End of season hunt

McTucker Springs at -10 degrees

Today was the last day of waterfowl hunting in our zone and I was hoping to give Mia and Elettra one last chance at retrieving. With a temperature of -10 and a breeze that dropped the wind chill below that, I left the guys in the truck while I hunted; I was afraid that the pads on their feet might become frostbitten. If I were to get any ducks, I’d walk back to the truck and get the guys to make the retrieve.

Elettra and Mia look for a way down to the water.

So that was how we hunted for the first couple of hours. By about 10:00, the guys were telling me in no uncertain terms that they were through with this “wait in the truck while you hunt” business. Even though the temperature was still -10, the sun was well into the sky and the breeze no longer had that cold burn to it, so I let them out to hunt the final section of the stream.

Success! We’re down to the water!

Several ducks had done a high flyover earlier and there was sporadic shooting down by the reservoir, goose hunters I imagine, but McTucker was completely devoid of ducks. I did flush several Buffleheads when we worked our way back to the truck, but with the steam and reflection from the opposite bank, the ducks were gone before I had much of a chance to even see them.

Now to get a drink.

So that’s pretty much how my hunting season wrapped up although waterfowl hunting continues for another week throughout the rest of the state and partridge season goes until the end of January. Instead, I’m going to start back into training the guys. I’m thinking of getting Mia into a Senior hunt test or two, Elettra her Junior hunt title, and entering Doc in AKC, NAVHDA or VHDF tests.

Almost got a goose

The last thing I expected to run into this afternoon were geese, but that’s just what we did. I took Elettra back to McTucker ponds and springs to hopefully follow up with more retrieves, and while we didn’t get a chance on ducks, I did get a shot at some geese; if I’d been loaded for geese instead of ducks, we would have brought home a couple.

Elettra patiently waits to go hunting.

I heard some geese downstream from us and as we began in their direction, four more were coming in with their wings set to land. We were caught out in the open and hunkered down behind a handful of weeds, hoping that they wouldn’t notice us but they did and continued on with honks of warning. I considered shooting and had I been loaded for goose would have been able to drop a couple, but as it was I held my shot.

The others were alarmed but stayed where they were in the riffles, so we sneaked through to brush to where I had a clear shot. The problem was that my duck load was too light at that range but I took a shot anyway, hoping that I could hit one hard enough to slow it down enough for a second shot. No such luck. They lifted up over the opposite bank and I held my second shot; had I brought one down, it would have dropped in the brush most likely wounded, and Elettra isn’t yet ready to take on a wounded goose. I wasn’t in the mood to wade across the stream after it, either.

No ducks to retrieve so Elettra goes wading.

We returned to the truck and drove upstream, but didn’t hunt. There were some ice fishermen on one of the ponds and I figured that any ducks in the nearby stream would be long gone.

Earlier this afternoon, we took Doc to CAL Ranch for a new collar. We got him a new stuffie as well, which he carried throughout the store as he tried to meet everyone in sight.

Doc makes new friends at CAL Ranch

Elettras first retrieve

I don’t think anything can light a fire under a pup quite like their first retrieve. After Elettra brought in her first duck today she was running, bouncing, twirling, spinning, chomping at the air, you name it.

Before duck hunting I wanted to get Elettra on some Pheasants.

I had scheduled Sophie for two therapy visits this morning so the fact that it was too cold to hunt (-17 degrees) was irrelevant. Sophie did some good work and was rewarded with deep fried chicken strips. After lunch I loaded Elettra into the truck and off we went.

Another nice point.

Our first stop was at the local Wildlife Management Area to get her on some Pheasants. I primarily wanted her to stretch out her legs a little since we’d been duck hunting as of late, and didn’t want her to become rusty on her other skills. Rusty is the last thing she is, judging from the way she held some really nice points for me.

Elettra is still sharp on her pointing.

