Its a good time to practise some of that low gun skeet that Joe Woods & Rabbit were speaking of on your other thread, shoot some charity sporty clays events if you don't shoot registered or just get some buds together and play some low gun 'scrap' or a combination thereof, if you have a trap field superimposed on a skeet field.
Heck, just take the dog out and loaf in the field some, if nothing else than to toughen his pads, get the dog snake broke if there is any chance he might encounter one, but some form of clay practise will prove beneficial come the fall & bird season.
'Stick birds' are the best cheap date out there, but it takes two to play, like a real date. Got any young guys about to help wield the stick half the time? The 'game' is nothing more than an old Remington hand thrower attached to a pool cue, but the birds thrown from one are amazingly fast and big fun to try to hit. With a bit of thot you should be able to simulate something similar to your nemesis shot with a stick bird set-up. Try it, you'll like it.
Best to you, your summer and your efforts to last until the coming season arrives. Making your first shot count is a reasonable goal and one the dog will appreciate as much as your praise for his finding and flushing the bird. Keep it safe, life's too short as it is.
