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Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 827 Location: N. Shore, mn

But it's a 16!

After returning from Montana where it was too warm for any good hunting....
Yesterday was way too nice not to be in the woods here. Yes, it's deer season here
but this is a remote area with few hunters out yesterday & none where we hunted.
Hunted close working dogs & put the orange vests on them anyway. This was to be Smokes first grouse hunt. He was hunted with the Settany. We had three productive points on grouse. Was able to get shots at two & got one. Saw a total of 4 grouse in a 2 1/2 hour hunt. Also had several unproductive points. Heard two diff. grouse flush wild ahead of a point. The Pup acquitted himself well for his first ever Ruff hunt & also his first ever hunt in the real thick stuff. About half the time he was making his own casts searching for prey. When the Settany would point Pup would either back him or stand behind moving little & being quiet. After the flush / shot the Pup would race around sniffing where the grouse had been & trying to figure out what was going on.
Some pix from yest.:

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 756 Location: Mn.

Great pics Steve! Although I didn't see an ugly gun in the pics, just a 16 Very Happy

Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 827 Location: N. Shore, mn

It's the model 48 26 inch i.c. I purchased in MT. It's not very purty but it was hell on sharptail & Phez. I've owned it not three months but have killed three species of Upland birds with it. Sharpie, Phez, & a Ruff. Smoke gets a solo grouse hunt today (aftn.) and goes under the knife tomorrow. I may not be able to hunt him anywhere's between ever again to maybe not the rest of the year. Results vary hugely with each dog for this procedure. He has several things in his favor but I will wait till I see how he recuperates to "celebrate."

Joined: 03 Mar 2015 Posts: 126 Location: Duluth, MN

Hoping and praying for a good outcome on the surgery. Keep us posted!

Fingers crossed on surgical outcome. Gil

Sounds like pup is doing well and you had a nice hunt.

Makes me jealous, I left the woods the end of October and I am now hunting pheasant. I enjoy the pheasants, but for me nothing beats grouse hunting.

Good Hunting,
Mike

Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 827 Location: N. Shore, mn

Shot a grouse on a wild flush from me. pup was off on my other side.
Didn't think I hit it but followed it up. Pup went on Point about a block from where I shot at it. He was almost hugging the ground. He had scented (and maybe could see) the wounded bird about 4' in front of him. I was tickled to see him strike an intense point instead of tackling the bird. It was upright but almost dead but still had it's head up.

The pix can do the talking.

Joined: 08 Mar 2016 Posts: 120 Location: South Dakota

Best of luck with the surgery.

Guest

Good job on the grouse!

Pulling for Smoke!!!

Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 827 Location: N. Shore, mn

Back from surgery at the Ely Vet. Pup is having a rough night with coming off the anesthesia, being three legged, figuring out how to handle #s 1 & 2 tripod style.
He's having a fair amount of pain. Has a fentanyl patch & three prescriptions
for pain killers, anti inflammatory, & antibiotics. First time he peed he just put the cone's open end flat on the ground & leaned into it. It works.
Leash only for two weeks or so. Frequent short walks & r. o. m. exercises for hock, stifle, & maybe the hip joint if he allows it based on pain tolerance. The Vet that did the surgery said after having the joint "open" that this was the right call. She said the joint must have "Hurt like hell" even though he was using it. Once sedated she could tug gently on one toe & it would pop out of joint. He might be a mentally tough little guy.

Is he crate trained? If not this is a good opportunity to do so. When my late Aussie Roscoe was about 4, a worker left the gate open and he escaped and was struck by a car. He had a bruised spinal column which caused a temporary loss of proprioception. In order to prevent further damage, and avoid surgery, it was required that he stay in a crate for six weeks and be let out only to eat and do his business while leashed. The crate became "home sweet home" at nights when he would Otis-like, check himself into jail while we read or watched TV. It was a valuable lesson for us about crate training and my two Britts are fine being crated while we are at work. I am able to go home at lunch and let them out and run in the enclosed backyard. Gil

Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 827 Location: N. Shore, mn

Yes he's crate trained. He's in it as I write this response. He's much more alert today.