Christmas day is behind us and New Years is just a couple of days away. My family is coming over New Years Day to celebrate our Christmas. All our kids and grandkids should be there with the exception of Oliver and he might still make just need to convince his Dad he needs to celebrate his Christmas with the rest of his family. Looking forward to it.
Things have been quiet around the kennels. With the holidays I haven't been able to get out and hunt any. After our problems with Gem on Christmas eve he seems to be feeling much better. He brought me his rubber toy when I got home from work Tuesday and we played fetch for 15 to 20 minutes and he is full of energy again. Even though I know that this is only temporary it is still nice to see him full of himself again.
I've sold a couple of more puppies this week which make me very happy. a couple of these are repeat customers and that makes me happy. it makes me feel like we are doing something right if people want a 2nd pup from our kennel.
I studded Gem to a female from Ohio and a gentleman got a pup from these folks and it was the best dog he ever had. He contacted me because he wanted another pup out of Gem. Since Gem is retired from breeding I told him I had a litter our of Gem's son, Herkie, He liked that and put a deposit down.
If you know anyone wanting a great English Pointer puppy give them my name and my home page, http://www.lostriverkennels.com/ and I will fix them right up. I know Morgan is expecting and am 97% percent sure Missy took. She is adding weight and her nipples are bigger and fuller so I am pretty sure she took. but I've been fooled before. So I am keeping my fingers are crossed and hope my hunches turn out true.
Pointerman
Lost River Gemstone on the left and his son Lost River Hercules on the right
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
12/23 thru 12/26/10
Well another Christmas has come and gone. It was a good one as far as family goes had a wonderful time at my Mom's even though alot of the kids couldn't be there because of the weather. It gave me time to reflect on my Dad and my sister Susie I miss them both so much I know they are looking down and enjoying still seeing the family enjoying each other. We went to Tina's family on Christmas afternoon had a great time as all her family made it and got to watch the niece's and nephew's have a good time. Had great food all day long got home fed the dogs and took a long nap a lot of traveling always wears me out.
Not so good of a week as far as the dogs go. Lost my old female pointer named Maggie. She was 13 1/2 years old but in pretty good health. I hunted her Saturday on pheasant and she did great pointed a couple of birds and I got a picture of her last point. She seemed fine Monday she greeted my at the gate when I fed her and she ate good and was quite happy getting her milk bones. Her stools we good and firm and she seemed just fine. But when I fed Tuesday she did not meet me at the gate and I knew something was up I opened her dog house and there she laid curled up in a ball like she slept and she was still warm. I think she curled up went to sleep and just didn't wake up I think it was just her time. If you enlarge the picture below and look down the corn row you can see Maggie's last point it was a nice rooster and we did not get it unfortunately.
Not so good of a week as far as the dogs go. Lost my old female pointer named Maggie. She was 13 1/2 years old but in pretty good health. I hunted her Saturday on pheasant and she did great pointed a couple of birds and I got a picture of her last point. She seemed fine Monday she greeted my at the gate when I fed her and she ate good and was quite happy getting her milk bones. Her stools we good and firm and she seemed just fine. But when I fed Tuesday she did not meet me at the gate and I knew something was up I opened her dog house and there she laid curled up in a ball like she slept and she was still warm. I think she curled up went to sleep and just didn't wake up I think it was just her time. If you enlarge the picture below and look down the corn row you can see Maggie's last point it was a nice rooster and we did not get it unfortunately.
Woke up Wednesday morning and Gem was bad. Gem has cardiomiopathy and right sided heart failure and takes meds daily for his heart and to keep the fluid in check. Well Wednesday morning he was bloated and having a hard time breathing. I called the Vet and they fit him thankfully. We x-rayed him and could see the fluid build up in his abdomen but unfortunately we could also see fluid build up in lungs. This is bad as we can not drain the lungs nearly as easy as the belly. Dr. Johnson and Kelsie his RVT shaved his side and inserted a cathater needle into his lower belly and used a syringe and started pulling out the fluid. They worked for an hour and 1/2 and pulled 10 1/2 cups of fluid. He looked so much better and he lost 8 pounds all in fluid. The Dr. upped his lasics from 120 mgs a day to 180 mgs a day and he seems to be doing better he gained some fluid Christmas eve to Christmas morning but the lasics kicked in and he seems to be close to normal now. But the Doctor said his heart had enlarged more and the valves were not closing all the way now and his days are numbered. Gem was a real trooper through all this he never moved just stood like a good boy and let the doctor do his thing. With his days numbered I really am trying to spend some quaility time with him he really is a great dog and will miss him like none other. I hope he does like Maggie and goes to sleep and doesn't wake up I sure don't want to see him suffer. If he gets bad I will put him down and that is a day I will dread but he deserves to go with dignity and not suffer for days. Well thanks for listening to me go on about Gem but he is just the greatest dog to ever walk on this earth I love him so much. Below is a picture I took Saturday 12/18 on his last pheasant hunt. This is his last point and it too was a big ole rooster and Scott and I both missed him sure wish I would've got that bird.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
12/23/10
Let's all take time to remember those who have served this country and are serving at this time. There are many proud warriors serving our country and will not be with family this Christmas so take time and say a little prayer for them and their families. Let's also not forget our homeland heroes the police, fire fighters and border agents who put their life on the line every day to keep us safe. God bless you all.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
12/17 thru 12/18 2010 (cont)
After lunch we headed out to our next field and this is where the action really happened. First trip down the field nothing on the return lap we walked the milo strip back. The dogs would flash point and were birdy all the way up the milo and this place was just packed with tracks. After the dogs catiously worked their way up the milo a rooster flushed wild and curved to the left, right by Scott he shot the feathers flew and you could tell the bird was hit hard but it continued to fly. Callin and I both let go with 2 shots each to see if we could bring Scott's bird down we both missed. But the rooster finally colapsed and fell about 100 yards out. Scott walked over to get the bird and it flushed again and Scott let that old rooster have it this time and it was down for good. This was Scott's first wild pheasant and he was quite proud. When he got to the bird this rooster had no tail it was definitely a rooster but he had lost all of his tail feathers. This just shows you how tough the birds are, this rooster flew over 100 yard with a bad wing and a broken leg. We were glad the leg was broken because instead of flushing the second time he would've run. These are tough and magnificant birds they due the respect we give them in the bird hunting world.
