What to do in the off season and when to book next years hunt!

I may try to steady JP and work on blind retrieves so he can get his MH. Lots of trips to the pond to swim, roading the dogs and yard work. My pup Buddy is in desperate need of lots of training so I've got some work to do. Then theres bass fishing, it does no good for the dogs but it keeps me sane.:thumbsup:
 
I'll take the dogs out for a couple of preserve hunts over the winter. It's always fun and a good way to introduce some new people to bird hunting with dogs. In between preserve hunts I'll just let the dogs run on some grounds close to me that have some holdover pheasants and liberated quail. I'll give them a break in the spring and do some fishing. In the summer I'll start running the dogs in areas that have water so they can cool off. Then by late summer it's time to get them back on some birds and the count down to hunting season begins.

Back before my wife and I had our second son we would run Nittany in flyball. It was a good way to keep him in good condition and have some fun. Here is a picture of him doing flyball:
nittanyflyball.jpg


There are a lot of dog games to play that can keep them in shape and make them think.
 
I try to keep the dogs in shape by doing some roading with them and also taking them to the field and letting them run. Then come April and May and I'll be doing NSTRA field trials. I be trialing every weekend except one from April 1st through Memorial Day. Then comes the long summer where I try to road my trial dog with my bicycle 3-4 times a week to maintain conditioning.

Oh, and for me it's the diet and exercise routine I started yesterday in hopes of losing 15-20 lbs. :)
 
No offseason here, or at least a really short one. As soon as enough snow melts, we will get to training heavy for the spring hunt tests, NAVHDA tests, prepping one for some field trials and if I have time left and a dog ready for it, I might try to squeeze in a NSTRA trial or 2. Then when the summer break in testing comes, I will be training for the fall testing.
 
goldenboy said:
Okay guys two questions for you.

1. The season is over what do you do in the off season to keep yourself and the dogs from going stir crazy?
2. When do you book your hunts for this fall?
Click to expand...

The season ends the last of January here. After that, I start getting ready for spring fly fishing. The dog lives the good life until it's time to get ready for the next upland season. Have an outstanding 2013:thumbsup:
 
goldenboy said:
Okay guys two questions for you.

1. The season is over what do you do in the off season to keep yourself and the dogs from going stir crazy?
2. When do you book your hunts for this fall?
Click to expand...

As to your second question, I would not wait too long. I don't know what it is but I am booked up for next year with three people on a waiting list. I would think that if you want to hunt early you better be about it if you are not too late already.
 
1. Grouse until the end of the month hopefully get a weekend or 2 in,crows,squirrels,rabbits,and predators to round out the winter. Sporting clays from now until next fall,spring turkey hunting,fishing,camping and canoeing.

The dogs will hunt rabbits,squirrels,crows,and grouse until the seasons close. Then they get almost daily runs/swims off leash until next fall.

2. I'll start planning late in the summer what I'm doing for next fall. Driving around checking out some other areas in Wi.,researching other states,and just getting an idea whats going on. I mostly just wing it.
 
Great pic Bauerline. I've been wanting to enter my dogs in a splash dog competition as they love flying off the docks.:cheers:
 
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