This past Saturday I was out for my second day in three days and my buddy Rufus was definitely ready to take on the afternoon. My brother and I headed down to the honey hole to do a mix bag hunt. He was going to sit and try to take one of the bruiser bucks that I saw on Turkey day and I was going to be chasing Ringnecks with my hound. 
We no sooner get to the property when we are glassing the CRP field and a monster buck gets up and wants no part of a slow rolling pick up 
. I later found out why with all of the Muzzleloaders, that were road hunting and swarming the property like vultures 
. I have a feeling if I did not show up down there they would of been on the property. Cause as it looked, they were already on there that morning, with all the tire tracks in the fresh snow . I dropped my brother off and he started his way to the stand set up in a draw that is a funnel from the woods out to the cut corn field. Probably the best stand on the property.
I take Rufus and have plans on hitting the big bowl, where I found plenty of birds on Turkey day. After a lengthy walk to the bowl with only a few hens flushed out, we start kicking birds up every where. No roosters close enough to shoot at though 
. Finally Rufus flushes a rooster up and bang one shot and he is down. Rufus makes a great retrieve and a great start to an awesome afternoon chasing ringnecks. Once out of the bowl and over the crest of a rise, Rufus flushes a group of 3 hens and one rooster on a picture perfect flush. The story of my year so far. If I don’t hit them on the first shot, I might as well not even shoot anymore 
. So my gun rips off 3 shots bang, bang , bang as I watch the rooster fly off and need to bring back my breaking dog with the “No bird command” . This would also be the story for the next two Roosters that get up. Although to my defense these birds unlike the first one missed, were looking dead into the beautiful fading Sun .
Now with about 55 minutes left to sunset, I drive down below and hunt the other side of the drainage ditch. As soon as I start my walk Rufus is birdy. The pressure is now on as Rufus starts flushing birds. Hen, hen, hen then a covey of ??? not sure get up aways out. A covey of about 8 of them. My first thought was quail, but they looked way to big for quail, so perhaps they were sharptail? Still not quite sure. Then I look and see Rufus is locked up on something. He makes a few quick moves and boom. Locked back up. I get up next to him and give him my flush command as I watch a hen explode out of the high CRP field. Man that was cool. So we start walking up to the crest of the side hill above the drainage ditch. As I watch Rufus get birdy and kick his searching into high gear. I watch him go about another 20 yards and locks up again. This time for about 5 seconds, until he takes a swipe at the ground with his paw, like a kitten. 
Man, I love it when he does that. He looks at me and I again give him the flush command. I watch him as he dives his snout in under a pile of laid down grass only to come out the other side snapping at the tail of a Rooster erupting from beneath the grass. Now the pressure is really on after a beautiful point and flush. I need this bird after missing the previous three birds 
. I stay true to my game for this year. One shot, one down bird as I watch Rufus tear after it and shortly after pokes his head up over the crest of the hill with Rooster in his mouth. He came back trotting with his head held high, as he should. Cause on that afternoon hunt, he has just reinforced to me why he gets the Royal treatment he does for the other 9 months of the year.
. That afternoon was the best I have seen him work in years. His enthusiasm and drive has been as high as ever this year. But after only being out a few times this year, he has cleared the cobwebs and was a machine today. Perhaps it has something to do with me finally getting back and working him some this Fall 
. Either way that Dog definitely has me wrapped around his paw. Man I love that DOG . Above is a picture just as the sun had crested the hill behind my best buddy and our limit of birds for the day.
! Get a little alone time chasing Roosters is our Passion! 
as much as I do. LIP it dont matter if its your “honey hole” or the one I have but we have to get those dogs in the same field and then “gentelmen let the games begin!!!” we will have a blast. dont worry though if it does work out I will back you up if you miss the first shot 
