Performance Trial, Waverly, NE

Bunch of Brittanies

Cap (left) and Ruby (right)

It's extremely difficult for me, and for the dogs, to let go of hunting season.  A few months ago, I took Cap and the Ball and Chain on an expedition to Idaho to see some friends and run one of their NSTRA Trials in the Northwest Region.  We had a great time and really loved the area and people!  Arriving home, I entered Cap in the Performance Trial in NE the end of May.  Driving out there would make the trip hassle-free and I do like to drive!  I figured I'd take Ruby along as a paid standby dog, in case one of the other dogs had to pull out.  As it turned out, Cap did not make the cut  to the second day, but Ruby was called up just prior to the start of the trial and made the cut on the first day, as well! She gave it all she had, but came up just a little short on her second run, and, so, we were eliminated. 

We met some super people, and even some guys we'd only corresponded with on Facebook and from this BLOG.  The top picture is the outfit of Nolan Huffman and all his Brittanies.  He was doing quite well in the trial when we left the afternoon of the second day. This was a great way to spend a few days and meet some bird dog people.  Next time, I think we will partake of the "pre-trial" and learn the fields a little more.  It seemed we were already behind the curve when we showed up, since the dogs really did not know the fields very well.  But, that's the game and I'm not complaining- just logging that in the memory for next time.

Yeah, wait 'til next year!!!!

Bird Bag Memories

I was extolling the virtues of the WingWorks vest to a plantation manager and his head guide the other day explaining the well-considered features.  After the day spent driving the vast quail-managed property discussing bird dogs, quail habitat and managing for hunters, guiding and other war stories, I said my good byes and headed home in my friend Glen's truck. Later, I discovered a missing vest, iPad, camera and various other items that failed to make the transfer to my truck for the journey home. The next day we both drove 45 minutes to meet in the middle for a hand off and things were back to normal...

As I grabbed my vest from his truck, I glanced in the bird bag at the sticks, feathers, wool hats, spent shells, empty plastic bottle and various other stuff. I started thinking, driving along, looking at feathers on the floor board.  I got home, pulled the vest to hang in the barn room, reached in to grab some more feathers and clean out the back of the vest. 

Cap and Sharptail

I saw Sharptail Grouse feathers from my September trip to Montana. Memories of Ruby (B/F/1.5yrs) loping along the sagebrush hills and spinning to point a plum thicket absolutely full of Sharptails.  Ace (B/M/7yrs) working the edge of a green alfalfa field, dropping in to the creek for a quick dip, climbing up the steep bank and slamming to point on a forty five degree slope on a small covey of Sharps.  And Cap (B/M/1.5yrs) disappearing around a clay mound, one hot day, forcing me to walk around the hill looking for him, only to find him standing tall on a covey of seven or eight Sharps.

A few small Hungarian Partridge feathers were mixed in the brew, I think from the day Ace and I managed to corner six coveys just before sunset with the temperature dropping and a long walk back to the truck.

Cap and BJ

One, long rooster tail feather fell out on the floor.  No doubt this feather was from the bad boy rooster Cap and I worked along the  gravel road outside Regent, ND.  Cap worked him, pointed, worked him, pointed- for almost 200 yards.  He was careful not to push too hard, and for a 1 1/2 year old pup, it was a pleasure to watch him work the bird like a much older, seasoned dog.  Finally, the rooster made a fatal mistake and veered to the road and the edge of the CRP grass.  He stopped and, following right on his scent, Cap locked up, high and tight.  For some reason, I just knew this was a rooster and a big one at that.  Sure enough, he got up, squawking and flapping, right over Cap's head, banked right  and headed for the hills.  A load of 5's caught him square and the puppy made a great retrieve to hand.  A little bird dog love fest ensued for a few minutes right there on the prairie.

Nancy and her Camera

Mixed with the feathers, a wool watch cap came out.  Nancy Whitehead, I have your hat.  Remember when we hunted along CJ Strike Reservoir in Idaho?  It was cold that morning, but warmed up nicely. You aren't but five foot nothing and hauling all that camera gear, I guess, will warm you up, too.  I don't remember the hat going in my bird bag, but I know it's yours.  I'll return it in person this October!

