A Step in the Right Direction.

Took Thicket to the Piney Creek covert yesterday. We didn't find any birds until we reached the far end of the cover. She went on point several times as she worked a running woodcock. The bird finally flushed keeping low and I missed with both barrels, but was very happy to see Thicket showing interest in woodcock. As I stood there praising her she kept working the scent and another woodcock took flight with me standing there with any empty gun. She gave chase to this bird and I saw her bump it again in the distance. Although we didn't find any more birds I was very pleased with her showing an interest in woodcock scent. I'm hoping we've "turned the corner" and she has accepted woodcock as the reason for us being in the woods.  Unfortunately the woodcock season ends at the end of this week and most of the birds seem to have passed through my coverts. After deer season  we will be hitting my grouse coverts for as long as the weather lets us.

On the way to Piney Creek I saw this sitting in a field just off the road on a road killed deer carcass.