Well, the long awaited time finally came. I got Daisy last summer and have been doing everything I can to have her trained up to be a waterfowl & shed dog. This is my first time ever having any kind of working or sporting dog. Did some shed hunting with her this spring but Sunday was the first chance I have had to get her out duck hunting. It went really well as far as I am concerned. Being her first trip it was kept to a shorter morning hunt which helped with her young pup energy not wanting to be still for so long, like a little kid
It was also my first trip duck hunting in a couple years so it was a good break in for both of us. I missed 1 good opportunity to give her a bird on a group of pintails that came in more like uneducated spoonies than wary pintails. I was ready to shoot a coot or merganser to make sure she had a bird to retrieve. Finally at about 8 o'clock a hen teal bombed in and was able to give me what I needed.
I need to work on my set up for having a dog though, as the way I was set up blocked too much of her view and anything would be a blind retrieve.
I had to go about halfway to the bird for it to really click for her that this time its not something I threw to retrieve. But from there and after with tons of praise she was loving it.
The only downside of the trip I blame on me for not having her quite conditioned enough. She ended up with what the vet and a hunting buddy called "cold tail" or "swimmers tail"
Now some rest time for that to ease up on her and a better commitment on my end to work with her more.