Valley Quail feathers from the sloughs and plum thickets in Idaho were in the mix.  Probably from the day we had 40+ points in an area maybe a half mile on a side.  Four dogs either backing or pointing a small shrub with fifteen quail hunkered down inside.  We took pictures and took our time and finally kicked the bush and shot the birds.  What great fun that day was...cold and wet and perfect.

Cap and his Chukar

My favorite feathers of the trip I hold to the last- my Chukar feathers from Idaho.  Cap on point, Aaron, my friend and his dog, Remy working up alongside and the birds getting up over the volcanic rocks and heading down in to the steep canyon.  I knocked one down and Cap gave chase.  He made a retrieve that still brings a grin to my face and the little Brit put that Chukar in my hand.  He looked up and said, "Hey, Boss, there's more in here!  Let's get 'em!"

An old, plastic water bottle from Minnesota with a Ruffed Grouse feather still stuck to the side brought memories of Ace panting and staring and as immobile as a marble statue, alongside the trail as I came around the bend.  The light roar of wings as the male Grouse headed to cover just a split second too late.  Ace put the bird in my hand with a slight wink as we acknowledged each other's contribution to the evening meal. 

Not a bad year for memories, I think, as I clean out the spent shells (#5's, #6's, and #7 1/2's), twigs, collapsible water bowls and one, lone penny.  I toss the penny back in.  I hope next season will fill the bird bag just as full.  If not with birds, then I will be happy and content with the memories of good bird dogs, fine companionship, bright blue skies and birds rising over the pointed dog, the twin barrels come up and safety clicks off..... 

Spring Hay Cutting

Coiled King Snake

Pasture cut in progress.

Snake and Yellar and BJ

All kinds of critters come out when we cut the hay in the Spring. The top picture is of a King Snake my yellow lab found while we were outside weeding.  He woofed and jumped and woofed some more.  The bottom picture shows him and the Ball and Chain in the background.  I thought it might be snapping turtle, the way he was carrying on.  But, Ms King was coiled up and in no mood for a visit.  I'm sure her nest was just under the grass!

Dog Food Contamination Again?

Diamond Pet Foods makes Taste Of The Wild dog food. I've been feeding TOW and I've been very pleased with the results in my hunting dogs (field trial and hunting Brits) and pets. However, I just learned of yet another recall by Diamond. This time it is my favorite TOW! Crap. Sorry, but it angers me to think I've been feeding contaminated feed, EXPENSIVE contaminated feed to my hunting companions. Yeah, these are just dogs, but they are my dogs and I put countless hours and dollars in to their care and well-being.  You know, I just (last year) went through all this searching for a better feed for performance and health and now I think it's been wasted! It appears this South Carolina plant consistently has a problem with quality control.  Originally, I posted "I'm off Diamond and looking for another feed.....again.".  I'm not so sure now, but if I can find a suitable, available alternative, I think  this may be the last straw!

Idaho NSTRA Trial

The Judges and Winners

Cap, me, Paul (Trial Chairman)

Between the beautiful country, vistas that stretched to next week and the welcoming spirit of the club members, we had a great time at the field trial.  About halfway through the trip up to Idaho, actually Washington, we missed our last fight but our dog did not.  Cap spent the night in the Spokane airport being walked by the baggage people and watered and fed, too.  By the time we got to baggage claim at noon the next day, he was a rock star!  "Oh, Cap! Yeah, he's down there behind the ticket counter in his own room on a blanket!  It's my turn to walk him, you aren't taking him, are you?"  The Delta people were wonderful.  They called me on my cell (number written on the kennel in indelible ink and on his collar) the night he showed up and told us they had him and not to worry. It made for an exciting travel day, no doubt.

We got to the trial grounds, just south of Asotin, WA, early on Friday and met a few of the folks.  Then, we eased back in to Asotin just in time for the County Fair! That was fun, with animal shows, livestock auctions, funnel cakes, bands, roping, rodeo, cowboys and cowgirls, beauty queens and a tractor display.  Got to love America!

