Sunday December 28, 2014 hunt

Got out for a hunt last weekend.  We decided to hunt the sourgum field.  I knew the birds would be running hard in that field with the rows of sourgum and sun shining bright in the afternoon.  Well, my predictions were correct and the birds were running hard.  We ended up taking twelve birds, unfortunately one if them was hit by all three of us and nothing was left to salvage as usable meat.  I hate when that happens.  Willow and Autumn were pointing birds good but the birds were running and flushing fast.  I think we only missed three for the day that actually got up, but I know atleast another half dozen just ran from us and never got up.  We released nine so it was nice to overshoot again with a few scratch birds.   I love watching the dogs work a different field like the sourgum field, but man is that stuff tough on the dogs.  Willow is down for at least the next week with a nail bed infection.   I am just happy I caught it quicky and that she is being treated before it got bad enough to really knock her out of a longer time.  The dogs both did good and I can't wait until they are back in the field doing what they truly love to do.  There is nothing better than seeing the dogs tails start the quick wag as they catch the wife of a bird and then freeze like a deer in headlights, tail frozen straight up, and nose pointing in the direction of a bird yet to be seen.  The memories of the sting points from all of our hunts will linger with me for many years to come.  I truly feel blessed to be working with such a good dog as Willow, but then again I am more than lucky as to have Autumn as well.  I have heard many people tell me I will only get to own and hunt over one truly good bird dog, but when Autumn came into out home I found out I might have beat the odds having two dogs I would trade for no others.  I can honestly say I am not a great trainer of dogs, but rather my dogs just want to hunt and have the desire to do so at close quarters.  They have taught me how to hunt, rather than me training them to do so.  This hunt puts Willow at 151 and Autumn at 76 birds for their life time.  Please remember Willow turned two in June and Autumn turned one in July.

On a side note.  I have had a few people see Autumn and ask me what kind of pointer she was.  If you look at her pictures you might easily say she is a GSP, which is correct, but if you saw her in person and looked at her you might question that answer.  She is a very short and a little stockier female that is weighing it at 41 pounds.  If she had the traditional frame of Willow I bet she would be closer to 35 pounds, so what I am saying is she is Small!  So my new answer when people ask me is she is a new pointing breed called the miniature pointer.  I had one guy laugh at her until she saw her hunt, then he asked if I wanted to sell her.  Lol, I guess what they say is true, size doesn't matter.