I Let The Dogs Out....Today
 

The weather has come down a little in tempeture, and the rains have begun. This allowed me to get up before light and train at sun rise. We took 7 dogs out for a little training with my hunting partner Dave.
After seeing the posting under who let the dogs out with a nice looking engraved pointer, I thought I would share a little of our outing. I lost both of my older dogs this year, and am glad I have a hunting partner like Dave that had two young dogs coming up, to help fill the void a little.
We planted some Chuckers which are always fun to train with. We planted birds for 3 young dogs and blank guned the birds. Then came back in and tried to locate the birds that had flown out from the original areas. All of the dogs did very well but my dogs Bell and Missy were on their game today. Missy is all business has a very cool point, legs traight back, and is steady to wing and shot, and will not move until released. Bell, her litter mate has never retrieved and has refused to pick up a bird, but always has a nice point.
Today Bell hit her first bird and held steady, she is steady to wing and shot but is off once you shoot. I was shooting my GH 20 with pretty open chokes. I ended up hitting the bird at about 40 yards, dropping the legs but the Chucker sailed on. Going over a rolling hill. Bell was already moving out as Dave and I pondered about the outcome of having only wounded the bird. I had just finished getting the words out, that we needed to go find the bird as Bell will not retrieve. When suddenly Bell appeared with the bird in her mouth still slightly alive and brought it to me. I was beside myself with joy. We headed back to the truck and started gabbing about the dogs as Bell did a wide cast South of the truck. Suddenly she went on point. I looked at Dave and said no way there is a bird in there. You ran Cash, and I ran Missy through there, if there was a bird they would have found it. I pulled the GH back out of the case and walked up in front of Bell. Immediatly the bird came out and I dropped it at about 25 yards. Once again, Bell was on the bird, scooped it up and brought it back yo me, and....... thats why we love bird dogs. It was like a switch was turned on.
Thanks for letting me ramble but hunting season is aways out there, and the (Summer cabin fever) has been hitting us hard out West this year. Here are a few pictures of the dogs and the country. As you can see a lot has burned, but the rains are greening things up. Even the dogs are grazing on the new shoots of grass.
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Nice! I'm ready to come back out for the quail any year there seem to be birds. Glad the new dogs are working out so well.

Destry

Neat Phil :)
Running with pure joy in the Las Cienegas grass

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../294765424.jpg

More AZ pics here http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/21096662

Drew it is starting to green up, it had been so hot and dry that the cactus were running the coyotes down. A lot of the area from the old grave yard on the road to Parker to the lake had been closed for a while. Also much of the area past the visitor center up to Montazumas pass had been closed due to the area being burned. Hopefully things will get back to normal.
Destrty lets talk, and set up a trip out this way again.They are still selling PBR the last time I stopped in Tombstone for a beer.

Phil, those are very very good looken dogs. I like the top picture a lot!!

Thats CASH one of my hunting partners dogs. He was the only surviving puppy out of 6. The Mother had a killed 4 but was nursing CASH. Unfortunately she had a dead puppy in her and a day or so later she had to be put down on the Vets advice. Dave and his wife hand fed the puppy until he could get big enough to eat. When Dave added up all of the vet bills, , the breading, etc he was into him for some big money, So only fitting he was named Cash. Cash works birds as good as he looks, stands his birds, turns on a dime or come back straight away when the whistle is blown. This fall he will get a taste of some wild birds. Chuckers, Prairie Chickens, Sharptails, Pheasants, and all of our Arizona quail. Lucky dog, he will probably get more hunting time in then I will.

Phil,

You just tell me when and I'll get a ticket booked.

Glad to hear they're still selling PBR in Tombstone, was that waitress still serving it? I don't remember what I had for lunch but I certainly remember her.


DLH

Destry give me a call at 520-975-0830 when you have some time this week, and yes she is still serving up PBR and a good dose of western hospitality.

I'll bet that girl could definitely give a man a good dose, but it would be worth a trip to the clinic just for the experience.

DLH

Phil, can you get us a picture of that waitress?