[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by james whittington

Thanks for sharing your hunt with us, I have an 8 month old English Setter male that I am starting right now,finding enough wild birds to do the job is a struggle here in NC also. I love the look of your Gordon's.... may have to try one sometime.
Glenn

I feel your struggle. Elaine and I were talking about how many wild bird contacts were needed to "make" a bird dog. Like major league baseball players needing X number of at-bats. I fear I'll never have as good a bird dog as when we first started (and there were some birds). We try to make up for fewer birds with lots of hunts and by taking good care of our coveys -- not shooting over them too often (and, obviously, not taking many). It's a tough balancing act. I do really see accelerated development when you can pair a well trained veteran with a pup.

Good luck finding birds. Consider a trip or two to places with higher numbers if at all possible. It's worth it when you see the light go on for a puppy.