After the refresher training on Pheasants, we turned to ducks. The last time Elettra and Mia hunted together, Elettra told me she was ready to begin retrieving and I really wanted to give her the opportunity. She would have had some retrieves the last time out if I could have hit anything, but today was different. We flushed several ducks but I was unable to get a shot, then we came on a couple of little diving ducks. I was afforded only one shot but I made it count.

Elettra getting ready to enter the water.

Elettra makes her first attempt at retrieving the duck.

I was really hoping that Elettra would retrieve it because I didn’t want to wade out myself, and didn’t want to walk all the way back to the truck for my waders. The first time I sent her out, she nosed the duck and returned empty-handed. I gave her some encouragement and tossed a little stick at the duck, and sent her out again. This time she nosed the duck, pushed it around a little, then picked it up and brought it back like a pro.

Her second attempt is successful.

Got it!

Elettra’s first retrieve.

We hunted a little longer before calling it quits, as the sun was starting to set. The temperature was a warm 13 degrees when we began hunting and on our return was fluctuating between 2 and -1. Still, even considering the wind chill, it was rather pleasant and didn’t seem all that cold.

Elettra posing with her duck as the sun sets.

Elettra goes solo

I really wanted to get Elettra on some ducks yesterday but failed her with some lousy shooting and bad judgment, so instead of coming home with ducks, we came home empty handed. At one time I was a heckuva good shot but I stopped hunting for about 10 years between the death of Sabokka and getting Sophie, and my shooting has never been the same since. So I guess it’s good that I don’t measure success in the number of birds I bring home.

Snow-covered Elettra, 12-31-12

I didn’t give Elettra an opportunity to retrieve but I was sure happy with everything else I saw in her. As for a waterfowl dog, she seems to understand the concept of stealth better than the rest of my guys, with the exception of Sophie. While I have to heel Elvis, Mia and Dakota while stalking ducks, Elettra instinctively picks up on what I’m doing and naturally heels behind me.

Elettra on point, 12-31-12.

The second success came in the form of pointing as we encountered a number of Pheasants during the course of our duck hunt and she did an excellent job of pointing. The third success in our duck hunt was that I continue to learn the area, how to hunt it, and the locations that ducks prefer, even if it cost me a handful of shells.

Elettra pointing more Pheasants while duck hunting, 12-31-12

Elettra on point at the base of the tree, although she’s hard to see. About 8-10 Pheasants came out of the brush, 12-31-12

Elettra’s frozen face, 12-31-12.

Rethinking Prattle and Pace

PDJ Pass Along Email
December 2012

Coming Soon: Rethinking Prattle and Pace
By Tom Huggler, Eastern Encounters

I once asked an experienced trainer of pointing dogs what was the most important tool he could recommend. Expecting “the e-collar” for an answer, imagine my surprise when he said, “Duct tape. Nothing is more important than a roll of duct tape.”

“Huh?” I wondered, “How’s that?”

“Tear off a strip as wide as your mouth,” he continued. “Then use your imagination.”

The trainer, who has since retired, explained that most bird dog owners talk too much to their dogs: “Here!,” “Come around!,” and “Hunt ‘em up!” are good examples, repeated far too often, and you may well have your own running commentary of stock phrases.

Why do some of us constantly jabber away or blow on the whistle until our neck veins swell like a soaked clothesline? Is it because we are trying to manage a dog that ranges too far or is otherwise out of control? If so, consider the checkcord or e-collar. They are far more effective than hollering or whistling all the time. If we want the dog to turn left or turn right, we can simply walk that way. A four-footed partner that truly is a “partner” (one that wants to please and hunt with us), will get the idea and fall in. Some of the best ones I’ve owned, mostly setters, learned to take hand signals; one dog that grew deaf relied on hand gestures almost exclusively the last few years of his life. I shot a lot of birds over that faithful pal and sorely miss him today.

