Blaze pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo
Luke
Monday morning was cool for this time of year and I needed to go work on some feeders I have out on a friend’s farm. I loaded Blaze, Tur Bo, Luke, 6 pigeons and my 4-wheeler on the trailer and the truck. Training dogs takes lots of equipment.
When I got to the farm I put some release traps, pigeons, and I dropped a battery for a feeder in the bag of milo on the 4-wheeler. To reach the feeders I back the 4-wheeler under it and stand on the back of the 4-wheeler. The first feeder had some moldy grain in it that would not come out when the feeder ran. I backed under the feeder, unwired it and cleaned the bad grain out. I hung it back in the tree dropping the lid in the process. I filled the feeder with milo and crawled down for the lid. I put the lid on and got down again.
I went just a little way and put out a pigeon in a release trap. I got back on the 4-wheeler and didn’t see the battery I needed for the next feeder. I could see my tracks through the grass and I followed real slow checking for the battery. I didn’t see it on the ground. I couldn’t remember taking it out of the sack of milo. I backed under the feeder, crawled onto the back of the 4-wheeler, removed the lid without dropping it this time and dug through the milo. Sure enough I found the battery. I get more exercise than I would if I had a good mind.
I replaced the battery in the other feeder without incident and hid another pigeon in a release trap. I put the GPS collar and the e-collars on Tur Bo and turned him loose. I turn the dogs loose in an open grass field but head across it to a heavily treed fence row. The dogs hit the fence row and start down it. There are clumps of Johnson grass that pull the dogs off the fence line. Tur Bo came off just before he got to the first pigeon so we continued on toward the second bird.
We went over the hill to the east. He was 150 yards ahead of me as I turned the corner to start down another hedge row and I saw Tur Bo’s front feet stop and his back end slide around as he went on point. He straightened up with a high head and tail. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move other than he watched the pigeon fly away. I led him away and released him.
We made a big circle then went back up the fence row toward the first pigeon. He was moving pretty fast when he hit the scent cone on the next pigeon but he didn’t whirl around on this one. He was about 20 feet from this bird and when I flushed it came out low right over his head. He grabbed at it without moving his feet. I shot the blank pistol and led him away. We ran the fence row to the end then back to the truck.
I put the GPS and e-collars on Luke and released him. He hit the fence row but pulled off into the tall Johnson grass just before the first bird. He was sill in the tall grass when he spun around and went on point. He was a long way from the pigeon but there was no doubt on what he was pointing. I walked to the pigeon and checked the GPS. The GPS said he was 59 feet from the bird. If I had of guessed the distance I would have said it was farther. I flushed the pigeon and it flew out low and toward Luke. He didn’t move even when I shot the blank pistol. I led him away and released him.
We went over the hill to the east and turned down a hedge row. He was closer to the next pigeon when he pointed. I went 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. We circled around and I put him on two more tree rows before we got back to the truck.
I put the GPS and e-collars on Blaze and turned her loose. She hit the fence row but when she pointed the first pigeon she was inside the fence row. I couldn’t see her and had to check the GPS to see where she was. It showed her on point close to the pigeon. When I saw her she was pointing toward the pigeon but there was a lot of weeds between her and the bird. I kicked the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I had to fight my way through the brush and weeds to tap her on the head to release her.
We went over the hill to the east. When I turned the corner on the hedge row that the pigeon was hidden in she was already on point. I rode to her. I wanted to prolong the point so I walked back and forth in front of her then crossed to her rear then back to the front. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I led her away. We finished going down the hedge row then circled back. I put her on a couple more edges on the way back to the truck.
This is the first time I’ve been able to run my dogs off of a 4-wheeler other than here at my house. I don’t have much room here but on my friends farm there are a lot of edges I can run them on. It gives my dogs more exercise and it’s a lot easier on me. I could get used to training dogs this way.
Tur Bo on the whoa board.
Blaze
Luke was pointing a covey of quail. Just as I took this picture he took a step and went back on point. I wanted to show the red duct tape on his tail.