the stuff of dreams

Had a dream last night that I shot a woodcock. With a hammergun. In front of the White House. I have no idea what that means.

fair chase

Whit and I set out to find some new hunting grounds two days ago. I had covered part of this patch of public hunting land during pheasant season. It looked promising: grain fields bordered by thick grassy cover and willows. There was a small patch of woods and a good sized marsh making up the other borders.

During the season, we had hunted the grassy cover on three separate occasions. We never found a single bird. On this day, we were going to scout the marshy area. There was still quite a bit of snow on the ground, despite temps in the mid 30's. Most of the marsh would still be frozen. With the ground frozen and the cover thinned by months of winter, the cover would be more passable than it was in the fall.

We walked through a good part of the marsh with no signs of wildlife, other than a deer carcass. I was proud that Whit left it alone Just as I was about to turn us around, Whit got birdy. I headed in her direction. Sure enough, rooster tracks! Whit and I gave chase. The bird weaved through the cover. We followed, Whit by scent, and me, further behind, by track.

After a couple hundred yards, the bird turned out of the cover and sprinted in the open. There, its tracks were joined by what appeared to be another rooster and a hen. A some point, a turkey crossed their tracks. Eventually, they turned back into the cover, where we lost their track.

We never saw a single bird. They never flew. They just ran. They doubled back on us twice. These birds are survivors. Their home will likely be impassable for most of the hunting season. I'm looking forward to the rematch.