When I breed puppies I use dogs that have blood from the American Field, field trials. I have always felt that some of my pups would do well in field trials but nearly all of the people who buy my pups are hunters. When a field trialer looked at my pup, Bodie, and wanted him I was elated. I sold him cheaper than I should have just to have someone field trial him.
Bodie pointing a chukar.
Bodie on another chukar.
Abby, Bodie’s mom.
Almost immediately, I wanted him back. For some reason he was always on my mind. I have sold hundreds of dogs, mostly puppies, but for some reason I just wanted him back. A few times I started to call the guy I had sold him to to see if he would sell him back. But I didn’t call.
Last Sunday, after I watched our church services on line, I got a text. It was the field trialer, wondering if I would Like to buy Bodie back. He said he didn’t think he would run big enough to make an All Age field trial dog. When he quoted me a price, I said, “I’ll take him”.
He said he could bring him down on Tuesday. After an hour or two I asked if he would be home about 3:00. No, but he could meet me, north of my house about 20 miles, at 2:30. I was there early. We completed our deal and when I put Bodie in his run at the home kennel he looked good. Before he went into his run he stopped at Abby’s (his mother) gate. They both seemed really excited.
Bodie seemed to know me but I didn’t think he accepted me as his leader so I spent a couple of days heeling him around the yard. The first time I didn’t turn him loose at all but I did sit on the tree trunk near the kennel and pet him. When I had Bodie before I had heeled and whoaed him all around my yard but he didn’t seem to remember any of it. Although when I stopped he did stop. His heeling wasn’t that good. He wanted to lead most of the time.
The second time out he was some better but still wanted to lead. When he pulled ahead I did a 180 degree turn. In a little while he was starting to watch me instead of forging ahead. He wasn’t perfect but he was starting to understand. I whoaed him and he did really well on the whoa.
After a half mile or so of heeling and whoaing I hooked a check cord to him and turned him loose. I followed on the 4-wheeler. He ran well and stayed in front of the 4-wheeler. I wasn’t sure that he would stick around but he seemed to remember the bird field and was satisfied to stay in the area. At least he wasn’t a run off dog.
Abby
Vince Dye and I had pre-bought some chukars from Harden Game Farm in Ridgeway Missouri. We were supposed to pick them up in September but the weather stayed too hot. Finally, yesterday, 10/6/22, we picked up 20 birds. We drove to a friend of Vince’s farm. It was a large CRP field that had about 1/3 of it mowed. We put out 3 chukars, by putting them to sleep, and hiding them in the taller weeds.
We wanted to work Bodie first. If we saw any sign that he wasn’t good with the whole thing, bird, flush and shot, he would be put back in the dog box, in the truck. I knew he had been shot around so I sure everything would be fine. But I still like to go really slow.
Boss
I put a GPS and e-collar on Bodie and turned him loose. He was off like a shot. He stuck his nose into the wind and went 418 yards on the GPS before I could get him turned. He came back and when he was close he hit the scent cone on his first chukar. He pointed, looking good. I took a couple of pictures but when I started toward him he jumped in and rooted the bird out. We didn’t shoot but he chased a long way. The chukar started to light but Bodie was real close. The chukar got low but then flew farther away. Bodie lost him and came back.
After a few passes he hit the scent cone on another chukar and pointed. Normally, he has a real high tail but on this one it was about 10:00. But he was rigid. I made a circle out in front of him several yards and started directly toward his face. When I got where I thought the bird was I kicked twice before he jumped in and flushed the chukar. I’m okay with this. Wild birds would have flown on the first kick, most of the time.
There was no reaction, except to go toward the falling bird, when I shot. The first dead bird shot over him, he pointed, looking really good. High on both ends. After a few seconds, Bodie jumped in and picked it up. He started toward me but dropped the bird. When I got close he grabbed the bird and ran away. I kept trying to get him to bring it to me but he wouldn’t. Maybe, after he’s more used to me, he may. After a couple of minutes he tired of playing with the bird and went back to hunting.
