Someone came knocking.......

You keep a knockin', but you can't come in!

Dunno who that is, Big Al knows where the doorbell is, AND he always brings a 6-pack with him.

Dan

Pres., TYHC

www.Alien.Leezards

Pardon the pun,,,,,,but,, it looks like the poor guy has been stood up!!! Clay

DD Why cant you just get a dog like everybody else to keep cats out ya yard. Also for christ sake why not put a pet door in so poor FLUFFY dont have to scratch at the door any more

I have a "dog", it just happens to live in the river. I'd put in a pet door but they don't always sell him beer at the 7-11. No beer, no door, no exceptions!

BTW, I'm off to Tallahassee to shoot quail birds for a couple of days. Stay tuned for a full report.

Dan

Pres., TYHC

www.NoFree.Rides

Dan I do apolize In the north of Auz we have crocidiles and I'm led to belive from past experence .That they are banned from buying any form of Booze .Which is probarly the reason that they do not play well with other children

So. DD, the Tallahassee roundup please!

Lois

Well, okay then.

Drive to TLH, rest up in preperation for the BIG day.

Up at 5:00 because I crashed at 9:00, coffee, paper, load up dogs at 7:30, drive to Little River Farm. Hot coffee, meet new Farm Manager, young fellow with a college shingle in something or other. He also is the Dog Handler... something not taught in College these days.

Farm looks better than it has in years, I'm thinking the new blood is a good idea, and warming a bit the the lad. Dogs out(2 Brittanies, my uncle's), out of the truck and we walk for a bit. After 1.5 hours there are 11 quail in the box, the Brits are getting tired and I have my FIRST double with the Beretta 686(aftermarket modified to 682 configuration by the previous owner).

Whilst trundling to the next field across the dam and conversing with a priviously known fella he admits he is ready to part with his extraordinary custom .416 Rigby bolt gun which I have secretly lusted after for some years. It has been to Africa, and done things that PETA does not approve of many times over. I allowed that I would take the old clunker off his hands, the deal was done.(more on that later)

Round 2:

Out of the box in the back comes a GSP, and a Vizsla, Xena and Tisha respectively, both Field Champions I learn later. I used to own two Vizslas, one hunted and one did not but it was an awesome watch dog, and really HATED crats so I kept it around. I had NOT hunted over dogs of this caliber however, as I soon learned. Within moments we had two dogs pointing two different coveys about 100 yards apart. College boy impresses me the first time that day by saying to Tisha, "tisha, leave 'em, this way", and the dog broke point and proceeded as the boss had directed, to the other dog on point. I would not have believed a bird dog would have done that. Certainly with the ease it was done. I was in awe...

The GSP was a jewel, and perhaps the better of the two dogs that day, for it was a breezy day and she winded better than Tisha. Tisha was a trailer, nose to the ground always. At any rate, the boss said Xena would hold a point until it dropped from malnutrition...I believe him. Again, I was amazed. I have hunted with many excellent dogs over the years, and more than a few duds, but I have not witnessed truly disciplined field dogs in action before. The boss screwed up a couple of times, the dogs never did, the afterglow of 20/20 hindsight being necessary to realize this however.

Long story short, I got my second and third double that day, wished I had taken the Whistler with me upon reflection. It was a bad day for the quail birds all things considered, but as always there were those that live on to tell the tale. The season is closed now, so we can only anticipate next fall and brown fields.

Last year I did this hunt with two oldsters in the family, and wondered if they would be back this season or not. I'm sorry to say my father did not make it this year, but am pleased to report my uncle did. That wilely old slickster has a 1000% average for our last two hunts. I admire, and aspire to such greatness with a scattergun, perhaps someday... It is a good way to wind down in the Autumn of life I think. I shall have to rehearse the tale for dad, to give it just the right spin, and not embellish the wrong points. He has worn out two shotguns chasing quail in his life, first an Ithaca 37 Featherweight in 16 Ga, then a Browning Sweet 16. He recognizes the difference between reality and embellishment unless the presentation is just so, at least in the field of dreams. He has hunted his last and now deals with bi-weekly Chemo that extends life perhaps but does not cure. I admire him, and am saddened by what the future holds. It is difficult for me to imagine a time when the fields were so free and bountiful that a man who cared for his gun could actually wear is out anyway. Twice. He has had a good run.

Dan

Damn, Dan....

I am touched. Nice story.

PB

Dan,

Sorry that your dad could not make another hunt. He sounds like a guy with lots of class. Anybody that wears out two 16 bore guns, loved to hunt and do it with style, ie: 16 bore, the Gentelman's bore.

Polish up your story, so that he can go in the field hunting once again. A well told story can take anybody any where and it is the next best thing to being there.

Hog Killer

Hello Dan. It sounds like you had a great hunt. You have a little time now though to start working on a snarling, rampaging cat story involving a wonderful save by a proven .416 in the hands of an intrepid, cool-headed PCH .

Thanks ,Dan.