We started walking the rest of the milo field and the just as Ammo went point I saw the rooster running to our right I yelled rooster running and about that time it flushed Scott and Callin both shot but no feathers and no bird. We turned back down the field in the next strip of milo and about 1/2 down we flushed another rooster and Scott downed this one with one shot. Jet had a nice retrieve and Scott got his Indiana limit on his first wild pheasant hunt congratulations to him. We hunted down the field to the creek and crossed over the creek and just as we got to the other side out flushed a big rooster Callin downed it on his second shot. It was great this was his first wild pheasant too! And what a pheasant it was this is the biggest rooster I have ever seen. It has 33 bars on the tail and it is the longest tail I have ever seen. Here is a picture of the proud young man.
Jet made a nice retrieve on this rooster also. You can see a picture of Jet on the retrieve on my facebook photo album.
We continued to hunt the back part of the field when tragedy struck. Jet made a nice point the rooster ran and got up 50 yards out and Callin folded it. While we were looking for the rooster when Jets beeper went off again. We marked the spot and went to see if we could get the rooster on point by Jet but when Callin got to him he wasn't pointed he was down! I got to him and his head was thrown back and his eyes were glazed over. I thought I had lost him. Scott had water and I got his mouth open and got a little water down him and he came around a little. We waited for a while and I put the lead on him and headed for the truck. He had this seizure as far away from the truck as we could get. He walked with me until we crossed the creek and that was as far as he could go. I laid my shotgun against a tree and carried him on my shoulder the last 400 yards to the truck. At the truck he seemed pretty well back to normal but I put him in the dog box gave him a big bowl of water and some dry dog food. I have packets of moist dog food in the truck for the dogs and this is what he needed but they were little blocks of frozen dog food. but he ate and drank a little and seemed pretty good. I called Tina and told her what was going on and she googled dog siezure and it said it was hypo-glycemia or low blood sugar. It also said it was common in hunting breeds because of the energy they exert while hunting and I am sure the cold weather, snow and no available water as the streams and puddles were all frozen might have have hand in this also.
Scott and Callin went back to look for Callin's second bird but they could not find him. Without a dog they could not find him we figure he had ran after he went down and Ammo went with me back to the truck with Jet. I hate to lose a bird after it is down and they looked long and hard and unfortunately it happens sometimes. I think if we had Jet up and running he would have found this bird.
Scott and Callin hunted their way back to the truck while I took Jet back and did not see any birds but Scott found my shotgun and brought it back to the truck with him. With Jet back to normal it was now 2:30 and we only had 30 minutes left to hunt so we left him and took Ammo and walked the 2 milo strips again. But no birds.
It was quite a day Scott and Callin's first wild pheasant hunt and Scott limited and Callin took a giant all in all it was a great hunt.
As we left the field and headed back for Remington I put one of the packets of moist dog food on my defroster and by the time we got to McDonalds this was thawed and steaming. I put this moist food on his dry food and by the time we ate he had eaten all the moist and dry dog. He looked good again, his eyes were bright and we was wagging so I was quite relieved.
So after 559 miles and 11 hours of hard hunting in 40 hours we saw 12 roosters, about 8 hens and a covey of quail and I was pooped. Walking in the deep snow and packing everything into 40 hours had taken its toll. I went to bed around 10:00 and didn't do a thing Sunday other than watch the Colts win and fed and water the dogs. Plus 2 good naps in the afternoon I was tired but satisfied.
Here are a couple of pictures plus the link to my photo album on Facebook
We started walking the rest of the milo field and the just as Ammo went point I saw the rooster running to our right I yelled rooster running and about that time it flushed Scott and Callin both shot but no feathers and no bird. We turned back down the field in the next strip of milo and about 1/2 down we flushed another rooster and Scott downed this one with one shot. Jet had a nice retrieve and Scott got his Indiana limit on his first wild pheasant hunt congratulations to him. We hunted down the field to the creek and crossed over the creek and just as we got to the other side out flushed a big rooster Callin downed it on his second shot. It was great this was his first wild pheasant too! And what a pheasant it was this is the biggest rooster I have ever seen. It has 33 bars on the tail and it is the longest tail I have ever seen. Here is a picture of the proud young man.
