Fun thread to look over guys. Lots of different breeds represented. My pooches and I are getting geared up for Iowa's Pheasant season...regular training and exercise. This year I have added a dog trailer to the mix, which I am anticipating will make it much easier to get on the road with all of the dogs, and will give the dogs that are not in use a nice place to recoup.
I still have my black and white Cocker, but I don't compete with her, so she doesn't get quite the field attention the other dogs get (although she does hunt just fine).
Some pics...
Copied below is a video of my 6 month old lab Dixie. She turned 6 months on October 26th and she is developing into a great hunting dog at an alarming rate. She flushed a rooster about 20 yards in front of me while I was hunting and I took a shot as it was crossing into some catails and downed it. I could tell I just winged it and Iknew that thing was hitting the cattail highway and was likely lost. Dixie charged into the cattails and my initial thought was there was no way she would be coming out with that bird..especially if it was alive and running.. Sure enough..a few minutes later she came out with it about 100 yards past where the bird landed. It was quite the proud poppa moment for me. I really think (as we all do with our dogs) that she is going to be some kind of special..to me she already is. It is always a great feeling to see your hard work and training pay off and to see how much fun the pup is having. I recorded this with the Ikam glasses..which are pretty neat. I have a bunch of other videos to.
This is Kooper getting ready for his first hunt. He pointed two that we never would have found if it wasn't for him. We got 4 total this weekend. Not bad for a central Illinois opening day.
My 10 year old grandson and 6 year old Setter. The grandson got his 1st Rooster in Indiana put/take hunt. I am preparing him for future wild Pheasant hunting. Darn good day!