A couple of things today..
First and formost, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our newest member, John McG, or as he is known around the BBs, Alpha Setter. I know John to be a confirmed Setter lover, and an avid bird hunter.
I'm very pleased that John as chosen to join us, and hope he posts about his experiences this season with Tucker, his English Setter....
Welcome John...
On another front, the High Peaks of the Adirondacks had the first snowfall of the season on Friday night.... I love snow...
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A good addition indeed.
ReplyDeleteSure hope to hear some about that Tucker. Sounds like hes off to a good start already.
Thanks for the warm welcome folks and a happy season to you all. I'm looking forward to the sheer enjoyment of the reading and the many things that this relative plebeian has yet to learn.
ReplyDeleteTucker is my first Setter, not counting the rescue dog 'Buddy', who though doesn't seem to hunt--deserves mention as a wonderful, if not overly needy, lap dog.
Those Setters!
Tucker is a Llewellin setter who just turned two years on this September seven of 2008.
I've had him out in the woods since he was about nine weeks. It was a blast watching him figure out how to negotiate all manner of obstacles and to develop into a graceful and strong (if not a wee too enthusiastic) traveler of the same.
I was able to shoot a few birds over him last year, as he was pointing and holding at least until the flush, both grouse and woodcock on about a fifty-fifty basis.
So far this early season Tucker has located nineteen grouse many more woodcock.
I think he is starting to figure things out although the heat has made the early scenting of grouse difficult for him. This has resulted in the 'bumping' of most of these birds.
I am encouraged by a number of very nice steady points on woodcock, where he has held for several minutes.
One particular grouse encounter of last week is noteworthy. Noteworthy to a hopeful and happy companion, anyway.
We were in a very thick area of an overgrown orchard rife with rose, grape vines, winter berry and a general plethora of opportunistic vegemation when Tucker's bell went excitingly silent.
My first thought was that he was just taking a dump, or maybe listening to locate me, instead of our desired prey. But, the silence continued to the point where I thought he may have scooted out of bell range with a burst of 'warp speed'.
I even started to call him to me with 'come around' and whistle. Nada. Not a sound. It was at least for or five minutes of brush busting before I found him. My wee buddy had a grouse pinned handily under a apple tree and grape vine tangle. Just as I walked within spitting range of Tucker the grouse flushed from about ten or fifteen feet in front of Tucker's nose. I was stooped and stuck and had no opportunity to shoot, but that didn't taint my pleasure and joy of the incident, nor the pride in my 'bird dog'.
Yup, I just may actually have a bird dog like those that I have read about. That which has engendered a deep yearning for the experiences of those 'dog men' who have shared so much through their writings. To have some of those same stories to tell of both dog and man working together to out fox those wonderful birds in the places they dwell.