Be vewwy vewwy quiet. We are hunting Pheasants!

If you would have told me two years ago that I'd not only be getting up at 5:30 in the morning to go hunting but was excited for it I would have laughed at you and told you that you lost your mind. In fact I may even think you were certifiably crazy. Nonetheless, I was up and ready to go at the crack of dawn. Jim and I took Cleo over to Powderborne gun club this morning on a pheasant hunt. We kept our expectations low...we just wanted to have a good time with Cleo. We ended up having a great day in the field!

Cleo pointed her first bird after about 10 minutes in the field. She held pretty nice and I had to put the camera down so that I could hold her so she would stay steady on the shot. We then sent her out for the retrieve hoping she would return but she did not. She got to the bird and played with it. We weren't to disappointed....we just wanted to enjoy the morning. Jim did have her put the bird in her mouth and hold it. It was a little on the job experience. See pics below.

Next bird was a cock bird and he had roosted in a tree. We also sent Cleo in on the retrieve but she did not bring it back.

Things stared to change after these two birds. Cleo started to settle in and we really began having a good time. The third bird she turned on a dime and pointed a hen. We flushed, fired and sent her in for the retrieve and just like that she brought it back to hand. That's the great thing about low expectations when you exceed them or blow them out of the water there is not a better feeling in the world. We were so happy and proud!

Same point different angle.

Cleo's retrieve!

Next bird she found in a hedgerow. She hit it pretty far off. I hustled up to get a hold of her so we could keep her steady. Once Jim had flushed and fired we sent Cleo in and she brought the bird back to hand no problem. 

 We had such great momentum at this point. Then we heard a bell in the distance growing louder and louder and lots of yelling. Another hunting party was getting a little close to us and they were calling for their dog Ginger who had clearly blown them off and by the sound of things was charging across two fields and heading are way. Jim and I started to pay allot of attention to what was going on. Cleo could have cared less and was off in the distance locked on point. Jim was hustling over to her when I saw Cinder not Ginger bust through a hedgerow. Cinder was a pretty big male Viszla and he was charging our way and Cleo is very much in heat. I screamed up to Jim that he was an unfixed male. Cinder blew by both of us on his way to Cleo who was still locked on point. Cinder did not honor her point damn near knocked her over and flushed her bird which Cleo immediately took off after it with Cinder in hot pursuit. I ran off in the field after them while Jim used the electric collar to call Cleo back. Cinder did not turn and chase Cleo but stayed after the bird he rudely flushed. So we don't know if he was just a dog who does as he pleases and goes where he wants or if he just wanted Cleo. Jim yelled some choice words across the fields to Cinder's owner and we set back to hunting another field or two away. But when it was all said and done my adrenaline was pretty high....higher than when I'm in the ring fighting. 

So in the end we got 5 birds. We lost the one Cinder flushed, we lost another one because the safety was on and the bird flushed fast. But it was a great day and we had a blast. Below is a quick video I took of Cleo on point and some pics of our bounty.

 We love our time in the field with Cleo. It's great for us to get to watch her do what she loves the most which is hunt. She found lots of birds today and had one entertaining rabbit chase. It was a great morning.