I found out from a friend that Justin Crook was taking some dogs to a large quail lease in Oklahoma that held a lot of wild quail. I made arrangements to have the two puppies, Annie and Stormy, go with him. They are doing really well on the pigeons and I’ve shot a few chukars over them. Also, I’ve worked them a little on some call back quail. Stormy especially, was learning to catch them and the last time I worked her Annie also caught one. It’s time to work them on wild birds and it sounds like they will be able to do that in Oklahoma.
Abby pointing wild quail.
Sally pointing a wounded quail.
Boss and Sally honoring Abby.
After I met Justin with the puppies I drove to Kansas with the other dogs. Kansas has walk-in properties for every hunter but a lot of it isn’t really good bird hunting land. I got into Kansas about 9:30 am and drove until about 2:00 pm before I saw a place to turn the dogs loose.
I, usually, put Mann in the dog box that is against the cab of the truck right behind me, so I turn him loose first, most of the time. I put the e-collar and GPS collars on the other dogs, Abby, Sally and Boss. As I put my vest on I looked at the GPS and Mann was on point. As I watched the GPS Sally honored. The were about a hundred yards from the truck on the side of a hill where I had found quail before.
This was on some state land and was real close to their headquarters building. Everyone, or almost everyone, that hunts this property knows about this covey. They have been educated. When I got close both dogs started moving. Along this hillside I got several more points from all of the dogs. I only saw one quail and it came out behind me. It was gone without a shot being fired.
We went to an area where I had found some singles in the past. All of the dogs wanted to stay along the hillside but I finally got Sally to come into this little clearing. She went on point about 30 yards from me. As I started to her she moved about 5 yards to the north, into the wind. Before I got to her two singles flushed about 30 yards in front of her. Too far for a shot.
Evidently, Abby and Boss were honoring. All 3 dogs worked the clearing pretty well without finding any others. As we came through the clearing and started around the edge, Boss pointed. He didn’t look quite right on his point. He looked good but wasn’t as rigid as he is most of the time. When I got to him a rabbit took off. If they hold the dog should point them, I guess.
Boss honoring Abby.
In the past I have found several coveys around the edge of the harvested soybean field but not this time. When we got back close to the truck I started to load dogs but the GPS showed Boss on point 200 yards north of me. I waited to make sure he was on point then started to him. About 50 yards from him he was moving. Some of the single from the covey had come that way but they still weren’t holding until I got there.
We went back to the truck and I loaded dogs. By the time I got home it had been a long day. I had driven over 500 miles and walked several miles. I was ready to be home.
A few days later I was again on my way to Kansas. Seems like Missouri deer season lasts for months. Another farm I haven’t been to this year. When I pulled in it looked like there had been a lot of vehicles in the parking spot. It’s early in the season to see this but there are a lot of hunters in Kansas.
Stormy pointing a pigeon.
I had Mann, Sally, Boss and Abby with me. I put the GPS and e-collars on them and turned them loose. Since there looked to have been a lot of hunters, some of which were probably deer hunters, I decided to hunt areas that I didn’t think anyone else had. This area has some row crops but a lot of it is CRP that hasn’t been mowed or burned in years. It is thick stuff, some of it head high.
The forecast had been for low wind but they missed that forecast. The wind was really blowing out of the south. We hunted into the wind and in the tall weeds everything was rattling. I was afraid most of the birds would be flushing ahead of the dogs. Mann and Boss both were on point ahead of me and when I got close all of the dogs were pointing and moving. I never saw one or heard one but I think a covey flushed in front of the dogs.
We went on around the edge through the tall CRP. We were probably a half mile from where I thought a covey had flushed from when the GPS showed Abby and Mann on point. They were along the fence between some heavy CRP and a harvested soybean field that was off the property. When I got close I could see it was a divided find. Abby and Mann were side by side with about a foot between their heads. I wish I could have got a picture but the cover was too thick.
Bodie pointing a pigeon.
It was even too thick for me to get in front of them to flush. I got as close as possible and kept saying, “Okay, okay”. Mann wouldn’t move but finally Abby took a couple of steps and a covey flushed. I shot one time through the brush and thought a bird dropped. I fought my way through the tangle and saw Sally on point where my bird should have dropped. I started to her and Boss and Abby honored her.
