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Well last Saturday was our last day of the season here in N Ireland, my long time hunting partner had his two Labradors working for us and an old friend who gave up shooting came out for a wee walk with us , we had a good last day i had bagged two Pheasants and was content with our last day my hunting partner had one chance and missed but we had a good season and we walked back to the cars happy men the chat was good , James put his gun in the back of his car when I noticed his two dogs on the scent of something in to the left of his car , I slipped back in a couple of cartridges and said the dogs are onto something, I thought it might have been a Woodcock as we were well away from where our Pheasants were released at , I saw dogs head next the main lane and I followed but lost sight of them in the bushes, then James shouted there heading back this way , he had his gun in the car so I headed back up past where he had parked and still couldn't see the dogs for bushes when James shouted bird up , then I saw it a big Cock Pheasant heading my way , i shot into the top of the trees but it curled round i lost sight of it for what seemed like ages as it disappeared behind a big fir tree 🌳, it appeared out from behind it and I fired again and I couldn't believe my luck when down it came up at the top of the lane flapped a couple of times and that was it , my friends cheared , what an end to a great season , I had one no 5 with me and had it in my second barrel all day luckily I hadn't needed it until the very end of our hunt .
But this still leaves the question what should you put away first , your gun or your dogs , let's hear what you all think ,
I'm glad I still had my gun out this time
Hope you all had a good season WJ.

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1177

I unload my gun when approaching the vehicle and put it away before loading the dogs. My dogs load up on command, but I'm not sure they would load up if I still had the gun in my hand. Gun in hand means going hunting to them.

Sounds like you had a wonderful ending to the season with a memory you'll have forever.

WJ,

I always load my dogs 1st, they load on command wheather I have the gun or not.
I then unload & wipe my gun down and place it in the soft case for traveling. I then take my hunting vest off and place it in my vehicle.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith/Westley Richards Man

My gun is unloaded at the truck and then put in the gun sleeve next to my seat. Then the dogs are loaded in the back seat, my Lab is old so I have to lift her in.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2530 Location: West MI

Sounds about the perfect end to a season, a day afield with friends doesn't get any better. Well done.

My gun is the absolute last thing that is loaded. More than a few times an opportunity has appeared while; taking camo/outerwear off, picking up dekes, arranging the party for a picture, watering the dogs (and the hunters) after the hunt, etc...

putz463,

Love your sorry comment at the end of each one of your posts, great stuff!

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith/Westley Richards Man

Deleted double post