Well folks the rabbit hunt never got of the ground. My hunters chickened out. It was to cold, real panzies. Well not to be with a day with the dogs, off to Ricky's for some birds. Stopped at gun shop for coffee and BS, David called wanting to take his dog Babe out. David is like the little boy on peanuts with the cloud over his head. I told him I was on the way to pick up some birds and I would be over at Randy's within the hour. He met me there with Babe in the box. I had Ben and Belle and DeeDee, she's a GSP, in the truck box. We put out 10 birds an let Babe and DeeDee out. Both of these have hunted together last year and this was the first time they had been out this year. I wasn't expecting a lot out of either of them. They bumped the first 3 birds. The first one went to the far tree line, the second we shot down, Babe retrieved. The third went into the woods. We headed in the woods and we worked up and down the area where we saw the bird go down. No bird, I was about to give up when Babe went on point. David walked up behind Babe and looked for the bird, I couldn't see it from where I was. This was open ground covered with oak leaves. Finally David said he saw he bird, I ask where an he said in front of the leaning bush. I looked with all 4 eyes, I wear glasses, and I couldn't see it. I had walked through that are twice anyway. He said look hard just in front of the bush. Then I saw it, the bird was under the leaves. He flushed the bird and would you believe we fired 4 shots at the bird and he got away. Back to the field. I was surprised with DeeDee came running up with the bird. She was happy. We then headed to the far tree line to get the other one. This was a thick area with poison ivy. We started zig zaging across the area. No lucky the dogs wanted to move on. They had covered the area. Well I knew the bird was there and I kept DeeDee working it. There were some old stumps pushed up in two piles so I walked up the first one. Dee followed and then she caught the scent. She walked up the second pile and pointed. As I went to flush the bird Babe came over an backed Dee. I was surprised when a rabbit ran from the top of the stump pile. Dee had been pointing a rabbit. Babe took off after the rabbit but Dee held the point. Now what was this? She didn't move. As I looked closer I saw the bird about 4 ft in front of her. I flushed the bird and fired two quick shots. The first was stopped by a small oak tree but the second rolled him up. David said he didn't know I could shoot that fast. I do have to admit it was a fast shot by if I hadn't shot fast the bird would have been lost. By now they were getting back in to the grove. The rest of the morning was point, flush and shoot. The only down side was poor old Ben and Belle didn't get out of the box, but tomorrow is another day and it will be their turn. Babe is really making a dog, she is only 2. By the time she is 4 she will really be something. DeeDee has gotten rusty, but it is my fault. David ask if I would leave Dee with him so Babe will have a back up. I agreed. Dee is really good, as good a Ben. I have just not kept her training up. Having David hunt her will help.