We continued to hunt the back part of the field when tragedy struck. Jet made a nice point the rooster ran and got up 50 yards out and Callin folded it. While we were looking for the rooster when Jets beeper went off again. We marked the spot and went to see if we could get the rooster on point by Jet but when Callin got to him he wasn't pointed he was down! I got to him and his head was thrown back and his eyes were glazed over. I thought I had lost him. Scott had water and I got his mouth open and got a little water down him and he came around a little. We waited for a while and I put the lead on him and headed for the truck. He had this seizure as far away from the truck as we could get. He walked with me until we crossed the creek and that was as far as he could go. I laid my shotgun against a tree and carried him on my shoulder the last 400 yards to the truck. At the truck he seemed pretty well back to normal but I put him in the dog box gave him a big bowl of water and some dry dog food. I have packets of moist dog food in the truck for the dogs and this is what he needed but they were little blocks of frozen dog food. but he ate and drank a little and seemed pretty good. I called Tina and told her what was going on and she googled dog siezure and it said it was hypo-glycemia or low blood sugar. It also said it was common in hunting breeds because of the energy they exert while hunting and I am sure the cold weather, snow and no available water as the streams and puddles were all frozen might have have hand in this also.
Scott and Callin went back to look for Callin's second bird but they could not find him. Without a dog they could not find him we figure he had ran after he went down and Ammo went with me back to the truck with Jet. I hate to lose a bird after it is down and they looked long and hard and unfortunately it happens sometimes. I think if we had Jet up and running he would have found this bird.
Scott and Callin hunted their way back to the truck while I took Jet back and did not see any birds but Scott found my shotgun and brought it back to the truck with him. With Jet back to normal it was now 2:30 and we only had 30 minutes left to hunt so we left him and took Ammo and walked the 2 milo strips again. But no birds.
It was quite a day Scott and Callin's first wild pheasant hunt and Scott limited and Callin took a giant all in all it was a great hunt.
As we left the field and headed back for Remington I put one of the packets of moist dog food on my defroster and by the time we got to McDonalds this was thawed and steaming. I put this moist food on his dry food and by the time we ate he had eaten all the moist and dry dog. He looked good again, his eyes were bright and we was wagging so I was quite relieved.
So after 559 miles and 11 hours of hard hunting in 40 hours we saw 12 roosters, about 8 hens and a covey of quail and I was pooped. Walking in the deep snow and packing everything into 40 hours had taken its toll. I went to bed around 10:00 and didn't do a thing Sunday other than watch the Colts win and fed and water the dogs. Plus 2 good naps in the afternoon I was tired but satisfied.
Here are a couple of pictures plus the link to my photo album on Facebook
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
12/17 and 12/18 2010
The bad weather sure messed with our plans we were going to take to camper north on Thursday but a 1/4" of ice put an end to that but I got up at 3:15 Friday morning and pulled out of the driveway at 4:21 AM with Gem, Maggie, Jet and Ammo and headed north. I picked up my hunting partner Scott Williams at Bedford around 5:30 and we headed North towards Kentland IN. We arrive in Kentland around 9:00 and stopped at the little Mom and Pop resturant and had a big breakfast. After we ate we went to the local hardware store and checked out a lead on some private ground to hunt. The gentleman was quite gracious and allowed us to hunt his ground. The habitat looked really good but we did not see a bird in fact I did not even see any tracks in the snow. We asked to hunt a couple of other spots and we were turned down. They were all quite nice but didn't allow hunting so we went to railroad tracks where I have hunted for years. We've killed several roosters on this property and always at least flushed a few hens but not this year. I hunted this patch the day after Thanksgiving and again Friday and we did not see a bird not even any tracks in the snow on this area too. I hunted all 4 dogs Gem and Maggie got the short run the snow was pretty deep and the walking was hard so they both wore out pretty quick.
Scott and I got a room at the motel 8 around 3:00 and decided to call it a day and rest up for the big hunt an Saturday. The motel 8 was not pet friendly no dogs allowed, can you believe that! We went to KFC and got some supper and brought it back to the room to eat. But I couldn't let Gem sleep in the truck so I picked him up and Scott threw his coat over him and then he stayed between Gem and I and the cameras and we snuck him in. Never heard a peep out him and I didn;t even have to get up in the middle of the night to walk him. Scott conked out around 9:00 and Gem stretched out beside him and he let out a big groan and that is where I found him at 6:20 the next morning. I told Scott he stole my dog I expected Gem to sleep with me but the traitor stayed in bed with him. The rest of the dogs slept in the truck I had packed the dog boxes with straw and they were quite comfortable. Went out to walk the dogs first thing in the morning and it was 7 degrees dang cold but a great day to hunt. We ate breakfast at the hotel and headed to the DNR habitat area near Fowler around 8:00. Trent Temperly was supposed to be our third gun and he couldn't make it so he asked if his son, Callin could hunt with us and we said sure. He was running a little late so we started with out him
Callin is 20 years old and new daddy his daughter was born around Thanksgiving and he is quite the proud Papa. Callin is quite a nice young man and I even suggested that I introduce him to my daughter but that didn't fly and I am sure it wouldn't have flown with Sara and her husband too. :). He is in the reserves and going active duty in August Let's all wish Godspeed and safety while he is on active duty.
