It's opening day for Partridge. I decided to take my double out and try to bag a few birds. Just for the sake of ha ha, I decided to swing by one of my duck haunts. I had figured I might bump into a few, so I dug around and found the only 2 3/4" steel shells I had, Winchester Drylok #2's. I stopped using these years ago because of their crappy performance, but because I was really going for Hun's, I didn't think much of it and emptied a box worth into my vests pockets. Once there, I walked down to a brush line, took the lead shells out, and dropped in one snap cap, and one steel shell. My double has a full and modified, and I never fire steel through a full, so I was toting a single at that point.
I met another hunter also looking for partridge and we talked for awhile, but then he got in his truck and left, so I moved over to where he came from. After a few minutes, I saw birds starting to come in from the South. Then more, and more and finally, no word of a lie, the horizon started to turn black. In a few minutes, probably a thousand birds of every flavour were closing in on me. I squated in the grass, and a bloody little falcon started coming at me! He dropped in on me, kind of hovered for a second and stared. I tried to shoo it away by stabbing at it with my barrels, but it would circle and come back. I decided to try and get a picture of it, but everytime I would turn my camara on, a few ducks would come into range. Eventually he left, but then the shooting began. The only picture I got was when the birds were just started to move in, and I just reached up through the grass to try and get a shot, but it didn't turn out so good.
The first bird came into range and I fired. I was sure I hit it, but it didn't come down. At the shot, the whole world exploded. Any birds on the water took to the air and everything else started to flare. I reloaded and fired again. And again I was sure I hit, but nothing came down. The first few birds I was pretty sure I saw a few feathers, but in all the excitment of the birds I couldn't tell. Finally some of the birds came in lower and I lined up and fired, paying careful attention this time. Sure as ####, POOF! a cloud of feathers appeared, but the drake kept on going. I watched it to make sure but It was gone. I fired at 2 more, and connected with both but the same deal, they kept going. I was absolutly heart broken at that thought, and all I could do was watch as these birds retreated South again. I never fired another shot, I just watched.
Dissapointed, I dropped 2 lead shells into the chamber and walked back to the road. I was going to walk the ditch to the car, but halfway there I found a dog, dead in the ditch. (If anyone local knows anybody missing a Shepard, with maybe some lab in him, North/East of Lethbridge, PM me for the location. He was wearing a black collar made on nylon about an inch and a half wide) I figure he was only there a few hours. It looked fresh, but was stiff as a board and I couldn't get the collar off. Right then I heard a car coming so I went onto the road and tried to flag it down. I was waving, then they waved back. When it was clear they were going to drive by, I started waving harder, motioning for them to stop. They looked worried and pinned it! I didn't even think that I was still holding my shotgun, action open of course, but I should have put it down. They didn't go far, just to the next farm. I got to the car and drove to the farm. When I got there I appoligized for scaring them, they were a little on the old side. I asked if they knew anybody with a dog of that discription and told them where I found it, but they didn't know anything.
I started then towards another spot I go to often. On the way, I found a whole covey, in someones front yard.
I got to my spot and walked it till sunset, but nothing came up. While I didn't bring home anything, it was an interesting night for sure. A little sad, a little ticked and a little in awe was how I was feeling on the way home, but man what a way to spend an evening.
I met another hunter also looking for partridge and we talked for awhile, but then he got in his truck and left, so I moved over to where he came from. After a few minutes, I saw birds starting to come in from the South. Then more, and more and finally, no word of a lie, the horizon started to turn black. In a few minutes, probably a thousand birds of every flavour were closing in on me. I squated in the grass, and a bloody little falcon started coming at me! He dropped in on me, kind of hovered for a second and stared. I tried to shoo it away by stabbing at it with my barrels, but it would circle and come back. I decided to try and get a picture of it, but everytime I would turn my camara on, a few ducks would come into range. Eventually he left, but then the shooting began. The only picture I got was when the birds were just started to move in, and I just reached up through the grass to try and get a shot, but it didn't turn out so good.
The first bird came into range and I fired. I was sure I hit it, but it didn't come down. At the shot, the whole world exploded. Any birds on the water took to the air and everything else started to flare. I reloaded and fired again. And again I was sure I hit, but nothing came down. The first few birds I was pretty sure I saw a few feathers, but in all the excitment of the birds I couldn't tell. Finally some of the birds came in lower and I lined up and fired, paying careful attention this time. Sure as ####, POOF! a cloud of feathers appeared, but the drake kept on going. I watched it to make sure but It was gone. I fired at 2 more, and connected with both but the same deal, they kept going. I was absolutly heart broken at that thought, and all I could do was watch as these birds retreated South again. I never fired another shot, I just watched.
Dissapointed, I dropped 2 lead shells into the chamber and walked back to the road. I was going to walk the ditch to the car, but halfway there I found a dog, dead in the ditch. (If anyone local knows anybody missing a Shepard, with maybe some lab in him, North/East of Lethbridge, PM me for the location. He was wearing a black collar made on nylon about an inch and a half wide) I figure he was only there a few hours. It looked fresh, but was stiff as a board and I couldn't get the collar off. Right then I heard a car coming so I went onto the road and tried to flag it down. I was waving, then they waved back. When it was clear they were going to drive by, I started waving harder, motioning for them to stop. They looked worried and pinned it! I didn't even think that I was still holding my shotgun, action open of course, but I should have put it down. They didn't go far, just to the next farm. I got to the car and drove to the farm. When I got there I appoligized for scaring them, they were a little on the old side. I asked if they knew anybody with a dog of that discription and told them where I found it, but they didn't know anything.
I started then towards another spot I go to often. On the way, I found a whole covey, in someones front yard.
I got to my spot and walked it till sunset, but nothing came up. While I didn't bring home anything, it was an interesting night for sure. A little sad, a little ticked and a little in awe was how I was feeling on the way home, but man what a way to spend an evening.
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