IRISHWHISTLER
Member
~ BARNYARD BLISS ~
My gun dog TRAD is seen during a recent shoot conducted to aid in the control of nuisance feral pigeons on a large dairy farm. Such shoots are beneficial to both our friend that owns the farm, as well as to our retrievers that are more than willing to work pickup of the birds. Such experiences are great for reinforcing a non-slip retrievers requirement of remaining steady until sent to make a retrieve by command. An incredible number of birds, both singles and squadrons of multiple birds, coupled with intensive gunfire, provide plenty of temptation for a less than steady retriever to break, that along with the handler having the opportunity to make a well timed correction if so needed. Additionally, retrievers worked under these conditions have the opportunity to hone their ability to mark multiple falls and to prove their ability at making the retrieve of multiple marked birds. Falls of birds in the heavier cover found peripheral to the barnyard provide opportunities for retrievers to make use of their scenting and tracking abilities in recovery of such birds. Birds that may fall at long distances downrange and not seen fallen by a retriever, provide an opportunity to work blind retrieves as long as the handler has themselves marked the fall well, most often such circumstances occur in recently mown fields.
The great number of retrieves made possible during one shoot of this type present the opportunity to repeatedly reinforce those behaviors we seek to instill in our retrievers under field conditions, but that are not typically achievable when hunting upland birds or waterfowl during regulated hunting seasons with strict bag limit restrictions.
Most often when organizing such shoots, I am highly selective as to the shooters invited to participate with an emphasis on firearms safety being a priority. When gunning this farm, I invite approximately eight gunners so that we can keep the birds moving and provide good coverage by the shooters of an area occupied by two barns, each of approximately 500 feet in length. A clear objective of our being on such shoots is the reduction of nuisance birds for the farmer.
I have utilized the same group of gunners for several years, all being steadfast in the pickup of all spent shotgun hulls from the grounds and not leaving any birds behind which have not been retrieved by the dogs. Our respect for and cooperation with the landowner is of paramount importance and keeps us welcomed back.
Retrievers working pickup under these conditions should constantly be monitored for fatigue and particularly for any indicators of potential heat related injury, prevention being critical. Our retrievers are kept well hydrated and are rotated in and out of service as is prudent based upon the conditions of heat, humidity, and the pace at which birds are being felled.
Amongst the gunners with whom are most often invited, birds are retained for both human consumption and as training birds to be frozen and kept for use in the development of well trained retrievers.
Cheers,
THE DOG WHISTLER
