Tur Bo
Tur Bo
Another beautiful morning. I intended to get out early but I was lazy and didn’t start until about 9:00 am. Being retired is great. The temperature was still in the 40’s at 9:00 am. The last time I worked dogs I took an extra pigeon and dropped it by hand. I liked the way this worked so well I decided to drop a pigeon before I flushed the hidden bird each time, for the young dogs.
I put the e-collars on Tur Bo and heeled him out near the 4-wheeler. I started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay. He was going with the wind and couldn’t pinpoint the first bird so we went on to the back. He rimmed the back and when he started back the wind was in his face. He slammed into a point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon behind me and shot the blank pistol when it flew. Tur Bo took a step and stopped. I held the button on the transmitter to the flank e-collar down on level 2 and picked him up and set him back. I let off the button when his feet touched the ground. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He took a step at the flush then stopped. I held the button on the transmitter down, on level 2, on the flank collar and picked him up and set him back. I let off the button when his feet touched the ground. I continued to kick in front of him and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides, started the 4-wheeler and released him.
He had the wind in his face when he got close to the other pigeon and slid to a stop. I took more pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol. He took a step and stopped. I held the button down, on level 2, on the flank collar. I picked him up and set him back. I let off the button when his feet touched the ground. I continued to kick in front of him, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I shot the blank pistol again and he didn’t move. I went to him, stroked his sides and tapped him on the head to release him. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.
Blaze
Blaze
I put the e-collars on Blaze and released her to hunt. Like Tur Bo, she knew the first bird was there but she wasn’t sure where. She moved on to the back and circled into the scent cone of the pigeon and pointed. I took pictures then walked in front of her kicking the cover. I dropped the bird from my hand and shot the blank pistol when it flew. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol again. I stroked her sides, started the 4-wheeler and released her with an okay.
On the way to the front she was going into the wind when she hit the scent cone. When she pointed her head was up and her tail was straight up. I took more pictures and walked in front of her kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the tall grass, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I shot the blank pistol again and she did’t move. I went to her and stroked her sides telling her what a good girl she is. I tapped her head to release her. I let her run for a while before going back to the kennel.
Luke
Luke
I brought Luke out with the e-collars around his neck and flanks. I started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay. Since the other 2 had trouble finding the first bird, until they were on the way back, I rode all the way to one side of the field instead of down the middle. Luke hunted to the back, circled the end and started back and went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I dropped the pigeon from my hand and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol then shot it again. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides, started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay.
He came in on the wrong side of the other bird but slid to a point with the wind blowing away from the pigeon. I have seen this a lot but I don’t understand it. How can they smell a bird with the wind blowing from them to the bird. I walked in front of him kicking the cover after taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon in the release trap and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover, dropped the bird from my hand and shot the blank pistol then shot it again. He didn’t move. I went to him, stroked his sides telling him what a good boy he is. I tapped him on the head to release him. I let him run for a while before returning to the kennel.
The dogs don’t move when I flush the pigeon from the release trap but they let down some. The aren’t as rigid. On Luke, I flushed the pigeon in the release trap and then dropped the bird from my hand on his last point. I like that better and it may keep them from letting down. I may go to more than one bird dropped so they never know what is going to happen. It’s worth a try.