Summary from Yesterday

I am not sure if yesterday was the last hunt or not. Last night the wind blew about fifty or sixty miles per hour. However, today is nice and sunny and technically the last day of the season. The commander is thinking of a forced march in search of the enemy. Yesterday the birds were again showing their late season smarts. We managed a good pincer move and herded them into the tree row at Emil's. The party consisted of Dennis Dietz, the retired postmaster, Dave Stephens, a hunting friend from way back, and of course the commander and I. There was a terrible outbreak of gunfire around the tree row, with very few casualties. My gun seemed like it was shooting flower from the barrel. The birds would not come down. I finally shot one at high altitude. It came down and started to run. I shot it twice on the ground, and Dave shot at it twice before it finally succumbed. I think it had a kevlar vest on. After the tree row I picked up a straggler trying the old trick of hiding out in the open. The birds gave us a lot of excercise, which is what we really needed. I suspected the cacklers may have gone to high ground which is one of their favorite tactics. I climbed the hill and sure enough they were there. They got up ahead and I fired a couple barrell cleaners. No, luck. The rest of the gang saw a few go in the CRP. Somehow they managed to evaporate. I saw one fly North and had his hiding spot on my radar. I told Dennis where to go and the bird held to the very last moment. Dennis cancelled his postage, and we had three for the day.