# First season



## mnswd (Oct 13, 2005)

From Flush to Finish

It was the last morning of Gabby's (a 14-month-old 30 lbs. Spanish Water Dog - a relatively new breed to Minnesota if not the US) second 3-day trip to ND for pheasant hunting. The morning was unseasonly warm for the first weekend in November with a strong southerly breeze. We had had what experienced ND hunters might consider less than successful weekend, however being from MN and somewhat a beginner at pheasant hunting I was happy with the 3 birds in the bag and the number of opportunities we had had. We had just gotten done walking a tree line with nothing to show for it and were walking past a slough to get to the end and walk it back up wind. We were almost to the end when Gabby turned on a dime and headed in to the cattails. The next thing I knew there was the cackling of a flushing rooster. I turned and shoot, and the bird glided down into some tall grass about 50 yards down wind. As I reloaded Gabby and Tom took off down the field to hunt down the wounded bird. Within seconds we were in the area the bird went down - and Gabby was hot. Then without notice the rooster took off running across the soy bean stubble towards the tree line with Gabby in hot pursuit. Gabby quickly caught up to the wily bird but didn't know how to open field tackle it, so, in to the tree line the two went. By the time we caught up to Gabby she was ¼ mile down the tree line, and I thought this bird had was going to live to see another day. However, to my surprise Gabby had cornered the bird in a pile brush at the end of the tree line. When I pulled that bird out from the brush I will never forget the look of anguish from the bird that knew he had lost and the look of accomplishment on Gabby's face for a job well done.


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