Blaze
Blaze
It was warmer this morning so I decided to work dogs here. I placed the first pigeon in the release trap and when I took my hand off the trap, it released the bird. I was already straightening up from being bent over the trap and the pigeon just grazed my face. I have had them release earlier and they hit me right in the face. Hazards of the job.
After I got 3 pigeons, scattered out in the release traps, hidden on the training grounds I heeled Blaze out of the kennel, with e-collars on her neck and flanks. I put her on whoa, then got on my 4-wheeler and released her to hunt. Usually, I walk with them but this morning I ran them from the 4-wheeler. It was warm with almost no wind and when she got to the first bird she stopped, then moved around the cover the bird was in and stopped again. When she started to move again I flushed the bird. She stopped to flush and I took some pictures.
I had flushed the second bird by mistake before she got close to it so she hunted on to the back where the third pigeon was hid. She was about 10 yards from this bird when she pointed. I got off the 4-wheeler and walked in front of her, kicking the cover. I flushed the bird and she never moved. I stroked her sides and told her what a good dog she was then got on the 4-wheeler. I released her and she hunted back to the kennel.
Luke
Luke
I put the e-collars on Luke and heeled him to the 4-wheeler where I put him on whoa. I got on the 4-wheeler and started it. He stayed on whoa until I released him with an okay. He pointed the first bird before I could catch up. When I arrived I got off the 4-wheeler and took some pictures then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he never moved. I went to him and stroked his sides then released him.
He went to the back, without coming close to the second bird, and pointed the third pigeon. He looked really nice on point so I took more pictures then walked in front kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and he never moved. I went to him and stroked his sides then released him.
We hunted back toward the second pigeon but he wasn’t near where I had hid it so I got off the 4-wheeler and told him to hunt close. He started working the cover near me and went on point. He was about 15 yards from the pigeon and I could tell he wasn’t getting the scent very well. He was pointing but his head was moving trying to get the scent better. I stroked his sides and flushed the pigeon. He never moved. I released him and he hunted back to the kennel.
Tur Bo
Tur Bo
I put the e-collars on Tur Bo and heeled him near the 4-wheeler. I put him on whoa and got on the 4-wheeler and he started moving. I whoaed him and he stopped. I let him stand there a little while then started the 4 wheeler and he flew down the field. I knew there was no reason to yell “whoa” so I started after him on the 4-wheeler. I, finally, caught him at the very back. I picked him up, carried him to the 4-wheeler and hauled him back to the area we had started from. No one was there to take a picture (I should have taken a selfie) but imagine what that looked like. He’s 52 pounds, at least, and was hanging off both sides of the 4-wheeler but when we got back and I put him on whoa he never moved until I released him.
He pointed the first pigeon and I took some pictures then kicked the cover. I went to him and held on to his collar when I flushed the bird. He flinched but he didn’t pull on the collar. When he went back on point I walked in front kicking the cover. I got on the 4-wheeler and started it but he stayed on whoa. I told him “okay” and he went back to hunting.
The first 2 dogs had trouble finding the second pigeon so I had moved it. It must have helped because Tur Bo had no trouble. He pointed and I took more pictures, then kicked the cover. I went to him and held his collar. He never moved when I flushed the bird. I kicked the cover then got back on the 4-wheeler, started it and he didn’t move until I said “okay”.
He pointed the third pigeon and I got off the 4-wheeler. I stroked his sides then walked in front of him, kicking the cover. I went back and held his collar while I flushed the pigeon. The pigeon was a young one and flew onto a low hanging limb in front of Tur Bo. He wasn’t trying to move until I turned loose of his collar. The instant I turned loose of his collar he started chasing. I whoaed him but he didn’t stop. I held the transmitter button down, on level 3, on the e-collar on his flanks and he stopped. I carried him back to the original spot he had pointed. I whoaed him and kicked the cover then got on the 4-wheeler and told him okay. He hunted back to the kennel.
The mornings are going to be warmer for quite a while so I will work the dogs here, on my training grounds, rather than put them in the box in the truck. This will be easier on the dogs and also easier on the pigeons. If I run them from the 4-wheeler it will be easier on me, too.