BallyRoanBaubles
Buys real biscuits
Been following the IGL retriever champs today, two of our trainers are through to the 3rd round 
Gundog people
- Thread starter Clodagh
- Start date
druid
Well-Known Member
We were one of only 6 dogs to finish the trial on Wednesday but no award. She got a knock because a bird was flushed by the dog on the right, shot and landed about 12ft from her. She had stopped to shot nicely and was sat up but the bird was a flapper and she stood up...so I blew the stop whistle. In an open trial it's enough to put you out of the running. Frustrating though, as she's rock steady normally.
Mimi had some nice work flushing pheasnats off her nose this weekend...which are still boring, apparently. She still needs to connect the dots between hunt, flush and retrieve
Mimi had some nice work flushing pheasnats off her nose this weekend...which are still boring, apparently. She still needs to connect the dots between hunt, flush and retrieve
BallyRoanBaubles
Buys real biscuits
Well done for finishing, I have absolutely no idea, what do spaniels have to do in a trial/test?
I had a half day on Friday so managed to fit some training in
druid
Well-Known Member
Hunt in pairs, need to have a nice fast stylish hunting pattern going no more than about 15y either side and 5y ahead. Get into/under all cover fearlessly. Find game, be steady to flush and shot. Retrieve as asked, tenderly to hand. Often eyewipes/blind retrieves on loose birds. 2 dogs hunt side by side and have to sit still and silent while the other dog retrieves on their side...even if it's at your feet!! You run twice, under 2 different judges (if your first run is clean)
Clodagh
Playing chess with pigeons
stangs
Well-Known Member
I don't say this often about labs because they're really not my cup of tea but he is a seriously handsome young man.
Clodagh
Playing chess with pigeons
Thank you. He’s very muscular. He’s also a bit thin atm.
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How frustrating but well done on finishing the trial.
I wish mine found game boring, he's found off the scale drive so the little fecker is back to basics...
BallyRoanBaubles
Buys real biscuits
We had a day out on a new shoot yesterday, we were beating yesterday rather than picking. Totally different to the small syndicate we usually pick up on, we had our first experience of a beaters wagon 
which my dogs coped surprisingly well with especially Zazu. It was fell/moor type land and we were all totally knackered afterwards
Had a great time and we're asked back so that's a bonus!
Zazu is such a legend, don't get me wrong he's a PITA sometimes, but working wise there's nothing he won't have a go at, he really made me proud yesterday
Rafi was a good boy too and he was complemented on his excellent recall
which my dogs coped surprisingly well with especially Zazu. It was fell/moor type land and we were all totally knackered afterwards Had a great time and we're asked back so that's a bonus!
Zazu is such a legend, don't get me wrong he's a PITA sometimes, but working wise there's nothing he won't have a go at, he really made me proud yesterday
Rafi was a good boy too and he was complemented on his excellent recall
druid
Well-Known Member
She's doesn't find game boring as such, she doesn't care about it once it's flushed. Or doesn't get hotter with a lot of game in front. She hunts like demon to find it. The other 6 are hot heads!
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So the hot one went dogging in and worked his socks off, lots of birds about and I managed keep him tight and no bogging off, at one point he was working some really thick bramble like an absolute pro, I te taken some cold game with me so popped out a memory for him and had a beautiful retrieve to hand which has also been an issue in the past with him blinkingwell parading around with his prize, but today he cracked on with his job, he just needs work and lots of it - I am being encouraged to trial him....I think I need to sit down with a Gin to contemplate that idea!!!!
Clodagh
Playing chess with pigeons
Fabulous. Well done.
druid
Well-Known Member
If he is well trained, steady to flush/shot and can honour another dog then crack on. Plenty of Novice trials crying out for entries. The worst that happens is being put out, not the end of the world really! A shot over day or 2 run as a trial is a good guage of if you're ready to go
BallyRoanBaubles
Buys real biscuits
We've had the best day out today
Rafi picked his first runner, we were in the woods picking after the drive so id sent them both off to hunt, I was so chuffed when he appeared with it
He then eye wiped zazu on a pigeon
Zazu also had a cracking retrieve on a mark in the woods, it was quite far away and over some bunkers so he was out of sight for parts but he just held his line and came back with the bird
Rafi picked his first runner, we were in the woods picking after the drive so id sent them both off to hunt, I was so chuffed when he appeared with it
He then eye wiped zazu on a pigeon
Zazu also had a cracking retrieve on a mark in the woods, it was quite far away and over some bunkers so he was out of sight for parts but he just held his line and came back with the bird
druid
Well-Known Member
A little festive cheer out beating today
Clodagh
Playing chess with pigeons
I’ve had a mixed day. There wasn’t much to pick (family day, most shooting for the first time). Scout was an arse. But Pen was great, one drive I was against the pen fence and two birds fell outside it. I tore the netting apart and fed Pen through, like posting a letter. She spent the rest of the drive working that side passing me her retrieves through the little gap. I had to find a gateway for her at the end. 
