Luke pointing a pigeon.
Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.
Blaze pointing a pigeon.
Finally, we are getting some cooler mornings. Yesterday and this morning were in the 60’s. This morning I roaded Dolly, Blaze, Luke and Tur Bo but yesterday I worked them on some pigeons on the farm a couple of miles from my house. I didn’t get out as early as I should have because I had to repair some of my equipment. By the time we quit it was getting pretty warm so I shortened their run time. Any time working dogs is enjoyable for them and me too.
The owner has dug a ditch for water lines, for his new home, along the fence row that I usually start the dogs on so Luke and I cut across an open field. This shortened the circle that we usually run but it was getting warm and I thought this was better for the dogs.
The wind was out of the north east and Luke was going down the fence row to the south when he hit the scent cone. He spun around, took a step to straighten and went on point. I took pictures then walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. I stroked his sides then went back in front kicking the cover. I went back to him and led him away. I released him to hunt.
We went over the hill to the east and hit another hedge row that ran to the north. I had hidden a pigeon at the very end. Luke checked where I had hidden birds before as we went down the hedge row. I had hidden birds on this hedge row a couple of times before and as we went down it all three dogs checked each place they had found birds before. They don’t forget.
I kept the 4-wheeler moving and he stayed ahead of me. We got to the end of the hedge row and he pointed. He was quite a ways from the bird. I didn’t think he had the scent very good so tapped his head and said, “okay”. He took a couple of steps and was more rigid when he pointed this time. I took pictures then flushed the bird and shot the blank pistol. He watched it fly away without moving his feet. I led him away and released him.
On the way back to the truck I put him on some more edges. We came close to one of my feeders and I lost Luke. I waited for him to catch up because I hadn’t turned on my hand held for the GPS. I went back along the edge he was running and saw him trailing something. When I got close he quit trailing and hit the edge again. I’m hoping some quail ran out on him but it was probably turkeys. He hunted back to the truck.
I put the e-collars and GPS on Tur Bo and turned him loose. He hit the fence line but there are a lot of patches of tall Johnson grass that pulls him off the edge. He missed the first pigeon and we went over the hill to the east. He ran down the hedge row to the north. At the very end he went on point. I took pictures and walked in front of him kicking the cover. When I flushed the pigeon it came out low right over his head. He whirled around and took a step then stopped. I set him back without turning him around. I didn’t shoot the blank pistol. I released him to hunt.
We went back up the hill and started down the fence line again. Just as he started to check out a clump of Johnson grass he caught the scent of the hidden pigeon and whirled into a point. I took pictures and walked in front of him kicking the cover. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. He didn’t move. He hunted back to the truck.
It was getting pretty warm by the time I turned Blaze out to run. I thought I would take her straight to the birds then put her up. She had other ideas. We started down the fence row and she pointed the first pigeon. This was a young bird and when I flushed it it flew into a tree right above the release trap. I shot the blank pistol and she didn’t move. She just looked into the tree. I led her away and released her.
She took the edge over the hill to the east, hit the hedge row and ran it to the very back. She went on point inside the hedge row. She was still 10 yards from the pigeon. I walked around kicking the cover and taking pictures. I flushed the pigeon and shot the blank pistol. She didn’t move. I led her away and released her.
I took her back up the hill wanting to go straight to the truck but she hit another edge and I followed. We went in behind an abandoned house, crossed the drive and hit another edge. I started to the truck and she finally came off the edge when she got to the end. Maybe it’s not as warm as I thought.
Having this farm to run the dogs on has made a big difference in them. With me on the 4-wheeler they don’t have to check back as often and they are running to the front more. At home, I only have 5 acres so I can’t put the birds very far apart. The dogs hunt more and get more exercise on this farm.
I haven’t worked them in a long time on retrieving but I did this morning. They retrieved like they had been working each day on it. I, also, work Dolly on the retrieving. It seems like they are starting to really enjoy the retrieving. Luke and Tur Bo still mark them short some of the time but experience will cure that, I hope.
Luke
Tur Bo
Blaze