FIRST HUNT (PHEASANT)

So after a lot of waiting to hunt (seven years) the opportunity finally presented itself through a pheasant hunt for youth on February 19th. As the week drug by, i began to understand why they always say most hunters dont sleep before the hunt. i was anxious to say the least. Anyways, my dad and i drive up to JE Roush Lake to meet up with the Eel River Pheasants forever chapter. They went through some basic safety stuff and then led us to do some trap shooting. I got out the Charles Daly semi-auto 12ga that i borrowed from a family friend and shot ten rounds and decided that would be good. Meanwhile, the people incharge were planting ten birds in each field. So they put everyone in a group except me and 4 other kids but we didnt mind. Everyone went to the field and we just shot tons of trap. Keep in mind that we drove a Scion xB to this hunt so I kind of felt a little awkward at first but that didnt stop me from socializing. Everyone, young and ...wise, was incredibly nice to us. By the time the first group came back, they sent us out to a field with two very nice men and my dad. my dad went to watch and film. One guy was there as a safety officer and the other had two incredible dogs, Izzo and Katie. I thought that i would just run and we'd see a bird and shoot. Nope. Literally as soon as we hit the field we were told there 13 out there and the roosters were spread out evenly. about 2 minutes into the hunt the dogs are LOCKED. I had never seen something so incredible. So the safety officer, Paul, lines us up and says for me (Quentin) to shoot first and the kid next to me to back him up. I take my safety off and he walks into the brush. All of the sudden a rooster some rocketing out and presents a perfect shot. It kind of hit me that this was the real deal and i missed but it was hit by my clean up. Now im ready. After another 15 minutes the dogs are on point. now im shooting clean up. They flush it out and another rooster flys out at 20 yards. I put the bead on the pheasant and waited for a shot to indicate i could shoot. Pow! miss. I squeeze the trigger and see a mess of feathers as the bird drops. Everyone said i was smiling like a little kid on christmas. The dog brings me the bird and i was just so happy. I was hooked like a bass on a Big O crankbait. After that we continue for 10 minutes and the dogs were hot on a runner. the finally point him and he gets flushed out. There are 3 shots as the rooster flies a good distance away and I squeeze the trigger again. At first i thought i missed but sure enough my pellets nailed him perfectly and he dropped (My first attempt and second kill are in the video) After that everyone else got chances at birds and we took 9 back total. Following lunch, i went out with a younger group knowing to let everyone else shoot first because i already had birds. the little ones did a great job and on one rooster coming my way i didnt shoot cuz i wasnt safe and on the final rooster, everyone shoots and i shoot last as he is flying away. Overall it was an incredible hunt concluded by cleanin the bird. heres the link to the video.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMs8cEuhJJw