This past Saturday was an absolutely picture perfect day to be out with a good friend, with a great dog and a great gun , chasing birds.
But first a little background. My friend Bob had wanted to take me on a preserve hunt since my 2008-2009 Afghanistan tour. We planned it but it seemed like something always came up for either one of us to always cancel. Weeks turned to months and then years; another tour 2012-2013 and still no luck getting together. Then the preserve we were going to use went out of business. It seemed like things would never line up.
This past summer I was at a local tractor equipment company getting parts for my Tractor and was waiting to pay at the register. I was trying to get a piece of line that is normally used for heavy duty pull starters. My dog trainer recommended it for a long lead when working my Spaniel pup. Anyway, I was explaining to the salesman what I needed it for and this other guy asked about my dog and it went from there. Soon enough I found out he had a preserve and trained GSP’s. I didn’t hold these against him.
He invited me out and I said when I had time. I then mentioned it to my buddy Bob and he said we would finally go and do some shooting so this weekend we finally made it happen.
My field bred Springer Millie is 9 months old. She has hunted a few times and my son shot some Chukars over here back when she was 5 months but I had not shot a bird over her yet. Today was the day to start building her legacy!
We had about 90 acres to hunt and Bob had put out the birds earlier that morning. The goal was to get her hot on some birds and shoot one or two over her , just to keep her interest before she heads to a friend of mine for professional training.
We worked a few patches of cover and then as she was working I saw her head whip around; she got wind of a bird. Her tail was going crazy and her head was down. I was running to get caught up and stay in gun range when she flushed a bird. I saw the Cock break cover and start running up a mowed patch. Mollie was scenting and as she worked around back into the wind, she made scent again and was on him. He flushed, breaking to the right and angling away a bit. I actually took my time, I mounted and swung, pulling ahead of him and touching my 20 Ga Fox off. The Cock died in midair; falling to the ground in a heap. Mollie was on him and I lost sight of her in the cover for a couple of seconds. I could see her tail and that was it. I tooted my whistle when I saw that she had the bird.
Mollie came trotting up to me and hup’d at my feet. She was so proud of herself. I let he hang on the bird for a while. My bid came over and took a couple of photos for posterity; hers and my first bird together. And the first bird with my custom Fox. I finally told her to leave it and she was a little reluctant to give up her prize. A pinch of her lip on a tooth and a “leave it” sufficed and she gave him up.
Mollie, me and custom 20 Ga Fox stocked by Dan Rossiter
The day stayed sunny and fairly warm but with a cold breeze. We moved on and continued to hunt the covers on the preserve. Mollie moved ahead and eventually started making game again., she flushed a really nice long tailed cock but unfortunately I didn’t have a camera ready. This as the classic Spaniel flush of a Pheasant. I watched the cockbird tower up, Mollie leaping up at him, her back feet probably 5 or 6 feet in the air. Her mouth was open and she was desperately trying to catch that cock bird. I could see his tail feathers slipping through her teeth as he towered up and then away. What a photo that would have made. Bob and I booth had to stop and talk about that one. What a memory.
We had several more flushes and finally Bob connected. Mollie flushed a hen in some thick cover and the bird flew past bob and he shot her out past his dog. He hunts a Lab named Trigger, Trig made the retrieve but Mollie beat feet over there and she came back running next to Trig trying to hang on to a piece of the bird. Great visual. Mollie loves to retrieve.
Bob and Trigger
Mollie in action
The day could not have been nicer. Great gunning, great dog work and some great memories. It doesn’t get any better than that!
