First frost, first grouse

The first hard frost came overnight, and by daylight the coverts had that clean, quiet feel that says the season has finally turned. We loaded the dogs before the coffee was cold and headed for an old grown-up edge we like early in the year.

Bessie went birdy along the edge and locked up solid. Buster honored her from a few yards back, the way he always does. A grouse is a lot of bird to ask of a young dog, and both of them handled it like it was nothing.

A frosty morning, two dogs doing their job, and a bird or two in the bag is about as good as it gets.

We didn't fill a limit and didn't try to. There's a lot of season left, and both dogs are only getting better. We'll keep posting the good mornings here as they come.