Blaze pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon
Luke pointing a pigeon.
It has been extremely hot and I haven’t been able to do any dog training until Friday morning. We, finally, got a little break. I did some yard work with the dogs early then decided to fill the feeders that I have out on a friends farm. I took Tur Bo, Blaze and some pigeons with me.
I worked on my feeders and hid some pigeons in release traps as I passed good cover. I had 3 release traps with me. I put the GPS and e-collars on Blaze. We hit a fence line and started down it toward the first pigeon. I thought she had missed the first bird but when she got on the south east side of it she whirled into a point. She was a good 15 yards from it but there was no doubt she had the scent. I walked in front of her kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. The pigeon flew right over her head and she swapped ends to watch it fly away. I led her away, whoaed her and released her when I was back on the 4-wheeler.
She went to the east over the hill. I had hidden a pigeon down a hedge row the last time we were here and she ran that hedge row. This time there was no pigeon in it. I rode down to the end and then back out. I called Blaze but she had crossed into the next field. I hit the tone on the e-collar that was around her neck and in a couple of minutes she was in front of me again. It was pretty cool sitting on the 4-wheeler but Blaze was really hot. She pointed the second pigeon and I flushed it and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I had another pigeon out but we went back to the truck.
I carry a water jug in the truck and after she got a drink I wet her back, chest and head. After she cooled down some I put her in the dog box.
I reloaded the release trap in the closest trap and picked up the trap that was the farthest away. I put the collars on Tur Bo and released him. He went down the hedge row and passed the pigeon. On the south east side he hit the scent cone, whirled around and pointed. According to the GPS he was 57 feet from the release trap. I walked around kicking the cover then flushed the pigeon. He didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I led him away then released him to hunt.
I saw 3 doves flush ahead of him out of some bare ground next to some tall weeds. When he hit the spot where they had flushed from he pointed. I got off the 4-wheeler and grabbed a pigeon from the box on the back. When I walked in front of him he softened up. I tapped his head. He moved a few feet and pointed again. This time when I went in front of him he stayed rigid. I dropped the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I led him away and released him.
I had a pigeon in a release trap that I had put out for Blaze but I didn’t run her in that area. We hit the tree line and took it around a bare field. Tur Bo went on point but he was right on top of the pigeon. There was very little wind blowing and it wasn’t right for the bird he pointed. I set him back a few feet then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I led him away and released him.
He ran the edges of a tree line on the way back to the truck. I wet him down after watering him. It felt a lot cooler for me but it was still pretty warm for the dogs. After the temperature being almost 100 degrees it feels really good to be in the low 70’s but that’s still too hot for the dogs. It’s hard to wait on the weather to cool down.
Blaze pointing a pigeon.
Luke
Tur Bo