I have one day totally off each week from training my 40 students in my roster. It all starts with rolling out of bed at 4:40a.m. to feed the dogs, clean, water and scrape the bird coops. I pack up my 80 young birds for their first 50 mile toss from Walton, NY. I’m on the road by 5:30a.m. I arrive at the top of Bear Spring Mountain above the village of Walton at 6:51a.m. Birds are released at 7:00a.m. I throw the crates back in the Honda Fit and Quax and I race back home. We pull in the driveway at 8:20a.m. to the birds on the landing board… good!! They beat us home!! Let all dogs out to romp in yard for an hour and a half.
I poop scoop the yard, get all the household trash together, several packages to ship at the post office and my bank deposit— zoom! zoom! away we go at 10:00a.m. I make all those stops and head back home. Pull in driveway at 11:20a.m. I let all the dogs out to stretch their legs and romp around a bit while I chow down on some of Jana’s crock pot veggies.
Ok!! I’m still motivated!! Yay!! — I get out my bird launchers, collars, bells, whistle, bird bag, gloves, tick spray (all natural) and I’m ready!! So I go plant a couple pigeons in the back fields (where I haven’t worked the dogs since beginning of May), they are overgrown nicely now with terrific cover!!
I decided to reverse the old order today and do Duncan first instead of last, to observe differences with some fresh fields not contaminated by three other dogs out there already.
I have Duncan hooked up in his gear and we are outside the yard fence at what we call the starting gate— “Hunt’em up!” I say. Duncan is off bounding through the high grass— dodge, bob, weave!! Happy llew!! Then several minutes into his mini-hunt— WHAM!!!….. I sighed…. relaxed….smiled…. and had an adrenaline rush all at the same time. Why?!
Because of this!!!
That’s all I needed to see for my mind and body to agree that all my hard work, day in, day out is worth it!! Seeing my boy slam on point as he crossed the wind and caught whiff of the bird from about 25 feet away. Aaah— it’s why I do everything I do to see my kids do what they were born to do and do it well. Thanks Duncan!! …..my little man!
Here are two more of Duncan working today—
