At 8:00 am it was almost 80 degrees. Our average this time of year is 65 degrees for the nightly lows. I don’t like to put the dogs in the dog box when it’s this hot so I hid 5 pigeons in release traps in the tall grass near my pigeon poles. The birds were about 3 or 4 yards apart in the tall grass.
Tur Bo
Tur Bo
Tur Bo after the last pigeon had flown away.
I put the e-collar on Tur Bo and led him out of the kennel with the piggin’ string. Before we got to the bird field I whoaed him and hooked a check cord to his collar after putting a half hitch around his flanks. The wind was from the south about 20 miles an hour so we stayed on the north side of the tall grass.
Tur Bo pointed at the north east corner and I slipped the piggin’ string off. I took some pictures then as I went around behind him to pick up the check cord a rabbit ran by. Tur Bo started after the rabbit but when I yelled whoa he stopped. I picked him up and put him back where he had originally been on point. He went back on point. I let him stand on point for about 2 minutes then flushed a pigeon at the other end of the field. The tall grass that I had let grow is 8 yards wide and 25 yards long and I had flushed a bird from the far end. He watched it fly away but he didn’t move.
He went back on point and I let him stand about 45 seconds then flushed another bird. This pigeon was a little closer but he still didn’t move. I looked at his head as he stood there on point and his mouth was opening and closing. It was like he was chewing the scent. He flinched when I flushed the next pigeon but he didn’t move his feet. Each bird that flushed was a little closer than the one before. After about 45 seconds I flushed another pigeon. This one was less than 10 yards from him but he didn’t move.
Then it was time to flush the one he was pointing. I let him stand for about 1 1/2 minutes before flushing the last one. When the bird came out it stayed low and went from his right to his left. He turned as the bird came by but he never pulled on the check cord. I stand right behind him with just a little slack in the check cord. To tighten the cord he wouldn’t have to move very far but it’s been quite awhile since he’s hit the end of the check cord. I set him back where he was originally then when he went back on point I walked out front and took some pictures. Then I walked all the way to the other end of the tall grass then back to Tur Bo.
I let him run to the back of the training grounds then back to the kennel. As hot as it was he was ready for a drink.
Tur Bo and I both enjoy this exercise. He never knows how many pigeons are going to fly away. If he knew I only have 5 release traps he could figure this out. It will make him more steady and it’s something we can work on in the heat because it doesn’t take very long.