Fall Days Afield 2010/2011

**The Reverend Floater** · 09-03-2010, 03:02 PM

Tis the season, gents! For me, this thread will be a documentary of Steve's first season which is always a great combo of entertainment, frustration and glory. If you didn't know, my pride and joy Paco the chocolate lab passed away last spring unexpectedly, just as he was in his absolute prime; confident, focussed and totally crushing it in the field and in the blind.

Anyhow, here's Steve on his second hunt ever, grousing in the hills here. No birds but lots of fun. I didn't draw an elk tag this year but will probably go out with general deer just for fun.

Steve is a Wire Haired Griffon: 5 months old (almost to the day) and 46lbs.

**PassTheDutchie** · 09-03-2010, 03:10 PM

What kind of monkey is that? Gibbon?

**Phall** · 09-03-2010, 03:15 PM

Ah, you had to post this thread.
Im going to miss New England fall this year, but maybe do something in the winter in the Utah area.

**skinnyskier** · 09-03-2010, 03:48 PM

I can't wait for the fields to flood and duck season to get underway around here. Lark should do much better in the blind now that she can handle.

BTW, love the furnishings on Steve! He just needs you to drive the truck-he'll take care of the bird finding part.

**montanaskier** · 09-03-2010, 03:52 PM

Rev- I have a buddy with one of those dogs here in the valley. Without a doubt, the most wild, active, crazy, hyper dog EVER. He hunts with his as well but man is that dog nuts. Good Luck.

**skinnyskier** · 09-03-2010, 04:29 PM

Who is your pro for pointer camp, if you don't mind me asking? I'm curious if you decided to go with a Griff specialist?

**The Reverend Floater** · 09-03-2010, 04:46 PM

Cindy Huff...pointer specialist who works lots of Griffs. She's in Gooding, Idaho.

**ncskier** · 09-03-2010, 04:52 PM

Love this thread. I was just looking over the past few years last week. Dove season opens tomorrow in NC. Will try to get photos

**Art Shirk** · 09-03-2010, 04:55 PM

That's a great name and a cute pup, Rev. I don't hunt, but I always love these threads. Great scenery and some serious man/k9 bonding.

**Jer** · 09-03-2010, 05:46 PM

Here's to a rad and edjucational Fall for Steve. Get 'em, boy!

Yesterday was 80 degrees and steamy, today was 60. Going hunting Sunday.

**Grange** · 09-03-2010, 08:13 PM

I'm headed up north in the morning to run the dogs on some grouse and woodcock.

Jer - you going after doves?

**flyandski365** · 09-04-2010, 01:05 AM

Ahh, perfect timing. Got out in the field with my English pointer for the first time this year. She needs work. Didn't hunt with her as much as I would have liked last season because the hawk decided she didn't like the dog and started dive bombing her in the field and not hunting. I released that hawk, getting a new one soon.

Piper

**MakersTeleMark** · 09-04-2010, 01:47 AM

Yes! Fall has begun! Good work Rev. I feel Sue is a bit busy right now - maybe turning into a herd dog???

**The Reverend Floater** · 09-04-2010, 06:09 PM

So today I dropped little 5 m/o Steve off at Cindy Huff's facility outside of Gooding, Idaho for the next month. Cindy came highly recommended as a pointer trainer and her place was nice...really clean kennels, very happy dogs, nice training pool, pheasant, chukkar, quail and pigeon in the bird pen, and tons of acreage. Susie was very cool and professional--asked me lots of questions about Steve and gave him a pretty thorough inspection.

Then came the big moment--she wanted to see him with a bird. I've only seen him with a pigeon at 8 weeks old and he was small and curious but also scared, so I was nervous...no matter what research you do on your breeder, no matter how many clients you talk to, you always wonder "what if the dog has no pray drive? What if he doesn't retrieve? What if he's gun shy," etc. I knew he wasn't gun shy and I knew he would retrieve bumpers but that was about it...it was truly a moment of truth.

She put a "sleeping" chukkar on the lawn, placed Steve on a check cord and handed me an over-under 20. We walked around the lawn, then towards the bird. Steve was fucking around, horsing on the leash and in general party mode, having no idea where he was or what we were doing. Suddenly, as we approached the bird, he caught scent and in an instant went into stalk mode out of nowhere then just locked on it, tail up, perfect point. I walked around him up to the bird and gently nudged it until it woke up and flushed. Steve stood up and Cindy instructed me to "wait...wait...shoot!" I shot the chukkar and Steve went right after it, swiftly picking it up and bringing it right back to me. Cindy told me not to grab it, but to see if Steve would carry it back with us to the kennel. Steve was happy to oblige and actually had a pretty soft mouth has he happily trotted with us back to the kennel with the dead bird in his mouth. We stopped at the pond and Cindy commanded drop, which Steve did right into her hand (worked on that with bumpers). She then threw it into the pond and Steve literally jumped 8 feet into the pond after it, swam to it, grabbed it, and brought it right back to us.

