Bucket List #91

Another item to check off the ol' bucket list - #91 Go Pheasant Hunting!

This is the group before heading out...

Evan, me, Landon (little brother), Dave (my cousin from Burnsville), Steve (older brother), and Rob (my cousin's co-worker).  We also had three dogs that joined the hunt. Chase, my sister's dog, isn't smart enough to go. 

I had no idea what to expect.  And needless to say I was not dress like a typical hunter...imagine that!  I don't have any old jeans because I don't usually go hunting or get dirty, so I decided my sweats would be just fine.  Another thing I realized that I didn't have was boots.  I have 'fashion' boots, but these are not water proof... and I would like ridiculous with the fur on my boots.  I elected to wear my raunchy tennis shoes from the summer.

As Steve pulled up to the first spot I saw a slough.  I thought that we would walk around it just in case there was water.  Nope!  Surprise to me, you walk through it.  I kept this thought to myself in fear my brothers would be annoyed with me.  I sucked it up and walked on through the draws BESIDE the water.  It worked :)  But I did struggle to look up and walk.  It just isn't smooth pavement, and I didn't want to trip.  I did ask Steve how he did it... he said he learned how to look up and walk when he was 2.  I felt dumb for that comment, but oh well.  At that location we did scare up some pheasants.  One actually scared the crud out of me.  All of a sudden I looked up and it was flying towards my head.  I didn't know what to do so I dropped to the ground; meanwhile the situation did not phase Landon and he shot at the pheasant.  Note: Always look up.

The next location Evan, Landon, and I blocked; while Dave and Rob and the dogs walked a corn strip. That was alright... we just stood there incase the pheasants came out on our side.  Apparently this is how people get shot because the walkers get overly excited and take aim at the birds.  Rob and Dave got a couple.  Then when the guys reached us we had to walk back.  Walking through the corn was actually fun because the ground wasn't so crazy.  However, Herb was combining the field and all of a sudden I  saw this combine towering over the corn stalks.  Ahhh, I thought he was going to harvest the strip we were walking!!! Paranoid I asked Evan.  He was a pretty good sport and didn't tease me and said no.  

Okay that was done.  Now to the next field.  I had to be the driver because Steve wanted to walk.  I drove the pickup from one side of the field to another.  I had some time to think and realize I needed to go to the bathroom.  NOT GOOD.  Paranoid, yet I had no choice.  Yep.

So during this segment the guys picked up 6 more birds.  I had binoculars and concluded that they should make glasses like binoculars.  THAT WOULD BE AMAZING!  Bonus- everyone would want me to come hunting with them because of my eagle eyes :) We headed back to the farm after walking another patch.  I decided that I needed to finish my advanced interpersonal communication paper and the guys left me there.  They finished out the day maxing out at 15 pheasants.  

So I did earn the right to be in the picture Lands :)  Anyways it was a great bonding experience with the brothers, Evan, and cousin.  I hope to go duck or goose hunting sometime this year too... we'll see.  

Next year I will graduate to holding a gun and than in two years I will be shooting the birds.  Baby steps! 

But this I will not be modest about: my hunting technique for birds was normal for a communication major...

Spot the bird.

Yell PHEASANT!!!

 While waving my arms like an idiot. 

 Im a great communicator and got my message across.