cressy
|
Chase and MugiHad a couple of days in Norfolk doing some relaxed walked up shooting as training primarily.
Day one and Chase and another youngster had the session on beet. It started well and rapidly went downhill once he bumped his first pheasant   . One brittany legging it off the field deaf to the whistle and pheasants flying everywhere. I trudged to retrieve my dog before he was in the next county. He was unrepentant!!!!!!!! Second run for Chase and I was on top of him from the outset but the result was the same, bird up and little brain lost it. Final run for him and a bit of a result - he quartered well, ran but not as far and did come back fairly quickly. That was enough - 2 shot birds (shot from my flush with Chase not realising so the other dog had some retrieve training).
Afternoon and Mugi was out with a 4 yr old dog. Obviously Mugi didn't do heaps as he is so old but he found some nice birds - did a great point on a massive cock bird which gave the other dog a good retrieve (the bird was just too big for my old man to be sent for). In total Mugi had two blind retrieves on rabbit and one on a hen pheasant who we were convinced was dead. She had been still for a while before I requested the retrieve for Mugi while the other dog was working a difficult retrieve out of bramble on the other side of the wood.
Just as Mugi reached her she got up and legged it into the ditch behind her with Mugi in determined pursuit. He was down there for a while and I could hear his breathing as he tried to get a handle on this bird who had also run into bramble. A while later he emerged triumphant!!
Bag for the day - 4 hens, 4 cocks, 2 rabbit and 2 dove.
|
cressy
|
Day two and we went for the same format - youngsters on beet again in the morning.....
I took a different dog, I thought it was Chase but he was so different!!
He was slow, careful, kept stopping and working out the scent. Ok, he didn't look pretty or stylish but boy was he using his brain. He didn't manage a point (but the birds were moving ahead of us and were not tucking up) but he was indicating strongly. His first flush and his bum hit the deck and he watched the bird shot. Once I was very certain it was dead he was sent for the retrieve and boy was he keen for that bird. I followed him as his return is not strong but he did come back to me even if it wasn't fantastic. To say I was proud of his first bird was no understatement. I caught him up then for the other dog to have a run and for him to come back down from the excitement.
Second run and he continued to work well. He again flushed and had a teeny run in on the downed bird but I stopped him as the bird was flapping. He sat and we waited (and waited) but the bird stayed flapping so the gun went to dispatch it and then we sent Chase. Again his run to the bird was great, but the bloomin bird started flapping in his gob so he got a bit OTT (he had been bringing it back though). I took it from him and calmed him - ok a damaged bird but he was still a good lad. This time I ran him on for a few minutes but no more birds (for which I was grateful) and then he took the spectator role again.
Highlight of being a spectator was being invited for the retrieve that was ignored by the other dog, I ran him from where we were sat in the rear as he had marked well. Ok, he was short (this was longer than he regularly marks) but he worked himself into position to wind the bird (heart in mouth as I saw him veer off in case he started hunting) and he found it and he brought it back (err by the neck  ). That was it for retrieving as I decided to stop on a high....
His final run and he pointed and didn't chase a rabbit as it flushed.
Boy was I happy with my lad!!!
Afternoon for Mugi and he did very little as two consecutive days for him were a bit much. He did love it though and his highlight was working out a cock bird from under a couple of holly bushes - he really thought it through and sadly the bird never got enough height to be shot.
At the end I took a few photos
Hunting dog
Rabbit here!!
Tired, happy lad 
Bag for the day, one partridge, 10 cock birds and 1 hen.
What an enjoyable day - two handlers, 4 dogs, 2 guns and the keeper taking photos which we will get to see at a later date.
|
Helen
|
Sounds like a fantastic couple of days. Sounds like they both did well!
Helen
|
Lisa
|
Wow Sue, sounds a great two days and I'm so glad for you that Chase had a change of mood the next day! Well done to them both!! 
|
Greyghost
|
Good stuff Sue. Bet you were well chuffed with them.
|
|
|
|