Got out a couple of times since the last post. The dogs and I found lot’s of action and the two different areas I went to showed good promise as far as birds numbers for egg production. I wish I would have filmed more but after my first filming experience I decided to put the camera away. I don’t know if Grady actually rushed the bird or if he broke when it was taking off.
I wasn’t surprised to see a blue because we have shot blues along with chukars in this area before. I was just surprised that I wouldn’t have gotten a shot for which ever reason it was.
After I put the camera away Grady performed like a pro. Jake did also, but in a slower more methodical pace. Even with some snow left on the northern slopes the birds have it figured out. The more rolling hills that we traveled in today produced 11 different points on paired huns and we also had one single. The chukars in the higher elevations were still some what in covey’s. They were smaller coveys and we found six different groups. But we also found two pair of chukars along with a single.
I’m looking forward to some April showers. The southern exposures are already showing dust and we’re coming into the growing season on those steep chukar slopes. The lower less steep slopes are already looking green and still damp. Some great bug forage.
Things are going to be exciting for the next month finding pairs of chukars. We usually stop looking about the first of May. But I’ll be following my grandson having fun with the turkeys by then. Turkeys are a real bright spot this year. Every place I’ve driven looking for chukars, I’ve seen good number of turkeys along the way. I know they’ll soon be scattering but I counted one flock over by the big pond that had over 150 birds. There’s going to be some serious gobbling there soon.
I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of Spring with their dogs. I know we’re having fun.
The Reigning Chukar Champions 
Do yourself an education favor. Rick Smith (huntsmith.com) is giving a dog training seminar at Lazy Bear ranch in Weiser this coming Saturday and Sunday. I believe the cost is $400 plus $50 for food. Best investment I ever made.
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Have you read this blog at all or looked at previous reports and pictures? I don’t think that Larry or his dogs need any education favors.
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In the past, Larry has complained about uneven steadiness to wing and shot. I was just trying to help him. He now doesn’t think that would be beneficial for his dogs. Every dog owner has to make up his own mind how far he wants to train. I hunt 6 months a year. Many years ago, I became a convert to a steady dog after a friend accidentally shot one of my eight dogs. The dog was mostly steady but broke on wing flush
this particular time. That was a bad day. I have a young one year old setter that is 93% trained. But I don’t trust him even after a 60 bird contacts. He is too young. He won’t be finished until next Fall probably on huns and chukars and sharptails and later on Texas Bob-whites …if we get some rain. If he were a field trial pup it would take two more years because we train so slowly to keep the big run in the dog. But this pup is a 150-200 yard dog and fantastic on Bob-white. I’ve been to all of Rick Smith seminars. Foundation, intermediate and advanced. Some many times but it has been several years and I could use a brush up. I’m not trying to make a statement, so please view it as only a suggestion.
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Thank you for the thought. Rick Smith and other professional trainers have a great place in our sport and can help many bird dog people. I’m sure his methods would help refine my dogs but they already perform to my expectations. Grady had a few excitement problems and bumped a few covey’s but I simply fixed the problem by putting the camera away and and concentrating on him. They usually give a clue as to if they are going to break and a simple word or nick usually sets things right for me.
I’d bet that 90 % of the time he does it right but sometimes he acts like a dog. The clips I showed were more to point out what I won’t expect. It would make hunting not fun for both me and the dog. I would be frustrated and he would not be getting a bird in the mouth.
Rick Smith and his crew are fantastic trainers and for most people his seminars are, like you say, a great investment. There is nothing more beautiful then watching a dog perform the way his do. Thank you for the thought and I’d love to go watch his seminar just for the insight but I’m thinking that Grady will probably be my last pointing dog and take these legs of mine into my 80’s and I feel he’ll do.
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