A Brilliant Way to Spend a Morning

lagopuslagopus · A Brilliant Way to Spend a Morning

Ekko and I went out this morning with a friend (who has taken one of Inca's puppies) and his Welshie to sit in a field of wheat and hopefully shoot some pigeons. This is something we've never done before and the pigeons weren't being very co-operative! One pigeon was hit but it kept going to the end of the wood and did a right so we decided we'd look for it afterwards as we hadn't actually seen whether it had come down or not. The only other bird to come over was a jackdaw. Not being used to sitting in a field with wheat coming up to my head I didn't get a very good mark and neither did Alex but as Seren had run in he let her have a search. After a while I sent Ekko as well. To start with they kept leaping up in the air through the crop to see where they were going which wasn't a lot of good really but after a while they began to stay down for longer. We were trying to keep them in the rough area where we thought it had come down but nothing had been found so I let Ekko go. Just as we were giving up (mental note to put head up and mark properly next time) Alex said he thought, as Ekko's head did an up, that she had something in her mouth. She disappeared below again but sure enough when she arrived back she did have a still quite lively jackdaw in her mouth. Another good lesson learnt.

No more pigeons came over so we decided to walk around the woods and back to the cars. As we went into the next field we could see something in the middle and as Seren had run in previously Ekko was sent. This was the pigeon that had been hit.

We were walking through the last set aside field when I realised that Ekko was on point. I was expecting it to be a rabbit and as the cover was so high Alex wouldn't have been able to shoot it. I sent her in. Nothing moved just in front of her but she went slightly to the right, put her head down and came up with a young fox (about 8 weeks old) in her mouth. I took it from her and it was dispatched.

We had only intended stopping for a couple of hours but by the time we got back to the cars four had passed and another two firsts - not bad for one morning.

guy

lovely.!

I spent the morning pushing my desk. Cheese and pickle sandwich for lunch Smile

I know where i would rather have been.

münstermanager

That sounds like a good morning, Karen.

I realize this may be a sensitive topic, but would you always expect an HPR to point a fox in the UK? The other week, something crossed the lane in front of us. I thought it were a German Shepherd at first Embarassed

, albeit a small one, and then decided it were a fox (I was standing at the bottom of a 'hill', given this is the Cotwolds). Shortly afterwards, a Muntjac crossed in the same place. When we got to the brow of the hill, we went to the field entrance (where they had gone) and Beecham pointed. Previously, he hadn't pointed deer. I wouldn't have expected him to point fox, but he's only 25% German.... Unfortunately, I have Beecham backing Bosco on pointing the awkward cat and whilst I'm pleased with the steady pointing and the backing, I'd prefer it not to be my cat Shocked

Sue

ps Ian has been lurking Rolling Eyes

and has mentioned cheese & pickle sandwiches. I've not been on here as much as I would like, but where are these cheese and pickle sandwiches Laughing

?

BritAnnie

lagopuslagopus

Hi Sue,

It's the first time I've had a fox pointed, but it was tucked up in the grass asleep/sunbathing. If I were you I would stop them from pointing the cat the same as if they pointed a sheep.

münstermanager

Hi Karen

Ah, I guess that makes sense if the fox were asleep then. I think my 'fox' was a small GSD. I saw something this morning, in the same area, and it was definitely a dog.

I don't encourage the pointing. I try to stop it before he points, but the cat has a habit of appearing when I don't expect her to (she gets very jealous). What's the best way of stopping him pointing, if he already is, without discouraging him from pointing the species I want him to point? I certainly don't want Beecham involved as he is very effective, very steady and can hold the cat easily, so I tell him no and take him away. He is fine with the cat when Bosco is not around. It had been going reasonably, given it didn't have a good start (Ian being in charge), but it's gone very downhill the last week, or, two. Most things are water off a duck's back to Bosco at the moment. Any suggestions?

Sue

lagopuslagopus

I would do exactly the same as with Beecham. You won't stop him pointing game IMO by doing that as then he will get praised, just teach him that he doesn't do it to the cat. Especially if you get some jealousy between the two of them, the next thing will be the flush/peg! There was a dog visiting a while ago that was intent on pointing our kitten. The next thing when he was ignored was him going in. Luckily the kitten was ok - just rather wary after that. He had thought that all dogs were friendly until then.

münstermanager

Thanks very much, Karen. I got him to lie down earlier (which wasn't easy) and the next time he did it on his own. This cat, Soelvoer, is particularly awkward as she won't leave him alone. Bosco did catch the other cat, Buggi, and proceeded to wash him. But, I think Soelvoer is different. And, no, I certainly don't want a flush/peg and I don't want a tug of war, either.... Beecham is fine with Soelvoer (the awkward one)on his own and he has jumped on Bosco when he chased Buggi in the garden (I don't let cats and Bosco out at the same time, but the cat got out). Beecham & Buggi were good friends and used to share a stuffed kong (!), but Beecham got a bit fed up with Buggi biting him!

Interestingly, we met a cat out in the village the a couple of days ago, Bosco looked at it, but wasn't particularly interested and was happy to sit and to heel and eat food.

Anyway, thanks again
Sue