Last week I took Scooby over to a new park they are working on over by the house. It is probably 100 acres or so. There is alot of pasture area with knee high grass. I have always been concerned about how Scooby would do in an expansive area. He did very well. I let him off the lead and he bounced down the hill like Tigger. We had to cross over a few strips of silt fence that were close together but with a little help, he was right over it. A dirt road, soon to be a walking path, was the next thing we saw and then, right into the field. Without hesitation, Scooby took a position about 20 yard in front of the dudes and I. He worked back and forth, never getting more that 20 to 30 yards out. We were working into the wind and he was mostly nose down, popping up time to time to check out a passing bird. One time, he did get a little far out and one quick whistle brought him back to me. That was a relief. My fear is that he will be on a bird and the whistle won't bring him back. I have told this story to dad and JB but I forgot a key piece. As we were nearing the end of our walk into the wind, that pushes toward the highway, Scooby was really birdy, then about 35 geese took off from about 50 yards in from of us. Scooby started bounding towards them and the whistle brought him back. I called him a good boy and told him that was the "bird" (close enough). I also had a cap gun with me and was shooting it all around him. It did not affect him at all. Scooby has taken well to the wing on a string technique and has been pointing and "woahing" well. I got the shock collar from Keke and strapped it on Scooby and put him in the position to fail...aka throwing the retriever dummy into the ivy which usually gets a retrieval but sometimes turns into catch me. Of course, when I'm ready to put the zap to him, he retrieves every time...I guess the last thrashing left a mark. Come to find out the battery in the collar was dead anyway.Scoobys "field test" was a very promising experience for us. I hope our experience in the field is like this but I know that he has got a long way to go. Next the shotgun test is coming. Hopefully that will be this week.
18 comments:
As long as the noise of the cap gun did not disturb him, you should be fine. I would suggest an introduction to the gun from a distance and gradually ease closer as Scooby gets comfortable. He has to understand the noise is not going to hurt him. Being careful about the process sure helps eliminate the possiblity of a gun shy dog.
Sounds as if Scooby is about as ready as he can get short of actual hunting conditions. The first field with real live birds in it should be great fun for him (and us). I'm really looking forward to the first time we bust a covey of quail and the dogs start searching for singles. We'll see then how good their pointing genes are.
LP
I have never done any dog training but remember watching "Old Dog" work with Schroeder in the yard in L'ville. And then having the pleasure to observe Schroeder hunt many times in the corn and milo fields of SE Nebraska.
Based on what you have said about Scoob, he should be fine. Don't know what part of your body you sold to acquire Scoob, but based on all your previous blogs, it was a part well spent. It sounds as if he might just rank up there with Schroeder in intellect and hunting ability, and that, "my son" is indeed great company for a young dog!
I am surely looking forward to hunting over Scoob AND Bubba, have no doubt they will acquit themselves in the finest tradition of the world famous USOPHT!
HB
forgot to mention it in the previous entry, but will there be a need for "field radio" communications during the hunt?
I have a pair Motorola Talkabout 250 14 channel/17 security bandhand held "personal communicators" I can bring. Range is ostensibly 2 miles "under favorable" conditions. They have functioned well at several LARGE outdoor and indoor antique shows, for which they we purchased. This was before we got our cell phones!
I believe JB said he had some also, and I suspect they might be compatible. No more of the large bulky CB units we tried one year. I stll have them but they are more trouble than they are worth.
JB, if we can get together before we leave on the hunt we can see if the communicators use the same frequency ranges, that way we would have 4 hand sets.
What is the group consensus on the radios???????
As Mi Coronel knows, the prime objective of any heavy caliber unit is to be able to quickly, "move", "shoot" and "communicate"!
Too bad the "wily cock pheasants" aren't eqippped with GPS transponders, sure would make it easier to locate them! Maybe the NP&G Commission can work on some genetic engineering to include all the state hatched and released birds!
Let me know about the radios! They are small and easily portable!
HB
My opinion: Radios = Good Idea. Bring 'em.
For those driving from Georgia (or in JBs case, Southern South Carolina), I've investigated an alternate route coming through Brownville, NE rather than through Nebraska City, NE. Although the Brownville route is about 20 miles shorter (going to Diana and Corkys), it will take longer. Therefore I recommend taking N2 through (actually, around) Nebraska City to Lincoln, and then south on US 77 to D & Cs. They live on Stagecoach Road which (as you no doubt remember) is about 17 mi. south of Lincoln on US 77.
