Blaze
Blaze
This morning was cool with no wind at all. Working these young dogs shows me how hunters, with good dogs, still miss birds as they hunt a field. Blaze had to work really hard to find her birds but Tur Bo and Luke took different lines and found them with no problem. I don’t direct the dogs to the birds. I’m on the 4-wheeler and I move through the field faster than I can walk so the dogs have to hunt fast. They learn to trust their nose and they don’t piddle around.
When I turned Blaze loose to hunt she went through the first part of the field and continued to hunt all the way to the back without finding anything. She didn’t slow down but rimmed the end of the field and hunted back to the front. When I caught up she was on point on the bird near the front of the field. I took pictures then went in front kicking the cover. I shot the blank pistol then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol again. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the cover and shot the blank pistol one more time. She didn’t move. I stroked her sides, started the 4-wheeler and released her.
After hunting for a little while she pointed the second bird. I took pictures then went in front of her kicking the cover. I shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I continued to kick the tall weeds, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I shot the blank pistol again and she didn’t move. I went to her, stroked her sides and tapped her on the head to release her. I let her run for a while before going back to the kennel.
Tur Bo
Tur Bo
I put the e-collars on Tur Bo and heeled him out near the 4-wheeler. I started the 4-wheeler and released him. Tur Bo took the right line and by the time I got to the first bird he was on point. I took pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. I shot the blank pistol and he didn’t move. I continued to kick the tall weeds, flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. Tur Bo took a step then stopped. I carried him back. I kicked the cover and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides, started the 4-wheeler and released him.
He went straight to the next bird and pointed. I took pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. This time I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. On both of these pigeons, the line he had taken put him real close to the birds when he pointed. Sometimes, that causes young dogs to chase. At any rate he took a couple of steps. I picked him up and carried him back. I went back to kicking the cover and shot the blank pistol then shot it again. On the second shot a pigeon flew out of a tree near us and Tur Bo didn’t move. I went to him, stroked his sides and tapped him on the head to release him. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.
Luke
Luke
I heeled Luke out near the 4-wheeler with the e-collars on his neck and flanks. I started the 4-wheeler and released him with an okay. When I got to the first bird he was on point. I still couldn’t feel any wind but he was about 25 yards from the pigeon. I took pictures then walked in front of him but the pigeon was on the other side of a row of trees. I shot the blank pistol and he didn’t move. When I flushed the pigeon we couldn’t see it but it flew back over us. I shot the blank pistol then shot it again. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides, started the 4-wheeler and released him.
When he pointed the second bird he, again, was about 25 yards away. I took pictures then went in front of him kicking the cover. I shot the blank pistol and he never moved. I continued to kick the cover then flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. It’s a good thing he pointed from a long distance. The pigeon came out of the release trap and flew about a foot off the ground for a long ways. If he had been right in front he would have caught the pigeon or been hit by it. I shot the blank pistol again and he didn’t move. I stroked his sides and tapped him on the head to release him. I let him run for a while before going back to the kennel.
A lot of years ago a friend and I were talking about a favorite place of ours. He said he had just been down there and he didn’t find any quail. A few days later, it being the last day of the season, I decided to give the same place a try. Long story short, I found a lot of quail and killed my limit before noon. Some days it’s hard for the dogs to smell the birds and if the dog is on the wrong side of the birds, they can’t smell them. All we, as hunters, can do is give the dogs all the chances we can.