Tag Archives: Upland Hunting

Do They Hunt?

Posted in Hunting by

Once again Thunder would like to thank everyone for all of the well wishes.  He will get his staples out tonight…one step closer to no cone!

We appreciate all of the comments we receive and read each and every one.  Every once in a while we make one the subject of a post. :)

Our friend lexy3587 over at Gone For  A Walk  asked the following question:

I know you do drills and tests about hunting, but do you actually duck-hunt and use your dogs for that?

The answer is yes we do!  The 2 brown dawgs were originally purchased as hunting dogs.  The Mr. is an avid waterfowl hunter and wanted dogs that could stand up to the harsh weather we can get up here toward the end of the season, (late November/early December).  He is also an upland hunter, and wanted a breed that could do that too.

Thunder Opening Day 2010

The breeders we got our dogs from breed conformationally correct, (meaning structure, coat, temperament) hunting dogs.  Both Thunder and Storm’s breeders hunt their dogs, which was important to us.  Both dogs have a mix of field and bench champions in their pedigrees, so while technically they were not bred as “hunt test” dogs, they have all of the natural ability to run them.

Storm Harsen's Island Hunt

But most importantly, they are phenomenal hunting dogs.  You can send Thunder into the thickest marsh after a bird and he will come up with it.  Storm is an excellent upland dog and will thrash through the thickest cover to flush and retrieve the birds.

MCBRC Duck Hunting Tournament October 2010 (Dogs are Thunder and his daughter Smokey)

Hunt test training is a way to work with the dogs in the off-season.  In fact, the Mr. was bitten by the “hunt test” bug after running Thunder in a “Working Dog” stake when Thunder was 16 months old.  Most dogs would already be running Junior Hunter stakes at that age, so Thunder got into it a little late.  However, Thunder already had a hunting season, (both waterfowl and upland) under his belt by the time he ever ran a test.

Storm's First Pheasant Hunt

At first we just trained them for their Junior Hunter tests.  Once they earned those titles and we knew they had the ability, we decided to try for their Senior Hunter titles.  The Senior Test requires more skills than the Junior Hunter tests, (and we are novice trainers), so it has taken us some time to get them ready.  However, the skills needed to pass the test, such as marking, steadiness, handling, and delivery to hand are all skills that you would want in a trained hunting dog.

Thunder and Stella and their birds

Since they are hunting dogs, they take a good part of the Fall off from training.  Grouse season starts September 15th and  goes right into duck season which starts the beginning of October.  This year they may run a few hunt tests in the Fall and of course we hope that Thunder is fully recovered in time for hunting season.

As much as the 2 brown dawgs enjoy hunt testing, once hunting season starts, they just want to get out in the marsh, or in the field, and do what they have been bred to do.

Storm Grouse Hunting 10-30-2010

Thanks again to lexy3587 for the question which inspired this post.  :)

Related posts:

See more pictures of them from hunting seasons past on the Hunting Page.

Read about my one and only “hunting” experience– “Things I Learned Pheasant Hunting”.

Things I Learned Pheasant Hunting

Posted in Hunting by

Pardon me while I depart a bit from writing about the escapades of the 2 brown dawgs and write a bit about my own.  (Well it still involves the 2 brown dawgs!)  

I am asked all of the time, “Why don’t you go out hunting?  You have 2 brown dawgs and a husband who loves to hunt, yet you never go.”  So this time I grabbed my camera and tagged along on a pheasant hunt.  I have never done anything like this before and I certainly learned a lot that morning.  

These are the top 15 things that I learned:

   

1.  When you are trudging through waist-high cover, it is impossible to keep up with a tall guy and 2 brown dawgs intent on pursuing their prey. 

   

Hey, Wait Up!

2.  That waist-high cover has a way of wrapping itself around the laces of your boots and untying them requiring you to stop and retie them repeatedly.             

3.  Leave the boots that tie at home.       

     

Can't Catch Up

4.  It is impossible to get pictures of dogs working in high grass.         

     

Where are the 2 Brown Dawgs?

5.  If the wind whips up to 25 mph those pheasants will sit tight in the grass and then move at jet speed once flushed.      

    

Where's The Pheasant?

6.  They will then head straight for a corn field and disappear.

     
 

Find It Storm!

 

 7.  A good Chesapeake Bay Retriever will chase a cripple pheasant into the corn and flush it again.    

 

I Flushed It. You Missed It!

 

  8.  It is impossible to see dogs, let alone get pictures of dogs, working in a corn field.    

At Least I Got A Picture Of Half a Dog!

9.  Getting a picture of a pheasant moving at jet speed is tough. If you are lucky, you just might get a blurry picture of a bird. 

 

 

This One Didn't Get Away

 

 10.  No matter how big the field, if there are any trees, you will crawl over the same pile of logs hidden under the grass at least three times.    

     

 

Trees Mean Logs

 

 11.  Hawks don’t care that you’ve paid to hunt the field, if they get there first, they call dibs.  

    

 

Just Feathers

 

12.   Have pond, the 2 brown dawgs will swim.  

    

 

Dawgs Will Swim

 

           

13. Trudging trough a field can sometimes only produce 3 flushes and 2 birds in the bag.  

     

 

One In The Bag

 

     

 14.  The 2 brown dawgs will happily work hard even if they only end up with 2 birds.  

    

 

2 Brown Dawgs With Their Birds

 

     

15.  I am not a hunter, and if I ever try this again it will be in the dead of winter when all the green stuff is dead, (as long as the snow isn’t too deep :D ).  

       

 

Thunder With His Pheasant

 

     

 

Storm With Her Pheasant

 

Pheasant Hunt

Posted in Hunting, Puppies by

The 2 brown dawgs went on a Pheasant Hunt together this past weekend at Farmland Pheasant Hunters.  This is the first time they have done this type of hunt together and with multiple hunters.  They were on a fairly large farm with heavy cover which included standing corn and sorghum.  The farm was snow-covered, but not too deep.  The weather was mild for February.  It was a nice day for a hunt.  They worked very well together and had 13 flushes and 12 birds bagged.  Because of the heavy cover, they had to really work to find the birds.  They did a great job first flushing, and then retrieving the birds.  Unfortunately, Thunder was a bit bothered by that cut to the pad on his leg which kept opening.  It was tough to keep the bandage on in all the cover and snow, so he sat out the last part of the hunt and Storm and to finish up on her own.  Great job Thunder and Storm!

Although there are some nice fat pheasants in the freezer, there are no pictures from this hunt because the hunters forgot to take some.  :(

Since we have no pictures of Thunder and Storm with their birds, how about a video of one of Thunder and Tule’s pups?  This is Beau with his pals at doggie daycare.  I think he is the biggest of Thunder’s pups.  He is the light brown/dark tan, very large doggie in this video.  A special “Thank You” to Beau’s people for this fun video.  Nothing like doggies at play in the snow!

Next up for Thunder is the Detroit Kennel Club Dog Show.  He is entered in the Hunting Dog class  just for fun.  I hope to get some decent pictures of all the Chessies with my new camera.

New Year’s Day Hunt

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Thunder and his pal Stella went out for a New Year’s Day pheasant hunt.  Despite the snowy, cold, and windy day, they had 14 flushes and 9 birds were taken.  They had a lot of fun and worked well together. 

Thunder and Stella and their birds

 Tomorrow late duck season opens, but the brown dogs will have to stay home.  It is supposed to be -2F with the wind.