Chapter Nine Cornstalks

Tova is sniffing around the edges of the field, and I sense she is still uneasy about entering the cornfields.

For the first half hour she steps in and out of the cornfield going in about three or four rows each time. She is testing herself and I just keep saying, "Good girl."

Suddenly, she freezes inside of the third row. I know she has a bird there. Then she's off chasing it through the corn.

Stop running you stupid bird. You're supposed to fly not run. I'm supposed to be pointing you not chasing you.

She and the pheasant are doing circles inside of the corn and then he cackles and flies.

I was so intent on watching what she was doing I missed him when he broke the top of the corn and he stayed low right over the tops heading away from me just as if he knew I was standing there.

She comes out of the corn after hearing me shoot and is looking for the bird. I tell her I missed and she doesn't believe me. After all she heard the gun go off. I'm not supposed to miss according to her. She gives me those eyes of her's.

You got it and you're hiding it on me.

She gives up looking and jumping on me and starts jumping at my side to peek into my game pouch on my hunting vest.

Finally she settles down and resigns herself to the fact that I missed. This was so funny. The dog actually thinks besides reacting.

After all my work, you blew it, dad!

She heads back towards the cornfield and now she is going further into the rows of corn. I am not only proud of her, I am happy with myself for not having tried to force her last year. She figured it out all by herself.

We came home with two birds that morning, the legal pheasant limit for the day.

I had a happy dog who was satisfied and I was going to cook pheasant that evening.