washwildfowler Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 well , i have not been down since Thursday morning due to work , i did plan to have a morning this morning but , i was out Lamping till 3 o'clock this morning so that put pay to that , so i was definitely going to make the tide flight on dark today .. i made a phone call to a friend to see if he was coming down.... but he had been to Newark show today and was on his way back when i phoned but said he would join me later ,i got my kit ready and loaded the pickup up ready, i then went in the house and made a quick brew and watched the BSB super sport race on sky ,then it was get my gun and dog and away in the truck for my 2 minute drive to the marsh ..... when i got to the access , i didn't realize how late it was getting, so i got my kit on and was away down the sea wall like usain bolt doing the 100 meters .i got to my spot and set the decoys out and got the dog in the dug out with me then loaded up and waited there was some wildfowl about but nothing in range for a clean kill ... 40 minutes into the flight, i got a call from my mate to say he was away down the sea wall to me , when he got to me the water was now into the dug out and the creeks were about a foot from the top so he sat in the long grass at the side of me , well it was getting late and we were pushed out and we had to sit out on top , so we stood out like a sore thumb .. not good, so we made a plan and decided to split up and get in the long grass, i went to the right and he went left . it was not long before there was stuff on the move , a nice bunch of mallard straight over the top of me hmm to high for me i thought , then a pair of ducks straight in , i pulled onto the first one it fell ... then the onto the second , and it fell also ... then there was a shout nice shooting... thanks i said with a grin on my face , then a pair of mallard over my mate he had a couple of shots but nothing .. i was just getting the dog settled , when i looked up and there was 3 ducks coming in paddles down , i grabbed the gun and pulled onto them and all 3 fell a cracking 3 out of 3 , the dog was out and onto them , he came back with the first , i took it from him and my eyes lit up shoveler , then he was out for another and back with another shoveler ,great i thought , back out for the last one and back with yet another shoveler , i was over the moon not only with my shooting and the dog... but what i thought at the time was only 3 shoveler , when the flight was over and we started to pack the decoys away , i picked the ducks up to put in the bag , i noticed there was 4 shoveler and a wigeon , so i had shot one out the left and right but did not take any notice of it because i thought they were both wigeon .... we had a good bit of banter between us walking of which made the flight even better.. happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tus Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 nice write up and 5 out of 5 cracking :good: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildfowler12 Posted October 15, 2012 Report Share Posted October 15, 2012 Well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted October 15, 2012 Report Share Posted October 15, 2012 Nice one, haven't shot a shoveler yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ91 Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 not a dig or wanting to cause an argument but how long do you leave your dog in water up to its neck? i always give the dog the dry seat and take the wetter one for myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washwildfowler Posted October 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) not a dig or wanting to cause an argument but how long do you leave your dog in water up to its neck? i always give the dog the dry seat and take the wetter one for myself! not a dig or wanting to cause an argument but how long do you leave your dog in water up to its neck? i always give the dog the dry seat and take the wetter one for myself! it depends how long Im out there ,it does not happen all time he's in a dug out in the photo ,he has a a camo vest i put on him when it gets real cold there is no harm done to him ,he's dried off after each flight also fed and gets the very best food and multi vits ... also he comes in the house next to the fire .its no different when any dog goes into water for a retrieve and sits there still wet . All my dogs have done that since i started fowling . Edited October 18, 2012 by washwildfowler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ91 Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 it depends how long Im out there ,it does not happen all time he's in a dug out in the photo ,he has a a camo vest i put on him when it gets real cold there is no harm done to him ,he's dried off after each flight also fed and gets the very best food and multi vits ... also he comes in the house next to the fire .its no different when any dog goes into water for a retrieve and sits there still wet . All my dogs have done that since i started fowling . just never seen it done before, maybe i am just too soft on dogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 I do not think to keep a dog in the water up to its shoulders for and length of time like that is good practice. The chilling effect of the water is far more than sending the dog out for a swim every now and then. I keep my dogs working until they are at least 12 and the last one was still wildfowling at 14. I try and keep the dog warm and dry as much as possible. They have all been trained to lie on top of the marsh on some dry grass and are covered with some cammo. If possible I try and to drop my birds on dry land if the weather is cold to delay the time when the dog has to swim in freezing water as long as possible . In the past 50 years of wildfowling stiff joints in old age has never been a problem with my dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washwildfowler Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Well it's each to there own , all my dogs have done and i have never had a problem with them they are always dried off fed well with vitamins for the people who know me .know what my dogs mean to me and how well they are looked after . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzypigeon Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 (edited) at the end of the day lads if the dog wasnt happy sat there sooner or later the dog would get out......thats my view not that mine have done this but if they were in any discomfort im sure they would move or at the very least whimper and if they did then i would obviously stop doing it..... BTW Top shooting fella Edited October 19, 2012 by fuzzypigeon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.philmypower. Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 He looks pretty well looked after too me, nice one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazco2121 Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 nice write up, well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beesley121 Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 heat is sucked out from the body 10 times faster in water than when in air im suprised that it hasnt gone hyperthermic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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