The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Turning down Lewis Gulch, I spied a beautiful draw curling into the wheat fields, free of human track. A sight for sore eyes on the eastern Washington pheasant opener. Whipping the Tundra to the shoulder and throwing her in "park," we finally had something to look forward to.

Deciding to try something new this year, I quickly re-learned that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. We had left home at 5 a.m. Four hours hence, we had yet to put boots on the ground for lack of room in the bird covers.

Releasing the dogs, Finn and Zeta, and wading the waist-high grasses, we took delight in our first s...