I'll never forget-

First week of our duck season, on the river near home and early Oct- I had the 12 M12 and steel No 4's- took two hen woodies (we are allowed 3 wood ducks/day( and then my first pintail ever in our flyway. I hope to shoot as they are flying upriver so they will (in theory) float back down to me. This one got by me in the current, I went after it and tripped over a rock I guess- Boom right face down into the drink- water inside my chest waders and the M12 got a bath-but i GOT THE DUCK.

Jack, we both know we owe it to the game we shoot to retrieve and try to shoot for a clean kill-best wishes for the new(er) VH 12..

[David Hamilton]

Jack, Those shots in the belly, There was an amusing moment-- I had to take those shots several times a day and just before going into the hospital I was invited for a "last meal" at an asian joint. On arriving at the shopping center where the restaurant was located I remembered that I needed one of those bruising shots. So- I reclined my car seat and asked my wife to administer it. We parked under a streetlight for better visibility. Me with my belt undone and fly open, shirt pulled up and wife leaning over when one of our friends walked by. Glad it wasn't a policeman. David