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Helen · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: Yesterday - Teal

Had a fab day yesterday with Teal. I decided to take her as it was the last day of that shoot and not too many pheasants around, and Pippa, my springer, had run amock the week before Embarassed

Plan was to keep her on lead through the drives which weren't suitable for her and let her hunt on the ones that were, and then help pick up at the end. Well, first time in ages, nearly all the guns had dogs so not much picking up but she did manage to retrieve a pheasant and a partridge - need to work on her delivery though.

She really worked like a trooper and really showed them how a good gwp can work. She obviously needs more experience but from what I saw, I was more than happy with her. I have to say, I have been a bit lax about her training what with one thing and another but I must have been doing something right, judging on yesterday's perfermance. I know what I do need to work on though so will do that once we get down to Lancs, when I have more time.

One of the drives, I was actually picking up and a cock had been lightly pricked so I went to look for it. Now, Teal hasn't a great deal of experience but she hunted along a rough bit well and then went to an area where some branches had fallen down. I had assumed it had gone into there so after the drive, went to one of the guns, who had a lab, and explained the situation. He went back to look for it and I followed him. There was a stubble field just beyond so I thought I would see if it had gone a little bit down there. I worked her down, and then looped back. She was really working the wind well and was hunting the rough bit at the edge. She then went on point, flushed and the bird got up. It flew VERY well and unfortunately, she didn't stop but she did have Rob's springer chasing it so I just let her go as I couldn't chase her and didn't want her to totally ignore a command. The bird was eventually picked up quite away from there, down a rabbit hole.

On the walk back to the car, I thought I may as well hunt her and WOW, what a hunter. She really impressed the gun that was walking with us. Really ranging out far and working the wind well again.

Her best drive was the last one as she was able to work. It is through this thick wood, which opens up to brambles, with a wall on one side and thick trees on another. I was in the open bit with a head wind. She was working that patch fantastically, just keeping to the open area. She went on point in some brambles, and I told the walking gun behind me to get ready. She held the point for a little while and I sent her in, she then flushed a cock pheasant. Unfortunately, the gun missed it! I blew the stop whistle as soon as she flushed and she did go a couple of paces, but I ran to her and put her back. After that, when she went on point and flushed, she was listening to me.

What made me realise, again, that these dogs are not good for a beating line, was when I was working her down a strip of cover crop, with a back wind. Although she worked it REALLY well, it wasn't suitable for a beating line.

Plan for this year is to go back to basics a bit, get her retrieving well, and hopefully shoot some rabbits over her. I would be more than happy to shoot over her now and she would certainly be up for it but she is a little rough around the edges but we will get there with her. She is also going to have a tough time with the grouse counts as Rob is doing them from mid February, to beginning of April as he's having to do them up here, as well as where we are moving to. An interesting year for her, I think!

She worked like a little trooper, which was the best birthday present, I could have hoped for!

Sorry for the ramble, I'm just sooo proud of her!

Helen

Greyghost · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:06 pm Post subject:

Ramble on....... nice story. I've never been out on a proper shoot or hunting so the more detail the better as far as I am concerned. I would love to turn my lapdog into an HPR dog, going to be a long old haul though.

Where abouts in Northumberland are you Helen? My husband is from up that way?
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Helen · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:24 pm Post subject:

We're not far from Otterburn but we're moving down to Lancashire on Friday. We've been up here for 5 years and LOVE it but needs must etc etc, so we're on the move.

Helen

Greyghost · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject:

Not far from where Alister's mother is in Ponteland then. I lived in Newcastle for 8 years, found it too cold in the winter for my liking (Southern whimp Confused

)

Hope the moves goes well on Friday Very Happy

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Lesley & Holly (Age 7.5 - re-home)

Holly & Abbie

Claire · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:41 pm Post subject:

That sounds great Helen Very Happy

And knowing Teal, she probably did even better than she sounds because she really is a great dog. I've seen her on the grouse moors and she is a pleasure to watch and such a biddable lass.

On the way to our shoot yesterday we stopped in Pathhead at the local bakery and on my way out there was a 4x4 with 3 heads poking out the back, 2 labs and a gwp! No idea who the gwp was and I didn't have time to hang around and see who the owner was as I was tempted to ask who they were and where were they going Laughing

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Hunting is natural, even foxes do it !

Whenever life hands you lemons, grab the salt and add the tequila

Bareve · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:31 am Post subject:

Bareve · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:32 am Post subject:

That was lovely to read Helen and it sounds like Teal is coming along really well. Shame the gun missed the bird - perhaps he was so taken by the fact that she did produce a bird that he hadn't got himself prepared properly Laughing

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Rhimad · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:08 pm Post subject:

Way to go Teal, she is a star in the making.

Rhimad · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:11 pm Post subject:

Claire, I would have had to go and ask and say hello to the dog. I drive John mad when we are anywhere and we see a wire, because I have to go and talk to them and ask them lots of nosy questions Laughing

Claire · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:28 pm Post subject:

Well, the full story is...... Gary wasn't in the best of moods because he had left the tailgate open overnight on the jeep, ever so slightly, and had gone out on Saturday morning to find the battery was flat Rolling Eyes

So he had to drive to the local garage, buy the jump leads he had been meaning to buy for ages, and then get the jeep started. So we were already running late all down to him and I had no intention of giving him any ammunition by saying I had contributed to our lateness Twisted Evil

_________________
Hunting is natural, even foxes do it !

Whenever life hands you lemons, grab the salt and add the tequila