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Double.r,Scotch True nnd Bg TornHaer An alchemistis credited have to go up fust. I thought for the saying, "everything that about its likely compass happensonce, will never heading,my pals' positions happenagain. But, if it does and their shooting windows, happenagain,then it will but the bird had enough and continue to happen." One day, flushed. an ordinary hunt changedin an Up, up it went, right rnstant,and I'm hard-pressedto tluough the trees. I quickly believethat it'll ever happen lost sight of it and swung my again. But I hopeit does. Parker along its flight plan. I Bart, his 16-yearold son kept moving the barrels until Bart Junior and I were hunting it felt about right and the OldWoman's covertin late squeezedthe trigger on the October. It was a spot Bart had right banel, just below the found in fte 1980s. Shewas a ffeetop opening. classicriver bottom covefi, with Feathersflew thick patchesof young alders everywhere,so many that I and white birch runs on the swore I shot a down pillow ends,a big oak standwith The banel was a cylinder wintergreen,raspberriesand bore, and I doubted there'd grapesin the middle. and a river be much of a bird left. A running throughout the west moment lateq a big female side. Usually we'd find a few F woodcock dropped to the grouse,but the Old Woman's ! ground; and Nellie fetched it was a Mud Bat lowland and a *t up and brought her over great one at that. She was one I towards me. of my favorite hunts. rn" bird was curiously 5 Early in the seasonwe had intact, a ten pointer for sure. "What's the dog slim pickings. Late September's The author his scotch double woodcock and Nellie frill moon didn't ausment the doing?" Bafi yelled. 'doodle population '?icking up *re resident by much. The progressivelycolder bird. She's got it in her mouth," I said. nights and northwest winds did, and by the third week in October He was silent. "What do you mean she'sgot the bird in her mouth?" he asked. when we had the dark of the moon, the migration was in full "She picked it up." swing. The thermometerstruggledto push up old Mercury, and "How'd shedo that?" he asked. the birds were on their way. We found a half dozen woodcock in "She openedher mouth, wrapped her gums and teeth around the morning's first coverl, so it was time to seewhat the Old Woman'swas holding. the bird, and closed down on it," I said and chuckled. "The bird is over here in front of me." he said. We worked through most of cover and found chalk "Must havebeena secondbird;'I said. "We must haveshot everywhere...but no birds. At the very end, sandwichedbefween a cut comfield and the river was a two-or three-acrealder and at the sametime." "I didn't shoot,"he said. white birch run. Bart's setterNellie pick-pocketed her way through the thin, tight trees, steadily casting back and forth. I scratchedmy head. "I only saw one bird flush. What about Smackin the middle, she easedinto a point. We grouped around Bart Junior?" "I didn't shoot, either," he said. the point. Bart coveredthe back door, Bart Junior coveredthe side-door Had the secondbird not dropped at Bart's feet, I'd have never known about the Scotch Double. Two woodcock with one and I knocked on the front door. I steppedforward and stopped; 'doodle the was on the ground. I saw it holding tightly, some four shot....man,I wishedI had seenit. Later that day, my setterOcracokewent on point, and two or five feet in front of Nellie's nose. The woodcock was either woodcock flushed. Bart killed them both, a true double. Maybe tired from a long flight or confident that nothing could get to it in this thicket. next year I'11seea double,but a ScotchDouble on'doodles? I There was time to think about this one. Heck, I figured I doubt if I'11seeanotheran1'timesoon, if ever again. could probably take a nap, wake up and the bird would still be on Nevertheless,I placed a fill-in order for two casesof Polywad the ground and the dog on point. The bird would have to towershellsthat night. Thereare 250 shellsper case. 20-gauge,3/4and-go. There wasn't a way for it to fly low and away; it would ounce number eights. I'm ready for next year.,,r',$\r e u r u r r , r N2 0 0 7
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