Iggy the Bird Dog

Last week, I made a couple of new friends: Iggy, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and her accomplice, Rocky, a dark brown mixed breed. Iggy and Rocky are “flusher” dogs who work closely with hunters to drive birds out of cover for a shot. My friend Chris and I followed Iggy, Rocky, and their owner, the hunting guide, into the high brush and palmettos in search of quail. More birds survive on my mornings hunting than succumb, yet I enjoy the time afield with the dogs, watching their excitement and teamwork, driving the birds into the sky, or sometimes catching one and bringing it to the guide instead of allowing it to fly off as intended.

Iggy is a lean, older female who was ready to flush the minute she was released from her enclosure. She ran around, nose twitching, sniffing throughout the brush in search of a scent. Rocky at her rear watched closely to see when and if Iggy found a covey of birds so she could assist in the action. Then, almost as if the world slowed its pace, the wind subsided to a quiet breeze, and Iggy froze in place with her short tail at 180 degrees. A bird in the bush was the unspoken but clear message. Positioned and balanced to shoot, I loaded, pressed the safety knob on my 20-gauge shotgun, and stood ready as the dogs trembled in place, waiting on the call from the guide to attack. As I fidgeted with my gun, the guide motioned, and the dogs were in the bush in seconds, thrashing about. A single bird emerged, and Iggy jumped to bring it down before it was able to take flight, but the bird made it aloft. I aimed cautiously to make certain Iggy was not in my sight and pulled the trigger. The bird escaped both Iggy and my shot. Iggy and Rocky chased it deeper into the woods before the guide called them back to start a new search. Iggy came over to my position and with her scruffy coat brushed against me as if to say, “Next time Mr. Lenny–there are plenty more where it came from.”