Pretty crowded day, but more birds...

Went to Flatbrook today. It was a whole lot more crowded than on opening day. Perhaps because it's Veteran's day today. Some guy started to walk into the field well before shooting time, he said he wanted to get to the hedgerow. Either way, as he got in front of where we normally start he said he saw a "shitload of birds" there so he backed out. We told him that's why we don't go in until shooting time and he walked away. Of course we started out there. Soon after getting in we put up a double...one cockbird went to Greg's way and one to mine. I started at the one that went Greg's way and realized that the other one would be a better choice. I shot twice and the bird went down. As I started walking to where it went down I saw a hen moving in the field at my feet. She didn't run far but wouldn't fly. Each time I bent down to get her she moved a little further. I couldn't get the dog to come and help me and just then, a hen (not the hen...I'll explain later) took off and Greg shot at her, he missed. I went back to the task of getting my cockbird...where was he? I KNOW he went down. Down dead? That I'm not sure about. I worked Bacci back and forth over and over and couldn't find him. After looking for quite some time we moved on. When we got to the end of the field we decided to work it back. We did, to the point, and I went inside. I got to the end near the road and Greg was on the outside. I heard running in the brush and told Greg to get ready. Just then, I heard the wings of the bird flying down the road. Greg saw a flash of her but nothing else. We worked the remainder of the field and decided to go across the street. Up the hill and into the woods. We did and found nothing. We worked our way down until we came parallel to the hillside we usually like later. Crossed back over the road and headed for the hillside. After breaking through the brush, we came to a blow-down. I saw a feather on the ground and we jokingly said that there was a hen in the blow-down. Bacci had started to run up the hill a little...when just then, a cockbird took off from the middle of the hill and right to me and Greg. We both shot and the bird went down. We continued to putz around and go back to the truck.

I had planned on going deer hunting this afternoon but Jeannie has to work late and I don't want to leave the kids home alone for that long.