Another Day Picking up

[NickB65]

Well with work and the kids getting days out picking up seem rare but today was a clear day so Blue and I were going out.

 

The weather was mild considering the forecast and a decent wind so there would be some good sport today. The first drive was a short one but a busy one. The guns were lined out in front on a freshly ploughed field and behind then about 45 yards back was a path and some heavy cover and brambles. Blue and I had an excellent view of the action and many of the birds were shot dead in the air landing with that hollow thud. A high cock was lightly hit but dived for cover into deep brambles and then a hen followed so off Blue and I went to find them. As we fought our way into the brambles the drive was drawing to an end and I heard two more birds come into our cover - going to be a busy first drive. The first cock was an easy find for Blue and then another cock ran out of the cover straight at him. Two French partridges were less keen to show and Blue dived headlong into blackthorn, nettles and brambles nosing them out. As we returned back to the gun bus one of the guns said there was a bird in the big bush but they could not get it out.... I sent Blue in and it was a thick old bush a mass of brambles and thorns. A lot of snuffling, a yelp, a bark and then Blues comes out with the hen and a bloody nose. Either the Hen had a go back or he dived to fast at her and nosed a thorn I am not sure but he was a little weary after that.

 

The next drive was easier with less cover and most birds were easy to find. The pond though was a new venture for Blue and I as he had never blind retrieved from water. The guns were one side of the pond and I the other and the birds came over the guns and then over me - oh to be a back gun :-) The pond was surrounded by to my rear and left by woodland but fields and a farm track in front of the guns with three stages of cover crops being driven to them. As the guns lined out and I took place behind them a few ducks rose from the pond and over the guns and a shout of "over" meant one or two dropped into the field the other side of the guns. The action was steady with a few partridge at first and then a steady stream of pheasant and a few more partridge. One pheasant hen landed on our bank not quite in the water so Blue fetched her before she recovered from her stunned crash landing. A Partridge then landed in the water in front of us and splashed around and then another further down the pond. The birds were flying all around us as they went over the guns and then down to the cover behind me. Blue just did not know where to look. When the drive ended I sent Blue in for his first water retrieval. He hesitated at first sniffing the water and then looked at me as if to say "actually in there...." but then he was in. He swam in a small circle to face me and then I pointed out the partridge and off he went. He swam like a diva little legs doing ten to the dozen. Out to the partridge he swam and then back he came with her in his mouth.... was I chuffed. Four more from the pond and we were well into the swing of it. When all the birds were picked up I went back to the car with Blue to dry him off but one of the beaters come over to ask if I would help the keeper get a bird out of the pond. As I approached the pond they were throwing sticks into the pond to get the dogs to see the bird but from the view I had there were eight wet dogs all looking like they had had enough. Blue and I wondered over and I stood at the bank edge and asked Blue to go in. He paused and then slowly waded in and then swam out. He turned to look at me and I pointed in the direction of the bird and out he went. Straight to the bird and back like a pro. All the guns clapped as he returned with the bird and I was so chuffed.... all the other dogs failed but my Blue got it and made it look so easy.....

 

Three drives later and we ended with a good bag of 278 which was not bad at all. The last few drives were straight forward and Blue was a gem but I was still grinning inside at how easy he made it all seem at the pond. From the five drives Blue picked up 48 birds, which was not bad for a days work.

 

 

 

[ben0850]

Cracking write up. The joy of picking up with your best pal cannot be beaten in my humble opinion!

[WGD]

Sounds like a great day and the result of some solid training, well done.