As in singular. Sat 20th March, windy, snowy, a waterfowlers dream day found myself and Mr. Dutcher, my regular partner for Club tower shoots at FruitRidge in Kent Co., MI. We were enjoying coffee when good friend and Master Gunsmith Brad Bachelder, his yellow lab "Max" and 16 year old son Parker (that's right) arrived. I had hunted field birds with Brad and Max last Nov., but this was the first time I had met Brad and Lori's son.
The Tower shoot was, as always, great shooting. Our club manager Brian does a great job or pre-shoot safety and protocols- no low birds, the posts at each of ten stands are your 'stops' horizontally, unloaded guns when moving between stations.
Enough birds escaped with the high wind for a post luncheon pick up hunt. Mr. "D" at 81 is an excellent shot, but his replacement knee surgery precludes a long hike in snowy muddy fields following a dog, so he stayed back at the clubhouse, and Brad, "Max", Parker and I went to the Eastern field across Fruitridge Rd. from the clubhouse, while others with their dogs went back to the Tower field to the West to nail the stragglers.
Tricky running birds, a high point was all the mallards, Canadas and even some Sand Hill cranes that flushed from the big drain creeks and bogs- but we prevailed and had two birds in the bag when "Max" hit overdrive in a hilly cornfield- a big Rooster arced out, towards Parker, he managed one shot while his Dad and I watched from behind. The bird was hit, but sailed a good 200 yards away, upwind.
Not detered, Parker and "Max" went after the bird, a reflush, two shots and down- dead bird. "Max" was on the spot, he and Parker, proudly holding that big rooster like the trophy a pheasant is, came back to us and the smile on that lad's face said it all. I only hope to be around in coming years to see a "De Ja Vu" with my Grandsons.
As the late Southern sportsman and gentleman gunner Nash Buckingham once wrote- "Truly a 'Red Letter Day' indeed!!!
03-21-2010, 06:18 PM
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