Mocha's Last Hunt

This is not a eulogy of our old pup Mocha, as she is laying beside me as I type this, but after only two hunts this season, I made the decision to permanently retire the old pup.

Our last hunt together was of all places, on Interloper. It was another less than ducky day, but I needed to get out and I didn't care if I pulled a trigger or even saw a bird. I just wanted to be out there when the sun went down.

Unlike Lou, Mocha laid down patiently along the shoreline while I set out my decoys. When I got back to the shoreline and was putting on my jacket, a single mallard came right over the top of Mocha and I, so close, that I was only able to bring it to the ground when it was behind me. Mocha's nose didn't fail her and she was able to help me find it in the long grass. As the evening progressed I could see that birds were flying high, and it would be an at sundown flight. I had chances at other birds but did not want to drop them far into the slough and have Mocha retrieve them. I waited for a flock to finally make a pass behind us and I pulled up and took two shots. One connected and I watched it sail into the prairie behind me. Mocha and I went out into the open prairie and Mocha chased down the crippled bird. What she brought back to me was my first and a specimen hooded merganser. I was blown away! I could see that more birds were flipping around so we crouched behind a cottonwood that a beaver had dropped. When the flock made another pass, I did the same, taking only one shot this time, pulling another from the flock. This time it was a hen hooded merganser, giving me a pair of hoodies.

As you can see from the photos, Mocha has become a grizzled old dog. She is still our gentle marshmallow eater, but she just doesn't have the stamina anymore. As much as I want to let this old dog do what she wants to do while she is still here, these two powderpuff hunts took a toll on her. She was weak enough after this hunt that she couldn't get out of the car. I can't in my good conscience hunt her anymore. 

I have found peace in my life from something that my Uncle Paul said to me a few years ago. 

"All good things come to an end"

This has put a lot of things into perspective for me since and has made me appreciate things while I can. I pet Mocha more, she gets more treats, and I will make sure when she finally goes, she will be a fat, happy pup. 

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