Big Grass

Beau and I took a walk in a beautiful section of grass bordered by water and harvested bean fields the other day during the first week of November. As I watched him cast out into the grass it was like

de javu. For years we would hunt this type of cover almost exclusively avoiding the cattail sloughs and water bogs leaving those for the masses of group hunters hoping to surround and ambush birds in the thick cover.

Beau just put his nose to the wind and followed the scent as he held his head up high. A beautiful sight and experience I miss so much now that most of the CRP acres are forever gone in this part of the country. This is our game. A needle in a haystack I call it.The birds are free to run and try all their tricks to out maneuver the Setters. That's what makes it a great game to play. The odds are really in the birds favor challenging us to a duel on the prairie. As the sun beamed down on us I could see Beau's coat shine in the light and see the silky texture of his hair blow in the wind. Clean and beautiful. No mud and masses of cockle burrs to contend with.

Our path is not in a straight line. After all birds don't stick to a straight line now do they? There is no whistle blowing. No sounds from a dog yelping from being shocked for getting to far ahead. No talking. No yelling. Just a dog surfing the wind back and forth across the landscape. Silent. Natural. I stop as I watch Beau circle trying to determine the direction a moving bird took then making eye contact with me as he passes. Searching.

Finally he takes a line towards a depression with head high taking in scent. This bird has chosen a path and Beau's found it. He slows as we approach and skirts the edge of the cover then heads south. The bird has continued to move and I stay close as Beau moves ahead casting back and forth to determine where this birds headed. I look ahead and we're moving towards a wind break planting of trees about 3 feet high with waist high weeds in between the rows. Heavy cover.

Beau is tall enough so that I can easily see him in this cover. I'm concerned this bird will run down a row and into cattails to the east but Beau is casting in a circle again trying to pick up the scent and cut the bird off. We've been pursuing this bird for about 200 yards I suspect. Beau comes around in front of me as I stand and watch him taking in the scent heading west toward the water. I can tell he's picked up this bird again as his posture changes slightly and he slows a bit. Cautious. Then suddenly the moment comes and he stops crouching slightly. This usually means he's quite close to the bird an occurrence common in heavier cover with the birds tucked in tightly. I'm only 10 feet away and pick my line of approach to the west. Beau's looking into the weedy grass right in front of him. I take a quick step ahead kicking the grass and a mature rooster fights his way above the cover. This was a classic pursuit and I don't hesitate firing a single shot from my 20 gauge sxs quickly bringing down the bird.

As I pickup the bird I can't help but reminisce a little about all the birds we've taken in similar surroundings. It just doesn't get much better than this I know all to well.  I then let Beau inspect our bird before putting it in my vest. I look down at him in his eleventh year and can't believe how lucky I've been to have hunted behind such a dog. Again I smile also glad to have found where we really belong together. In the wide open spaces...  of the "Big Grass" country.