Ive been spending most of this years bird seasons bringing a new pup along. I took the old dog and a 410 with me to work. I was working in a place I can hunt. I had about 45 minutes to let the old man run after I had my responsibilities taken care of. If you are a bird hunter and are lucky, you get a dog or two that you really connect with. For me Cricket is that dog. He is not flashy but has a heck of a nose and handles birds better than any other I’ve owned. He has not slowed down yet but his age is starting to show and he is getting gray. I was really enjoying just him and me and slowed down and got pictures of him pointing his birds for me as I walked in on them. I’m a lefty so the pics are from the right side except the last one that I took out front from between the dog and the bird.
Cutting up with the old man and a 410 after work today.

Really something special, that last picture pretty much says it all

I’ll bet that was fun. My childhood squirrel gun was a Stevens single shot 410.

Cherish every moment with him.
Lost mine after a hunt to Montana where he had a ball.

Those type are rare and leave before we are ready. Enjoy every second!

Perfect day with a great friend!

You got a very special friend with you.
Nice pictures.

Thanks Y’all.

Good looking dog. 410? I couldn't hit the side of a barn with a 410!

I could, as long as I was standing inside the barn

great pictures

That looks like a great time!

The dignity and wisdom in that old pup's face speak volumes. Lord I hate to see a dog grow old; it happens so quickly.
I have a little Yildiz .410 over/under that this old man has yet to even shoot. You did very good work with yours!

If good dogs lived as long as we wished they could...we'd only have one or 2 good dogs in our lifetimes. 66+ years old today and I have had 6 that were as close to the "perfect" hunting partner ever...Turns out my perfect hunting partner was my 2nd wife and she passed in 2015, leaving me and one of our best hunting dogs ever behind. Enjoy every day afield with him that you can...in a year or 2 I will be looking for a new pup...when she finds me... and I'm pretty sure she will be my last... good... dog.

And nothing beats a .410 O/U...She makes you focus, makes you choose, makes you take your time...yes, occasionally you still miss...but the shots made are that much sweeter for the tiny bark of the .410

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Our core duck hunting group starting loading TSS in .410s last year for waterfowl hunting. It is flat amazing how far you can kill a mallard duck with a .410 pushing 1/2oz of tungsten. It's such a pleasure to shoot vs 12ga's with steel shot as well.

I have shot a good many ducks with that little over under. 3/8 oz #6 steel @ 1,400 fps will stone big ducks at 30 yards but you need to center up. Hunting upland birds I use a 2 1/2’” hull with a 1/2 ounce of shot. .410 is just plain fun to shoot and is a joy to carry.

I like to shoot a model 42 every sept 1st

Love this! Ol’ Dog’s and Ol’ Guns. Some of the best comforts there are.

you got a shoulder here to cry on when its his time to go.