Or do we yell and whistle to let the dog know where we are at all times? With few exceptions, our partner always knows where we are, or at least where we last were. To my mind, the well-trained dog wants to hunt with you and for you, and it’s his responsibility to check in, to keep tabs on your whereabouts. A steady stream of noise from us is a reminder that he can freelance anywhere and we will follow him.

I know some hunters, including a couple of highly successful ones, who turn their dogs loose and never expect the animal to check in. Their logic is simple: The dog knows how to find birds, and the more ground he covers, the better the chance he will make contact, so why hold him back? Let him go and then find him—hopefully still on point—with the aid of a beeper or GPS tracker. Although I don’t subscribe to that thinking, I admit that it works for some. It depends mostly on the dog and whether he is mature and experienced.

The rest of this article will appear in the January/February 2013 issue. If you’re a subscriber, stay tuned! This issue will soon mail! The full table of contents is available on our website on our Coming Soon page.

In early December, we launched a redesigned website because let’s face it, we needed to catch up with the times. Here’s what you can expect – we made a few changes this time around – when you visit www.pointingdogjournal.com:

- We removed the Subscriber Only section, so feature articles, which will change at least once every month, will be viewable by all. Our annual Traveling Wingshooter outlooks are still on the website but easier to find and share with others!

- An Online Marketplace for time-sensitive material, such as training seminars, litters, etc. Get the word out fast!

- A new participating feature called “My Bird Dog.” Every month we’ll give you a prompt and you send in a photo for our consideration. The winner and honorable mention will be featured on the website. All winners will be posted for public voting. The overall winner will be featured in an issue of The Pointing Dog Journal.

- Overall, a fresh look and easier ways to sign up for a no-obligation issue, pass along email, subscribe, or renew.

Sign up to receive a no-obligation issue!

If you are not a subscriber to The Pointing Dog Journal and you have never requested a no-obligation issue before, you can request an issue by filling out the no-obligation form on The Pointing Dog Journal website or by calling 1-800-447-7367.

Some weekend hunting: Saturday

Lots of ducks but they’re all out of range, 12-15-12

With Pheasant season closed in this hunting zone, I headed down to my old hunting grounds with Mia and Elettra in hopes of bagging a Pheasant or two. I grew up hunting the Minidoka area and know it like the back of my hand but this was one of those rare occasions where I didn’t see or hear a single ringneck. However the ducks were as thick as all get-out.

Elettra is suddenly camera-shy in their photo op with the ducks, 12-15-12.

After several hours of uneventful Pheasant hunting, I noticed a large number of ducks strung up and down the shore near a seawall. From where I stood it appeared to be a simple matter of sneaking up behind the rock seawall and hoping that some of the ducks would be in range.

I had to take a roundabout way to the ducks and in doing so, saw a couple other hunters heading out for Pheasants with their Labs; I thought about asking if they wanted to join me for a chance at some ducks, but decided not to call after them – but we would meet up later. So I heeled the guys as we approached, then gave them the “stay” command; the seawall breaks in the middle to allow for a channel and is normally open water.

I peeked over the top of the seawall and saw well over a hundred ducks scattered along the shoreline, a number of them were even in range. They flushed when I rose to shoot, and I dropped the first bird in open water but the second one was over the ice when it dropped.

The ice thin along the bank and Elettra broke a trail through it to the nearest duck. I thought for sure that she was going to retrieve it by the way she nosed and picked at it, but not quite sure what to do with it. But in doing so, she told me that she’s ready to begin retriever training.

The combination of ice and water frightened Mia, so I took her upstream to a spot where there was no ice and sent her out. She really wanted to retrieve the duck that was out on the ice but couldn’t bring herself to go after it, so I directed her to the one in the water. From there she did a decent job of retrieving.

Nine years ago and on the opposite side of the seawall, Sophie made her first retrieve. At that time, I broke through the ice and waded waist-deep to help her; nine years ago it was much colder and my pants were frozen solid by the time we returned to the truck, but I still wasn’t going to repeat it unless absolutely necessary.

