I have been doing basically the same things over and over with the English setter puppies. But that is what dog training is. Repetition. To get me and the dogs out of a rut, Vince and I decided to take our puppies to Harden Game Farm in Ridgeway, Missouri and work them on some chukars.
Mann on point with Vince getting ready.
Vince’s dog Indy.
Another picture of Mann.
We had them put out 20 chukars. They have had a lot of snow and cold but still had pretty good cover for the birds. I put a GPS collar and e-collar on Babe and had her drag a long check cord. She’s not always holding her birds so I held the end of the check cord until she pointed.
I carry my camera with me all of the time, when I’m hunting or training, but I only take pictures in spurts. When I remember. I got pictures of all of the dogs except Babe. Not one picture of Babe.
I worked her to the bird field, holding the check cord. Not far from the truck she turned into the strong wind and pointed. I stroked her sides. She didn’t try to move. Vince went in front of her and after chasing the chukar for a ways, it finally flushed. Vince stopped running and threw two shots after a rapidly disappearing chukar. I turned Babe loose and she chased the bird.
In all fairness to Vince, when old men run even a few yards their day is about over, without having to shoot. Another thing, after shooting at wild birds, you have to readjust for how slow these birds fly.
Babe came back close to us and pointed another chukar. I wasn’t close enough to get my hands on her check cord and she flushed it before we got close.
She came by me and I grabbed the check cord. She pointed again and I stroked her sides. Vince walked in front of her and dropped the chukar when it flushed. Babe ran to it but didn’t pick it up. It was still flopping and she would grab it then turn it loose. I let her chase it a couple of times then got it from her. I put her back in the truck.
Vince got his young, about the same age as Babe and Mann, German short haired pointer, Allie, out. She’s a little farther along than Babe. He let her run while dragging the check cord. Near where Babe had pointed she went on point. Vince held her check cord and I went in front of her. I had to chase the chukar for a ways before it flushed. I just caught it in the edge of the pattern but it went down. She ran to it and picked it up. Then she dropped it and it tried to run away. She grabbed it again. She did this 3 or 4 times before getting it all the way to Vince.
She pointed another and again I just barely hit the bird but it was good for the young dog, Allie. She chased it down, held it for a few seconds and released it. Then she had to chase it again. Vince got the bird from her.
The next bird, for what ever reason, flushed well out front of her. I don’t know whether she was too close or whether it just got up. We marked where it flew. We put her back in the truck and got out Mann and Indy.
Indy is almost 2 years old but hasn’t had any more time in the field than Mann. Vince bought her from a guy that worked her some but didn’t have time to hunt her.
Mann pointing a pigeon.
I don’t know why I put a check cord on Mann but I did. When I hunt him I don’t and he hunts just fine. Sometimes I don’t even know why I do things.
Vince and I had discussed how good it was for these young dogs to chase a cripple. Then as I watched Mann he went on point, I thought, but when we got closer Indy was in a small ditch on point and Mann was honoring. When we flushed the chukar Vince centered it. It was dead in the air. I got after him a little. “We are dog training. Just wing them so the dogs can chase”. He said, “it was going around a tree. I didn’t have time”.
Babe on the retrieving bench.
We came up a little hill and Mann pointed. I took some pictures then Vince and I walked in front of him. The chukar flushed my way and dropped when I shot. Mann ran to it and picked it up, then dropped it. Vince’s dog Indy came close and Mann picked the bird back up. I called him and he came in a run. I petted him until he dropped the bird.
In just a few seconds Indy was on point with Mann honoring. This chukar dropped closer to Mann than to Indy. Mann grabbed it and came to me in a dead run. I petted him until he dropped the bird. Vince said, “you’ve got a retriever there. He really enjoys bringing you the bird”. A little later he retrieved another. He does look happy when he retrieves.
After Mann and Indy pointed a few times each we turned all 5 dogs out together. Vince had his English cocker spaniel Maggie with him. We had some more dog work and Indy really started to hustle on the retrieves. None of the other dogs had a chance. Poor Maggie. Her legs were too short. To get her a retrieve Vince had to take a bird from his vest and throw it.
This was a good time for us and the dogs. It’s not like wild bird hunting but the dogs don’t care. They just want to point a bird. We wondered if the dogs didn’t think, “why didn’t they bring us hear earlier. We’ve found way more birds than where we usually go”.
Mann on point.
Babe pointing a pigeon.
Babe pointing a pigeon.