Vince Dye and I had bought 20 chukars to work our young dogs on and it got too warm to use them all. I took 6 home with me and since Vince had to work near where we hid the birds, we met at the farm where we had shot the other chukars. We did stop for a good breakfast on the way. Sometimes the breakfasts are the best part of the day.
Bodie pointing a chukar.
Bodie pointing a chukar.
Abby pointing a chukar.
Since Vince had to work he had not brought any dogs with him. With the 6 chukars I had 2 birds for each of the 3 dogs, Abby, Bodie and Boss. The two older dogs didn’t need the work near as much as Bodie did. Or so I thought. Vince and I hid 2 birds and I turned Bodie loose. I had shot 2 of the 3 birds we had put out for him the day before. When he flushed the first one I didn’t shoot. He held until I kicked the grass in front him on the next 2. I shot them and he played keep away for a while.
The wind was blowing pretty hard and as he ran through a scent cone he spun around and pointed. I took some pictures as I approached him. I walked way around him so I could come into his face. This pens the bird between us if it’s going to run. But young dogs are more apt to hold, in my opinion, if you walk toward them to flush rather than by their side. Bodie held until I lifted the bird with my toe. It dropped at my shot. He pounced on it when it hit the ground. When he grabbed the bird I ran away from him. Well, I walked pretty fast. He followed and dropped the bird near me but when I started to pick it up he ran with it again. I caught him and petted him for a long time before blowing in his ear to get him to drop it.
He was a long way from the next bird when he smelled it and followed the scent cone. He was still 20 feet from the bird when he locked up. I went well out front of him and started toward him. He held until I could kick the cover. He played his game of keep away but not for long. He wanted to find another bird. When we got back near the truck we watered him and put him in the truck.
This was a large field and we were able to put two more birds out without moving the truck. I turned Abby out next. Abby usually does a good job and this morning was no exception. She is solid on her birds but when possible I still walk way around and come in toward her. I kicked 2 or 3 times before the bird flushed. Abby, too, played keep away from me. But she doesn’t go very long because she wants to find another bird.
She pointed her next bird and when I kicked in front of her the chukar started running. When it ran Abby went after it and it knew that running wasn’t going to work, so it flushed. That didn’t work either. When I shot it dropped right in front of Abby. She pounced on it. She went away from me then turned back. I knelt down. She got close to me and I grabbed her collar. I petted her for a while then blew in her ear. She dropped the chukar and went back to hunting. When we got close to the truck we watered her and put her in the box.
The second session with the backing dog.
We pulled farther into the field and hid 2 more chukars. I turned Boss out and we went into a stiff wind. Boss is really fast and he was a good hundred yards ahead of us when he went on point. Usually, I don’t say anything when the dogs point but he took a step. I said, “whoa”. He took another step and I yelled, “whoa”. He took another step or two then jumped in grabbing the bird with me yelling, “whoa”. When I got to him he was lying on his belly, holding the chukar with his feet and scooting it along the ground with his nose. When I tried to get the bird he picked it up and moved away. That is the first bird he’s ever picked up. I grabbed him and took the bird.
I picked him up and carried him to where he should have stayed when he was on point. When I set him down I said, “whoa”. He took a couple of steps. I set him back and said, “whoa”. He moved again. I grabbed his collar and lead him back to the truck. I put him in his box.
More from the second session.
I got Bodie out and by the time I got back close to where Vince was we had forgotten where we had hid the last chukar. We hunted two or three likely looking spots without success. We gave up and started back to the truck and Vince saw another spot. I called Bodie and when he got close but was still quite away from Vince he pointed. Vince said, “I don’t think so”. But I saw a chukar hunkered down about 10 yards in front of Bodie. He let me kick it up and he pounced on it when it hit the ground. I caught his collar and petted him for a while before he dropped the bird.
I had been carrying the bird that Boss had caught. We had thrown the bird up, after we had taken it from Boss, but it didn’t even try to fly. When I reached into my game bag to get the dead birds out that chukar flew out and was still going as far as we could see. It was the smartest of the bunch. Not that it will live long with all of the predators.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
Since I got Bodie back I’m trying to work him on things he needs to know for the coming season. He’s been with a pro for a couple of months and I’m not sure what he needs exposure on. Don Hansen and I went on a short prairie chicken hunt. Don had 2 dogs and I took all 5 of mine. We hunted a big ranch that was mainly pasture. We haven’t found many game birds but it’s a really neat place to run dogs.
In an area where a couple of years ago Mann had pointed a covey of quail, Sally pointed. We had most of our dogs backing but Bodie had no clue what he was supposed to do. He ran by Abby, who was honoring, and licked her in the face. He went close to Sally and circled around. That wasn’t hard to figure out. He needed to be worked on backing.
I am still working the other dogs on retrieving. After I did all 4 I put a pigeon in a release trap in front of the backing dog. I hid it behind a brush pile where when we came around the edge he would suddenly see a dog on point. I heeled Bodie out with the Wonder lead. I don’t really know how whoa broke he is but I heeled him a short distance and said, “whoa”. I know when I had him before I had heeled and whoaed him. He really wants to lead rather than heel. I do a lot of 180 degree turns. When I say whoa he will let me walk out in front of him or to either side. So the pro either worked him some on whoa or he remembers from when I had him before.
Abby pointing a chukar.
I heeled him past the brush pile and when he saw the backing dog he perked up. I said whoa and he stopped. I flushed the pigeon and laid the backing dog down. He chased the pigeon. When he came back I led him to a tree a short distance away and tied him. I reloaded the release trap and stood the dog back up.
I heeled him back around the brush pile and this time he was looking for the dog. As soon as he saw it I said, “whoa” and he stopped. I let him stand for a few seconds then flushed the pigeon and laid the backing dog down. I held the check cord he was dragging but he didn’t try to chase. I retied him to a tree.
On the fourth and fifth birds he stopped but I said, “whoa”, each time. I want him to anticipate the whoa. On the last birds he was getting a little style but not much. A couple of days later I worked him again with the backing dog.
Abby, Bodie’s mom.
I moved the backing dog to a new place behind a clump of bushes. I heeled and whoaed Bodie around for a while before we got to the area where the backing dog was hidden. As soon as Bodie saw it he stopped. He was getting more rigid each time. I stroked his sides then walked around him. This time I went in front a short distance taking pictures as I went. I stood on the check cord when I flushed the pigeon and laid the backing dog down. As soon as the pigeon was gone I stepped off the check cord and Bodie followed the pigeon.
On the second and third pigeons he looked good. He was starting to understand what he was doing. I let him run in front of the 4-wheeler for a while before I put him up.
I have a stump near the kennel that I like to sit on a pet the dogs before putting them in their kennel. My neighbor has a pond that is almost dry except for the mud. Bodie found it and was totally covered with mud by the time we got back to the kennel. Needless to say I didn’t sit on the stump and pet him. He went straight to the kennel.
Boss pointing a pigeon.
I’m going to have a couple more sessions with the backing dog before I go to a live dog. I usually use Sally because she’s steady and no matter what the young dog does, with in reason, doesn’t bother her. But I really need to get him backing before the season opens. I still have a lot of time running dogs before the season opens. All I need now is to find some wild birds. Wild birds fix most problems in dogs.