Two More Weekends

B

bones

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Two more weekends and we are back to walking guns behind dogs. Still up in the air of what to do first. Just pure anticipation at this point. Gets me every year, used to be the same way growing up when we had a Trout opener in Virginia. Love fishing still, but the excitement does not build anymore without a closed season or a time of year you can't do it.

Also drop my pup off for two months of training on the first. Anxious over how she will do. I've had her on birds (a few quail) and Lord knows in the backyard she is beside herself when the doves come to the feeder. I hope her bird drive will help her develop. (I say bird drive because she could care less about squirrels an bunnies. )Just want her good and gunbroke and very obedient in the field. I can deal with meadowlark pointing, cow pie eating and all the other stuff.

Anyway just have nervous energy building. Also, what everyones plans for the 1st?


Have a Good 'Urn,
bones
 
Bones, I will be chasing some Blue's on the 1st, trying not to piss off too many archery guy's! Then I plan on chasing a few Sharpies the next weekend! Already been shooting Doves for a few weeks ( The legal ones ) So I have my Dove fix!!! Hope we can put up a few !!! Don't forget the camera!!!:cheers:
 
Bones the excitement is definitely building for me as well and I am sure a lot of other! I am headed to a friends place up in Haxtun area holyoke area for doves the weekend opener. I cant wait to get back to the field with my gun and my dog. I wish good luck to all who are going out and remember to have fun and be safe!
 
I had planned to hunt doves on the first but my daughter called and informed me that her husband and her, they live in Grand Junction, were coming to visit on the first and second of September as they were going to spend there first wedding anniversary in Denver on the 3rd and 4th. Last year of course I missed the opener as I was in Grand Junction getting ready to give her away, just glad they care enough to come see me, probably won't be no doves come the 1 st any how and I dang sure do not want to hear about how you limited out in 20 minutes either ( - :
 
Swinging back and forth dreaming about prairie mornings and flushes and anxiety over the dog. Always hunted with someone elses dogs that where trained to varying degrees. I have my own now, but she is an unquantified resource. Will she be gun shy, will she have confidence in her nose, will she handle in the field. Really worried about gunshy after two failed labs when I was stationed in Texas. Not to mention her reaction during Thunderstorms. Ah; horrible anxiety.


Have a Good 'Urn,
bones
 
Don't worry Bones...Your dog will be fine. If your worried about how she'll act just go the first couple of times by yourself or with partners that understand how pups all start.
My first lab ate most of the dove I shot over her the first time out... She became a great bird dog and guys would fight to be the one who got to follow her through the Kansas ditches.
My second male didn't like the taste of dove and would sit next to the downed birds and never retrieve them. He would hunt pheasants like he had a personal grudge and they owed him money. He was a machine. He had his moments when he was young though. Once he took off through a field we were all prepping to walk through. I watched with embarrasment as he flushed bird after bird while my group stared at me with hate in their eyes.. Never hunted with that group again. Figured I just keep my dog to myself. My current lab when he was first out liked to pull the the heads off birds. Doesn't do that anymore. He is a good bird dog and as he ages is getting to be a better pheasant hunter. He'll be 6 this year. How time flies. He is a great companion. He gets away with about everything. I am sure when my other dogs see me in the afterlife they'll bite me in the ass for what I allow Ty to do.
Always took my labs to the skeet range. No better place to have constant gunfire especially shotgun...
Your dog will be fine. How she hunts will be up to you. I have a friend who says to just let the dog hunt and not fill its brain with worthless commands. As long as they retrieve, come, sit, and heel he thinks that is just fine. His dogs always hunt hard and he is sucessful.
Don't worry and over think it... She'll be fine. Enjoy hunting behind her as the seasons will fly by faster than you think...
 
Yeh, I'm sure she'll be all right. Her instincts are pretty good and now thats she's a little older she listens fairly well. Your dog stories remind me of the Weimi I hunted last season. The first two seasons I hunted behind her, she ran the field without attempting to find birds for about two hours or so; then a light would switch on and she turned into a bird getting ball of blue fuzz.

Wish I would have gotten my dog in to training sooner but money and slots for training did not line up until September. I do what I can with her here in the Springs but that is limited. She has a natural retrieve and quarters well and generally stays within 50 yds and "checks in" frequently. Her only issue I have seen is being able to call her off of a bird. She will not come off of any kind of bird unless it flushes; she'd probably fall over holding point if a bird would'nt fly. The birds on the feeder in the backyard don'tfly off now, they know she's only going to the end of the porch to stare them down.


Have a Good 'Urn,
bones
 
Yup getting the chills just thinking about the season. I've went through all of the dogs gear, my gear, cleaned and oiled the gun twice, pulled up the maps of my hunting spots for the last 4 years and condensed them in one folder with seperate tabs for each state. I've been training/walking/running the new dog, she performed well in the hunting/field trials but still unsure about "wild" birds. Openning of Dove's is out as I will be racing sailboats in Nebraska but after Labor Day the hunt is on. Maybe try some Mountian grouse this year. Just have to deal with this nervous anticipation.......
 
It is funny it seems to take forever to come around and then when it does, BAM!! Like a cockbird flushing right in front of you, it is here and gone.

I would like to try grouse up in the mountains, just not sure where to go and I have not had time to scout as my wife has us riding ATVs up on Cedar Mt. road every weekend (I bought three new ATVs this summer). I have tried to look for signs and such up there but I don't think it is high enough:confused::confused:

The thing that I am sick and tired of for doves is all the damn yahoos, getting peppered with shot, the heat and possibility of snakes:eek:

Plus the 1st is on a Saturday this year so everyone and their grandmother will be out.

I know I am planning on taking my 13yr old son on youth waterfowl day in September, then try and get an elk come 1st rifle in October, then roosters in SD and KS later. I don't think I will be going out to the Rooster round-up this year. Last year was very disappointing.....we shall see. If my son wants to go then I will.

Bones, as far as the dog goes. Dogs are not born gun shy, they are made gun shy. I have been training, raising, breeding, running and hunting over/with labs since 1992. Of all the dogs I have owned, seen, hunted with or around, gun shyness always came down to how they are exposed and where. I will have 7yr chocolate lab and 1 1/2yr old yellow lab with me. My pup Remi will be ready maybe January....he is only 11wks old right now. My old 14yr old lab, well he is done and it breaks my heart. I can see the want to in his eyes, but the body says no.

Anyone who has tips on grouse and without giving out your honey hole, PM me....I can help out with some rooster hunting in KS (know some good spots, willing to share).

Greg
 
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Greg, when is youth waterfowl start and where are you headed? Might have a spot if I am not Big Game hunting!!! Mostly Woodies though!!!!:D:D:D
 
BleuBijou said:
Greg, when is youth waterfowl start and where are you headed? Might have a spot if I am not Big Game hunting!!! Mostly Woodies though!!!!:D:D:D
Click to expand...

The only place I know of is Russell Lakes SWA. If you know of somewhere closer that would hold some ducks then I am all ears.

Youth Waterfowl is usually like the last week of Sept or the weekend before. The waterfowl regs are not out yet.

v/r,
Greg
 
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