SHHHH............Dont' Tell the Wife

After the wife left for work I grabbed Emma and headed for Warrior Ridge, an hour long hunt over easy terrain to test out my healing back muscles. Just a couple of minutes out of the truck Emma points under this leaning tree. I took the wrong approach and a woodcock flew out staying low and not offering me a shot, but it was a good start.Pa. has extended the woodcock season this year and the coverts are a little more open without the leaves to interfere and the birds were there.

The next woodcock flushed in front of me and got a free pass. Minutes later Emma started to make game, pointing several times but not able to pin point the woodcock. She suddenly did a 180 and bumped the bird.

She hunted beautifully for me today. Diving under some cover............

and bursting out of other cover.

As we neared the truck she went on point at a large downed oak tree with briers growing up through a maze of branches. I circled around the treetop, stomped on some of the limbs and even threw a small limb into the center to try to flush whatever held Emma's interest. Finally I climbed into the center of the tangle. Suddenly out of the leaves just a couple of feet from me flushed a woodcock just missing my right shoulder. I turned, left the bird get a little distance on me and promptly missed with both barrels. This was were the bird was squatted down.

Although disappointed with my shooting I still had a smile on my face as I made my way back to the truck. I had found some birds, Emma had worked the cover to my satisfaction, and my back didn't feel too bad. I might just have to go for a little hunt tomorrow.