I will bring the radios. I have access to four of them. Mine use AAA batteries and I will bring a stash of those as well. Somewhere in the back of mind, I remember reading that it was illegal to use two way radio communications to hunt pheasants because it gave the pheasants an unfair advantage. Their hearing is so much better than ours, they will hear us figure where we are going before we make a decision and they will exit the field about 400 yards ahead of us. I am probably wrong, but we might want to check on it anyway.
I have 2 moto radios also...I'll bring them along.
I just checked the Nebraska hunting regulations. We will not be able to use the two way radios to communicate the location of game. We can use the two way radios to locate each other. Even tho some of us get pretty gamey during the hunt. I hope that is not a violation.
How do yo use radios to locate game? "Hey, there is a bird flying your way" "oops, too late". The wiley cock phesant moves way to quickly down wind for this to happen. I could see us letting the blockers know we are coming or letting the blockers get into position before leaving but this certainly is not locating game, Right?
All I know is that when we use them, they are picked up on scanners...the Fictums heard us coming before we got to their place. They had a scanner on while we were shooting the breeze about their place on the CB. I think we will be fine...we just need to be aware of what we say while we use them.
OK, couple of comments!
I like SP's idea of not driving to Lincoln to get to the McGown Goat Farm, Inc., in Martelle.
I remember one year, the year we hit the "wiley cock pheasant" with the van and couldn't find him, we drove across the "MIGHTY" river (Platt, Missouri, or Mississippi, can't remember which without my map) well south of Nebraska City and came upon Martelle from the Soudt! May have taken longer but was a more "scenic" drive and seemed to have less traffic. I would vote "yea" on this idea.
As far as the radios are concerned, when we used them in the past, it wasn't to communicate where the birds were but, as LP said to communicate where WE were in terms of a particular activity. I agree with LP about how could we use them to "find" birds? Several factors are against this, including, but not limited to the birds move AWFULLY fast when aroused, either by RUNNING or FLYING away! One other factor is the limited range on these small hand held devices. Optimum range is pretty much unobstructed, line of sight.
One other point, I am not sure if the game warden would have a scanner to monitor the frequencies of these radios. They use a pretty narrow band in the higher frequency VHF range and are primarily used for "none essential" radio communication. Isn't like terrorists could use them for any "bad stuff", so why would law enforcement monitor those freqs?
Sounds like there may be enough radios for almost everyone to have one, at least all the "official" vetted members of the USOPHT!
HB
I also vote 'yea' on the south of Nebraska City route to Martell, NE. Especially since we will be arriving at a time that will allow plenty of sight seeing...miles and miles of miles and miles. I remember hitting the pheasant with the van also. You are right...no bird could be found. It was a rooster too.
If y'all decide on the Brownville route, let me know and I'll provide detailed instructions.
SP,
Since HB and I agree about that route, Len could probably care less, and David will not care at all, why don't you go ahead and provide the detailed instructions. I believe that you and I drove that route ourselves once. We had no problem.
SP
Look at this google map and see if it routes us the way you suggest. It looks as if it would take us the same way we went on the trip when we hit the bird with the van.
Crosses the river South of Nebraska and comes into the McC's from the South.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sk-dd&utm_term=driving%20directions
HB
Fortunately, the "old dog" has scripted the driving directions and informed us of when to turn "nord" or "soud". I have a copy that will reinforce the Google Map. Also, the Colonel will be forwarding the specific address of the "honey hole" which will allow an aerial view of everything but the wiley roosters themselves. Should help us pinpoint blocking and field entry before the recon run from the airport.
I know that road navigation in Nebraska is a lock cinch with all the roads being laid out with European precision "on the grid", But while reading all the references to Nord, Soud, Easd and Wesd, I can't help think if one of those modern day hi tech wonders, called a GPS receiver would be any benefit?
I know it would help with navigating across the wilds of America to find Martel NE, but would it be worthwhile in our hunding activities, other than to allow the "slightly inebriated" hunders to find home again after dark?
Just a thoud.
HB
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