Scott and I got to our hunting spot around 8:45 and hunting time was 9:00 so by the time we got everything in order and the collars on the dogs it was time to hunt, my thermometer in my truck said 10 degrees and it was pretty chilly but by the time we walked a little bit we warmed right up. We started out with Gem and Maggie and made our first pass up the field no birds and no points on that pass but the snow was littered with tracks so we headed to the standing corn and decided to cover it on the pass back. About 1/2 way down the corn Gem pointed and Maggie backed and no bird but about 30 yards or so up the corn rows the rooster flushed wild and Scott got a shot off but no luck. While the dogs were on point the phone rang and I ignored it since the dogs were on point. But once the point was what I thought was unproductive I called back and it was Callin making sure he had his directions right. While I was talking to Callin is when the rooster flushed I yelled rooster, rooster at the top of lungs so Scott would know to shoot I yelled right in the phone and about busted Callin's ear. Then another 50 yards or so up the field Maggie pointed and Scott could see the rooster running at the end of the corn and it flushed wild we never got a shot but by that time Callin arrived and was getting ready at his truck and the rooster flew right by him if he had been 2 minutes earlier he could've been out of his truck and his gun loaded and he could've probably got a shot at that bird. Well we hooked up with Callin and the first rooster had flown to the end of the field landed so we decide to hunt the same side back and see if we could find him and we did Scott got off a shot but again he missed because he couldn't tell if was a rooster or a hen and he thinks he pulled off at the last minute. This pass up the field was all Gem and Maggie could handle the trip back to the truck they basically just stayed in front of us. The grass was deep and the snow was deeper and it just wore the 2 old warriors out de did not see anymore birds back to the truck.
We hunted the rest of the this field and did not see another rooster but while Scott was crossing the creek to hunt that corner he flushed a small covey of quail there was only 6 birds in this covey so we left it alone and hopefull they will make it through the winter and muliply this spring and be huntable numbers next year. While Scott was hunting the corner 2 hens flushed wild and we headed bak to the truck by this time it was 11:30 and we drove to Fowler and ate some lunch at the local minimart and headed back out to hunt the next field We arrived at exactly noon.
This pretty well covers the first half of the day I will finish this tomorrow my typing fingers are about worn to a nub!! I am going to post a couple of pictures now and will do the same tomorrow. I am also posting a link to facebook photo album.
This was Gem and Maggie's swan song, they are officially retired. Gem with his heart problems and Maggies age, 12, has really slowed them down. It broke my heart to watch these 2 great dogs stuggle after only 45 minutes of hunting. Both were great dogs and will always have a home at Lost River Kennels. I was not supposed to hunt Gem at all the doctors at Purdue said he shouldn't hunt but I could not keep him from what he loved so I hunted him sparingly and let him enjoy his time afield but alas the time has come to let rest and just be my best buddy. Below are the pictures I took Saturday of Gem and Maggie's last point. I hope you enjoy.
Scott and I got a room at the motel 8 around 3:00 and decided to call it a day and rest up for the big hunt an Saturday. The motel 8 was not pet friendly no dogs allowed, can you believe that! We went to KFC and got some supper and brought it back to the room to eat. But I couldn't let Gem sleep in the truck so I picked him up and Scott threw his coat over him and then he stayed between Gem and I and the cameras and we snuck him in. Never heard a peep out him and I didn;t even have to get up in the middle of the night to walk him. Scott conked out around 9:00 and Gem stretched out beside him and he let out a big groan and that is where I found him at 6:20 the next morning. I told Scott he stole my dog I expected Gem to sleep with me but the traitor stayed in bed with him. The rest of the dogs slept in the truck I had packed the dog boxes with straw and they were quite comfortable. Went out to walk the dogs first thing in the morning and it was 7 degrees dang cold but a great day to hunt. We ate breakfast at the hotel and headed to the DNR habitat area near Fowler around 8:00. Trent Temperly was supposed to be our third gun and he couldn't make it so he asked if his son, Callin could hunt with us and we said sure. He was running a little late so we started with out him
Callin is 20 years old and new daddy his daughter was born around Thanksgiving and he is quite the proud Papa. Callin is quite a nice young man and I even suggested that I introduce him to my daughter but that didn't fly and I am sure it wouldn't have flown with Sara and her husband too. :). He is in the reserves and going active duty in August Let's all wish Godspeed and safety while he is on active duty.
Scott and I got to our hunting spot around 8:45 and hunting time was 9:00 so by the time we got everything in order and the collars on the dogs it was time to hunt, my thermometer in my truck said 10 degrees and it was pretty chilly but by the time we walked a little bit we warmed right up. We started out with Gem and Maggie and made our first pass up the field no birds and no points on that pass but the snow was littered with tracks so we headed to the standing corn and decided to cover it on the pass back. About 1/2 way down the corn Gem pointed and Maggie backed and no bird but about 30 yards or so up the corn rows the rooster flushed wild and Scott got a shot off but no luck. While the dogs were on point the phone rang and I ignored it since the dogs were on point. But once the point was what I thought was unproductive I called back and it was Callin making sure he had his directions right. While I was talking to Callin is when the rooster flushed I yelled rooster, rooster at the top of lungs so Scott would know to shoot I yelled right in the phone and about busted Callin's ear. Then another 50 yards or so up the field Maggie pointed and Scott could see the rooster running at the end of the corn and it flushed wild we never got a shot but by that time Callin arrived and was getting ready at his truck and the rooster flew right by him if he had been 2 minutes earlier he could've been out of his truck and his gun loaded and he could've probably got a shot at that bird. Well we hooked up with Callin and the first rooster had flown to the end of the field landed so we decide to hunt the same side back and see if we could find him and we did Scott got off a shot but again he missed because he couldn't tell if was a rooster or a hen and he thinks he pulled off at the last minute. This pass up the field was all Gem and Maggie could handle the trip back to the truck they basically just stayed in front of us. The grass was deep and the snow was deeper and it just wore the 2 old warriors out de did not see anymore birds back to the truck.
