New dog at home.

[powderburn]

After having labs around for many years I decided to go a complete 180 and picked up a pheasant hunting machine. For now she goes by the name of "Piper" and is a 3-1/2 year old Gordon Setter. Only a month and a half before I know if the bank loan was worth it.

 

[mtmiller]

Good for you p'burn. Great looking hunter you have. I know Koda will always be with you, but glad to see you now have another hunting partner. Looking forward to seeing your partner in anction soon.

 

[MarvB]

Other than likely wanting one already trained of course, was there a reason you didn't get a pup or started youngster powder?

 

[powderburn]

MarvB I've got a 4 month old chocolate lab that needs the whole nine yards training and this Gordon hasn't had a whole lot of training either. She's placed
a couple times in show but not consitantly enough to make her a money dog.
She has spent 3-1/2 years being pampered but the buck [my bucks] stop here with that show crap. She doesn't even know how to sit or lay down because to sit or lay down in a show would get her disqualified. She had her first try at swimming last night and she's no olympian but she keeps her head above water. Lots of work training between now and sept so we'll see how it goes.

 

[powderburn]

Here's part of the crowd.

 

[ashersdad]

Great looking dogs. You'll have a busy/fun fall. Good luck.

 

[powderburn]

I've taken Piper and Nixon out a couple times before Pheasant season just to see what they had in them. As I drove down a gravel road I spotted a 1/2 dozen Pheasants cross the road. Pulling up I quickly got the dogs out and took them to the last spot I had seen the birds hoping they'd get the scent. Well I'm glad no one had a video rolling at the time because I'm yelling "Get the birds, Where's the birds, come on find a bird "and pointing into the ditch and telling them to get on the birds. Well I was watching for the birds and finally looked at the dogs and I kid you not both dogs are sitting behind me with their heads tilted to the side looking as if they should get back into the truck. The look on their faces was priceless and you could see the wheels turning thet they were thinking this guy is off his rocker. I turn and hit the ditch thinking if I at least flush a bird they'd get the hint. A big rooster took wing right under my feet and Piper was in hot pursuit. Know I'm thinking maybe I might of lost Piper because she was out of sight in a heart beat. Up out of the ditch I come and whats Nixon doing but laying down quite comfortably watching the show. Piper returned shortly and promptly sat down beside Nixon and looked at me like that was fun can we do that again.
Into the truck we go and the next birds are a flock of Huns. Again out with the dogs and get them down wind and start moving in. Again both dogs are working the field looking for a good spot to set and watch the show. I end up flushing the birds and again it's game on for Piper however this time the 50 foot check cord brought the show to an abrupt halt. Now I don't know if Nixon was rolling on his back to scratch it or he was laughing himself to death either way I was going to help him with the latter. I told my wife when I got home that I was trading them both in on an ATV so I could ride off never to be heard from again.
Well I got to thinking about my training tactics and figured that Piper being from upper crust needed a different approach. The next day I set up the chock board and printed off many pie charts and wind directional info and sat her at the table and schooled her with as much info as I could on the technics of a good Setter. We would be prepaaired a little differently the next time.
That day came yesterday when I took the dogs out to get them field experience with a couple friends. Me not shooting but working the dogs along with another 7 month old black lab. This should be god I'm thinking an upper crust I don't want to riun my nails Setter and 2 over the wall 7 month old labs.
We took 2 trucks so we could drop a truck at one end of the draws and have a truck to ride back with instead of walking to much. I was in the lead truck heading out with 3 dogs that thought they were going to another wildman show. The two other guys I'm sure were giggling like a couple school girls all the way out enjoying their coffee and dounuts.
As I crested a small hill I saw a dozen or so Pheasants heading for cover at least 1/2 were roosters. I pull over and told the guys I'd get ahead and cut them off and I left them with one lab pup before I headed about 1oo yrds down the road. It was the perfect ditch foot long grass about 2o yrds wide and a summer fallow field boardering it. As I pressed forward still about 75yrds away the birds busted and the shooting started. I watched all the roosters and hens fly off into the distance after a hail of gunshots. 1 rooster dropped about 200 yrds out and the guys never saw it from their location.
Note to self find freinds that can shoot better. I took the dogs and headed out to locate the downed bird which shouldn't be to hard the field was bare.
I found the bird and called the dogs over so they could locate it. Well I couldn't belive my eyes Piper and Nixon dove right in and got their noses buried into than bird sounding like a couple vacuums and after a minute or so Mia the other lab headed back to the truck. I started walking away and asked Nixon to fetch the bird, He promptly picked it up and brought it to me.
What happened for the rest of the morning was nothing short of a miracle Piper must have had a short ciruit in the brain because she started working every draw we hit casting back and forth working the wind and never getting more than 30 - 40 yrds out. She locked rock solid on nine birds the remainder of the morning the only problem was they were all hens. We did get several more roosters up but no hits.
What a joy to watch when it came together and it was more fun working her than shooting. As for the pups thats another story all by itself.
Here's Piper locked on a hen then adjusting as it moved and locking in again. she stayed locked until I released her only gave a very short run after them but stopped on command every time.

 

[Gunner46]

Couple of good looking dogs ! Congrats !