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Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

It looks like the pheasant population is down this year; partly due, I believe, to the very dry spring/early summer which likely hurt the hatch, but also due to a loss of at least 150 acres of good habitat and heavy cover in the immediate area I hunt. That doesn't sound like a lot of cover to you Westerners but in Indiana, when we lose 150 acres of CRP/heavy grass and swamp cover within a single township, the negative impact is significant.

Consequently, I'm hunting less and enjoying immensely the time I do spend afield. Today was one of those precious days. In mid-afternoon I had worked a small patch of overgrown low holes and willows, with no birds flushed. The dog's body language shouted "Bird", but we could not even raise a hen from this good-looking cover. I then checked the various ditches and sloughs I have access to, with no success; so far the mallards are few. Several of the local ditches are frozen, which doesn't help. At the last hour, I selected a 160 acre tract of cut-over weeds with a swamp to the north and a wide, shallow ditch to the south. The corn has been harvested on this tract for about 2 weeks, and to the west, there is a large (75+ acre) patch of mixed grasses, willows, cattails and weeds.

The dog and I worked the swamp to the north, then cut through the CRP to the west tract of weeds. We could hear and see the sandhill cranes, still in the area, still serenading us overhead with their muttering, almost prehistoric cries. As soon as we crossed over into this field, we bumped a small whitetail buck from the willows, and as he bounded straight away, my dog picked up scent. Slowly at first, then, urgently picking up the pace, Pal trotted to the west, nose to the weeds, zigzagging with the heady scent and
moving quickly with the racing bird.

As you ringneck hunters know, when your flushing dog behaves in this manner, it is very often a battle-wise rooster who has experienced the guns and knows there is safety in evasion; it is often difficult to get such a bird to fly, at least within gun range. Pal ran to the extreme west edge of this cover, circled into the open field beyond, and kept searching intently for the bird he knew was at hand. Panting, at least 30 yards behind him, my hopes for a flush within range were dimming, as was my eyesight; truth to be told, I was damn near fainting from lack of oxygen!

Pal loped toward me, at the west perimeter of the thinning grass, when all of a sudden, he whirled, nose to the turf, and froze at the edge of a tuft of foxtail, tail straight out, taut as the proverbial bowstring. I thought I had a flushing dog, but over the last two seasons, he has "pointed" several birds, usually those caught dead-to-rights, in low cover like this. I had just enough time to plant my feet and raise the Silverhawk when the rooster flushed from the grass. The ounce of Super X Double X #6's from the right barrel caught the bird and he dropped near the dog in a spray of feathers.

As we made our way along the creek to the south, my exuberance got the best of me, and the dog and I, crunching through the ice near the creekbank, startled a small flock of five mallards, who soundlessly made their escape as I watched, open-mouthed and totally surprised while they caught the wind and sailed away. It has still been a great day---fine sport, good dog work and a satisfying end to the hunt. Hope I'm as lucky next time !

Member Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 398 Location: S Fl

W.C.
I'm in awe. Wish I could write half as beautifully as you.

Pete

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Chief should write in them outdoor magazines---I read his stories with more imagination than the "big boys"---He ACTUALLY hunts and has full appreciation for the dogs,game hunted and the time spent afield---My hat off to you sir--As to your comment on the loss of land any acreage in these parts is a significant loss.I recently saw the loss of a hedgerow 1/2 mile long by 200 feet--It went from producing pheasants,rabbits and sqrirrels to another 16 rows of barren field Embarassed

Here in the midwest the ground is rich but the cover is sparse--which means less game.I am lucky to see two pheasants a year Evil or Very Mad

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

Thanks for the very kind words; I love to hunt birds---it's what I live for....I enjoy composing the stories. They are a kind of diary for the season.