I got the opportunity to work some dogs at a shooting preserve in Kansas. Vince Dye’s son, Justin, asked if I would bring some dogs to Muddy Creek Whitetails shooting preserve near Meriden. I’m always ready to get my dogs into some birds and when someone else pays for the birds it’s a great deal. They were going to turn out 75 chukars and 25 pheasants in the morning and 75 chukars and 25 pheasants in the afternoon. There were 10 hunters. I took Sally and Dolly.
Sally on point.
Sally
Some of the hunters.
Muddy Creek club house is like a museum of natural history. They have a lot of deer mounts but, also, a lot of mounts from all over. They had black bear and grizzly bear full mounts as well as a lot of African game mounts.
We drove to the field we were to hunt. The field was about 320 acres but we didn’t use all of it to hide the birds. It had good cover mostly in prairie grasses. There were a few draws and some thickets. Excellent cover for the birds.
I put the GPS collars and e-collars on Sally and Dolly before we got to the field so they were ready to go. Dolly had been used as a guide dog before so she was used to having a lot of birds but for a little while, Sally was wild. I tried to call her in but she was excited. Nothing I said made an impression on her. I saw a couple of chukars in the air with her right behind them. After a couple of chases she pointed a bird and her training kicked in.
On the morning hunt I left my camera in the truck. Sally and Dolly both honor from where ever they see the other dog on point. There were plenty of photo ops and no camera.
I don’t know how many points were made but a lot. Sally got really good at marking the shot birds down. Dolly retrieves but if another dog tries to take the bird or gets to it first she goes back to hunting. Sally, when she ran to the bird would grab it usually before Dolly got there. Dolly would go back to hunting and Sally would bring the bird part way to me then lay it down. Sometime she would not even pick it up but would stand over the bird. I had to walk to her every time and get the bird. After she has been force broke to retrieve she should be a great retriever.
It was close to 60 degrees when we quit for lunch and at 12 years of age Dolly had had enough. She would have tried but I didn’t get her out. The owner of Muddy Creek sent a handler out with his two German short haired pointers to help. (A good reporter would have got names but this one didn’t and I have trouble remembering when I hear them.) I turned Sally out and a hour break, while we ate lunch, helped her.
We put the second set of 75 chukars and 25 pheasants out, cut the dogs loose and went on the afternoon hunt. The short hairs were used to a lot of bird scent and went about their hunt in a workman like manner. Sally still got her share of the points and was really quick to the dead birds. The short hairs wouldn’t fight her for the bird, either. Almost every time she got to the bird first the short hairs, who would retrieve, let her have the bird. After she got real tired she would lie down next to the bird after the other dogs had left. I had to walk to her and take the bird. She dropped the bird most of the time with no problem but when the bird flew 35 yards behind us before it dropped, I had to walk back, get the bird, then hurry to catch up with the hunters.
One of the hunters was low on shells and went back to his truck to get more and we were taking a break, in the field, waiting on him. I tried to get Sally to take a break and I did give her some water but pretty soon I saw her moving down the field like she knew where she was going. About 75 yards from us she went on point but her tail was wagging. I started to her with a young hunter with me. When we got close she moved a little and dropped her nose in the grass. I went to her and she had a dead chukar.
This wouldn’t work on wild birds but one time I saw her on point ahead of us and one of the short hairs pointed closer. The hunters flushed the closer bird and when they shot the bird Sally ran to get the dead bird. One of the short hairs beat her to it and I called her back. She came right back and went on point where she had been before. When this bird dropped she beat the short hairs to it.
It was a good day. The hunters were all happy to be there and had a good time. There was one young man on his first hunt and when we had a bird running we sent him. When they flew he hit every one that I saw him chasing.
We quit about 4:00 pm and Sally was still going. She was slower but still searching. When I put her in her box in the truck she went right in. I think she was ready. It had been a long day but a really good day for Sally. And for Sally’s owner.
Dolly
Dolly honoring Sally.
Dolly on point.