September 17, 2013
Today we picked up Belle in northern WI.
March 6, 2015
Where did our puppy go?
05-14-15
It has been a while since I've written. Not much to report. Bay went up to camp in Maine with me last week while I turkey hunted. She loves camp and is an angel when left alone.
Miss Belle is in heat so we are having to keep her on a short leash. One crazy thing my wife videoed while I was gone was Belle howling like a wolf.
I think it was her cry for a boyfriend.
Not gonna happen.
Made a re-acquaintance with an old friend who is into training springers and cockers. Has his own training grounds. He graciously offered to let us turkey hunt on his property and offered his area to Belle any time I wanted to bring her.
My son and I went turkey hunting there 05-03-15.
Shawn got 'er done.
Now it's my turn.
The yellow dogs are doing fine.
Thanks for reading!
Coalman
05-28-15
With the cooler temps I took Belle out to the training grounds for a run. The place is a half mile out in the woods and it was packed with dog trainers.
There were
English Setters
English Cockers
Springer Spaniels
And Belle.
My plan was to walk Belle on the tote roads in there as they mimic the terrain we hunt in Maine, logging roads. Before we went for out for our walk she got a good snout full of a live chukka.
She worked very well for not being out in a couple months until she got really gamey and a deer jumped up in front of us from its bed.
The chase was on.
I nicked her with a 1, No Belle, I nicked her with a 2 and she came flying back.
She became very clingy after the nick. It took a few casts and some kind words from me to get her to again reach out and quarter which until this time was fantastic. She was never out of gun range. Quartering naturally and always keeping an eye out for my position.
I took her down to the Lamprey River and she had a good swim.
She is starting to really show her maturity and I can tell she loves the time we spend together in the woods.
This place is about eight miles from my house and the landowner loves it that I bring Belle. He always has birds and has offered them to me.
We have a real gold mine here. They have a kennel out there, a barbecue, a fire pit, and the whole piece between his land and the conservation land and private not posted land is 890 acres.
Belle has found her training grounds!
I love this dog. Our bond is strong.
06-15-15
Rainy, misty, cool and damp were the conditions tonight for a woods walk with Belle. Can you feel it?
There was nobody at the training grounds so we worked the field first hoping for a left over chukka or two. No love so we struck out on a walk along the woods roads. I love this habitat as it so mimics the terrain we hunt in Maine. A wild bird would be nice. I'm sure it will be a wild turkey before we flush any grouse or woodcock.
We worked on casting left and right along the road. I don't even have to talk to Belle. The whistle and hand signals are all we need. Stealth in the grouse woods will put more birds in the bag.
Those pesky deer. Yep another one along the trail. This time Belle didn't see it but she sure could smell it. A stern NO! and Leave It! was all it took as we switched directions.
I switched Belle to the Seresdo flea and tick collar. This was the test. The collar passed with flying colors. No ticks. I have to say the last time we ran these grounds she was in mid month of her Advantix II application and I also didn't find any ticks on her. Me that trip... a different story.
06-16-15
What a difference in Belle's coat (upland lab) to Bay's coat (water lab). I brushed Bay and the fur on the green grass looks like snow. I could brush that dog for hours and still get down out of her coat.
Brushed Belle next. Hardly anything on the brush. I'm favoring that breeding. LOL!
The yellow dogs are doing well. Launched my boat last weekend. Time for Bay and I to take a ride on her namesake, The Great Bay!
07-25-15
With the cooler weather today Belle and I took a trip to the training grounds. There were a few people there working dogs. I took two of the dead chukkas tied them to a pole that extends and dragged them down off the sides of the trail to imitate our favorite Maine hunting situations. Belle found both birds without a problem. From there we went down to the river where she enjoyed a good swim.
We walked the tote roads up to where Shawn shot his spring gobbler. The turkey population in there must be good from the amount of molted feathers laying in the road. It is only a matter of time before we find one of those broods.
07-26-15
Met up with Yukon and his family at the grounds at 1PM. He was there to work on steady with his English Cocker, Chunk, with trainer, Steve.
I knew it was going to be an interesting day.
Lori, Steve, Yukon and Chunk
Chunk sitting steady to shot.
I got two things out of today, Homework, and birds.
Homework
Training never ends and it behooves us as bird hunters to continue our training on and off the field. Chunk really showed Yukon's dedication to his training.
Birds
Birds make the dog. And all afternoon it was birds, birds, birds.
Belle and I are truly blessed to be welcomed into this tight group of sportsmen and women who enjoy the upland pursuit. Along with the camaraderie we enjoyed a surf and turf lunch of kielbasa, tube steak and fresh Great Bay lobsters.
Is it bird season yet?
07-31-15
Bay is six years old today. While her hunting desire never really materialized after much exposure she is the best mannered dog I/we have ever owned. Bay is an "at your side" lab.
She is by far my wife's favorite.
I knew Bay's great grandmother, Bridget. Bay is leading me to believe in re-incarnation. They are both two peas in a pod.
Happy Birthday Carlton Brook's Great Bay Babe!