Post by Uplander on Oct 13, 2006 18:57:38 GMT -5
So, the time has come to hang up the fly rod and pick up the shotgun and stride afield into Berkshire forests seeking the elusive partridge and woodcock....
Yesterday was the woodcock opener here in MA. In the rain, Piper and I hunted a small little cover I know that gets to be bustling with birds when the woodcock migration flights get going. All we found yesterday were a couple of local birds, which I whiffed. But, I watched Piper flush, and give chase after, her first partridge. Season isn’t open yet here….
Today we hunted again, the weather was beautiful but breezy, and partridge numbers were good (season still not open). Several partridge were wild flushes, almost 80 to 100 yards away. But, Piper is starting to work the covers well, and flushed two different partridge; practically nosing them up off the ground and dashing off in hot pursuit as they jet away. She’s really starting to love looking for them, and her birdieness is showing more every time out.
But, today she started flushing woodcock as well. Only a few (flights still must not be in), and she doesn’t get as worked up as when it’s a partridge, but today I managed to knock one down that she flushed. She put it up, I touched off two shots and missed. We followed up on the flush, she nosed it up into the air again, and I managed to drop it. She was off after it with a bound when I told her to “find the bird, fetch it up!”, but ran right over it and beyond. I had marked its fall and called her back. She eventually found it, nosed it around, mouthed at it, picked it up, and trotted up to me. I made her sit, but let her hold her prize for a bit, and then took it away, surprisingly not too beat up (“drop it” took a little convincing…).
So, first bird! She’ll be 8 months old next week. Not a partridge, but hey, I’ll take it! Gonna try again tomorrow….
Yesterday was the woodcock opener here in MA. In the rain, Piper and I hunted a small little cover I know that gets to be bustling with birds when the woodcock migration flights get going. All we found yesterday were a couple of local birds, which I whiffed. But, I watched Piper flush, and give chase after, her first partridge. Season isn’t open yet here….
Today we hunted again, the weather was beautiful but breezy, and partridge numbers were good (season still not open). Several partridge were wild flushes, almost 80 to 100 yards away. But, Piper is starting to work the covers well, and flushed two different partridge; practically nosing them up off the ground and dashing off in hot pursuit as they jet away. She’s really starting to love looking for them, and her birdieness is showing more every time out.
But, today she started flushing woodcock as well. Only a few (flights still must not be in), and she doesn’t get as worked up as when it’s a partridge, but today I managed to knock one down that she flushed. She put it up, I touched off two shots and missed. We followed up on the flush, she nosed it up into the air again, and I managed to drop it. She was off after it with a bound when I told her to “find the bird, fetch it up!”, but ran right over it and beyond. I had marked its fall and called her back. She eventually found it, nosed it around, mouthed at it, picked it up, and trotted up to me. I made her sit, but let her hold her prize for a bit, and then took it away, surprisingly not too beat up (“drop it” took a little convincing…).
So, first bird! She’ll be 8 months old next week. Not a partridge, but hey, I’ll take it! Gonna try again tomorrow….
