Believe

No late season hunting for me.

Coaching High School, Middle School, and Youth wrestling had me getting all the house and vehicle maintenance done before we could take a walk in the woods today.

Where should we go and who should I take with only 2 hours to burn?

Should I attempt to take the 15 year old retired house dog for one last walk?

I wanted to, but then I looked at him and remembered his last bird. It was pointed, I killed it, he laid down and let me go get it.

That's poetry.

A 15 year old deaf and retired dog...too much could happen to take away that moment we had.

Enter the puppy...

I decided to take him to "Partridge Trail."

That's what it's called...the locals named it, not me.

Over 25 years ago, my first dog and I cut our teeth there, as have the many that followed him.

We hadn't been there all season and I have not ever skipped a walk down Partridge Trail. Be it birds or memories, it is worth the walk.

Gunner once ran under a Black Bear crossing the trail when he was 7 months old, he ate a pile of donuts (bear bait), and I shot one of his last grouse there.

Gretchen and Baron had birds shot over them there...as did Panzer, Georgia, and so on.

I can't recall taking a pup there at Drummer's age (3.5 months) since Gunner.

It felt like I was walking behind him.

How good that felt.

There were birds there today also...many flushing ahead of us before the got there.

But there was one that fired him up.

We hit it at the exact same spot where Gunner pointed his last one at this covert.

Thank you Gunner.

You couldn't convince me otherwise that there wasn't some kind of higher power at play.

And you won't because I believe.