Eleven-year-old Zach Feather can't wait to go on his first pheasant hunting trip, especially when he learns his parents have a surprise for him--a new bird dog! The family travels across the state from the Cherokee reservation in eastern Oklahoma to hunt pheasant on a relative's ranch. There are more surprises--including a rattlesnake encounter--in store for Zach on his first hunt. Along the way, he learns that hunting is about more than just finding pheasants. It's also about patience and the things in life that are most important--hunting with his dog and his family.