Preseason Warmup
by Max August
Recently several of my coworkers and myself decided that we could not wait for the state bird season to open. We got together on a Saturday afternoon and went to a local shooting preserve to shoot pheasants. We had 20 pheasants set out for the five of us and hired a guide and his dogs so that we could spend our time shooting. The hunt started at 1:30 in the afternoon. The day was sunny and very warm for hunting so we moved slow and enjoyed the time together even more. One thing to remember when hunting on hot days or anytime is to carry water. We drank plenty of fluids that day and that allowed us to feel good throughout the hunt. Do not forget the dogs! They need the fluids even more since they are running and using up their reserves faster.
The guide and his dogs were exceptional and though it was hot and dry they had little trouble finding the running birds. We took several breaks during the hunt to rest ourselves and the dogs so that heat stress would not ruin the hunt or a good dog. We hunted for about four hours and at the end of the day we had shot 19 of the 20 pheasants that we had put out and a chukker left over from a previous hunt. Of course there were thumbs up for everyone`s shooting abilities that day.
The day was so good that even the cleaning of the birds was a good time. Everyone pitched in and it took no time at all. The day got us all ready for the upcoming bird season. It allowed us to work out some kinks in our shooting skills in a way that no day of shooting clays could ever do. I would highly recommend a preseason trip to a shooting preserve to get ready for the bird seasons. We all spent many days after the hunt reminiscing about the great day of hunting at work. That helped break the boredom and alleviate some everyday stress of the job. We all agreed to do it again next year.