We hunted the rest of the this field and did not see another rooster but while Scott was crossing the creek to hunt that corner he flushed a small covey of quail there was only 6 birds in this covey so we left it alone and hopefull they will make it through the winter and muliply this spring and be huntable numbers next year. While Scott was hunting the corner 2 hens flushed wild and we headed bak to the truck by this time it was 11:30 and we drove to Fowler and ate some lunch at the local minimart and headed back out to hunt the next field We arrived at exactly noon.
This pretty well covers the first half of the day I will finish this tomorrow my typing fingers are about worn to a nub!! I am going to post a couple of pictures now and will do the same tomorrow. I am also posting a link to facebook photo album.
This was Gem and Maggie's swan song, they are officially retired. Gem with his heart problems and Maggies age, 12, has really slowed them down. It broke my heart to watch these 2 great dogs stuggle after only 45 minutes of hunting. Both were great dogs and will always have a home at Lost River Kennels. I was not supposed to hunt Gem at all the doctors at Purdue said he shouldn't hunt but I could not keep him from what he loved so I hunted him sparingly and let him enjoy his time afield but alas the time has come to let rest and just be my best buddy. Below are the pictures I took Saturday of Gem and Maggie's last point. I hope you enjoy.
Lost river Gemstone's last point
If you look down the corn row you will see Maggie's last point
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
12/14/10
I thought I'd better get on here and give everyone a little update. I did not hunt this last weekend we were expecting snow and frigid temps. And we got both we received about 2 inches of snow and when I got up to go to work this morning my truck thermometer said 0. Since the forecast was bad I stayed home and did a few chores that needed done. When I got up Saturday morning it was still 40 degrees and I empty all the ice out of the dog buckets and gave the kennels a good cleaning. I stopped at Burch's and bought straw on my way home from work. So all the dogs got fresh straw snf the dogs are happy. When you give them fresh bedding they are like kids in candy store they scratch and dig and get their little nests made it always makes me smile. No dog I have ever owned like fresh straw like old Rock did he would work for hours to get his straw just the way he wanted it. Boy I miss that dog but I miss all my dogs that have gone on the the big bird hunt in the sky.
Heading North again this coming weekend for the last pheasant hunt for wild birds this season. Wish me luck and I hope to have some good stuff to put in my blog and of course a few pictures.
I wanted to post this story it is a good one in my opinion and they sure pick the right breed of dog for this story read and enjoy.
"Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me.
"Can't you do anything right?" words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man
in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my
throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle.
"I saw the car, Dad . Please don't yell at me when I'm driving.."
My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.
Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in
front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts.... dark,
heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant
thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?
Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon . He had enjoyed being
outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of
nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often.
The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that
attested to his prowess.
The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy
log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone,
straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about
his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger
man.
Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An
ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep
blood and oxygen flowing.
At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he
survived. But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He
obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help
were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned,
then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone..
My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm.
We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.
Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed
nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated
and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to
bicker and argue.
Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The
clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each
session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad 's troubled mind.
But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it
was up to me to do it.
The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each
of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my
problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain.
Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I
just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.."
I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a
nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic
depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given
responsibility for a dog.
I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon.. After I filled out a
questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of
disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five
to
seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs
all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied
each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too
small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the
far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat
down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a
caricature of the breed.
Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip bones
jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my
attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.
I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer looked,
then shook his head in puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere
and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be
right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing.
His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly.
As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror.. "You mean you're
going to kill him?"
"Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every
unclaimed dog."
I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision.
"I'll take him," I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside
me.. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my
prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch... "Ta-da! Look
what I got for you, Dad !" I said excitedly.
Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I
would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than
that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and
turned back toward the house.
Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded
into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad . He's staying!"
Dad ignored me.. "Did you hear me, Dad ?" I screamed. At those words Dad
whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and
blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly
the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat
down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw..
Dad 's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw Confusion
replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on
his knees hugging the animal.
It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the
pointer Cheyenne . Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent
long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the
banks of
streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday
services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at is feet.
Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years.. Dad 's
bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one
night I was startled to feel Cheyenne 's cold nose burrowing through our bed
covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night.. I woke Dick,
put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face
serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.
Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne
lying dead beside Dad 's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had
slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently
thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad 's peace of
mind.
The morning of Dad 's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks
like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews
reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne
had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to
both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.
And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show
hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without
knowing it."
"I've often thanked God for sending that angel," he said.
For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not
seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article...
Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter. . ..his calm
acceptance and complete devotion to my father. . and the proximity of their
deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after
all.
Life is too short for drama or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and
forgive quickly. Live While You Are Alive. Forgive now those who made you
cry. You might not get a second time.
And if you don't send this to at least 4 people ---nobody cares? But do
share this with someone. Lost time can never be found.
God answers our prayers in His time........God answers
Heading North again this coming weekend for the last pheasant hunt for wild birds this season. Wish me luck and I hope to have some good stuff to put in my blog and of course a few pictures.
