hunting stories are good, but hunting stories envolving a dog are great. I'd like to here if you are hunting with a furry hunting partner. Say a little about your dog or a lot and What kind of game you hunt for. I'll go first.
I picked Tikka up November 28, 2010. We immidiately began small steps in training and slowly progressed. She did 33 retrieves last season. Would have been more, but it was my first year using steel shot. lol 25 of the retrieves were grouse. She's my "rough shooting dog". Every flush and every retrieve is beautiful to me.
I'll never forget the first flush, it was her first grouse hunt. We got out of the truck at one of the covers I hunt. I just caught a glimpse of a bird silouhette. Chambered two rounds in my O/U 12 gauge and let Tikka out of the truck. "Hunt'em up" and she darted toward the direction of the bird. She was on the foot scent. It was running and I understood once I got on the other side of the jackpines. It was a field full of Labrador tea (Indian tea plant) likea sea of leaves. Tikka started working the through the plants following the follow scent. The bird exploded out of the sea of leaves. I snapped the gun to my sholder and followed through the bird squeezing out a round from the top barrel. I heard the report and watched the bird fall and disappear back into the sea of leaves. Tikka looked in the direction of the bird and then at me. I called "Find the Bird to her" and to my surprise that's what she did. She snapped up the bird and returned it to me. At heel and delivered to hand. It was perfect. It happened so fast, but time seemed like it was standing still.
Getting her to steady at to flush and fall has been a challenge ever since. lol In the blind is another story.I hope to hear about yours
I picked Tikka up November 28, 2010. We immidiately began small steps in training and slowly progressed. She did 33 retrieves last season. Would have been more, but it was my first year using steel shot. lol 25 of the retrieves were grouse. She's my "rough shooting dog". Every flush and every retrieve is beautiful to me.
I'll never forget the first flush, it was her first grouse hunt. We got out of the truck at one of the covers I hunt. I just caught a glimpse of a bird silouhette. Chambered two rounds in my O/U 12 gauge and let Tikka out of the truck. "Hunt'em up" and she darted toward the direction of the bird. She was on the foot scent. It was running and I understood once I got on the other side of the jackpines. It was a field full of Labrador tea (Indian tea plant) likea sea of leaves. Tikka started working the through the plants following the follow scent. The bird exploded out of the sea of leaves. I snapped the gun to my sholder and followed through the bird squeezing out a round from the top barrel. I heard the report and watched the bird fall and disappear back into the sea of leaves. Tikka looked in the direction of the bird and then at me. I called "Find the Bird to her" and to my surprise that's what she did. She snapped up the bird and returned it to me. At heel and delivered to hand. It was perfect. It happened so fast, but time seemed like it was standing still.
Getting her to steady at to flush and fall has been a challenge ever since. lol In the blind is another story.I hope to hear about yours
dogs they are far smarter than raters give them credit for. All dogs not just Beagle are diff with their own temperments. From my observation from hunting for 40 yrs is dogs (any bred) kept in a pen are the ones that don't tend to come back from a chase so fast, maybe it's because they don't have a reason too??!! We use Beagle in our camp because they run slower, & if kept as house dogs tend to run for much short lengths of time before they return to the dog man. We haven't lost or looked for a dog for 10 yrs, & chases tend to average about an hr before the dog is back to dogger & looking for a new avenue of fun.