We walked back to the kennel with me carrying the chukkar. Steve was whining, being dragged as he wouldn't take his eyes off the bird. Cindy was visibly stoked and impressed and was excited to see what she could do with him.

Gentlemen--truly one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life. That dog will hunt!

**Art Shirk** · 09-04-2010, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

So today I dropped little 5 m/o Steve off at Cindy Huff's facility outside of Gooding, Idaho for the next month. Cindy came highly recommended as a pointer trainer and her place was nice...really clean kennels, very happy dogs, nice training pool, pheasant, chukkar, quail and pigeon in the bird pen, and tons of acreage. Susie was very cool and professional--asked me lots of questions about Steve and gave him a pretty thorough inspection.

Then came the big moment--she wanted to see him with a bird. I've only seen him with a pigeon at 8 weeks old and he was small and curious but also scared, so I was nervous...no matter what research you do on your breeder, no matter how many clients you talk to, you always wonder "what if the dog has no pray drive? What if he doesn't retrieve? What if he's gun shy," etc. I knew he wasn't gun shy and I knew he would retrieve bumpers but that was about it...it was truly a moment of truth.

She put a "sleeping" chukkar on the lawn, placed Steve on a check cord and handed me an over-under 20. We walked around the lawn, then towards the bird. Steve was fucking around, horsing on the leash and in general party mode, having no idea where he was or what we were doing. Suddenly, as we approached the bird, he caught scent and in an instant went into stalk mode out of nowhere then just locked on it, tail up, perfect point. I walked around him up to the bird and gently nudged it until it woke up and flushed. Steve stood up and Cindy instructed me to "wait...wait...shoot!" I shot the chukkar and Steve went right after it, swiftly picking it up and bringing it right back to me. Cindy told me not to grab it, but to see if Steve would carry it back with us to the kennel. Steve was happy to oblige and actually had a pretty soft mouth has he happily trotted with us back to the kennel with the dead bird in his mouth. We stopped at the pond and Cindy commanded drop, which Steve did right into her hand (worked on that with bumpers). She then threw it into the pond and Steve literally jumped 8 feet into the pond after it, swam to it, grabbed it, and brought it right back to us.

We walked back to the kennel with me carrying the chukkar. Steve was whining, being dragged as he wouldn't take his eyes off the bird. Cindy was visibly stoked and impressed and was excited to see what she could do with him.

Gentlemen--truly one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life. That dog will hunt!

I know less than jackfuckall about hunting with a dog, but it seems to be he already does!

The prey drive is a mysterious thing to me (I am sure it is explained in an evolutionary context). You could throw a bird in her crate and she wouldn't care a lick. If she so much as hears the first three letters of the word "squirrel," she goes chimpshit.

**P_McPoser** · 09-04-2010, 08:15 PM

I just brought home an 8 week old german shorthaired pointer and hope to get after the birds.

gunit130 · 09-04-2010, 08:25 PM

^^^right on Rooster.

**Grange** · 09-06-2010, 07:50 PM

Well it was an interesting weekend. I found some birds and a few more things. I didn't get up to my cottage until after noon on Saturday and then helped my parents with some work around the cottage. I was able to get my english setter and lab in the woods for about an hour in early evening. It was the first time I had the setter running with my Garmin Astro. She only got out to about 155 yards on her furthest cast, which I thought would have been a little farther. I think with the the leaves holding strong she wasn't ranging that far. We didn't find any birds that evening, but it was still fun watching the dogs run.

Sunday Morning I got into the woods and had a blast. My camera batteries died early on so my pictures are limited. My lab had an hell of a flush on a grouse and my setter had multiple productive points on both grouse and woodcock. In between the birds I kicked up an decent buck. The rack wasn't wide, but it was tall so I'm guessing it was either a 4 or 6 point buck. Around here any bigger and they tend to have a nicer spread.

Toward the end of the morning my setter was at about 100 yards and my lab was out in front probably around 30 yards. I head something big coming at me from the front. Knowing my lab was nearby I figured it was her, but couldn't believe the racket she was making. I saw something black coming right at me and thought either my lab gained about 200 lbs. or that's a bear. As the animal ran past me (about 10-20 yards to my left) I saw the brown snout and knew it was definitely a bear. I made sure I had my lab and then handled my setter out of the area.