About 5 miles south of the fair, on top of the cap, at the end of 10 switchbacks and a fair climb, the grounds were ready for us.  Big, fairly flat with tall CRP grass, they were a lot different from what we see here in the southeast.  Cap ran big against the setters of the NW Region, but seemed to be getting acclimated each run.  By Sunday, on his 4th brace, he came alive.  We were running a nice setter with an experienced handler on their home field, but Cap decided enough was enough. He came off the line like a rocket, make a loop and locked up about 100 yards ahead.  The judge raised his arm and I started to him.  He stood like a picture...stretched out, head high and stubby little tail straight up.  I walked to his front and kicked for minute and had to turn him loose to re-locate.  He took 2 steps and locked up again.  I walked farther up an saw the bird running.  I kicked it up and dropped it and he retrieved to my hand.  Off again, he locked up again and another bird in the bag.  On the third bird, I missed, and the bird flew off the field and down in to a steep canyon.  I told the judge I'd wait a bit to see what would happen.  He rode his ATV to the edge, looked down, and yelled to me, "Hey, call your dog!"  Cap came up out of the canyon and across half the field and put the bird in my hand.  "Nice shooting, knothead!" he said, and was off again.   One more bird and we had 4 nice finds and moved into the lead.  At the end of the day, we were bumped out of first and took a second, and we were darn proud to do it!  They have some great dogs up there in the NW Region and we were lucky to get out of there with any sort of dignity.

I have nothing but fond memories of the visit, and, while I don't know about flying all over the country to run trials, we decided this was most definitely worth the effort.  Next up: Waverly, NE and a National Trial! Get ready Cap, here we go again!

On the way to Idaho!

Cap

My wife and I are on the way to a field trial in Idaho.  I had so much fun hunting out there in January that I was looking through the NSTRA calendar and noticed they are in the middle of their season!  Whoa, Nellie! I entered and they had some room left for one dog.  I'm taking Cap with me. Although he's the youngest, he needs the traveling experience and I want him to be comfortable at trials other than the same old fields around there.  He's a powerful little bird dog, too.  It's been over a month since he's smelled a bird, but that's what the first run will be for, I guess.  I'm hoping he'll do OK and maybe score pretty good.  He's easy to turn and listens well.  This will be more fun for me, because I get to bring BJ with me and we'll drive around and see the country for a full day before we show up in Asotin, WA for the trial on Friday.   I hope to see Hell's Canyon and that area and maybe look at some good quail and chukar habitat.

My new roading rig!

Ace is thrilled with the new rig. This sure beats the old iron bar and rubber bungee cord!

My Updated Bertram Lanyard

Bob made me lanyard last summer and even patterned it after the color of my Brittanies. But, through the season, I found I really missed the counters like I had on my old lanyard. One call to Bob and he says, "No problem!". Voila! My new and improved Kangaroo leather, custom lanyard

Dog Thoughts- Flossing and Heartworms

I did two things this week, with my dogs, that I've never done before.

 First, I took them in to have their teeth cleaned.  Up until this year, I never heard of such a thing! But, after several conversations with vet friends, it turns out bad teeth are a concern in older dogs due to poor maintenance throughout their lives.  Our Westie passed away last year and the vet who euthanized her later mentioned to me he noticed her teeth were very bad and would have caused major problems (of course, if it hadn't been for the cancer!).  I took my two male Brits in and had their teeth cleaned.  They sedate the dog, then clean the scale and polish the teeth.  It did wonders for their breath, too.  I'm not sure there is anything that can be done with active bird dogs to ensure it won't build up again.  With house dogs, brushing and additive to the water will help.  But, I'm glad it is done and suspect this will be an annual thing. 

Second, I gave them an injection that will cover heartworms for six months. I'm pretty sure heartworms are everywhere, but here, in the southland, they are a real problem.  Every month, year round, I give them some form of ivermectin.  For years, I bought it at the feed store and measured out the appropriate dose and squirted it down their throats.  That was the cheapest way to administer and I never had a problem.  Then, I converted over to heartgard and had to rob a bank every month. I was about to go back to the feed store when I heard about the 6 mos. shot.  My two Brit pups are on it now.  My main dog, Ace, is still on the chewable since there is a 7 year old dog limit on the shots and he just turned 7 this month.  I'm not sure where my vet got that information, since I couldn't find it in the literature, but I wasn't going to take any chances with the "franchise". 

