Carguy2Banker
Well-known member
Last year was good and I was genuinely curious how many bird contacts, bagged birds and retrieves my dog had last season. This year, I started logging how many birds me and any hunting partners harvested. So far, I've hunted 24 days total all within 15 miles of my house. Some of these hunts were long days (9:30-5:00) in a group size ranging from 4 to as many as 13 one people weekend.
Others trips, it was just me and the dog. There were also a 2 trips when my dog went with trusted family members when I wasn't able to go. I counted these birds in my totals since all of these hunting days and extra retrieves are what have helped her turn into a rock solid marker and retriever.
So far, 159 roosters and 74 quail have been taken while she was in the field. All wild birds. She's easily retrieved 60% of these bagged birds, if not 75%.
Needless to say, this year has been amazing for birds contacts and the past 2 years have given a now 4 year old lab an opportunity to be a machine.
Someone mentioned this earlier, and I've recognized the same thing - in many places, there is so much scent due to high bird numbers, finding downed birds had been tougher than previous years. Too many times, we haven't been able to find down birds and often she leaves the area and I feel she should be looking because she's tracking birds that were there, but ran out and flushed, instead of the dead one that is still there burrowed in heavy cover. I'll let her go for a bit, but then bring her back to search where I think she should be.It's hard to be mad when she doesn't come up with it because she's brought back so many more than we would have found without her help.
I'll remember this year and these memories forever. I hope there's more like this year ahead for her.
Others trips, it was just me and the dog. There were also a 2 trips when my dog went with trusted family members when I wasn't able to go. I counted these birds in my totals since all of these hunting days and extra retrieves are what have helped her turn into a rock solid marker and retriever.
So far, 159 roosters and 74 quail have been taken while she was in the field. All wild birds. She's easily retrieved 60% of these bagged birds, if not 75%.
Needless to say, this year has been amazing for birds contacts and the past 2 years have given a now 4 year old lab an opportunity to be a machine.
Someone mentioned this earlier, and I've recognized the same thing - in many places, there is so much scent due to high bird numbers, finding downed birds had been tougher than previous years. Too many times, we haven't been able to find down birds and often she leaves the area and I feel she should be looking because she's tracking birds that were there, but ran out and flushed, instead of the dead one that is still there burrowed in heavy cover. I'll let her go for a bit, but then bring her back to search where I think she should be.It's hard to be mad when she doesn't come up with it because she's brought back so many more than we would have found without her help.
I'll remember this year and these memories forever. I hope there's more like this year ahead for her.