why it's called 'fall'

Here's the hunting report from Wednesday and Thursday. I'll be brief, because the actual hunting was brief.

Wednesday: we started in a new field we hadn't been to before (and which might be nice to go back to at some point). Momo picked up some smells in a roadside thicket and after some encouragement went in and out popped... a timberdoodle! But it flew out over the road making a shot impossible, if not illegal.

After running Jozsi up there as well, we hit our quail field from the week before. We got in a back corner and Momo started to get all squirrely. I should note that there was little to no wind either Wednesday or Thursday and any birds in this field had stayed alive for six days. Which meant that as Momo moved to try and get a more precise location, a pair of quail bolted. I took a shot. I might as well have tried throwing rocks. But seeing birds got Momo jacked. And about 15mins later they flushed as a pair again as soon as we got within 3ft. I took two shots. I would have gotten better odds at Vegas. But the highlight was about 10mins later. I looked down a deer alley to see Momo getting squirrely again and the next thing I know there's another woodcock, this time flying directly at my head. It flashed past and over me, with its peculiar profile backlit against the sky. Once I got Jozsi out, he managed to find and flush the male quail twice, although he, too, couldn't really establish distance well enough to set up on a decent point.

Thursday: nothing. nada. rumors of the bird-stocking truck coming 'anytime.' two DEC law enforcement guys checking tags who seemed to be sized big and bigger. and temperatures just getting hotter all morning. and as we drove out, a pheasant crossed the road. Ditch-chickens 2 Team Vizsla 0.

But I decided to post a couple of pics of the scenery. Despite the warm temps, the colors are starting to come out and, especially in the morning's when it's cool, it's just a beautiful time to be out in the woods with the boys. And Jozsi is a complete wee tanker. There is nothing he seems to like more than to be charging through the woods looking for birds. And he is devout in his mission. He was so rapt with a couple of starlings sitting on a trail that he completely missed the whitetail deer crashing off 10yards to his right trying o get away from him and his dad. But the video is hopefully clear enough to show, not just His Junior Majesty, but why autumn is called 'Fall' here in the provinces.