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w.h.v.steve · Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject: pushing my luck with hares

hi i have a 20 month old hwv bitch called mist i have been training her for hpr work also trials and deer.
one day last week we were out on the hill looking for snipe, we had not gone far when she show interest in a bed of rush she stalked in and came on point i moved in and pushed her into flush it. it rose 5 yrds in front and i missed it Embarassed

we worked on up to higher ground she was 100 yrds to the right when i bumped a woodcock that i did not shoot it. then she came on point above me as i set off to move up to her, a woodcock jumped by the time i got the gun on it, it was to far ,..another miss this is normal on the hill walk miles then miss.
now for the hare. i always blow her down with the stop whistle when i see one and move her awey from the hares sent trail.
on this day we had not moved far from where the woodcock where when she bumped a hare she dropped and i shot it (they are bigger than snipe and woodcock)
this was the first one she has seen shot so she was very keen to go in for it ,so i inforced the sit and went to get it myself but when i got to it she was with me ,so i got hold of her and took her back put her down and blew the stop whistle hard ,and picked the hare up
we worked on and after half an hour i put the hare down and she retrived it ok
3 days later i took her out to look for hares without the gun.
the hares up here like to have fun with dogs they run 10 to 2o yrds and sit and look at you.
the first one she saw was near to me she dropped before i blew the stop whistle, the next one she put up when she was on a 150 yrd run she dropped as i blew the stop then i walked and picked her up and went home .
may i say all this did not happen overnight lots of enforceing the stop whistle and miles of walking up hares.(note to self; 'never think you are out of the woods') Next installment soon !!