I wanted to post this story it is a good one in my opinion and they sure pick the right breed of dog for this story read and enjoy.
"Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me.
"Can't you do anything right?" words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man
in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my
throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle.
"I saw the car, Dad . Please don't yell at me when I'm driving.."
My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.
Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in
front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts.... dark,
heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant
thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?
Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon . He had enjoyed being
outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of
nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often.
The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that
attested to his prowess.
The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy
log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone,
straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about
his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger
man.
Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An
ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep
blood and oxygen flowing.
At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he
survived. But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He
obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help
were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned,
then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone..
My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm.
We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.
Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed
nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated
and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to
bicker and argue.
Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The
clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each
session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad 's troubled mind.
But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it
was up to me to do it.
The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each
of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my
problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain.
Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I
just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.."
I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a
nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic
depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given
responsibility for a dog.
I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon.. After I filled out a
questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of
disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five
to
seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs
all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied
each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too
small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the
far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat
down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a
caricature of the breed.
Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip bones
jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my
attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.
I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer looked,
then shook his head in puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere
and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be
right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing.
His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly.
As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror.. "You mean you're
going to kill him?"
"Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every
unclaimed dog."
I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision.
"I'll take him," I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside
me.. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my
prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch... "Ta-da! Look
what I got for you, Dad !" I said excitedly.
Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I
would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than
that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and
turned back toward the house.
Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded
into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad . He's staying!"
Dad ignored me.. "Did you hear me, Dad ?" I screamed. At those words Dad
whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and
blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly
the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat
down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw..
Dad 's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw Confusion
replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on
his knees hugging the animal.
It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the
pointer Cheyenne . Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent
long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the
banks of
streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday
services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at is feet.
Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years.. Dad 's
bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one
night I was startled to feel Cheyenne 's cold nose burrowing through our bed
covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night.. I woke Dick,
put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face
serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.
Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne
lying dead beside Dad 's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had
slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently
thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad 's peace of
mind.
The morning of Dad 's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks
like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews
reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne
had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to
both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.
And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show
hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without
knowing it."
"I've often thanked God for sending that angel," he said.
For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not
seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article...
Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter. . ..his calm
acceptance and complete devotion to my father. . and the proximity of their
deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after
all.
Life is too short for drama or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and
forgive quickly. Live While You Are Alive. Forgive now those who made you
cry. You might not get a second time.
And if you don't send this to at least 4 people ---nobody cares? But do
share this with someone. Lost time can never be found.
God answers our prayers in His time........God answers
Friday, December 10, 2010
12/10/10
Well it is finally Friday and it has been a long week. Not much news to pass on other than it has been cold and now they are talking about snow. I have had to start carrying water to the dogs already usually don't have to start that until January or so. May go call coyotes and then bird hunt tomorrow just depends on the weather. I am trying to let my dogs rest and heal a little bit as I am going back north to hunt wild pheasants and I have run the dogs pretty hard this year so I would like them to be well rested as we will be hitting it for 2 days long and hard. It will be my last pheasant hunt of the year as season go out on the 20th so I am hoping to get another one or 2 on this little trip. I hope everyone has a great weekend and I hope to post some news the first of next week.
God Bless
God Bless
Monday, December 6, 2010
12/4/10
Woke up Saturday morning and winter had arrived. 32 degrees 2 inches of the snow on the ground and it was still snowing, raining and spitting freezing rain. A perfect day to go afield and chase a few quail. But if anyone knows me any day is a perfect day to follow your bird dog around. Picked up a friend of mine, Scott Williams and went to another friend, Brian Eagan's place to hunt. Still spitting snow and frozen rain when we left the truck, I took 3 dogs Birdie, Rosie and the pup Patch. They are works in progress and of course Patch is still just a pup but it is good to get her out in the field. after hunting for about 2 hours we had not seen a bird then while standing in a trail I seen the birds running through the briers, Scott moved down a bout 20 yards and stepped into the weeds to try to stop them from running I was trying to get the dogs to move in but the birds flushed wild, Scott got a couple of shots off and then I heard the rest of the covey fly but never did see them so I had no idea where they went. We hunted for another hour and never did find anymore birds. Patch did well when Scott shot she was not far and didn't even flinch just kept looking around through the weeds so a little preparation helps when it comes to introducing the dog to a gun. I would have liked for her to have pointed/flushed a bird just to see how she acted with a wild bird but as it worked out none of that happened.
I did not take any pictures as I did not want to get my camera out in such nasty weather. Maybe next time I will probably hunt a time or 2 this coming weekend.
I did not take any pictures as I did not want to get my camera out in such nasty weather. Maybe next time I will probably hunt a time or 2 this coming weekend.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
11/25 thru 11/28/2010
Well I have a little catching up to do. Tina and I left home Thanksgiving morning on our way to Benton County in northern Indiana so I could hunt wild pheasants over the weekend. I took 5 dogs of course Gem with Jet, Maggie, Herkie and Ammo. It poured rain all the way up there and the driving was pretty tough at times. We arrive at the Caboose Lake Campground around 2:00 and it was still pouring but I got out in it and set things up, walked the dogs, tied them out for a while and fed them I was soaked to the bone when I came in.
