Heat of the Summer
Thick ... hot ... muddy ... buggy. Those are some of the adjectives to describe trying to navigate the grouse woods at this time of year. Not very pleasurable at times, but well worth it when you start seeing numbers of grouse and woodcock, and bird dogs pointing them.
Rudy started yesterday morning off by finding seven grouse and one woodcock in a little over an hour's work. The first five grouse were in a brood, and Rudy did very well locking up solidly on point and holding as they slowly one-by-one made their escape. He then got in to a couple of other grouse shortly afterward and then bumped a woodcock to top off his time out there. For eight years old he's looking good, and we should have a good autumn ahead with the "old man".
Monty then took his turn for 45 minutes or so and managed to point a different brood of five or six grouse, and while he did a great job establishing his point, he did break for a couple of feet when the first bird flew off. An immediate "whoa!" brought him to a stop, and he managed to hold it as the remainder of the brood flew off.
Bode has gotten out two of the last three mornings, and while he has gotten in to a bundle of birds (11 in two hours of work Thursday morning, and 8 grouse this morning in an hour), he has yet to establish solid points. He is definitely birdy - the prey drive is definitely there, and he is very cooperative when we're out there, but he seems to be developing later than the other dogs did. Looks like we'll be planting some pigeons in launchers for the little guy this week to see if we can improve him.
All in all, bird numbers look solid for this hunting season, probably better than last year due to our drier spring hatching weather this year. Of course, it will still be hunting, so make sure you have some good comfortable boots when you come up!
Rudy started yesterday morning off by finding seven grouse and one woodcock in a little over an hour's work. The first five grouse were in a brood, and Rudy did very well locking up solidly on point and holding as they slowly one-by-one made their escape. He then got in to a couple of other grouse shortly afterward and then bumped a woodcock to top off his time out there. For eight years old he's looking good, and we should have a good autumn ahead with the "old man".
Monty then took his turn for 45 minutes or so and managed to point a different brood of five or six grouse, and while he did a great job establishing his point, he did break for a couple of feet when the first bird flew off. An immediate "whoa!" brought him to a stop, and he managed to hold it as the remainder of the brood flew off.
Bode has gotten out two of the last three mornings, and while he has gotten in to a bundle of birds (11 in two hours of work Thursday morning, and 8 grouse this morning in an hour), he has yet to establish solid points. He is definitely birdy - the prey drive is definitely there, and he is very cooperative when we're out there, but he seems to be developing later than the other dogs did. Looks like we'll be planting some pigeons in launchers for the little guy this week to see if we can improve him.
All in all, bird numbers look solid for this hunting season, probably better than last year due to our drier spring hatching weather this year. Of course, it will still be hunting, so make sure you have some good comfortable boots when you come up!
