Our First Season Picking Up - Part Deux

[Mooch. 177]

Yesterday was our second day picking up on our local shoot. It's been two weeks since the last day which gave us sometime to work on one or two problems that were highlighted. Needless to say though that when presented with new people, dogs, guns and pheasants most of that training was instantly forgotten! Luckily though, as the day wore on, he settled down and began to understand the rules of the game.

 

Drive 1 was shrouded in mist so how the guns hit anything I don't know. We had a few down near us but once the drive was over I decided to search for a runner I had seen disappearing into a bramble briar. Max worked hard, getting right into the middle and searching through the maze of runs. He came out and searched around the outside before marking a run. I sent him in and after some frantic rustling he emerged with the pricked hen pheasant (I'll admit he crunched it). By the time we had found this elusive pheasant the other pickers up had cleared all the other fallen birds (there weren't many due to the poor visibility) so that was it for us.

 

Drive 2 was a different story altogether. The mist was clearing fast and we were stood yards away from the end gun. Birds were dropping around us which were all marked by Max. The first two retrieves were easy marked retrieves in long grass, no problem (and stone dead so uncrunched). Next we headed onto the steep wooded bank around a pheasant pen where I just let Max use his nose and as he disappeared into the trees I kept my eyes open. Every now and again Max would appear at my side with a pheasant in his mouth and I was glad I'd bought a game carrier after last time.

 

Drive 3 didn't go so well. We were placed in the middle of a field way back from the line and behind a gun with two dogs of his own. I sent Max for a runner that had got into the brambles at the edge of a field but instead of finding the pricked partridge he flushed a perfectly healthy cock pheasant and took off after it. He came back when he was good and ready without an prize so I took him back to the middle of the field where another picker up directed us towards another pricked partridge which was trying to hide in a tractor rut. I got onto the line indicated and sent Max back. After a brief scuffle he picked it and brought it back to hand, alive. We worked our way up the field but the gun's dogs had picked everything else. We found ourselves in front of the line of pegs where Max found a dead hen pheasant in the tree line. That was it for us on this drive.

 

After lunch was Drive 4 which was the last drive of the day. We stood on the edge of a field but the guns were obscured from us by a hedge but as the guns took the birds they were landing in the field directly in front of our position. I gave up marking these fallen birds as there were just so many. As we were out of sight of the guns I felt more confident sending Max for two runners during the drive itself which he duly caught and brought to me. A gun then came and stood in the field in front of us shooting birds as they rounded the corner of a wood so now birds were dropping left, right and centre. When the drive finished I sent Max forward into the field and we started picking up the fallen birds. Max picked so many that I had to go back to the game cart to unload my carrier. Unfortunately not everything went perfectly. Max dropped a dead hen to chase a cock that got up and flew off from under his nose. He ignored my calls to sit so I decided to wait for him to come back rather than shout myself hoarse and draw attention to the mishap. A minute later Max returns with the cock pheasant in his mouth still alive and looking quite indignant. It had been shot in the leg so I was relieved he hadn't pegged it at least especially as the whole episode had been witnessed by the underkeeper! We then went back to the game cart again where I offloaded while I sent Max to search the field again. This tactic payed off as while I was helping to hang the birds Max returned time and again with a dead partridge. He found 4 more birds this way.

 

That was it, end of the day and a great day it was too. A couple of unfortunate occurences but overall it was a positive day for me and Max and we got payed too which was an unexpected bonus!

 

Total bag: 310 Pheasants + 90 Partridge = 400 birds

[Lab 10,979]

Yesterday was our second day picking up on our local shoot. It's been two weeks since the last day which gave us sometime to work on one or two problems that were highlighted. Needless to say though that when presented with new people, dogs, guns and pheasants most of that training was instantly forgotten! Luckily though, as the day wore on, he settled down and began to understand the rules of the game.

 

Drive 1 was shrouded in mist so how the guns hit anything I don't know. We had a few down near us but once the drive was over I decided to search for a runner I had seen disappearing into a bramble briar. Max worked hard, getting right into the middle and searching through the maze of runs. He came out and searched around the outside before marking a run. I sent him in and after some frantic rustling he emerged with the pricked hen pheasant (I'll admit he crunched it). By the time we had found this elusive pheasant the other pickers up had cleared all the other fallen birds (there weren't many due to the poor visibility) so that was it for us.

 

Drive 2 was a different story altogether. The mist was clearing fast and we were stood yards away from the end gun. Birds were dropping around us which were all marked by Max. The first two retrieves were easy marked retrieves in long grass, no problem (and stone dead so uncrunched). Next we headed onto the steep wooded bank around a pheasant pen where I just let Max use his nose and as he disappeared into the trees I kept my eyes open. Every now and again Max would appear at my side with a pheasant in his mouth and I was glad I'd bought a game carrier after last time.

 

Drive 3 didn't go so well. We were placed in the middle of a field way back from the line and behind a gun with two dogs of his own. I sent Max for a runner that had got into the brambles at the edge of a field but instead of finding the pricked partridge he flushed a perfectly healthy cock pheasant and took off after it. He came back when he was good and ready without an prize so I took him back to the middle of the field where another picker up directed us towards another pricked partridge which was trying to hide in a tractor rut. I got onto the line indicated and sent Max back. After a brief scuffle he picked it and brought it back to hand, alive. We worked our way up the field but the gun's dogs had picked everything else. We found ourselves in front of the line of pegs where Max found a dead hen pheasant in the tree line. That was it for us on this drive.