Got up at 6:00 and it was 15 degrees outside with a steady 20 mph wind then I found out the camper had no water everything was frozen. The camper has a good furnace but it does not keep the water storage area warm so I took a couple of electric heaters we had and put them under the sink in the bathroom and kitchen and opened all the cabinets and by the time I left I had water to the bathroom so at least Tina did not have to get out in the cold to go to the bathroom. By the end of the day and I got home everything had thawed and we had no more problems and we had no broken pipes.
Like I said up at 6 and met my friend Trent Temperly in the town of Fowler we ate a quick breakfast and went to the piece of property we were going hunt. By law we could not start until 9:00 and had to be off the grounds by 3:00. So we got things ready and took off. This is a state owned piece of property that is planted in habitat for wild pheasants no released birds here. About 10 minutes into the hunt Gem pointed and it turned out to be unproductive. He was solid and I believe it was a rooster that run away from the point. A little further down the property a rooster jumped wild to Trent's right he took a shot but it was a little far and he missed. A point and a rooster in the first 20 minutes was very promising. We went down the first side of the tract and got nothing on the return trip up the property Jet pointed a hen and the Ammo pointed and it turned out to be unproductive also but a rooster got up ahead of us wild and we decided that the birds had their track shoes on.
Our piece of habitat is separated into 2 fields divided by a county road. With the wind blowing at 20 mph steady we decided to hunt the west tract first thinking the birds would fly with the wind and all did and flew right into our next piece of habitat. The bird that got up wild from Ammo's point landed in the same field we were in so we moved around to where it landed it got up again about 40 yards out from me and flew right past me, I had a great opportunity to get this bird but missed with the first barrel and with the wind in his tail I thought he was to far out for the second barrel. This bird flew directly into our other field and we knew we might get another chance at him. We hunted this field for about 2 hours saw a couple more hens but no more roosters. We took a quick break for lunch in Fowler and then back to the fields for the afternoon.
Started out with Jet, Ammo and Gem in the afternoon. I rarely hunt with 3 dogs on the ground usually 2 but with just 2 hunters we had a lot of area to cover and we decided to run 3 dogs. Not 50 yards from the truck Jet locked on point Trent walked in and flushed a nice rooster shot 2 times and missed but I was backing him up and dropped the rooster with the first barrel. Gem promptly went to the bird and retrieved back to me it was a nice sequence. About another 50 yard into the habitat Jet pointed again and Trent was dead on with this bird and dropped him with the first shot.
This field is divided by a creek and we hunted the front half for about an hour and crossed over to cover the back half Gem pointed and Trent tried to get out in front and stop the bird from running but he was too late we walked in on the point and no bird, Gem roaded up about 10 yards and pointed again and this went on for about 50 yards and then the rooster flushed wild from the edge of the property flew to my left I let go with both barrels and not a feather was ruffled another chance at my limit and I missed again. We hunted the back half of the field pretty thoroughly and saw one more hen.
We then moved back to front half of the field to finish covering it I walked up a rooster and a single shot later it was on the ground. I was thrilled this is the first time in about 9 years that I have limited out on pheasant but we still had 1 bird to get so Trent could have his limit. We hunt until about 2:45 and decided to call it a day we were setting things up for a few pictures and I couldn't find Gem to get him in the picture I was yelling and cussing at him but couldn't find him I walked about a cedar tree not 10 yards from the truck and there he was on point and just as I seen him a nice rooster flushed. And there I stood without a gun and Trent going nuts because he heard the rooster flush. We took pictures and called it a day I will post a link to my face book album at the end so you can see all the pictures we took.
Saturday turned out to be a bad day I overslept and did not get up until 7:00 and had all the dogs to take care of and get things loaded into the truck and I arrive at the Mom and Pop restaurant for breakfast about 20 minutes late and I hate to be late. I met up with Trent and his friend Tim Crump. We started the day out at a piece of property that follows along a railroad track and we have always seen birds here not always roosters but at least a hen or 2 but we did not move a bird. While hunting down the tracks I lost the transmitter to my collars the beepers were on but I had now way to stimulate the collars if the dogs needed any corrections so half way up the field Jet decided to make a romp by himself and away he went ignored my whistle just wouldn't listen and I couldn't "tickle" him with the collar to remind him who was in charge so I took off after him and about 1 mile later I finally caught up with him, well needless to say me and him had a heart to heart talk and I think he got the point. But it wore me out I was so embarrassed I am not used to my dogs not listening especially in front of other people I apologized for my dogs disobedience but Trent and Tim made a joke about it because they have both had dogs and they know how it is sometimes. We drove around for a while looking for some private property to hunt and get permission to hunt it we had some luck and hunted a nice looking ditch but no luck not a single bird we went to another piece of property that we had permission to hunt and hunted a long ditch line that I got 4 hens out of last year but again no luck. By this time it was 2 in the afternoon and after my extra walk I was done and we decided to quit for the day. Not a single bird and that is unusual that we don't at least see a hen or 2.
Went back to the camper and took care of the dogs and called it a night early. Got up around 8:00 in the morning and started packing things up and we headed home around 9:45 the weather was nice and we made good time arrived home around 2:00.
Heading back up to the same area sometime in December and I am going to give it one more try. Quail hunting Saturday with my friend Scott Williams and hope to have more to add and of course some more pictures.
Here is the link to my facebook photo album if you would like to see all the pictures.
