Thanksgiving

Home for the holiday was this year's theme for the Setter's and I. Hunting through this week is the norm for us and even if we did want to travel my van needs to have 2 fuel injectors replaced so business as usual as they say until it's my turn at the local repair shop.

Beau had been recuperating from a stretch of long days in the field so the rotation on the holiday fell to Mick this year. I'd planned a nice dinner of smoked turkey,garlic mashed cauliflower,the traditional green bean casserole and of course pumpkin pie! Several hours in the making and only minutes to eat. I laughed at all the work but had fun embracing the spirit of the holiday with the only family present being my 3 Setters. My life companions. Their treat being the drippings from the turkey on their kibble.

It was another cold day and after consuming much more than my normal caloric intake I just had to walk it off. Mick knew of course that he was on deck as I swear they keep track. He'd been looking at me with those big brown eyes for two days now. Then he was also staying close to me as well keeping track of my every move as if to send the message any way he knew how. Put me in coach! Of course when I started putting on my boots I had all 3 of them lobbying to go along. After gathering all my gear I finally put an end to the suspense and put Mick's GPS collar on him. He immediately headed to the back door to make sure in fact he got on this holiday run.

I loaded the Jeep and started the engine then walked to the garage to grab my vest having left it there the previous day after cleaning our birds. After loading Mick I mentally went over my list and made one more trip into the house to fill a water bottle I carry with me for the dog's. That done we were off. Finally.

Mick's riding shotgun with me once again and I look over and just feel lucky. Spending some one on one time with him is a perfect way to celebrate the day as I'm truly thankful for his company. We arrive 20 minutes later at our destination a run that has some heavy cover we can skirt and give Mick a chance to work his magic. While it's true he's a methodical hunter he's very smart making up for any speed and endurance he may have had in younger days.

I let him out of the Jeep before I had my vest on and when I turned to look for him when I was ready he was nowhere to be seen. I walked around and looked across the gravel road and no Mick. I listened carefully and heard nothing. Then I glanced back in the direction of the Jeep to the west and there he was 20 feet from the jeep on the edge of a cut corn field. Pointing! Again I think of how many times I've learned this lesson of not releasing the setters till I'm all ready myself. I walk in slowly and nothing flushes. I release Mick and he scouts the immediate area and it's obvious the bird has run out but fun to experience anyway. After thoroughly checking the area as only Mick does he's ready to move on so we cross the road and head east.

Once in heavy cattails along a pasture Mick gets birdy again and in short order is pointing along the edge of the pasture into the cattails. I walk towards him and nothing flushes again. Moving birds I say to myself. Sure enough as Mick and I move on 3 hens bust wild to my right 30 yards. I stand on the edge of some heavy grass as I watch Mick work out into the light grass of the pasture in a way indicating he's tracking moving birds. Nose to the ground and not in the air in a zig zag pattern. Skeptical as to whether it's worth my while to cross 2 fences to follow him I stand and watch. Terrible of me I thought later. Where's the faith? But anyway this track eventually after a couple hundred yards came back towards me. In the mean time as I was walking east to keep even with Mick I walked into a group of at least a dozen hens that flushed wild in a  narrow waterway. This was now coming together in my mind. Obviously with the corn recently harvested we had a large number of birds now using the cover Mick and I were walking through. Today some had moved forward and some as evidenced by Mick's track had wandered out into the adjacent pasture. I'd seen 15 hen's now so where were the roosters?

Mick seemed to lose the track he was on as he came closer to the fence line. Eventually he crossed to my side and continued on along the water's edge of a frozen waterway with a narrow band of cattails. The cattails were 6 feet high plus and I was able to keep visual contact with him as there was a ridge immediately to the west. Moving birds on this long of a track I thought what are the possibilities he's still on the same birds?. I checked my GPS as we went along when I'd lose visual contact not wanting to spook any birds and staying as quiet as possible to let Mick keep working. I then reflected on how Mick never gives up if he thinks there are birds in an area. He is extremely patient and persistent.  After a quarter of a mile now he just kept working diligently in and out around the edge of this waterway as I kept pace as best I could.

A couple minutes later as we came to a bend I lost visual contact with Mick. I stopped and listened,. Silence again. I couldn't see him at all but knew he had to be close. So risking not being ready if a bird flushed I pulled out my GPS. Much to my surprise Mick was just opposite me 15 feet away on point! I carefully readied myself and stepped closer to the edge of the cattails from where I had been walking a little higher up the side of the ridge. I had to flush this bird so I had to walk into the cover which was over my head. Just when I got to the edge the bird took flight making the biggest ruckus I can remember hearing. I knew this had to be a rooster as it tried to fight it's way above the cover but do you think I'd shoulder my gun? Hell no. I was like a 12 year old kid on his first hunt as this huge rooster rose above the top of the cattails looking right at me as he determined which way he was going to go! I watched as he came right across in front of me and finally shouldered my gun as I watched him continue flying after firing two shots! Totally mesmerized by that rooster I reached into my pouch and reloaded my gun but as I was doing so another rooster rose in much the same fashion! From 15 feet away. So now prepared once again I listened for Mick. Nothing. Again silence. I thought it's impossible that I'd get one more chance today but I walked ahead a little bit and yet another rooster beat his way into the air and fell with my next shot! My God I thought how lucky and glad I was to consummate that moment for Mick. I admit to being a very average shooter made to look way better by such capable bird dog's! And that is a moment I can't recall being more thankful for in all the times with Mick over the year's. How fitting it would happen on Thanksgiving as well!

As I finish writing this story I've just returned from another afternoon run with Mick. It's the first day of a major winter storm. But I just couldn't resist taking a walk with him. I miss him in the field and wish he could come with me every day. Today like so many other days this season on just a short run he pointed me a beautiful rooster I shot for him. It was snowing and blowing with winds 20 to 35 mph and 14 degrees as ice crystals hit my face. His coat was covered in snow as well but I could tell he loved every minute of it. Thanks again Mick!

Thanks for all the times Mick!