A Perfect Water Retrieve

 First pheasant hunt of the season was this morning.  Perfect weather. 55 degrees at 7:30 when Hastings Island opens the fields to hunters.  This is Bailey and my fourth season.  We are comfortable in the fields as a team.

The first pheasant of the season.  We always take time to thank the bird and nature for the harvest.

 

Below is the small river that borders the northern edge of Hastings Island.  I had heard the bird from a distance in the fields.  I headed that way and Bailey started searching the bank.  He locked up on point looking down the bank.  The bank was covered with bramble brush with red berries.

 A rooster wild flushed about 10 yards away.  I took one shot as the bird flew hard to the right behind trees that lined the bank.  I thought I had missed it.  As I got to a clearing after walking another 50 feet away, I saw the bird in the middle of the river.  I had wounded it but the bird was swimming to the far bank.

Bailey hadn't seen the bird go down, but as he came near me, he looked down into the water, saw the bird and he found a way down to the water.  With no hesitation he plunged into the river and headed for the bird.

He caught the bird just before it got to the far shore and brought it back to me.  A perfect water retrieve.

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A First time Pheasant Hunt

Ok, here is my attempt to capture my thoughts on today's experience.  - Ryan

My New Favorite Sport

Today I had the privilege of observing Bailey in action.  Rod was kind enough to invite me along on a pheasant hunt.   I wasn't sure what to expect,

I have heard Rod's tales of Bailey's numerous hunting excursions and seen the multitude of ribbons marking his accomplishments, but hearing and seeing are two very different things.

 

 

  Now, I have seen Bailey race through the woods on hikes and play with my daughter at Rod's house, but watching him hunt through the tall grass, go on point, and then retrieve a bird was special.

 The only thing I can equate it to is watching a professional athlete.  Much like a great athlete, you are first captivated by their agility and strength. 

 Then you come to admire the skill and discipline it takes to master a craft.

  It was thrilling to suddenly see Bailey on point, still as a statue, waiting, waiting, until the bird is flushed, shot, waiting, until Rod gives the signal and then boom, like a rocket he races through the grass and comes bounding back with a bird between his teeth.

 

  I would definitely buy a ticket to watch that again.  

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From Point to Bird in Hand

Bird's Landing December 30th.

 

 

Pictures taken by Ryan Faulkner

 

And something to do with those birds:

 

Emeril's Roasted Pheasant

 

Total Time: 3 hr 22 min

Prep   35 min

Cook   2 hr 45 min

Yield: 6 servings

 

 

• Ingredients

• 3 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) farm-raised pheasants*, innards removed, wing tips and necks trimmed
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 orange, halved
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut in half
• 1/4 cup Madeira
• 1 cup rich chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
• Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and position the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
Season the cavities and the outside of each pheasant liberally with salt and pepper. Divide the chopped onion and carrot equally among the cavities of the pheasants. Squeeze the juice from both halves of the orange and set aside. Cut 1 of the squeezed halves into 3 pieces, and tuck inside of the cavities along with the veggies. Insert 1sprig of thyme into the cavity of each pheasant.
Arrange the pheasants in a large roasting pan, breast sides up. Lay 2 strips of bacon over the top of each pheasant, cutting the bacon into pieces if necessary to cover as much of the pheasant as possible. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove the bacon strips and continue roasting for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear. (It is important to not overcook the pheasants, as they are very lean birds.) Remove the pheasants from the oven and transfer to a serving platter, loosely tented, while you make the sauce.
Using a spoon, carefully remove as much extra fat from the pan as possible. Place the roasting pan over high heat and, when hot, deglaze with the reserved orange juice and Madeira, using a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the orange juice and Madeira have reduced by half, add the chicken stock and continue to cook until sauce has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes. Swirl in the butter and remove from the heat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Remove the back bone from each pheasant, then cut along the breast bone to divide the birds into two halves. Serve 1/2 pheasant per person, napped with some of the sauce and with some of the Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding.
*Note: Wild pheasants are usually smaller birds, and thus will cook in less time. If you are using wild pheasants, please adjust the recipe accordingly.



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Classic Pheasant Hunt

Winter solstice hunt. 

Shortest day of the year. 

Bailey running the fields of Hastings Island this cool 27 degree Sunday morning at day break (7:20 a.m.)  

 

My long time friend, Grant, joins me behind Bailey hunting the elusive pheasant.

Bailey slams on point and pins a pheasant.  Grant getting into position. 

 

Bailey stays steady as I search out the coverage.

Still looking as Ken (Willowynd) takes these pictures of a classic open field pheasant hunt.

A moment later, a pheasant pops up and flies to the east.  Right into the rising sun.  I took a shot, as Ken ducked.  I had hit the bird at 40 yards and it went down (I could tell I did not kill it with the shot). 

 Bailey was sent for the retrieve. 

Would he retrieve it?  YES. 

Right back to me (bird was still very much alive and not at all happy).

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2013/12/what-happened-in-reeds.html 

  His experience a couple weeks ago long forgotten!

 Ken and Grant walking along with me behind Bailey.

Grant's German Shorthair Pointer, Cinch, at the end of the hunt.  

 Four nice pheasant were taken this morning.

How Grant was going to cook up the pheasant:

Cut and pound breasts into 1/4" thick strips.

Dust breast strips in flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic.

Fry seasoned breast strips in pan with a little olive oil until light brown.

Sauté mushrooms in butter, add Marsala wine add (capers or lime juice).

Pour mushrooms wine and what you like over breasts and heat to your liking. 

(10 minutes or so)

Serve with wild rice

Enjoy.

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What Happened in the Reeds?

What happened in the reeds this morning?  I wish I knew, because Bailey came out battered after coming out of the tall reeds with the very live pheasant I had shot (nicked).

you can see the blood just below his collar

It was a cool 28 degrees when we headed out into the fields of Hastings Island this morning at the start time of 7:30.

The low overnight had been 23 degrees and the ground was frozen.

  This first pheasant of the day was huge with  very long talons.  I could not see the "battle" in the reeds between the bird and my dog, but I could hear it and the quick howl of pain from my dog.
  A few moments later Bailey busted through the reeds with the bird in his mouth.  When he handed the bird over to me the bird was still fighting me.  If this was a "farm raised" pheasant, it was the alpha male of the brood.

We had been in the field all of 10 minutes when all this occurred.  We continued our hunting and the next point was great.  I was surprised when three pheasants flushed as I got close.  They burst noisily into the air at one time.  I took aim on one of the bird and missed.  Bailey held perfectly.  I watched where that bird had flown and we headed out that way.  Five minutes later Bailey went on point and I flushed and shot the bird after it flew over a small canal.  Bailey went for the retrieve with drive and purpose, but after checking out the bird, just left it on the ground and took off continuing to hunt.  Very unusual.

I asked him several times with a "here Bailey, here" to bring me the bird but it wasn't going to happen.  So I walked around the canal and back to the bird.  There I put Bailey on a leash and headed for the Jeep. (I could not reward him with continuing to hunt after failing a retrieve)
 We were still only an hour in and I decided to hunt a bit longer after I put Bailey on leash for 10 minutes.  Bailey went on point one last time and I flushed the bird and dropped it only 20 yards away.  Bailey went over, checked the bird over and then left the area again.

This is where I wish Bailey could have told me what had happened in the reeds.   This is a problem I will need to figure out.  I have known a few friends with Vizslas who have "shut down" on retrieving for the rest of their lives after a fight with a tough bird.

What happened in those reeds Bailey?  If you could only tell me.

Below is how I got Bailey out of his "funk."  Double click for full screen view.

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