Our setter Val passed away after a hunt... 11/8/24

 

 

 

Val with her pheasant 1 hr before she passed away on our way home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our wonderful gal Val ( 6yr 10 mos ) passed away last night on our way back from a hunt.  We had been hunting by Albert Lea and she did great.  Everything seemed normal after the hunt, she drank some water, ate a few biscuits while I loaded up everythingand field dressed her pheasant.  I stopped about an hour into the drive to let her out to go to the bathroom.  She was laying in her kennel, I thought she was asleep,  I tried to rouse her but she didn’t get up.  I couldn’t get her to come around.  I took her to an emergency vet but she had passed.  We did take her to the U of MN where they will do a necropsy on her.  I have a suspicion that she drank some funky water.  She came out of the cover a few times and was wet but none of the water that I saw looked weird or scummy.

We are crushed.  She was just such a total sweet heart.  On every hunt this year I was saying to myself I’d like to just copy her.  She was a joy at home and out hunting.

 

Albert Lea MN Pheasant Hunt Limit Nov 2 2024

A Mid Season Pheasant Hunt

The afternoon drew me back to the Albert Lea area, where we'd managed to bag a single bird on opening weekend. Despite temperatures climbing to an unseasonable 55 degrees, the sun and steady breeze made for promising hunting conditions.

The action started quickly, with Val pointing eight hens in succession. Working into a tailwind, she bumped a rooster at about 120 yards - a forgivable mistake given the challenging wind conditions.

Later, while trying to direct Tasha toward Val's position, I noticed Val intensely working a scent trail off in the distance. It turned out to be just another hen, but the dogs' enthusiasm never wavered. As we began making our way back to the truck, Val locked up on point. This time, the rooster held tight until I could close the distance. When the bird flushed, one clean shot brought it down.

The day wasn't over yet. Approaching the road, both dogs caught wind of something promising. Their behavior telegraphed what was coming - a magnificent rooster erupted from cover. Another single shot rang out, and our second bird of the day was in hand.

The warm weather might not have been ideal for late-season pheasant hunting, but with cooperative birds, steady dogs, and clean shooting, it turned into a successful afternoon in the field.