Tico pointing her second bird.

Tico after the flush and shot.

This point deserves some explanation. I was watching my setter cross from left to right in front of my when she caught scent. She hit point so hard she almost flipped over. I was the hardest point I've ever seen her hit. Her back end was so low she was almost sitting. I worked the woodcock and she didn't move.

**Grange** · 09-06-2010, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

So today I dropped little 5 m/o Steve off at Cindy Huff's facility outside of Gooding, Idaho for the next month. Cindy came highly recommended as a pointer trainer and her place was nice...really clean kennels, very happy dogs, nice training pool, pheasant, chukkar, quail and pigeon in the bird pen, and tons of acreage. Susie was very cool and professional--asked me lots of questions about Steve and gave him a pretty thorough inspection.

Then came the big moment--she wanted to see him with a bird. I've only seen him with a pigeon at 8 weeks old and he was small and curious but also scared, so I was nervous...no matter what research you do on your breeder, no matter how many clients you talk to, you always wonder "what if the dog has no pray drive? What if he doesn't retrieve? What if he's gun shy," etc. I knew he wasn't gun shy and I knew he would retrieve bumpers but that was about it...it was truly a moment of truth.

She put a "sleeping" chukkar on the lawn, placed Steve on a check cord and handed me an over-under 20. We walked around the lawn, then towards the bird. Steve was fucking around, horsing on the leash and in general party mode, having no idea where he was or what we were doing. Suddenly, as we approached the bird, he caught scent and in an instant went into stalk mode out of nowhere then just locked on it, tail up, perfect point. I walked around him up to the bird and gently nudged it until it woke up and flushed. Steve stood up and Cindy instructed me to "wait...wait...shoot!" I shot the chukkar and Steve went right after it, swiftly picking it up and bringing it right back to me. Cindy told me not to grab it, but to see if Steve would carry it back with us to the kennel. Steve was happy to oblige and actually had a pretty soft mouth has he happily trotted with us back to the kennel with the dead bird in his mouth. We stopped at the pond and Cindy commanded drop, which Steve did right into her hand (worked on that with bumpers). She then threw it into the pond and Steve literally jumped 8 feet into the pond after it, swam to it, grabbed it, and brought it right back to us.

We walked back to the kennel with me carrying the chukkar. Steve was whining, being dragged as he wouldn't take his eyes off the bird. Cindy was visibly stoked and impressed and was excited to see what she could do with him.

Gentlemen--truly one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life. That dog will hunt!

It's a great feeling when you see you dog "get it". I still remember seeing my setter's first point. Sure it was a sight point on a robin on a baseball diamond, but I didn't care. That was the first time I knew my dog was going to make a good bird dog. I still look at those pictures and remember the how thrilled I was.

**bushman** · 09-06-2010, 08:31 PM

Duck season starts (early season) in Iowa Sept 18 if my sources are correct, I will provide a TR with dog photos. Always a good time with good guys.

**skinnyskier** · 09-07-2010, 07:51 AM

Rev, your pro hit all the right notes. She's proud of her kennels and grounds, and wanted to be sure you saw where your dog would stay. Most of all, she doesn't want to waste your time and money training a dog who just don't have it.

**Lonnie** · 09-07-2010, 08:19 AM

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/education-Pretty-Boy-Havilah-Babcock/dp/B0007E5AFY"]Amazon.com: The education of Pretty Boy: Havilah Babcock: Books[/ame]

Good luck finding an affordable copy.

**Conundrum** · 09-07-2010, 08:22 AM

Hunt it up STEVE!

**Yeti** · 09-07-2010, 10:30 AM

In Maine, first goose season opened this past weekend. Yesterday I went on a non-shooting cruise around the lower Kennebec and nearby marshes. There were geese and some teal around. A sturgeon almost jumped into the boat at one point -- just a foot off the bow.

A few season dates:

Partridge opens October 1.

Fall turkey is on October 16-22 in my zone. I am under a bit of pressure to provide a turkey for the table. Sunday I went cruising through the woods to an old orchard; there are so many hens around, but I didn't see a single bearded tom or jake.

Ducks: in my zone, we have a split season: this year it's October 1-23, and then November 10-December 25. I guess we have to let some of the ducks make their way south. I've been scouting a few new marsh areas that I'm anxious to try.

**Danno** · 09-07-2010, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by commonlaw

The prey drive is a mysterious thing to me (I am sure it is explained in an evolutionary context). You could throw a bird in her crate and she wouldn't care a lick. If she so much as hears the first three letters of the word "squirrel," she goes chimpshit.

Yeah, Norman is the same way. Goes crazy for squirrels and rabbits, ignores birds.