HUNTING

I went hunting Saturday.  Second time in my life.  I was with two sons-in-law and a grandson.  It was a blast!

We were hunting birds.  We knew they were there because the farm owner planted them for us.  Not only did he plant them in his field just before we went after them, we had a guide with two dogs who knew about where he planted them - the farmer told him.

Pheasants and chukars were our quarry.  Neither are too interested in flying unless they think a dog might get them.  We walked all over a farm field that grew corn last summer.  When the dogs smell a bird, they stop and point to where it has been planted in a clump of grass or brush - four guys with shotguns walk up behind the dogs.  If the bird doesn't fly, the guide gets down on his hands and knees scares it into flight.  That's when the blasting begins.  The birds don't stand much of a chance (still, two or three got away). 

It is a fun time.  Four hours of tromping through fields, enjoying nature and bonding with good friends.  We didn't shoot each other, the guide or his dogs.  The birds were cleaned, frozen and will be eaten in good time.
 
I forgot to take pictures but here is the kind of dogs we had.  They are called German Shorthair Pointers - commonly "bird dogs".  They wear a collar so that the guide can call them and keep track of them.  The collar whistles when they stand still and point...pretty slick.

Here are the birds. You are probably familiar with pheasants;  the picture shows a male and a female (the males are the pretty ones - the hens, not so much).  The chukar is a partridge - yes, the bird that sits in the pear tree at Christmas.  They're a little smaller and faster flyers. 

'o.o'