I know I post a lot. One thing I've been thinking of lately. The dogs I hunt with are goldens named Skye and Roxy. I don't really live in pheasant country so I'm always driving a bit to go hunting. I've got no gripe with that because I honestly just feel lucky to drive an hour and hunt marginal territory, or go two plus hours to get into really prime spots. I hunt MN mostly as that's home. Iowa I get to a bunch and am glad I do, it's a fun state to hunt. South Dakota I hunted three times in my life(4 if you count turkeys), what a great state. This year I saved all my vacation time to burn up on fall bird hunting, I plan on getting out more than I ever have
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Without going behind the scenes of the dogs schedules, there's times when they both want to hunt, and others when only one can make it. They are sisters(albeit distant relations) but Skye is 8 and Roxy turns 3 around pheasant opener. As it goes with a new pup, Skye was the veteran who did all the work and Roxy just followed along figuring things out, just shy of a year old. Roxy learned the ropes, flushes and finds her share of birds, and is great to have along on a hunt. I love them both, but Skye is a bully once the bird is found. If Roxy sniffs a downed bird, Skye immediately comes over and steals it. I realize a good dog trainer wouldn't have this issue. I however am not that skilled. Any training I've done was just taking them out on public land during hunting season. I'm not looking for any solution, Skye will always assert her dominance, but Roxy is never one to be deterred, which I'm forever grateful for.
My plan this year, especially when hunting multiple days in a row, is to hunt one dog and then the other. As Skye gets older I think a rotation will help her. I don't have money spots like Remy where an easy limit is more likely than not. I'm not A5, back home smoking his pipe in front of the hearth with three wild roosters hanging in his garage before the golden hour even starts. I usually hoof it all day to get a chance at a limit. Maybe I'll take a weekend or two and just bring Roxy. Last year by Marshall my buddy downed a rooster in a cattail marsh, and two guys and 3 dogs looked for half an hour and gave up hope. Walking back to the truck we were whistling up the dogs and Roxy didn't show. You guessed it, she came back late, but had a rooster gently hanging in her chops. It's really tough trying to choose a dog to go hunting. Skye only has so much time in the hourglass, so I almost can't turn her down. Roxy is a trooper and has been a great hunter in her own right. I know the dogs would have been better off hunting with a guy with a better grasp on dog training. But maybe they're better off going with an average Joe like me than being couch potato dogs and never hunting at all. Either way, they mean the world to me. Good luck everyone in the upcoming season. I can't promise much other than truthful reporting on my success in the field, and the times when the roosters got the better of me. For I'm sure there'll be days when the wise old roosters flush out of range, my shooting eye is off, or I just plain fail to bag a bird. Either way, I plan on getting the dogs out in the field as much as life will allow. I've got my priorities straight.
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Think covey birds. 