# Pheasant Bonanza



## Misdirection

I bird hunt just over the line in PA...earlier this year I was out to find a GSP pup to train off of my 12 1/2 year old GSP. The new pup is coming along well. So this past weekend, I took my friends boy who had never shot a pheasant in the air to one of my favorite places...we pull into the parking lot just before shooting time and the lot is empty! I'm thinking this can't be good. 

So we park the truck and head in. Needless to say the game commission had stocked the day before and we had the place to ourselves. I took my two and the boy got one. We spent the good part of the morning trying to get him his second bird and the dogs put up a total of 15 birds before it was all said and done. I can't wait for the North Dakota trip in two years!


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## mmukav

Nice! Way to go!


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## randymcfishnsfun2

Way to go dad! Keep up the good work!


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## 21938

All four of you look like you had a great time. I doubt that young man will ever forget his first Pheasant on the wing... 15 birds flushed, great day! Good looking pups too, glad to see your 12 1/2 year old is still out there doing it.


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## Misdirection

Thanks everyone. The boy said he had a blast and I'm sure it's his first of many trips. The old dog has been thru alot, two ACL's replaced and a 1.8lbs tumor removed from her chest. But she still has a couple of hours worth of hunt in her every weekend! Best day pheasant hunting I've had in a long time.


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## Cramer

Great looking GSP's! Mine is 13 and we love him to death.

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## buckeyebowman

My buddy's GSP is 7 and he thinks she's old! Truth is, she's just slowing down enough that we can "sort of" keep up with her!

Beautiful dogs and great hunt!

Now that I thought about, here's a pic of Abby and her owner with 3 birds we got the other day.


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## Cramer

Very nice! Mine has slowed way down, but then again when I am that old this will probably be my favorite position too!









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## Sluggo

Great to see everyone hunting and getting pheasants. I've always thought of the hunter in the field with his dog jumping a pheasant as the iconic hunting experience. Equally iconic would be the hunter jumping a rabbit with his beagle.


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## Misdirection

Had another good weekend. Put up 8 birds, shot at 3, got my two and was headed home by 8 am.


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## beetlebailey

good job John!!


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## buckeyebowman

Misdirection said:


> Had another good weekend. Put up 8 birds, shot at 3, got my two and was headed home by 8 am.


Nice how your Shorthairs are so "settled". We would actually prefer that in Abby. Even at 7 she's too hyper! That's why my buddy had to hold her for the pic.

One criterion for hunting dogs is "desire to find game". Well, Abby has that in spades! Out in the field, when one of us shoots a bird and she retrieves, we'll try to pet her and praise her up. She gives us a look like "Screw you, Pal! There are more birds to be found!" And off she goes. If we let her, she would literally hunt till she dropped dead. I guess it's in the blood.


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## Misdirection

The old dog was tired so she laid down. I'm standing just to the right of the pup and it took three or four tried to get the picture with him sitting still. 

When I shoot the old dog will run in the direction I shot. If the bird is still alive, she'll stay with it till I come to get it but will not retrieve. If the bird is dead she moves on to the next bird. The young pup tries to retrieve and I'm working on that with him. I really do enjoy hunting with two GSP's and may get another when the time comes.


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## Dirt

Retrieve. Try playing fetch with a dead bird. My dog used to stand on them but now brings them to me. When she comes back i congratulate her and let her show me what she found. I pet her and I'm ver patient when it comes to taking the bird.


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## buckeyebowman

Misdirection said:


> The old dog was tired so she laid down. I'm standing just to the right of the pup and it took three or four tried to get the picture with him sitting still.
> 
> When I shoot the old dog will run in the direction I shot. If the bird is still alive, she'll stay with it till I come to get it but will not retrieve. If the bird is dead she moves on to the next bird. The young pup tries to retrieve and I'm working on that with him. I really do enjoy hunting with two GSP's and may get another when the time comes.


I guess it just comes down to dogs having different personalities, just like people. After that pic was taken Abby slept for 2 solid days except to eat, drink, pee, and poop. She'll start moving around a bit on the third day. But if my friend hadn't held her, there's no way she would have stayed still for the pic.

I just remembered something that gives a little insight into her nature. At my buddy's old house he had a bunch of house cats. Seven of them. Abby tolerated them as long as they didn't try to get too chummy. My friend had run to the store, and I was on the couch watching TV with Abby curled up at the other end. Suddenly, she raised her head and looked around the room. One cat is asleep in the rocker, another in the recliner, one curled up in front of the register. She got up and looked at each cat up close and personal, smelling them in the process. Then she checked the kitchen, dining room, and other rooms in the house. Then she returned and repeated the process! I finally realized that Abby was "counting" cats!

You see, one thing that will tick Abby off is if she gets the idea that something is hiding from her. In that house all cats had to present and accounted for! If one was missing, Abby would hunt for it relentlessly until she rousted it out into the open.

One crazy doggie!


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## c. j. stone

We took the two(not real good hunters, very good house pets!) old Brits for a "walk" to Berlin Thanksgiving morning. Birds were flying high and strong(kudos, to DNR!) We got three birds before 8 and left having fulfilled yet another "Thanksgiving Day" tradition. Not a lot of these left for some of us but so many memories(some even lost in the data bank now). 
One I will never forget. We started a 'not so good looking' field abt 40 yds wide between mowed strips. By the time we got to the wood line abt 100 yds away, we had four points, 4 downed birds and had to quit. Time elapsed, 30 minutes! Son shot both of his(flying) with his H&R 20 ga. single shot!(One proud dad!) He didn't want to quit hunting but I had to school him in "Sportsmanship/Good Citizenry"! Wife couldn't believe we were back so soon! Memories, yeah!


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## Misdirection

When I was a kid, my dad would take me and my brother and any other neighborhood kid who would go to Highlandtown on Thanksgiving morning. The DNR always did a good job on stocking. That's one thing I miss living in PA, they don't stock for Thanksgiving...I went out this morning and flushed three ringneck. Also flushed 10 grouse while bear hunting last Saturday up by my camp...might need to make a trip after deer season.


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