unoperro
Verified Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2012
- Messages
- 2,665
So my pups are now 11 months old. Still have 2 males and the female. Exactly 1 more then I planned on keeping but I am not actively trying to sell any. We have been marching across fields and cattail sloughs for a month. Very happy with progress and how they handle. I have been lucky enough to witness multiple points of pheasants where 2 dogs are pointing(pointing and honoring)
and even one with the 3 amigos shoulder to shoulder to shoulder.
My female Reba was not interested in pointing placed birds be they pigeons or chuckars. These pheasants are a whole nother world. Her first bird brought out a rock solid statue of a point that a sculpture would love to replicate. She has been solid ever since that 1st one.
Delio is the male I choice early to keep for myself and he is the realdeal. He ranges,quarters and works the wind like a veteran. Solid on point and naturally backs. Retrieves to hand. Plows through cattails and thick brush which sometimes turns the other 2 back.
Willie is still a wanderer. He goes about just fine and then loses focus. Heavy cover may find him following me, or at least very close. Not a problem to stay close in heavy cover but following only saves him a little energy and he has plenty. He is the most mentally immature of the 3, but is very trainable.
Now I entitled this about the need for birds to make a good birddog and I am going to get there now. Yesterday I hunted a piece of public ground-open hunting for any and all.This piece is a full quarter of land 160 acres.1/2 Mile long and a 1/2 mile deep. Tall clump grasses,5 ' or higher, mixture of brome and asundry weeds grow where the water level allowed. Cattails and ice cover the other 40%.
Well we weren't 10 yards into this and I 3 dogs all hot on bird trails all going differant directions. Ended herding 6 hens and 2 roosters about 100 yards before we got a holding point just prior to wild flushes. The roosters were out of range and hens are protected so no gunfire. Boy were the dogs worked up. At that point there was no cover too thick.
I did manage to kill a nicely pointed rooster which was promprly retrieved,and reluctantly released. I missed the next pointed bird and we only found hens in the little time we had left but those dogs were still cranked up walking back to the vehicle. I probably walk 2 to 3 miles covering that in a zigzag back and fourth motion. The tracking collars on the dogs show they cover 5 to 6 times that. Fun times and birdwork is a blast.
and even one with the 3 amigos shoulder to shoulder to shoulder.
My female Reba was not interested in pointing placed birds be they pigeons or chuckars. These pheasants are a whole nother world. Her first bird brought out a rock solid statue of a point that a sculpture would love to replicate. She has been solid ever since that 1st one.
Delio is the male I choice early to keep for myself and he is the realdeal. He ranges,quarters and works the wind like a veteran. Solid on point and naturally backs. Retrieves to hand. Plows through cattails and thick brush which sometimes turns the other 2 back.
Willie is still a wanderer. He goes about just fine and then loses focus. Heavy cover may find him following me, or at least very close. Not a problem to stay close in heavy cover but following only saves him a little energy and he has plenty. He is the most mentally immature of the 3, but is very trainable.
Now I entitled this about the need for birds to make a good birddog and I am going to get there now. Yesterday I hunted a piece of public ground-open hunting for any and all.This piece is a full quarter of land 160 acres.1/2 Mile long and a 1/2 mile deep. Tall clump grasses,5 ' or higher, mixture of brome and asundry weeds grow where the water level allowed. Cattails and ice cover the other 40%.
Well we weren't 10 yards into this and I 3 dogs all hot on bird trails all going differant directions. Ended herding 6 hens and 2 roosters about 100 yards before we got a holding point just prior to wild flushes. The roosters were out of range and hens are protected so no gunfire. Boy were the dogs worked up. At that point there was no cover too thick.
I did manage to kill a nicely pointed rooster which was promprly retrieved,and reluctantly released. I missed the next pointed bird and we only found hens in the little time we had left but those dogs were still cranked up walking back to the vehicle. I probably walk 2 to 3 miles covering that in a zigzag back and fourth motion. The tracking collars on the dogs show they cover 5 to 6 times that. Fun times and birdwork is a blast.