Pheasants are never easier to find—and flush—than during the final days of the season
ALWAYS GO ON the last day. It’s one of my rules, and it goes double when the last day of the season is as cold as this one. Nothing puts the brakes on running pheasants like hard weather.
The only problem is that for the first 20 minutes of a late-season hunt, my fingers are too weak and numb to push off a safety. They throb for a few endless minutes as the blood starts pumping. It’s excruciating, but a small price to pay for the best hunting of the year.
Once my hands return to normal, we start looking for birds in earnest. My German short hair, Jed, is unfazed by cold. Constant motion keeps him warm. Except now he’s frozen—but in the right way, on point in front of a snow-covered deadfall. Kicking the branches, I hear rustling inside, and Jed breaks to dive under the brush. It’s not classic dog work, but it’s effective. A rooster bursts out the far side. It gets out to 20 yards before I decide it’s far enough to shoot without tearing it up.
この記事は Field & Stream の December 2017 - January 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は Field & Stream の December 2017 - January 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
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