Bodie
He was moving really fast when he hit the scent cone of the next bird and slid around coming to a point. Vince and I stood watching for about a minute. I took some pictures then walked in directly toward his face. He stood solid until I kicked the second time then he jumped in. Bodie was under the chukar but it was high when I shot. I shot and dropped my gun from my shoulder expecting the bird to fall. It didn’t. I re-shouldered my gun and dropped the bird with the second shot. It was a long shot and Bodie couldn’t find the dead bird.
We were pretty close to the truck and we had just the right dog to find dead birds. Vince had brought his English Cocker spaniel, Maggie. Vince got her close to where the bird had fallen and she grabbed it and brought it to him.
We moved to a new spot so there wouldn’t be hot spots and hid 3 more chukars. Vince turned Allie, his German short haired pointer, loose.
Maggie, Vince’s English cocker spaniel.
We had a good south wind and we worked the dogs into it. Allie pointed and as we got close she took a step. Vince had her dragging a check cord. He grabbed her check cord and asked me to kick in front of her and to shoot. It’s difficult, and sometimes dangerous, to work a dog on a check cord and shoot. With Vince beside her she was rock solid. I kicked the weeds for several seconds before getting close to the chukar. Allie was solid. I flushed the chukar and when it hit the ground Allie took it to Vince. Not straight to him but in a semi circle. But he got the bird.
Her second bird she took a step on too but the third one she did a good job on. No movement on the third. And she has good style with a high head and for what tail she has it’s straight. The third chukar she did a really nice job on the retrieve. Straight to Vince. Vince watered her and put her in the truck. I should have got some pictures of Allie but I didn’t.
Ally, Vince’s short haired pointer.
We moved the truck and put 3 more birds out. Abby was next. The last time we worked her on chukars she would point until I got close then take a step. Some times she would take another step or two. This time she was moving fast and slammed into a point. She looked good. High on both ends. I got in front of her after taking a few pictures and kicked the bird up. I’ve been working with her on retrieving but she isn’t force broke yet. She too played keep away with me. After a minute or so she was ready to go back to hunting.
On her next two birds she did a good job. She pointed them both without any steps but she still thought the bird was hers even if I did shoot it. That’s okay. Sooner or later she will be force broke to retrieve and she does do a good job of hunting dead.
Boss was the only dog that hadn’t got to find some birds. We moved the truck and hid 3 more chukars for him. Having this big of a place works really well. This is better than hunting a preserve. We can use a new area for each dog and there isn’t feathers or other hot spots to distract the dog.
Boss
Boss is really fast with a good nose. He was a long way from the first bird when he got the scent. With his head high he started toward it. He got enough scent to stop about 20 feet from the bird. Although he doesn’t need much help I styled him up then walked in front of him kicking the tall grass. When the chukar hit the ground it wasn’t dead. It tried to run and Boss held it down. He never picks a bird up but usually pushes the bird around with his nose. But this one was trying to run. He held it with a paw and his muzzle. After he played with it a minute or so I took the bird from him.
He did a good job on his next two birds. Both of these birds were dead when they hit the ground. The last one Boss picked up and carried away from me. That was the first bird I’ve ever seen him pick up. I was kind of worried about his retrieving a bird when he doesn’t want to pick one up. I wish I could say he brought it right to me but not so. He took it away from me. After a few seconds he dropped it and went back to hunting. I watered him and put him in the dog box.
Mann with Boss honoring.
We still had 6 chukars left but it was getting hot. We decided to keep them overnight and work my 3 dogs on them the next morning. Vince had to work for his friend but he could go with me while we used the 6 that were left. This is pretty lengthy post already so I will tell about the second day, later.
We were pretty happy with what we got accomplished with the dogs. It’s always good for the dogs to get them into birds where they can see birds fall after the point. Most of the time with the pigeons, nothing falls. This makes more sense for the dogs, I hope.