Vast and seemingly endless CRP field. The kind you read about in all the outdoor magazines. The dogs are working and this makes the aching of my legs go away. It was a GOOD decision to leave the city.

Fields like this make me happy. I know we have driven by it a million times. Unplanted by corn and soy beans somehow. Home to the birds, it takes a savvy dog and a patient hunter to zig-zag and sometimes just aimlessly walk through the 200+ acres or so to get a scent.

When it works tho...magic. The dog gets its nose right to the floor of the field and their tails wag like they are going to fall off. Birdy. At the end of the chase...a perfect flush. If you`re lucky its a rooster and the jump off from it is loud and violent. Your heart beats rapidly. Fingers slip off the safety and somehow the butt of your shotgun mounts in that sweet spot on your shoulder where you have total control. Bang. The rooster falls. One of the best parts is marking where he hit and registering him into your bag. That warm feeling of a beautiful bird, carried by your vest keeps you going for another hour or two.

"Maybe we should make another pass through this"... is usually said after such an event, forgetting the early morning fatigue.

We usually do and it is ALWAYS totally worth it.