My first bird dog's first hunt test...2008

[Bkeepr]

Ran across these pictures by accident, I'm surprised they're still up on the web. Molly, who was a few months old in these pictures, was just learning her craft when I enrolled her in this NAVHDA natural abilities test in April of 2008. There was a professional photographer there who took these pictures during the test...Molly is in the first dozen pictures or so. She blew the socks off of the judges and the 5 dogs who'd run the course before her by finding not just her birds, but all of the birds that the previous dogs had not. The picture of me hugging her was after the judges told me to stop her from hunting any more, she'd passed very quickly and they didn't need to see any more.

I had never hunted before Molly, and I've never stopped loving it since.

http://www.uplandlife.com/eventphotos/p ... sp?evid=21

[PHPaul]

Nice! I've never hunted over a dog, I suspect it would be a lot of fun.

[Bkeepr]

Nice! I've never hunted over a dog, I suspect it would be a lot of fun.

If you ever get a chance to do it, give it a try. Watching somebody else's good dogs working is fun and awe-inspiring.

Hunting over your own dog is one of two different things: either the most fun you can have with your clothes on, or the most frustrating thing you can imagine with your clothes off.

[Patria]

Bkeepr, I had not seen this thread - great website too. I love dogs.

[GeneMO]

Love the pics, and the comments. Speaking of birds, my Bobwhite quail restoration work is paying off. I have been seeing and hearing a few quail off and on for about a two years now. I am still maintaining my 14 acre native grass plot. I have put in a small pollinator patch. I am harvesting some timber, both for $$, but also to open up my woods, that has really gotten too mature. I have probably 60-70 acres of timber. Then, when I cut firewood, I leave the limbs laying out in the field edge, and even cut some trees and just leave them lay. This is especially effective in the native grass. Quail like a gradual progression into fencerows and timber. They dont like grass growing right up against 50' tall trees. This is referred to as "Edge feathering". Working with the MDC for advice on these practices.

Thanks for the pics Tom !!

Gene