Thanksgiving Weekend Roosters
This past holiday weekend I went down to the honey hole down by Madelia to shoot some roosters and bow hunt in hopes to encounter the Giant Buck all the farmers have been talking about and Stacie’s brother Tyler has seen. Well, I was greeted with a ton of birds on the property this year as usual, but it seems the “Trespasser’s” have been minimal this year. Thanks in big part to the Farmer down there doing some patrolling. Thanks Keith. 
It showed too, because the birds were stacked in there very heavy. I have not been down there since October.
I got down there about 1:30 on Saturday afternoon. I made a walk towards the “bowl” and down into the draw. As soon as I got there, birds started getting up everywhere. Well it did not take long and a rooster flushed 20 yards in front of me, flew right to left and gave me a shot. 
Ok well, the rooster gave me 2 shots before I downed this bird. 
I jacked two more shells into my gun, while the whole time birds were still getting up. Rufus retrieved that bird and was coming back when he flushed a second. 
He stopped, froze and watched the 2nd Rooster flush. This time my first shot was true and it folded my second bird of the day, less than 10 minutes and a couple hundred yards into the hunt. Rufus came ripping back to me with the first bird and sat beside me. With a good mark on the second bird, I gave him the “fetch” command and he shot off like a cannon. Within a few circles around his mark he caught wind and fetched his second bird. As I was still having birds getting up off the far hill of the draw. I estimate a good 50 birds flushed out of that draw. Which is a great sign for the future. With having my limit and Rufus not even warmed up, we were done. I walked the edge back to the truck and Rufus was not done as he was flushing bird after bird. Then finally he locked up on one. With his head tilted and eyes focused on the ground beneath him. He stood his ground for 10 seconds before I told him to “get ‘em”. Up comes a hen for his final flush of the day. After a few pics it was into his kennel and me preparing to bow hunt that evening.
It was a strange feeling bow hunting something I usually curse at, I was actually happy to see. This was the “Road” Hunters” that circle this property every year like vultures. This gave me a good feeling that the big buck made the shotgun season down there and just has to dodge the Muzzle Loaders for a little longer. During my 2 afternoons of bird hunting I found 4 gut piles, which kind of made me 
. I saw 2 deer Saturday night, 8 deer Sunday morning and no deer Sunday night. I had close encounters with 6 deer total, with only one small buck. But did not see the Big Boy I was looking for. However last night it was confirmed by a phone call from Keith (the Farmer) that no one has harvested the big buck yet. 
My 2nd day of Rooster hunting I thought would be over just as quick however, when I approached the Draw from the other side being that most birds were on that side the day before , I was duped and the birds were on the other side on Sunday as I watched about 30 birds get up and fly before I got close. 
Rufus and I worked our way down the draw and Rufus flushed a bird perfectly for another passing shot. One shot and this bird was down. Well my shooting “cooled off” and took quite a few more rooster flushes (3) 
before I got my 2nd bird to drop. However he did not come down that hard and took a few minutes before Rufus and I could find him. As soon as Rufus picked up the birds scent and got close the Rooster tried to make a run for it, but was no match for my determined lab and the chase was soon over with as Rufus came back with his rooster and head held high. This was my limit for the second day in the row. Again, I saw a ton of birds and today I had two big groups of birds that had gotten up and were quite spooky from the pressure.
I did not harvest a deer or have an encounter with a big one, but spending that time in the field with my best bud, is time that will not be forgotten. He had some awesome flushes, points and good retrieves. Which is nothing new for him, but everyone I get to see becomes more and more special to me. He is at age 7 and is not showing it physically, but I know as every season starts to come close to ending, it is one less I have to spend and enjoy with him. I try not to think of what is in store for us someday, but sometimes it is hard and my mind begins to wander. Man, I dread the day I will not have him by my side. A companion and friend that will never be replaced. I know I will have other pups, but none that will be quite like Rufus.
Thanks buddy!