Anyone have any comments on either of my adventures? 

WingWorks Vest



(Photo by Nancy Whitehead)

This is Bob Welsh and me hunting Valley Quail in Idaho January 2012. We are both wearing the WingWorks vest. After a full year of traveling and hunting around the country, I can easily say this is the finest vest I've ever worn for serious bird hunting. Plenty of storage, water capacity, secure pockets and designed for use with the electronics many of us use. The new Astro holder is a perfect solution to carrying and using the handheld unit.  I broke down and ordered the camera holder, too, since my various hunting partners all chided me exposing the camera to the elements all day.  This is a durable tool for the bird hunter. It may not be suitable for the hunting done by jumping in and out of the truck many times a day. For that, the Filson strap vest may be more appropriate. I did notice over the season that Chukar hunters love this vest. And that, my friends, is one heck of an endorsement! Those purists (some would say..fanatics) don't use anything that will drag them down or slow them up in their search for the red-legged demon. I hope to consider myself a Chukar hunter some day, but as for now I'm not, merely a wannabe.  My vest hunted 7 states over the season and should last me through my last day.  

2012 Georgia NSTRA Championships

Click here for YouTube video!

Now the season is 100% definitely over.  Only 6 1/2 months to go and we'll be back on the road to Montana, Idaho, Oregon and points birdy.  The dogs are ready and so am I. 

The truck box is coming along, with plans to assemble and then coat it again with a truck bed liner type material to enhance the water resistance and wear resistance.  More as we move along on that one!

Working on Truck Vault

Glen Bahde and I are building sliding drawers for use in our respective trucks. He has a 2012 Chevy 1500 and I am piloting a 2001 Ford F-250. Turns out the beds are the same general measurements so it's all good. Glen's father is a woodworker and is doing the actual building. Shown above is the application of 3 or more coats of spar urethane to all components for durability. The plywood is marine grade 3/4" and the drawers are poplar. The finished product will be coated with another product to enhance resistance to wear and abrasion. Stay tuned as we assemble this thing!

Bird Dogs and Fly Fishing

That's the name of a Facebook Group to which I belong. It's a great place to meet and talk about both subjects with like minded folks!. Look for it on Facebook! Look for it, next Fall, on fine hunting vehicles all over the country! 


Bird Dog and Fly Fishing
Facebook Group Decal

Summer Doldrums Already

Already the summer is dragging on. Cutting grass has already started!  I'm working through pictures of this season. Maybe I need to not do this. Trial season is over, too. It's a sad thing to see bird dogs after the season is closed. 

Ruby is just now coming out of heat. It's been 17 days since I first saw her spotting. I think I'll give it another week and then do the "stud dog" test on her to make sure she's back up.  I really wanted another puppy or two out of Ace, but I figured it would be nice to go a whole season with three solid broke dogs.  Now, I may be getting "no breeding remorse". Well, it's a done deal now.  Might as well just look forward. 

Memories of the Hunt

Ace on Two ND Roosters

It only takes a snapshot to remember the day.  It was freezing cold, with bad winds and temps in the low thirties.  The first blizzard of the year passed over us as we hunkered down in Mott, ND with lots of howling wind and snow that blew mostly sideways.  When the sun returned two days later, the roads stayed frozen, but the birds came out to eat.  We caught these boys in an area of tree rows and CRP surrounding a lake (public land).  Ace knew the plan and I was right on with the gun.  We worked the treeline, seen in the background, which borders a cut wheat field.  It wasn't long before his Garmin pager went off and I moved up the outside of the row.  Brush moved and red and white flashing color started left and emerged right in front of the gun.  One down.  We started up the hill to the truck, through the CRP, and Ace locked down again.  I kicked up the second rooster and bagged it.  I noticed his retrieve wasn't nearly up to his standards on the second one, so I grabbed his collar to check him over and noticed five porcupine quill on the side of his muzzle.  Evidently, he hit Mr. Porky a glancing blow while scenting the rooster in the wood line.  I've seen that before with hard charging bird dogs.  I'm darn thankful that's all it was. 