So I returned to the truck for my chest waders and saw the hunters returning with their Labs; with both girls in heat, I put them in the truck, which was good because both Labs were intact males. We talked hunting for a few minutes and they were willing to send their Labs out for my duck, so carrying my waders as a precaution, we headed back for the bird. One of the Labs was a senior Lab and the other a pup, and it was the senior boy who made the retrieve.

Elettra tests the ice before breaking a trail out to the first duck, 12-15-12

Elettra and Mia enjoy a run on the beach, 12-15-12.

Back home and before cleaning the ducks, I planted the birds in the back yard – not the kitchen this time – for Doc to find. That kid has a serious nose on him. He also seems to have the natural retrieving instincts of Mia and the tracking abilities of Elvis, so maybe in another month I’ll begin working with him on pointing. As for my two little huntresses, they were worn out. By 7:30 they were asking to be crated for the night.

Some weekend hunting: Friday

Friday morning was a little foggy with light snow, making a nice background for duck hunting. So I loaded Dakota and Elvis into the truck and headed for McTucker Springs. Dakota has come up lame after her last two hunts, which have been comparatively easy, so I can see the writing on the wall. With Sophie retired from hunting, Dakota may not be far behind. She’s still a maniac for about the first hour before losing steam and then is happy to follow along beside me.

Elvis explores the bank, 12-14-12

We came upon a small flock of Bufflehead soon after starting out but I missed my shot. At McTucker, it’s a matter of picking little windows of clearing in the brush to shoot through, and then hoping you can line up a duck through them. Those would be the only ducks we’d see.

Elvis and Dakota grudgingly “stay” while I check the stream for ducks, 12/14/12.

I ran into some other hunters while leaving McTucker and they hadn’t had any better luck than I; one of them told me that he had made some inquiries and the northern migration was making its way into the Teton Valley, so we should see the number of waterfowl increasing. He also mentioned hunting for Huns, which sounded good to me, so on the way home I made stopped and hunted partridge for an hour or so. No sign of any birds.

A long day

We’re all moving a little slow after a long day of Pheasant hunting on Friday, the last day of Pheasant hunting in this section of the state. Starting out I had a couple of expectations: one, that there would be a lot of hunters like myself trying to get in one last hunt, and two, that I would shoot my limit. Maybe the other hunters knew something that I didn’t because I only saw about half-a-dozen the entire day.

Mia and Elettra enjoy McTucker Springs, 11-30-12

I hit the field with Mia and Elettra about 8:00 a.m. and until we broke for lunch at 11:30, saw only one Pheasant and that was in a grove of Russian Olive trees. We did run into a parliament of about 50 owls, which was kind of neat. But that will be my last trip to the Wildlife Management Area (WMA) this year.

After lunch I drove to another section of the WMA where we hunted for another hour or so without any sign of birds, so I decided to hunt McTucker ponds on the way home. McTucker is full of Pheasants but it’s also a jungle, and keeping track of just one dog is a full time job. However I figured that after a full day of hunting, Elettra was slowing down enough that I’d take the chance.

Mia works along the willows at McTucker Springs, 11-30-12

Soon after we arrived at McTucker, I flushed a couple of big roosters that had apparently escaped from the brush Mia and Elettra were working. Unfortunately the brush and trees were too thick for a shot. We didn’t hunt too long, but while returning to the truck we met a man and his boy who ran a trap line and were setting their traps. He assured me that my dogs were in no danger, as they were trapping beaver and muskrat so the traps were set in holes underwater; the traps are also marked with red ribbons. In the course of talking to him, he offered to let me hunt his fields so I had one more chance.

His fields consisted of harvested grain and oats, as well as some sage brush weed patches. We spent the next hour hunting them and saw two roosters but I wasn’t afforded a shot; the first one headed straight towards the nearby highway and the second one flushed well range.

