Reader and friend Kirk Hogan from Wisconsin evokes the essence of a northern upland season in a few terse sentences…
14 – hours hunted in 2 days (losing light)
8 – small Brittanies, 3 probably from Herve’s original lines
43 – flushes per 5 minute rule (5 minutes between flushes, so probably not re-flushes of the same bird)
28 – fiery points (an amazing number of points in a year one – year off cycle lows, with next peak predicted 2019 – 2020)
14 – birds shot at (towards)
10 – Hail Mary’s (prayers in thick balsam fir trees)
3 – to eat (butter, salt, pepper, a little calva, wild rice)
1- shameful shot (too early on a bird that could count to two, and then flew around in the open for a while)
1- shameful non-shot (gloved thumb slide over safety on rare easy one)
2 – maledictions (including math whiz grouse)
3 – pounds gone
7 – elk from remnant herd re-introduced in early 80s to bright hopes for future hunt now wolf chow
1 – wolf track, scat, and ADD Brittany, probably beaver hunting, cleared out of cover
0 – newly damaged joints
6 – ibuprofen lunch
The weather is dicey, the days short, the sport, company and aesthetics unlike anything.
Also see Shooting in Brittany for the dogs and food.