Most people on here don't do FB. Here is conibear's story....
No plan. Not sure on what to expect. End result… completely blown away.
I started off with Jazz hoping to flush some wood ducks. I did so, but they were far too far for a shot. I continued on and after about a mile, I crested a small berm where pencil reed cattails lay below in a depression. Between me and the vegetative low spot, flushed a prairie chicken. Jazz went on the retrieve and when she got to it, a delayed flush of another prairie chicken caught my eye. Two shots later, I got that one also. My trip was complete already as these two birds were a complete surprise.
After reaching a dugout, I missed an opportunity on some flushing mallards. I headed north for another mile and didn’t see anything when I reached my destination.
I headed west to start making my circle back. The next pond I flushed another five wood ducks but they were just out of range.
Heading south, I traveled to a pond that I thought looked like it should hold some birds, but I haven’t seen any on all season. Attached to it to the south include a 200-300 yard stretch of flooded cattails/pencil reeds. I noticed three wood ducks diving in back there, so I got a mark on them and headed tha way. When I got to where I thought they should be, I was surprised they hadn’t flushed. I stopped in confusion when all of the sudden I saw them rising. Boom, boom, boom. Three downed woodies in three shots. I couldn’t believe how well this evening outing was turning out. Two gorgeous drakes and one smaller hen.
I continued just around 75 yards south when Jazz got birdie and flushed a sora rail my direction. Knocked it down and Jazz fetched it up.
I kept heading south and had about 1 mile left to my vehicle. When I got about 400 yards away from my vehicle, Jazz got VERY birdie. This “birdie-ness” usually was a sign of a grouse flush incoming. I was a little unsure because we were in a wetter area, and it didn’t look like a grouse spot this late in the evening. Then, from the tip of Jazz’s nose flushed another rail from a small tuff of grass. Three shots (trying to not pulverize it with 3 in. 6 shot steel) I finally knocked it down. Jazz fetched it for me and when I got it hand, a couple joyful expletives left my mouth. I found another “unicorn”. I managed to bag my second ever Virginia rail (on the same property to boot)!
Needless to say, the Virginia rail is in the freezer ready for a trip to the taxidermist, and I am also still grinning ear to ear hours later because of this out of the park hunt!
I would also like to give a much needed shoutout to my wife. Katie is a saint for letting me take advantage of these October evenings before daylight savings hits at the beginning of November and the evenings get dark so quickly. I never take a moment with Allie and Kate for granted. I love our little family and the sacrifices we make for each other. God bless family and god bless the great outdoors!
