Roper
11-13-2007, 02:21 PM
Last Friday I took Sasha down to the Hegdal Unit to see if she could repeat her pre-season flushing trick. We hunted along the trees and brush that lines the river bank with no results. Mid way through one section she suddenly took off around this brush under a large tree. Some thirty or so quail flushed to my left and I stood dumbfounded at the sight. So much for the great white hunter, huh? :beathead:
As we approached the western most section of the area I looked back and three other hunters had entered the unit and were working where Sasha and I had already been. As we worked along a pair of quail flushed fast and low giving me little chance to fire. A few minutes later Sasha flushed a pair of pheasants, one hooked over and away from her, the other straight at me. The one headed my way spotted me raising my gun and suddenly banked straight up and into the sun making it impossible to tell if it was a hen or rooster so I passed on the shot.
Finally as we headed back through the heavy cover towards the truck Sasha flushed three roosters up over my head. I took the one to the left and folded it with a ounce of Hevi-shot from the 16ga BPS. Sasha took after the other two so I decided I better find the downed bird. It was a beautiful full bodied bird that put a weight in the vest that felt good.
Watered down, and deburred, Sasha pranced around the bird as if to say, "Hey, I did it". She posed proudly back at the house with her prize and I marveled at what fun we both had that afternoon. I noted some things to work on with her and look forward to another day in the brush...:thumb:
As we approached the western most section of the area I looked back and three other hunters had entered the unit and were working where Sasha and I had already been. As we worked along a pair of quail flushed fast and low giving me little chance to fire. A few minutes later Sasha flushed a pair of pheasants, one hooked over and away from her, the other straight at me. The one headed my way spotted me raising my gun and suddenly banked straight up and into the sun making it impossible to tell if it was a hen or rooster so I passed on the shot.
Finally as we headed back through the heavy cover towards the truck Sasha flushed three roosters up over my head. I took the one to the left and folded it with a ounce of Hevi-shot from the 16ga BPS. Sasha took after the other two so I decided I better find the downed bird. It was a beautiful full bodied bird that put a weight in the vest that felt good.
Watered down, and deburred, Sasha pranced around the bird as if to say, "Hey, I did it". She posed proudly back at the house with her prize and I marveled at what fun we both had that afternoon. I noted some things to work on with her and look forward to another day in the brush...:thumb: