Bang up day...

I started the day by pheasant hunting at Flatbrook.  The parking lot was more crowded then I think I've ever seen so I started on the hill side.  Although I wasn't thrilled about doing that I didn't think that going on the field side would be any better.  There were two birds in the trees off the parking lot that I wasn't going to even get close to so at the start, I stayed back, let them shoot those birds and then after letting everyone head in first and then after the first wave got to the top of the hill I started up the hill.  I went around to the right and after picking my way all the way around the hill, on the way towards the back, I came upon a rooster that had been shot and was just lying there.  I don't know, maybe it was just dead, but I picked it up and walked on.  Very shortly after I saw a rooster tucked against a tree.  I called the dog over and after setting myself up for a nice shot when it flew in front of me, it of course, took off behind me and I swung and shot and he fell.  I saw a few guys (the crazy guys from last year) and they mentioned something about Bacci putting up a bird for them.  I asked if they wanted one and when they said yes, I gave them the bird I found.  I continued on walking the fields towards three bridges and at the break in one field I saw another rooster lying dead on the ground.  While I was thinking about weather or not to pick it up I saw another in a tree.  It was a little later now...so I decided to take the live one and not the dead one.  I did and then headed back to the truck with my two birds.  I probably could have gotten more the way we were doing and the dog was birdy but I wanted to get home to go deer hunting.

I dropped off Bacci, put the Christmas lights up on the tree and then headed to the club.  I was the only one there and went back to the Swamp.  I got there around 2:00ish and sat.  At close to 3:20 I heard movement coming from the back of the swamp towards the road.  I slowly turned to see two does making their way inside from the pit side.  I slowly turned so I didn't make too much movement and i got the lead doe in my sights.  She was about 30 or so yards away.  I pulled the trigger, saw a cloud of smoke and then nothing.    I got up to check out where she had been and saw no blood.  How in the world could I miss.  I think I know where she was headed so I walked that way and saw no blood, but I did see wet tracks across the road so I followed the tracks to a different exit from the swamp and there I saw a tiny bit of blood.  I saw where she would head across the road and saw a tiny bit of blood on that side so I made my way into the woods across the road and found her lying, with a hole through her chest and lungs.  I great day of hunting.