The Championships

Ace (with me) and Cap (foreground)

The Region Championship went very well. My Cap puppy just missed the cut when the judge would not allow his "back" for a score. He thought I "whoa-ed" him in to the back, and when I told him I absolutely did not say anything or intimidate him, it fell on deaf ears. Oh well, it's not as if I never made a bad call and you got to call 'em like you see 'em.... so we moved on with Ace. The final 16 dogs started with cool, light rain which quit for clear, blue skies and 85 degrees.  Our time to run was well after the rain moved off and we did the best we could. I couldn't be more proud of my dog. We pulled up a little shy of the cut for final 6. It was a great trial with lots of dog critigues, hunting stories, history re-visited, leaning on tailgates and laughing until the tears rolled. As we were leaving, I leaned over and whispered into the old Ball and Chain's ear, "Honey, only 6 mos. to bird season!". "You are a sick puppy", she retorted. Yep.

Journey

The Old Ball and Chain and Cap

Apparently, the old Ball and Chain reads Facebook.  Also, apparently, my blog links to Facebook.  So, to put this in a nutshell, I was greeted with "You're going on a long trip?" as I walked through the front door. That's when I managed to use my 6 seconds of remaining life to explain that this was going to be on my 65th birthday (3 seasons hence) and she was integral in the planning and execution of said trip.  Also, I might have mentioned (things get hazy here as I could feel my life force evaporating in the laser glare of my lovely wife) about the motor home and living accomodations, her flying home to check things out occasionally, etc.  It may have appeared, to the untrained eye, that I was babbling and trying to save my skin, but my coherent and cogent statement of facts enabled me to escape....er...leave, with some sort of dignity.  Whew!  That, my friends, was a close one.

The Journey



Randy and Ace
(Photo take by Nancy Whitehead)

So, I'm thinking a big trip may be on the horizon. I don't mean a week or two, although two week hunting trips are what keep bird hunters sane and walking upright- me, at least.  No, I mean one of those around the country hunting  numerous species kind of hunts.  One of those hunts you read about.   I'm thinking about timing and I realize three things are required for a successful foray.  First, you need the inclination to proceed.  You need to be the type  to get up every day and, after thanking God for another day on the green side of the grass, think "I could be in Idaho, or Alaska, or North Dakota, or Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona, California" and on an on! Second, you would need the where-with-all.  You need to have the dollars to put diesel in the F-250, buy licenses in 10 states and feed those bird finding buddies of yours.  Lastly, you need the time.  Time, alas, it the one thing that cannot be earned.  There is a guarantee that it will end, come to a halt. (The numbers are in....one out of one people die.) Usually, the ending will be without preamble.  So, time is critical and not to be wasted or squandered on inconsequential things.  

I have all three items in my pocket right now.  This is not to say I won't lose one or all of them one day, but now looks like a good time to plan a bird hunting odyssey. So, a few big questions arise....

1.)  Where to go? 

2.)  When to go? 

3.)  How to go? 

4.) Who to go with?  (With whom to go?...I never could get that straight!) 

I'll explore this more as I work through the issues involved.  

Year of the Brittany?

Ace

Ruby

Cap

After a fine hunting season, the pups are ready to finish out the trial season, as well.  Ruby, top, had a first in her last trial a month ago, and Cap, bottom, had a first and third that same weekend.  If I've done my job well enough, they should do well in the next trial in a few weeks.  Shortly after that one, we have the Georgia Championships.  Since all three of my Brits qualified, I'm hoping this may be the "Year of the Brittany"! (Ace and Ruby photos by Nancy Whitehead)

The Look

(Photo taken by Nancy Whitehead)

They say some dogs are good and they know it.  They also say those dogs have a look and manner that radiates competence; a no-nonsense demeanor and attitude.