Monday morning I took my year old black lab out bird hunting for the first time. We have messed around at a local park that is supposed to have pheasants and quail. But I have only seen quail after the seasons done and I have never seen a pheasant.
Back to the story 
This hunt was in Illinois on a State run park that turns birds loose on certain days. We start out in an area that had 4 other guys and 3 dogs in it. We headed the other direction then everyone else. We find tracks all over and Bear starts going crazy, he was running around smelling everything. After 20 min we came up to a clump of grass that was about 2′ accross and about 3′ high. Bear kept running around the grass patch over and over. I tried to get him to run in but that did not happen. So I walk over and put one foot in the patch and a rooster flys out, almost hitting me in the face on the way up. I get one shot off and I see two feathers fall off. The bird flew about 200 yards away and landed. We went over to that area to find him but we never did. After a few more flushed hens bear started getting wore out. It started with him getting behind me and letting me go through the cover first(until I made him get infront). Then after 20 min of that we walked through a small dry creek bed and then the dog was gone. I was thinking great he ran off 
I blow the wistle and call him and nothing. I walk back around a bush and I could see him. He was sitting in the creek bed looking at me. So I decided that was his hint that he was done. We started back to the truck and he walked right by a rooster that was out in the open. So I went over and flushed him and missed with two shots 
I was very happy with his first time out. Except for the creek proublem he never got more then 25 yards away. He also did not even flinch when I fired my gun. He slep like a baby the whole way home and then for the rest of that day and most of the next. Now I just need to find a place that has birds that I don’t have to pay $15 for two birds.
Jeremy
