Post by frankyme on Dec 28, 2009 14:22:57 GMT -5
Kodiac and I got our first wild bird Saturday. He flushed many Grouse but I didn't have or wasn't a good enough shoot most. We were in heavy cover and he was constantly wanting to get out to far. Big difference in shooting distance between the planted pheasant field and the grouse woods! I ended up having him heel as we stalked through the young aspen and selectively sending him into likely cover. The birds were all under black spruces that provide an umbrella from the snow. Most took off low and away. One, lucky me, went straight up and cleared the aspens. A single shot and he folded up. Kodiac completed the circle with a retrieve to my feet (we'll continue to work on hand delivery with out birds). It was a nice Gray phase. I saved the tail to make display.
It is amazing how fast they "get it" when wild birds are involved. At the beginning of the day he was running out in front of me following his nose every which way. I was constantly having him sit so I could catch up. After we got the bird in the thick stuff we walked a two track and he went from side to side 10 yards into the woods and checking every spruce tree that might have held a bird. He barely needed a reminder. Unfortunately it was getting late and they were roosting by then.
Frank
