Ben and Belle are my prize winning Brittanys. They are both liver and white. Ben is off of Walker's Gunner, a great dog. Ben has won 4 of the Southland Bird Dog Challenge events. He is smart and fast. Belle has a great blood line as well, just don't remember her parents. Ben is 4 and Belle in 2. Now today's adventure. After the Great Deer Hunt this morning, read hand gun hunting post, Bill felt really bad so he offered to buy the birds if I would take him hunting. By the way Bill has never hunted quail before. I loaded Ben and Belle and away we went to the Gibson Plantation to meet Bill. Well Bill beat us there and was already in trouble. He tried driving his Toyota 2 wheel drive pick up across the ditch. The front went ok by the back bumper caught on the road and his back tires were off the ground. I had to hook to him and pull him across the ditch. Now we are getting ready, he pulls out his shotgun, a nice Super Black Eagle. I told him to bring a 20 ga. Oh well he's Bill. Now his shells, Remington #6 3 inch. I ask what he expected to shoot, he said the Black Eagle shot 3 inch better than 2 3/4. I just smiled. Now it was time to put the birds out. Since Bill has never been bird hunting I ask if he would like to help me put the birds out. I like putting out two pair at the time, this went well. Now it was time to get the dogs out and collar them up. I use e-collars. When I got the collars out Bill ask how they worked and if they hurt the dogs. I told him how they worked and they don't hurt the dog if they are not turned to high. The first collar went on Ben. Bill was holding Ben as I was hooking the buckle, Ben stepped on the control. Bill had his fingers on the electrodes. Bill squealed and howled, I thought Ben had bite him. I looked at Ben and he looked like he was smiling. Bill said a few bad words and said that hurt. I looked at the control and it was on high. Ben was ready to go, now it was Belle's turn. Belle is such a sweet dog. No trouble at all to collar up. Bill didn't put his fingers on the collar this time. Now we were off. Ben found the first covey and pointed Belle backed. I told Bill to walk up and flush the birds. He eased up and the birds flushed. Bill dropped his shotgun. Ben turned and looked at me like who is the human? Bill said he didn't expect them to jump up right in front of him and it scared him. Belle just stood there like where is the bang. Now it was off to find the singles. Ben found the first single. I told Bill to step up and flush the bird but to hold on to the shotgun. Would you believe, he didn't have a shell in the chamber. Missed again. I don't know where he got it from but Ben walked over and peed on the tree next to Bill. Quail 3, Bill 0. Belle was off now, she was getting tired of doing nothing. She found the next single. Ben backed, even though he didn't like it. Again I told Bill to step up and flush, and to hold on to his gun and make sure it was loaded. Ben kept looking back at me like is he real. This time the bird flushed, Bill fired and the bird blow up in front of our eyes. The bird must have been about 4 ft from the end of the gun barrel when Bill fired. Belle walked over to the mess of guts and feathers and just Stood there looking down. Then she looked up at me like saying, now what to do daddy. I had forgotten to tell Bill to let the birds get out about 20 yards before shooting. Now it was off to the next covey. Again Belle was on the money and Ben backed. Bill ask if I wanted to shoot, I told him he needed more practice than I did. He stepped up and flushed the birds. Four shots rang out like a machine gun. Bark was flying everywhere. Ben and Belle jumped back and looked like what the heck was going on. No birds and not even a feather. Back to the singles. Now we are hunting in planted pines that have been thinned the under cover has really gotten out of hand now. It is very thick along the edge of the tree line, right were the birds went. Bill looked at me an ask are we going in there? Yes, Ben and Belle were already out of sight in the thicket. When I didn't hear them I knew they were pointed. I told Bill to get in there as quick and he could, move. He tried tippy toeing in the bamboo vines were eating him up. I saw Ben. Bill had finally got in to where he could shoot. I blew the whistle and Ben flushed. The bird went straight up. Bill swung the gun up only to have a vine fly up and cut him across his hand. Needless to say, Ben just stood there. Belle walked up to me with a look like, take me home. Bill was all up set about his hand, it was bleeding a little, he ask if I thought it would leave a scare. Is this man real. I would hate to hear what Ben was thinking. I told Bill I thought it would be better just to ring the other birds necks and not waste any more time and shells. I thought he was going to cry. He ask to just put out 2 more birds and that he had caught on and was ready hunt now. Ben and Belle weren't so sure. I can tell when they are excited, they weren't. They were ready to get back in the dog box. We put the birds out and let the dogs go. Ben found the covey and Bill walked up and flushed them. I couldn't believe my eyes. With two shots he got both birds. Ben got the first bird and Belle the second. Perfect retrieves. I couldn't believe it when Ben carried the bird to Bill and stood by his side. As I watch Ben he turned and looked at me like saying, Its about time.
