Yesterday morning I skipped the office grind and launched the jonboat for some marsh hen—aka rail—hunting with my wife, Jenny, and my Boykin spaniel, Pritchard. The full moon tide had pushed plenty of water into the Lowcountry marsh, which is a necessity when chasing rails. And there were birds aplenty.

The Boykin’s nose was working overtime. As we approached one patch of spartina grass, Pritch caught scent of some unseen rails and leapt off the boat. While evidence of a good sniffer, it was also proof that we have to work on her steadiness. A lot. (Three rails lifted off from the patch of grass once Pritch invaded it.) Afterwards, she took up position on the bow, pointing and whimpering when we were neared a bird.

Still, a day on the water with wife and dog is hard to match. We laughed at our misses, gently cursed the pup, and generally put a great day to good use. Wish I was out there now.

The question is: Who has a good marsh hen recipe?