When I went in front of Abby I could see the wounded bird sitting in some grass. All 3 dogs were close and I squatted down and reached for the bird. It fluttered then hit the ground, running. All three dogs were after it but they ran into each other as they chased. I think if it had just been one dog they would have caught the bird but with them banging against each other, it got away.
We looked for a long time. I hate losing a wounded bird. I would rather not have shot as to have walked away leaving a wounded bird. But that is part of bird hunting.
Annie pointing a pigeon.
We went on around to some more areas that I have found some birds on this farm without finding anything. When we got back to the truck I loaded dogs and we beat the rush hour traffic that evening.
I was kind of having withdrawal symptoms from not having some puppies to work with when a lady called. Mann had bred her female and one of the owners of a pup had been sick for most of the time he had him. He had found out that he wasn’t going to get better and he wanted her to take him back. She didn’t have room so she called me to see if I would take him. It was evening when she called and I asked her to give me until the next evening to think about it.
I didn’t wait that long. While I was on the hunt above I called and said I would take him with the understanding that I can’t keep him. I will work him and get him started then sell him. She knows how many dogs I have and was okay with that. He is a litter mate to Stormy, out of Mann and Abby’s sister. Before I got back to my truck the man that had the pup’s daughter called and we made arrangements to meet in northern Missouri the next day.
Abby pointing a pigeon in a tree.
The daughter told me that they had done nothing with the pup, Thomas is what they called him, and it sure shows. He doesn’t lead or come when called or anything. But that may be better than them doing a bunch of stuff wrong. He is bold and not much bothers him.
I kept him in the kennel. Each day I would go in his run and pet him. After a couple of days I drove a stake outside the kennel area close to the pigeon coop. I cleaned all of the kennels and he jumped around for a while but by the time I went back to him he was no longer fighting the stake. Thomas is 7 months old so I locked the wings of a pigeon and placed it just out of reach. He tried hard to get it. After a couple of minutes I let it fly away.
I turned another couple of pigeons loose right in front of him. I had set one of the release traps close to him when I had first put him on the stake. I put a pigeon in the release trap about 20 feet from him. I took a pigeon from the bird bag and let it flop a little and as I flushed the bird from the release trap I dropped the one in my hand. He never noticed the sound of the release trap so I moved it closer and did the same thing. Even at 8 or 10 feet he never noticed the release trap. The sound of the trap bothers some dogs. I would rather work this out here than have a dog that has been spooked by them.
Stormy pointing a pigeon.
I left Thomas on the stake out and walked down to the training grounds. I had 5 pigeons in a bird bag so I hid one in the release trap in the brush. When I got back to him the birds had him fired up. Usually, I stand until they sit quietly but he was still pumped. I waited until he was a little calmer and put a check cord on him. He pulled me toward the bird field although he was just staying in front of me.
At about 30 yards from the bird he started slinking. His first pigeon in a trap and he knew to slow down and move in. The wind swirls on this place and he wasn’t sure exactly where it was. Finally, at about 10 yards he stopped. Not a real pretty point but he was on point. I watched him and he had all 4 feet on the ground but he raised one and I flushed the pigeon. He wanted to chase but I was holding the check cord. When he gets more used to my place I will let him chase more. I tied him to a tree a little way away and reloaded the trap in the same place.
Annie pointing a pigeon.
I lead him back in the area and he pointed with a little more style but he moved pretty quick. I flushed the pigeon and took him back to the tree and tied him again. I reloaded the trap and brought him back. I wanted him to anticipate a bird being right there. The third and fourth birds he was getting the idea but fifth bird he really had it. He looked good. His neck was stretched out and level with his back and his tail was almost twelve o’clock and rigid. That was good time to quit. I put him in his kennel.
I wanted to work him again today but woke up to snow and it’s snowed most of the day. It really doesn’t hurt for him to think about what we did. I will work him one more time, at least, the same way to get him to understand when he smells a bird he should point. After that I will scatter them out on the bird field and let him find them. By then he should be used to this area and will come back. This is my thing, I really enjoy working with puppies.