When Rusty would go on point

[uncle buck]

I was thinking back to about 1977... I had a mutt of a bird dog... half Britt and Half Springer... Thing was one of the most awesome hunting dogs I owned... He'd go on point... Now some bird hunters would be offended by this... Rusty on point...You never knew what he was pointing... Could be a grouse, woodcock, pheasant, doves, quail and even a cottontail rabbit..  So neat to see him point and then you'd tell him to flush it and out runs a rabbit.. Hey...I didn't care... I was Upland Game hunting... I didn't care what flushed if it was in season..

I know people would frown on a bird dog like this... Rusty... cost me $5.00 and it was half Britt and Half Springer..  Both bird dogs but he when on point for anything that was for the pot... He'd retrieve too... Some Mondays after first days I 'd walk with him in fields.. He grab cripples that other hunters wounded.. Who needs a gun...

I remember one time he went on point...Up goes two Ringneck.  I shoot the closest one and using a semi turn and darn my modified choke was a bit out of range.  Ringneck drops in a dirt field.. He takes off running about 40 MPH...Rusty in pursuit of the wounded ring neck.. Rusty caught him at about the 250 yard mark.  He grabbed the ringneck pick him up and brought him back and laid the 2nd bird in my out streched hand.  Things like this you just never forget..  .. LOL   Rusty is gone now but I sure do miss him when small game season comes around..

Hopefully in all of your lifetimes.. That you can hunt small game with a dog... Be it a Beagle or a Britt or Springer or a Mutt like Rusty...

[SongDogSilencer]

Great Story, UncleBuck!
Here's mine:

 I had a Bluetick/Beagle named Sport. Was a great pheasant, grouse and bunny hunter. I had to watch though, because he'd flush, not point and when he'd flush a pheasant that was super close to him he would jump and grab it. Just had to make sure when the bird flushed that sport was not in the line of fire. I trained that dog to run rabbits on my own when I was 14 years old. He picked up the birding on his own and he was my hunting buddy until I moved out when I was 19. Dad wouldn't let me take him with me. It's a shame too, because I think he only hunted about 1/4 as much as he would have with me.