Bird Hunting

Quail hunting

Imagine a cloudless morning with a surreal sunrise.  It is February 1st in Alabama and the temperature is 40 degrees.  Now imagine that you and your hunting buddy have on your brush pants with your favorite 28 guage by your side.  You are behind a pair of beautiful pointers watching them work side to side in a pine plantation with switchgrass knee high.  One of the dogs instantly doubles back and locks on to a regimented point.  The other quickly backs the first.  The flush dog is given the command--safety's instantly come off your gun.  Tensions rise as the flush dog encounters the first liberated quail.  At once the covey rise is in full swing.  Birds seem to be going in all directions.   Your heart flutters for a moment while your mind spends two tenths of a second figuring out which bird to shoot.  Your first opportunity comes out of an improved cylinder choke at a quail 22 yards away.  Your finger presses harder on the trigger and in an instant the world slows down: the bird is hit, and the dogs are released to the oh so melodious sound of the words "DEAD BIRD!"