The Sun Down Run

                                                    It was October 2011 and late in the day when I decided to take Mick along as I scouted for a future Hunt. He'd been out for the week as a cut healed on his leg in a position difficult to stitch. Hunting full time takes it's toll on the Setter's as well as myself. After I had done my research I found a spot in light cover to let Mick hunt a little as his cut had healed pretty well and I had one bird left to shoot for the day. It was 6p.m. when I turned Mick out so we had 31 minutes to hunt as the sun was going down across the western sky. I refer to this as the"magic hour". With birds making their way to find cover for the night anything can happen. We circled the grassy area with Mick working his magic and me watching both him and the time. At 6:14 we turned east toward the Jeep and Mick picked up scent as he held his nose into the breeze. Never in a hurry Mick worked his way toward the edge of the field and locked up on point. I walked in and flushed a Hen glad Mick got to work a bird. However Mick is notorious for not leaving an area before he's sure the birds are gone so he begins his final sweep of the area and once again proves his patience as a virtue coming to a point on the edge of the grass where it meets the alfalfa not 40 feet from where the Hen flushed. I slowly walk forward and a Rooster rises and falls with one report form my Ruger Gold Label. Mick locates the down bird and lays down looking at me with his best dog smile! I check the time and it's 6:21 so I unload my gun and we turn our backs to the setting sun as we head for the Jeep with Mick's bird in hand never thinking that all to soon Mick and I will someday take our final walk together and I'll be left with these memories of the times we spent in the field but for now we enjoy each other's company and I realize how lucky I am to spend this time with my Setter's in "Bird Country".