Hunting for multiple species is in full swing. Deer, rabbits, quail, squirrel, and other species are fair game now. My favorite was and still is the elusive bobwhite. I loved pursuing quail when I was growing up. Dad and I had a bird dog, but he was untamed, ranging far and wide away from us. This was a problem in the hilly, brushy country where we resided. Often Pretty Boy’s (he wasn’t that pretty—the previous owner named him) points would go unnoticed because the dog couldn’t be found until he started barking at flushing birds. He was a big, tall, gangly pointer who had a good nose but didn’t know how to hunt close. He might have been fine in Kansas or Nebraska, but not in the Southern Indiana hills. In frustration, his previous owner wanted to shoot him. At times we did too. Dad bought him at a good price, he said. A little bargaining would have had the original owner pay Dad to take him.
When I was in college at Indiana State, a friend of mine invited me to bird hunt with him and his uncle, who had three Brittany spaniels, beautiful dogs who stayed close, worked the cover thoroughly, and found birds. No need to rush up to the point. They held their ground, backed each other gracefully, and kindly located and retrieved downed birds without crunching them. Ah, a taste of bird hunting heaven.
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