# Scracthed out a couple



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

We had rain in the forecast, but that's nothing to duck hunters. Its late season and on a small pond, so only use 1/4 of the normal decoys. We were competing with a larger pond full of coots just 150 yards away on another property. Just a little after shoot time the rain started, we dropped one and Cash made a beautiful retrieve. A few minutes later my sons friend made a awesome shot on a duck that had his afterburners on. Its his first year wing shooting, and that shot would have made a old timer proud. The rain kicked it up a notch to the point where you could pour water out of your gun barrel. Then the lightning started. We headed to the trucks to wait out the lighting. On the way Cash pointed a covey of quail.
When it clear up we changed tactics. Decided it was dove and quail time. Not bad being able to take 3 different bird species in one hunt. No large numbers to brag about but still a fun hunt.
Right now in Texas duck, goose. crane, dove and quail are all in season.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2013/12/classic-pheasant-hunt.html

_Text from my blog post. Wonderful short morning in the California Delta.

_Winter solstice hunt. 

Shortest day of the year. 

Bailey running the fields of Hastings Island this cool 27 degree Sunday morning at day break. 

My long time friend, Grant, joins me behind Bailey hunting the elusive pheasant.

Bailey slams on point and pins a pheasant. Grant getting into position. 

Bailey stays steady as I search out the coverage. 

Still looking as Ken (Willowynd) takes these pictures of a classic open field pheasant hunt.

A moment later, a pheasant pops up and flies to the east. Right into the rising sun. I took a shot, as Ken ducked. I had hit the bird at 40 yards and it went down (but was not killed). 

Bailey was sent for the retrieve. 

Would he retrieve it? YES. Right back to me.

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2013/12/what-happened-in-reeds.html 

His experience a couple weeks ago long forgotten!

Four nice pheasant were taken this morning.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

So glad that Bailey is back to retrieving.
I always look at myself, and the dogs as a work in progress.


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## Saltwater Soul (Jan 17, 2013)

I like mixed bag hunts. Always makes the day more interesting. I still can never match my dear departed dad in this category. He hunted the swamps in south Louisiana and you never knew what he would come back with -- Ducks, squirrels, pigs, turkeys, snapping turtles, otter, mink, etc. He just went hunting without declaring a species.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

we had snipe, woodcock and pheasants on saturday, coupled with driving rain and strong wind they were all coming like exocet missiles hence the bag count was down a bit. Still, a bad days hunt is better than a good day not hunting ;D


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

harr I hear you.
I won't dove hunt in high winds. I know my limitations. I might as well be throwing firecrackers, as shooting. Its the same effect, you hear boom and the bird flies off.
Or I wait on the birds flying against the wind, if the weatherman called it wrong.

Last Saturday my husband thought it would be okay to give Cash a birds head after the retrieve. That's not something you want to do with a hard mouthed dog.
So when him and Cash dove hunted Sunday, Cash wanted to hold the birds longer and mouth them.
So Cash will get a refresher on running Force to Pile, while Hold and Give are enforced.


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