.
Red found a bird in brambles that was declared lost.
So all in all they deserve their sofa slots tonight.
. Red found a bird in brambles that was declared lost.
So all in all they deserve their sofa slots tonight.
BallyJ
Well-Known Member
We’ve been out with both dogs for 3 days this week, unfortunately neither dog got much action as the picker up teams were on it throughout the drive so peg dogs were redundant. Which is a little annoying but didn’t spoil the day!
Moss our younger one is on her first season and is quite wizzy so it firmly on lead this year to try and make the whole thing boring. Willow the 6yr old is doing her usual thing towards the end of the season where she doesn’t quite retrieve into us so we’re working on that!
But overall 2 good dogs who had a fun week and received plenty of compliments which is always nice
Moss our younger one is on her first season and is quite wizzy so it firmly on lead this year to try and make the whole thing boring. Willow the 6yr old is doing her usual thing towards the end of the season where she doesn’t quite retrieve into us so we’re working on that!
But overall 2 good dogs who had a fun week and received plenty of compliments which is always nice
druid
Well-Known Member
Did you tell the keeper at the start of the day you have a peg dog and wish to pick your own birds? Any decent shoot should be happy to oblige
Clodagh
Playing chess with pigeons
As a picker it really bugs me that guns with dogs are not treated with courtesy. Pickers have this ‘we are the only people who can do this’ mentality. Fair enough pick runners during the drive but I’ve zero interest in gathering dead birds lying around the pegs. Some people seem to think that the fuller the carrier the better they are… not necessarily so.
I was picking at a shoot last week where all the guns had dogs and we were asked not to pick their birds. Well you’d have thought some dreadful offence had been committed. I got paid, my dogs spent the day learning to sit and watch. Mine did some nice retrieves of difficult birds. Job done.
But oh the angst at the game cart
I was picking at a shoot last week where all the guns had dogs and we were asked not to pick their birds. Well you’d have thought some dreadful offence had been committed. I got paid, my dogs spent the day learning to sit and watch. Mine did some nice retrieves of difficult birds. Job done.
But oh the angst at the game cart
Clodagh
Playing chess with pigeons
This. And also I ask the gun themselves if i’m stationed near them (if time).
BallyJ
Well-Known Member
We were guests on friends shoots/farm so wasn’t one we’d paid for or were really in a position to say anything, Otherwise we’d have said something! But it was probably good for our girls to get out of the habit of thinking every drive means picking up and learning some patience!
druid
Well-Known Member
Ah that makes sense. Good job on taking something positive training wise from a frustrating situation
BallyJ
Well-Known Member
Will add it’s the first time in a while we’ve come away thinking that the dogs didn’t get much work. The majority of teams we have come across are fantastic and very very helpful/friendly!
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Rabbit pen for the hot head this morning, stopped nicely on some decent flushes then another dog flushed and chased (we work in pairs simulating a trial) and he thought he'd join in...little sod, both dogs caught up and sorted hunted on to another flush and sat steady, he's a real work in progress, he's hot headed but sensitive too....I have been told to get him ready for trialling next season!! Doing a shoot over day in january to see where we are at.
druid
Well-Known Member
Most dogs chase once in a life time....just make sure it's only once! Good luck with the shot over day. I've bought a walked up day for mine which we are going to run as a training day for my pups to set them up for next season. I'll probably get them over to Yorkshire for a few partridge and rabbit days in September then on to trials as they'll just be 2yo
druid
Well-Known Member
A nice little walk about. This is the largest woodcock I've ever seen - we eat everything we shoot but I've decided to have this one taxidermied
Clodagh
Playing chess with pigeons
Loads of woodcock around here now but I’m very glad that none of the shoots I pick on shoot them. Beautiful birds. I’m glad you’re at least are eaten, but they are nicer alive
druid
Well-Known Member
Loads of woodcock around here now but I’m very glad that none of the shoots I pick on shoot them. Beautiful birds. I’m glad you’re at least are eaten, but they are nicer alive
We don't shoot them on the estate - we were rough shooting on my home bog which has a resident, non-migratory thriving population. Despite what the anti-shooting lobby would have you believe, woodcock aren't actually endangered. Indeed, on a global scale they're identified as "of least concern" for extinction. The UK is just on the fringes of their migratory pattern so numbers seen are lower than closer to their "home base" as it were.
Clodagh
Playing chess with pigeons
I know they aren’t endangered but they are beautiful birds and when they are shot and no one wants them it’s a tragedy. Just my opinion… I’m not meaning to sound like an anti and I am glad they are eaten with you.
druid
Well-Known Member
Today's bag was 1 woodcock, 7 pigeons and 2 pheasant. Pigeon breasts were had on toast for lunch. Dinner was roast pheasant for 2 of us and roasted woodcock for the gun. I'd rather eat that than farmed chicken any day!