Progress
Sometimes with puppies, "progress" can happen at a glacial pace, and the making of a bird dog, especially one that is proficient at handling grouse and woodcock, can be especially slow. That is how it has seemed with Bella and Rocky, now both nearly seven months old. Because of my guiding schedule, both pups haven't been able to get out too often this season, but I had a couple days off and was itching to take them in the woods to see what they could do.
On the positive side, they have run in the woods many times over the last few months, and showed plenty of confidence in navigating the thick cover, the first step in having competent hunters. They both cover a decent amount of territory in their search for game, and handle pretty easily for me. In fact, they are much like my older dogs in that respect.
The points? That's where the negative comes in. Rocky and Bella have both pointed grouse (Bella) and woodcock (both). Not frequently, but as long as they are starting to get the hang of it, that is fine with me in their first hunting season. The points that they have had have been noticeable, but not long in duration - a few seconds prior to breaking on the bird. As we have not done any serious "whoa" training yet, I am not expecting any long points. Whoa training will come later, but some natural pointing ability is desired, and with Rosie as their mother, I know that they have all of the genetic makeup for great pointing potential.
On the positive side, they have run in the woods many times over the last few months, and showed plenty of confidence in navigating the thick cover, the first step in having competent hunters. They both cover a decent amount of territory in their search for game, and handle pretty easily for me. In fact, they are much like my older dogs in that respect.
The points? That's where the negative comes in. Rocky and Bella have both pointed grouse (Bella) and woodcock (both). Not frequently, but as long as they are starting to get the hang of it, that is fine with me in their first hunting season. The points that they have had have been noticeable, but not long in duration - a few seconds prior to breaking on the bird. As we have not done any serious "whoa" training yet, I am not expecting any long points. Whoa training will come later, but some natural pointing ability is desired, and with Rosie as their mother, I know that they have all of the genetic makeup for great pointing potential.
Bella made a great retrieve on this woodcock, which I wasn't sure I had hit. Wasn't I surprised when she came trotting back to me with it in her mouth!
Bella admires the fruits of her labor, and temporarily enjoys bragging rights over her brother, Rocky.
We hunted what turned out to be a generally unproductive area in Vermont yesterday morning for three hours. Both pups worked well but were only able to find a grouse or two, and no woodcock at all. This morning we were able to get out for a few hours in New Hampshire, specifically in an area where we've been seeing some woodcock the last two weeks. My hope was that there would be a fair amount of timberdoodles there to turn on Rocky and Bella's pointing abilities.
Bella was first out of the truck and was soon contacting and bumping a grouse and quite a few woodcock. Perhaps the wind, gusting out of the north, just wasn't quite right for our route through the cover, or maybe it was her youthful exuberance, but the whistles of fleeing woodcock could be heard up ahead, and often. Not the start we were looking for, but at least she was getting in to birds, and excited about it.
Eventually, perhaps an hour in to our hunt, Bella slowed and stopped, intent on something just ahead of her. This didn't last too long however (a few seconds), before she crept ahead and stopped again, for a few more seconds. It was then that a woodcock launched in front of me, going to my right through some foliage. I took a quick shot and noticed that I got a good amount of leaves on the sapling to the right of me, but I didn't see the bird.
I searched the area in the direction of my shot, but didn't see anything and Bella didn't indicate anything was down there. The search continued for a few minutes to no avail when Bella disappeared around a spruce perhaps twenty to thirty feet ahead. When she came back she clutched the woodcock in her mouth gently and delivered it to my feet. What a celebration that was, and it was a great moment commemorating Bella's first bird.
She would have two more good points on timberdoodles (one taken) over the final hour of her run, as she seemed to understand what we were trying to do out there. Her points were solid for a few seconds before inevitably breaking and sending the bird in the air. Looks like she'll be on schedule for whoa training in the near future ...
Rocky got his shot next and in a short amount of time had a solid point (for a few seconds) on a woodcock under a patch of spruces, but the bird offered no shot for me when it flushed. He would track and flush two grouse after that, very excited by the hot scent left by those birds. He worked all of the likely hiding spots, energetically might I add, and he's a real pleasure to hunt with. He handles easily, comes when called, and I think he will be catching up to Bella soon.
We'll keep at it as time and my guiding schedule allows. Perhaps they can be contributors earlier than we thought?
Bella was first out of the truck and was soon contacting and bumping a grouse and quite a few woodcock. Perhaps the wind, gusting out of the north, just wasn't quite right for our route through the cover, or maybe it was her youthful exuberance, but the whistles of fleeing woodcock could be heard up ahead, and often. Not the start we were looking for, but at least she was getting in to birds, and excited about it.
Eventually, perhaps an hour in to our hunt, Bella slowed and stopped, intent on something just ahead of her. This didn't last too long however (a few seconds), before she crept ahead and stopped again, for a few more seconds. It was then that a woodcock launched in front of me, going to my right through some foliage. I took a quick shot and noticed that I got a good amount of leaves on the sapling to the right of me, but I didn't see the bird.
I searched the area in the direction of my shot, but didn't see anything and Bella didn't indicate anything was down there. The search continued for a few minutes to no avail when Bella disappeared around a spruce perhaps twenty to thirty feet ahead. When she came back she clutched the woodcock in her mouth gently and delivered it to my feet. What a celebration that was, and it was a great moment commemorating Bella's first bird.
She would have two more good points on timberdoodles (one taken) over the final hour of her run, as she seemed to understand what we were trying to do out there. Her points were solid for a few seconds before inevitably breaking and sending the bird in the air. Looks like she'll be on schedule for whoa training in the near future ...
Rocky got his shot next and in a short amount of time had a solid point (for a few seconds) on a woodcock under a patch of spruces, but the bird offered no shot for me when it flushed. He would track and flush two grouse after that, very excited by the hot scent left by those birds. He worked all of the likely hiding spots, energetically might I add, and he's a real pleasure to hunt with. He handles easily, comes when called, and I think he will be catching up to Bella soon.
We'll keep at it as time and my guiding schedule allows. Perhaps they can be contributors earlier than we thought?