 

After lunch was Drive 4 which was the last drive of the day. We stood on the edge of a field but the guns were obscured from us by a hedge but as the guns took the birds they were landing in the field directly in front of our position. I gave up marking these fallen birds as there were just so many. As we were out of sight of the guns I felt more confident sending Max for two runners during the drive itself which he duly caught and brought to me. A gun then came and stood in the field in front of us shooting birds as they rounded the corner of a wood so now birds were dropping left, right and centre. When the drive finished I sent Max forward into the field and we started picking up the fallen birds. Max picked so many that I had to go back to the game cart to unload my carrier. Unfortunately not everything went perfectly. Max dropped a dead hen to chase a cock that got up and flew off from under his nose. He ignored my calls to sit so I decided to wait for him to come back rather than shout myself hoarse and draw attention to the mishap. A minute later Max returns with the cock pheasant in his mouth still alive and looking quite indignant. It had been shot in the leg so I was relieved he hadn't pegged it at least especially as the whole episode had been witnessed by the underkeeper! We then went back to the game cart again where I offloaded while I sent Max to search the field again. This tactic payed off as while I was helping to hang the birds Max returned time and again with a dead partridge. He found 4 more birds this way.

 

That was it, end of the day and a great day it was too. A couple of unfortunate occurences but overall it was a positive day for me and Max and we got payed too which was an unexpected bonus!

 

Total bag: 310 Pheasants + 90 Partridge = 400 birds

.........sounds like he is getting the hang of it...

[pritch 335]

good read that, he seems to be coming on nicley weldone

[hily 379]

at''s good that you write and tell about the ups and the downs of the day it gives folk like me a boost to know that not everyone has the perfect gundog. honest post warts an all.

[Mooch. 177]

Cheers guys. Max is progressing nicely. I believe there is only do much training you can do before you just have to take the plunge and get your dog on the real thing. Anyone who claims to have a perfectly behaved dog on it's first ever shoot is probably lying. Accidents happen, we learn from our mistakes and we move forward from there. I have nothing to gain from writing fiction.

 

I did, however, forget to mention Max's constant whining during the drives but even that lessoned as the day wore on. I've also got him responding to the word "watch" as I point towards the guns to draw his attention away from missed birds flying past us.

 

Incidently I have a twitter account I use to give real time updates about our training and days picking up. If you'd like to "follow" us search for @man_vs_dog

 

Not so long to wait for out next shoot, it's this Wednesday and I've taken the day off work to go.

[Lab 10,979]

Cheers guys. Max is progressing nicely. I believe there is only do much training you can do before you just have to take the plunge and get your dog on the real thing. Anyone who claims to have a perfectly behaved dog on it's first ever shoot is probably lying. Accidents happen, we learn from our mistakes and we move forward from there. I have nothing to gain from writing fiction.

 

I did, however, forget to mention Max's constant whining during the drives but even that lessoned as the day wore on. I've also got him responding to the word "watch" as I point towards the guns to draw his attention away from missed birds flying past us.

 

Incidently I have a twitter account I use to give real time updates about our training and days picking up. If you'd like to "follow" us search for @man_vs_dog

 

Not so long to wait for out next shoot, it's this Wednesday and I've taken the day off work to go.

Try to get the whining stop mate.....stamp it out quick. Nothing worse than a whining fecking dog.

And every dog whether fully trained makes mistakes on shoot day, anyone who says otherwise is telling porky pies....sometimes you think they do it on purpose just to raise your blood temp....

The moment will come when he retrieves a classic runner infront of everyone and you'll be standing there ....just that feeling makes the bad times all worth while...

Good luck with him...

[Mooch. 177]

Try to get the whining stop mate.....stamp it out quick. Nothing worse than a whining fecking dog.

I whole-heartedly agree! Got any tips for getting him to shut up? He did start to quieten down as the day progressed.

[Lab 10,979]

Try to get the whining stop mate.....stamp it out quick. Nothing worse than a whining fecking dog.

I whole-heartedly agree! Got any tips for getting him to shut up? He did start to quieten down as the day progressed.

Never had a whiner myself but seen plenty and if that person gets another pup the pup turns into a bloody whiner. I'd imagine its just an excitment thing....i'd give it a clout on the nose with the lead everytime it done it, hopefully he will learn not to do it.......

[Mooch. 177]

Try to get the whining stop mate.....stamp it out quick. Nothing worse than a whining fecking dog.

I whole-heartedly agree! Got any tips for getting him to shut up? He did start to quieten down as the day progressed.

Never had a whiner myself but seen plenty and if that person gets another pup the pup turns into a bloody whiner. I'd imagine its just an excitment thing....i'd give it a clout on the nose with the lead everytime it done it, hopefully he will learn not to do it.......

I put it down to excitement too especially as he was shaking with adrenaline as well. the "clout" was the method I employed! I think experience will prevail in correcting this annoying trait.

[Dave C 63]

Sounds like the Lab is coming on for you mate.

What is he crossed with?

 

ATB

Dave.

[Mooch. 177]

Sounds like the Lab is coming on for you mate.

What is he crossed with?

 

ATB

Dave.

Good question! It has been suggested with springer or pointer...........or possibly even both! He's a complete mongrel out of a friends two barely obedience trained pets. I got the pick of the litter and I got him for free too.

[Lab 10,979]

Sounds like the Lab is coming on for you mate.

What is he crossed with?

 

ATB

Dave.

Good question! It has been suggested with springer or pointer...........or possibly even both! He's a complete mongrel out of a friends two barely obedience trained pets. I got the pick of the litter and I got him for free too.

 

If its got pointer in there then look no further why you have a crunching problem.....

[saxonmaster 74]

Good honest read mate look forward to the next write up