After having some recent fun with Buck on pheasants I was really hoping to squeeze in one more hunt before the season ends. So, on the morning of Christmas Eve I ventured out in search of ringneck roosters with my friend Noah (whom I've been grouse hunting with this year), dad, and yellow lab Buck. We visited some public land south of my hometown in South-Central Minnesota and plowed through cattail sloughs and thick brush, trying to flush the wily late season birds. The temperature hovered around -3F and winds up to 15 mph so it wasn't warm but there was some incentive to keep moving. This is the coldest weather Buck has hunted in yet and it didn't seem to bother him at all.

The only bird Buck flushed was a lone hen pheasant, otherwise a coyote was spotted as we entered the field (he was exiting, fast) and I surprised a whitetail doe bedded down in a slough.

It isn't uncommon to go home empty handed on this public land so I'm just glad I had some fun time on my holiday vacation with my dad, friend, and of course Buck. He showed a lot of confidence and was ranging and quartering more than before, and did a great job on the hen he flushed. It was only nine months ago to the day that I adopted him, so I am just happy he is not only hunting well but enjoying it just as much as I do. I'm looking forward to more training with him (and sporting clays for me) before more bird hunting next year.

Buck and I:





One that got away... there's a reason we call it hunting, not shooting:

Love the pic of the pheasant trail.