Mystery In The Snow

                                               The last day of the 2012 season started out as a foggy morning with everything covered in crystals of light snow like someone had just put a layer of frosting on the landscape. I hadn't decided at daybreak whether or not to take one more walk before signing off on another memorable season with the Setters. I had been shooting baskets over at the community center the last few weeks making up for the miles I was missing once the weather and snow restricted our movement. While this day was still without any noticeable sunshine I decided to head for the gym a block away. Upon arriving I pulled on the door to find it locked and remembered the custodian doesn't open it until after church on Sundays. Having been ready for some exercise I was disappointed and as I made my way home decided in that moment we were indeed going to make our final walk in the snow.
                                                The options ran through my mind of places to end our season. I wanted a big area we could spend the rest of the day which would potentially hold all 3 species,pheasants,sharptail and huns. Having not shot a hun all season this registered as an objective. I also knew we could for sure find sharptail and get them in the air but pheasants were a different story in these winter conditions. While they are always fun for the Setters to try and pin down I had become tired of their antics the last few weeks. The gang hunters take these conditions as their cue to call up the troops and surround shelter belts and sloughs to try and even the score. Not our game. But anyway who could say they wouldn't want to see just one more rooster burst forth from the snow against a winter sky.
                                                 So we traveled 40 miles south and worked a large area with some hills and pasture with waterways bordered by wheat stubble and some corn along with flowers as well. It amazes me how much food is available out there as long as the birds can get to it. The area had some tree rows and we began by walking along them as we made our way into the area. It's always a game of which side of the cover to be on and because I hunt alone my expectations are always low in this situation even with pointing dogs. The birds always seem to know which side you're on and just fly out the opposite direction. Sure enough within the opening minutes and not a quarter mile into our hunt all 3 Setters were pointing a rooster on the opposite side of the tree row! I walked up slowly and attempted to make my way across the brush line when the rooster bolted away easily obstructed from view in the brush. It was a pretty sight with Mick in the lead flanked by Beau and Molly all focused on a spot hidden in the snow and brush. I laughed glad the pups had gotten him pinned down anyway.
                                                  As we continued on I noticed a set of tracks not from my dogs everywhere we went. Once I got out of the sugary blown snow onto more stable ground I could see it was a coyote as I had suspected. This coyote was actually hunting the exact same path and cover as we were. No surprise there! But I thought about the constant battle these birds fight against the daily pressure from these predators. That's why I have such strong feelings about fair chase hunting. Every year I hear horror stories about gang hunters surrounding birds in winter habitat and taking large numbers of roosters bragging about the killing which is exactly what it is not hunting.
                                                So I then decided to head for the edge of the wheat stubble hoping maybe we'd find the coveys of huns I had seen here throughout the season but hadn't got a good set up on. Excuses. Excuses. I know. Anyway with pheasant tracks everywhere as we made our way through the snow to the fence line again our coyote foe had made the same route heading north into the back reaches of our run. A couple hundred yards along the wheat stubble in the open snow I came upon 3 rooster tail feathers just sitting on top of the snow. I was puzzled thinking about how this came to be with no signs of a struggle anywhere close or any tracks of any kind except the coyote who had walked along the fence line edge. I said to myself that's great he must not have captured the rooster. As the Setters worked the stubble casting back and forth towards the fence line I walked another 30 yards and spotted a dark spot about 3 feet in diameter ahead of me. Then as I walked closer the dark spot became visible to me. A pile of feathers. All that was left of a rooster that had obviously lost the battle to the coyote. As I looked around trying to figure out the circumstances under which this occurred I couldn't visualize in my mind what actually took place. A mystery in the snow. A battle between predator and prey.
                                              We moved on with the coyote tracks preceding our every move as we checked all the cover. The Setters were dealing with the accumulation of snow between they're toes stopping every so often to rip the ice from they're feet as best they could. The sun had emerged and we had a beautiful day. The bonus was that I had not over dressed and was comfortable without over heating as we made our way through foot deep snow now a couple miles from the Jeep.
                                              Finally in the middle of this large area on the top of a small knoll with a few bushes Beau came to point flanked by Mick then Molly slightly behind. As I moved up alongside Beau I peered into the scant cover and saw nothing but fresh tracks leading in. I could tell by looking at the tracks that this was definitely a rooster judging by the size. I then moved ahead of Beau and nothing flushed. Mick moved ahead slightly and locked up again with Beau and Molly remaining where they were. As I scanned ahead I could see the cover ended ahead about 50 feet in a finger of light grass out into the wheat stubble. I slowly followed the line of sparse grass to the end and stopped with all 3 Setters solid on point behind me focused on the very end point now. This would be it I thought. A very beautiful point and shot in the open cover to end the season. I walked one more step and a rooster exploded into flight from the very end of the cover falling with a single report from my 20 gauge sxs a favorite gun I carried most of the season. Beau having been in the lead moved ahead securing the bird as we all converged on our final prize of the season taking a few moments to take it all in.
                                              We walked for another couple hours and miles pursuing birds under mostly bright sunny skies and ideal temperatures for a winters hunt. The Setters pointed several more birds including a large group of hens maybe 20 or more I expect. It was just a great sight as I watched for a rooster standing right in the middle of the flush. There may have been one there but I didn't care as we'd already had our moment.The rest was just for the Setters to enjoy and dream about during the cold winter days ahead.