Elettra on the skyline while hunting a farner’s field, 11-30-12

Given lunch and drive time, we spent about 7 hours actually hunting, and Mia really impressed me throughout the day. That Spinone endurance was evident as she was still hunting just as hard at 3:30 in the afternoon as she was at 8:00 that morning. She also showed me a tenacity that I hadn’t noticed in our short 3 and 4 hour hunts; it was as though she took ownership of the hunt and made it her personal responsibility to put birds in front of me. As for Elettra, I see her exactly where Mia was last year as far as hunting skills.

Mia’s experience pays off

I took the day off from work to Docsit and while he was taking his morning nap, went bird hunting with Elettra and Mia. I was hoping to get the guys on some ducks just as much as Pheasants but it didn’t look it’d happen – that is, until I forgot to lock the truck when we set out. I returned to lock the truck and then decided to set out in a different direction, one that brought us around to the ponds.

The thing with jump shooting ducks is to watch the water rather than for the ducks themselves, since the ripples are much easier to see. This pond had ripples which told me there were either ducks or muskrat swimming around. It turned out to be ducks, four of them.

I hit both my shots but they weren’t as clean as I’d have liked. I wing-tipped one and the other continued for a couple hundred yards before going down. As for the wing-tipped duck, it landed in the pond and Mia chased it around for a good 15 minutes or so with no chance of catching it. Since she couldn’t touch bottom, she was swimming and it wouldn’t be long before she tired; the duck could spend all day diving away from her. Eventually the duck popped up on the opposite side of the pond from Mia and I finished it off.

The second duck I shot went down near the patch of sage brush a couple hundred yards away. 11-19-12

Meantime, Elettra ran the bank but couldn’t bring herself to enter the water; each time she was about to go after it, the duck dove and she stopped when she lost sight of it. Mia did a nice job of retrieving the duck and we went off in search of the second one.

Elettra, Mia, and the two ducks, 11-19-12

Casting is going to be something to work on next year since I’ve never really trained the guys on it, especially long distance casting. So I took them over to the general area where the duck went down, where Mia was able to find and retrieve it.

Mia and Elettra, my two little huntresses, 11-19-12

Elettra and Mia, my two little huntresses, 11-19-12

We hunted another hour or so and the guys flushed a Pheasant but I held my shot. We were working the edge of some cattails when the breeze shifted, putting the dogs upwind from the cattails. They overran a rooster that was just downwind of them, but it would have been a long shot and the bird would have gone down in the middle of the cattails. Not wanting to take the chance of dropping a wounded bird in the cattails, I held off.

Back home, I gave the birds to Doc before cleaning them, and he was more than happy to show me what he could do with them.

Aging Labs

I retired Sophie from hunting this year at the age of 10, and at 7 ½, Dakota is showing me something that I never thought I’d see: age is catching up with her as well. We noticed it for the first time after taking her and Sophie grouse hunting – granted, it was rough country, but Dakota spent the next couple of days with a limp. This year, we also noticed that her treadmill exercising needed to be cut down by 5 minutes. Then yesterday for the first time, she couldn’t keep up with Elvis during our afternoon hunt.

Elvis and Dakota hunt into the wind, 11-10-12

I took Elvis and Dakota out on the desert looking for partridge but in the two hours we hunted, didn’t see a sign of anything. Well, we did run into a “parliament” of owls. In any case, while hunting the dogs flushed up about a dozen large owls that were roosting in the sagebrush, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many owls together at one time. But other than a flock of geese that came over at about 500 feet, that was it for birds.

Elvis checks out the lavas, 11-10-12

I was hoping that the recent snowstorms would have put down a solid ground cover so I could look for tracks, but that wasn’t in my favor so I don’t know if the partridge had already left the area or not. So I let both Elvis and Dakota run big to cover as much area as possible. Dakota did well for the first hour, then spent the next half hour sticking close to me, and the final half hour trailing along behind me.