Got up at 6:00 and it was 15 degrees outside with a steady 20 mph wind then I found out the camper had no water everything was frozen. The camper has a good furnace but it does not keep the water storage area warm so I took a couple of electric heaters we had and put them under the sink in the bathroom and kitchen and opened all the cabinets and by the time I left I had water to the bathroom so at least Tina did not have to get out in the cold to go to the bathroom. By the end of the day and I got home everything had thawed and we had no more problems and we had no broken pipes.
Like I said up at 6 and met my friend Trent Temperly in the town of Fowler we ate a quick breakfast and went to the piece of property we were going hunt. By law we could not start until 9:00 and had to be off the grounds by 3:00. So we got things ready and took off. This is a state owned piece of property that is planted in habitat for wild pheasants no released birds here. About 10 minutes into the hunt Gem pointed and it turned out to be unproductive. He was solid and I believe it was a rooster that run away from the point. A little further down the property a rooster jumped wild to Trent's right he took a shot but it was a little far and he missed. A point and a rooster in the first 20 minutes was very promising. We went down the first side of the tract and got nothing on the return trip up the property Jet pointed a hen and the Ammo pointed and it turned out to be unproductive also but a rooster got up ahead of us wild and we decided that the birds had their track shoes on.
Our piece of habitat is separated into 2 fields divided by a county road. With the wind blowing at 20 mph steady we decided to hunt the west tract first thinking the birds would fly with the wind and all did and flew right into our next piece of habitat. The bird that got up wild from Ammo's point landed in the same field we were in so we moved around to where it landed it got up again about 40 yards out from me and flew right past me, I had a great opportunity to get this bird but missed with the first barrel and with the wind in his tail I thought he was to far out for the second barrel. This bird flew directly into our other field and we knew we might get another chance at him. We hunted this field for about 2 hours saw a couple more hens but no more roosters. We took a quick break for lunch in Fowler and then back to the fields for the afternoon.
Started out with Jet, Ammo and Gem in the afternoon. I rarely hunt with 3 dogs on the ground usually 2 but with just 2 hunters we had a lot of area to cover and we decided to run 3 dogs. Not 50 yards from the truck Jet locked on point Trent walked in and flushed a nice rooster shot 2 times and missed but I was backing him up and dropped the rooster with the first barrel. Gem promptly went to the bird and retrieved back to me it was a nice sequence. About another 50 yard into the habitat Jet pointed again and Trent was dead on with this bird and dropped him with the first shot.
This field is divided by a creek and we hunted the front half for about an hour and crossed over to cover the back half Gem pointed and Trent tried to get out in front and stop the bird from running but he was too late we walked in on the point and no bird, Gem roaded up about 10 yards and pointed again and this went on for about 50 yards and then the rooster flushed wild from the edge of the property flew to my left I let go with both barrels and not a feather was ruffled another chance at my limit and I missed again. We hunted the back half of the field pretty thoroughly and saw one more hen.
We then moved back to front half of the field to finish covering it I walked up a rooster and a single shot later it was on the ground. I was thrilled this is the first time in about 9 years that I have limited out on pheasant but we still had 1 bird to get so Trent could have his limit. We hunt until about 2:45 and decided to call it a day we were setting things up for a few pictures and I couldn't find Gem to get him in the picture I was yelling and cussing at him but couldn't find him I walked about a cedar tree not 10 yards from the truck and there he was on point and just as I seen him a nice rooster flushed. And there I stood without a gun and Trent going nuts because he heard the rooster flush. We took pictures and called it a day I will post a link to my face book album at the end so you can see all the pictures we took.
Saturday turned out to be a bad day I overslept and did not get up until 7:00 and had all the dogs to take care of and get things loaded into the truck and I arrive at the Mom and Pop restaurant for breakfast about 20 minutes late and I hate to be late. I met up with Trent and his friend Tim Crump. We started the day out at a piece of property that follows along a railroad track and we have always seen birds here not always roosters but at least a hen or 2 but we did not move a bird. While hunting down the tracks I lost the transmitter to my collars the beepers were on but I had now way to stimulate the collars if the dogs needed any corrections so half way up the field Jet decided to make a romp by himself and away he went ignored my whistle just wouldn't listen and I couldn't "tickle" him with the collar to remind him who was in charge so I took off after him and about 1 mile later I finally caught up with him, well needless to say me and him had a heart to heart talk and I think he got the point. But it wore me out I was so embarrassed I am not used to my dogs not listening especially in front of other people I apologized for my dogs disobedience but Trent and Tim made a joke about it because they have both had dogs and they know how it is sometimes. We drove around for a while looking for some private property to hunt and get permission to hunt it we had some luck and hunted a nice looking ditch but no luck not a single bird we went to another piece of property that we had permission to hunt and hunted a long ditch line that I got 4 hens out of last year but again no luck. By this time it was 2 in the afternoon and after my extra walk I was done and we decided to quit for the day. Not a single bird and that is unusual that we don't at least see a hen or 2.
Went back to the camper and took care of the dogs and called it a night early. Got up around 8:00 in the morning and started packing things up and we headed home around 9:45 the weather was nice and we made good time arrived home around 2:00.
Heading back up to the same area sometime in December and I am going to give it one more try. Quail hunting Saturday with my friend Scott Williams and hope to have more to add and of course some more pictures.
Here is the link to my facebook photo album if you would like to see all the pictures.
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