Today was unusually warm and dry. I took the crew out on the river for a joyride. Brought an old 870 just in case. Steel BBs, as there are a few big Westerns on the river.
My old girl is 15 and change. Deaf, blind, diabetic, etc but still happy and remembers all her old hunt sites. She had fun and is sleeping now again.
As luck would have it I doubled on this pair of mallards. The youngest (4) went for the drake and the middle dog (7.5) went for the hen. Then we found this decoy in a slough.
All in all a really fun float! Dogs all got beef/veggie soup on their kibbles and I'm having an IPA.
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Great photo !

Thanks, brother. Three very happy hounds and I do believe I may have another beer!

Excellent, not many will be able to do the same.

Battue
I don't think I hit the water until noon. It was just a joyride, but the pups and I are all very happy.

It is bittersweet getting the old dogs out. One sees the past in them but unfortunately the future too. I like to believe the dog remembers the past as I do.

I did much the same with my old setter this afternoon, a quarter mile jaunt through the snow hitting the sorghum plot and a couple patches of cattails has him in "his" chair snoring. At 15 years old and the season ending Sunday, this was likely his last hunt. Unfortunately, no roosters were found but he did get to give me dirty looks for not shooting the two hens he found.

That's the stuff. Pic?

Woosmaster81,
You are spot on. It's bittersweet. She is happy.. remembers everything.. but has no physical ability.
They get old so fast.. it's heartbreaking, honestly. Still, I'm glad to have made her happy for one last time in her old haunts.

Great pic and day! Well done! Not much more satisfying is helping dogs do what they are bred to do.