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Reading TrapperReady's bird hunting story reminded me about hunting with dogs. Something about reading Ruark and his Old Man's dogs, finally getting to hunt with dogs for myself. One can't explain the bond with a hunter and dogs, you have to experince it. Be it a cold, wet, stinking lab in a duck blind, or a fine bird dog, words can't describe.
There he was a blond Cocker Spaniel. He had a pedigree longer than my arm. He was bought because when going through a divorce the mom's neighbor with severe medical problems was going to have to get rid of it. With the pedigree the mom decided this would be a great dog to have for her son...going through the abuse and divorce she figured the dog would be an emotional rock.
This Dog checked me out and we hit it off, I guess the seal of approval to date his owner. I later married that lady and had a stepson. The Dog was a pet, but very smart. He took to me and we walked a bunch in the fields.
Now we have no woodcock here, but that dog had some breeding. Leash laws we didn't have and truthfully he would not have complied anyway. I explained to him he was not to chase rabbits, but birds, yeah he understood and knew this but being a Cocker, well like me he tended to do what he wanted. He'd go for a walk with the mom and kid, a rabbit would appear, and off he'd go.
So I get permisson to walk a neighbors field. I mean it is like he had been trained. He waits for me to come up after point, then the quail flush. The racket, the noise obviously new to him, because he stood on hind legs and fell over backwards. I was laughing so hard, I'd wished I'd a video camera.
I get that look, "hey, you quit laughing, nobody said these things would make you pee in your pants'...he even came over and swatted at my leg.
So I explained to him the deal, I know sounds nuts but we did communicate. He became very good at flushing quail. I kinda sorta got into trouble bringing this in the house dog back with stickers,dirty and muddy " just where on earth you two been...phew...he stinks too".
Since quail season was open,and I was instructed ( firmly I might add)to take the dog for a dip/bath/shot appointment, and then later meet her at her families...hey we gonna hunt quail first.
Now I 'd taken him to the range and he loved the noise, guns,and the attention ( what a ham).
28 ga,dog, truck and I head off real early. Little fella was like out of a hunting textbook, he caught on and really got into it.We were into the birds, now he did jump a deer and not knowing what he had done...here he comes straight back I can see the green bandana and look of (what in the heck is that daddy?" look. I quit laughing before he got to me, he looked at me like you didn't tell me about them-yet. So I did.
We ended up getting 12 birds and he was a happy tired, dirty, nappy, matted...you get the picture.
En- route to the in-laws ( remember I'm supposed to drop off the dog) I need gas. Guess whom pulls in while I'm inside...yep the missus and the kid. "What in heck did you do to the dog, I think it's our dog,its in your truck,has that banadana, the eyes and smile familar...thought you were going to the range when you left with a shotgun before dark..." Guys, you know what of I speak. She wasn't mad-yet, she had me look in the cooler at my reflecton...I didn't look much better than the dog, oh I stunk too.
"Maybe we can get a discount on two bathe and dips honey"she said I replied "well you know that new young girl at the vet is kinda cute". Laughing she said " nope, you'd like that". Darn, I tried fellas. Ended up taking a shower at the in-laws as planned changing into the extra clothes I had brought along for this occaison anyway.
Oh the dog really liked the new young cute gal, only problem was he barked when she was about to toss the bandana...that got bathed and dipped too, he wan't happy again until he had it back on again...and got peppermint (somebody ahem, had spoiled the dog with peppermint).
So lets share some stories about hunting dogs. Sometimes for me watching a dog is more enoyable than hunting, just something about it...but you guys know that.
There he was a blond Cocker Spaniel. He had a pedigree longer than my arm. He was bought because when going through a divorce the mom's neighbor with severe medical problems was going to have to get rid of it. With the pedigree the mom decided this would be a great dog to have for her son...going through the abuse and divorce she figured the dog would be an emotional rock.
This Dog checked me out and we hit it off, I guess the seal of approval to date his owner. I later married that lady and had a stepson. The Dog was a pet, but very smart. He took to me and we walked a bunch in the fields.
Now we have no woodcock here, but that dog had some breeding. Leash laws we didn't have and truthfully he would not have complied anyway. I explained to him he was not to chase rabbits, but birds, yeah he understood and knew this but being a Cocker, well like me he tended to do what he wanted. He'd go for a walk with the mom and kid, a rabbit would appear, and off he'd go.
So I get permisson to walk a neighbors field. I mean it is like he had been trained. He waits for me to come up after point, then the quail flush. The racket, the noise obviously new to him, because he stood on hind legs and fell over backwards. I was laughing so hard, I'd wished I'd a video camera.
I get that look, "hey, you quit laughing, nobody said these things would make you pee in your pants'...he even came over and swatted at my leg.
So I explained to him the deal, I know sounds nuts but we did communicate. He became very good at flushing quail. I kinda sorta got into trouble bringing this in the house dog back with stickers,dirty and muddy " just where on earth you two been...phew...he stinks too".
Since quail season was open,and I was instructed ( firmly I might add)to take the dog for a dip/bath/shot appointment, and then later meet her at her families...hey we gonna hunt quail first.
Now I 'd taken him to the range and he loved the noise, guns,and the attention ( what a ham).
28 ga,dog, truck and I head off real early. Little fella was like out of a hunting textbook, he caught on and really got into it.We were into the birds, now he did jump a deer and not knowing what he had done...here he comes straight back I can see the green bandana and look of (what in the heck is that daddy?" look. I quit laughing before he got to me, he looked at me like you didn't tell me about them-yet. So I did.
We ended up getting 12 birds and he was a happy tired, dirty, nappy, matted...you get the picture.
En- route to the in-laws ( remember I'm supposed to drop off the dog) I need gas. Guess whom pulls in while I'm inside...yep the missus and the kid. "What in heck did you do to the dog, I think it's our dog,its in your truck,has that banadana, the eyes and smile familar...thought you were going to the range when you left with a shotgun before dark..." Guys, you know what of I speak. She wasn't mad-yet, she had me look in the cooler at my reflecton...I didn't look much better than the dog, oh I stunk too.
"Maybe we can get a discount on two bathe and dips honey"she said I replied "well you know that new young girl at the vet is kinda cute". Laughing she said " nope, you'd like that". Darn, I tried fellas. Ended up taking a shower at the in-laws as planned changing into the extra clothes I had brought along for this occaison anyway.
Oh the dog really liked the new young cute gal, only problem was he barked when she was about to toss the bandana...that got bathed and dipped too, he wan't happy again until he had it back on again...and got peppermint (somebody ahem, had spoiled the dog with peppermint).
So lets share some stories about hunting dogs. Sometimes for me watching a dog is more enoyable than hunting, just something about it...but you guys know that.