Fantastic retrieve to save the day

[henry d]

I went to the Eden Estuary (Fife) this evenig as I had some tim to myself, the tide was OK and there was a really good wind. I went to an area that is good on a low tide n the outer estuary in among th mussle beds. I bumped a load of wigeon, teal and mallard that were on the opposite side of the river :( Later 2 guys came down a wee bit late but never mind and shortly after as the light went I heard a lonely "wink-wink" over my left shoulder and turned to see a single pink struggling low into the wind, first shot I thought had hit and so did the dog and she was off, I could not get off a second shot as the second cartridge didnot make into the carrier in time and I had to manually load and the goose was out of range by then. The goose ditched into the river 100yd away and the dog was 10 yds behind.

Allow me to digress slightly here, my dog is a small spaniel of 12 years oldand has had problems with fitting when cold and tired. Against the swollen river Eden still ebbing and the wind she swam after it for 15 minutes before I could head it off and shoot it again, just before we got into the reserve. I was breathing out of my posterior never mind the dog as she came back with the pinky.

I am in total awe of her as she has not been out beating or shooting much over the past 3 years and is far from match fit. Extra rations were given when we got home and a bath to remove the mud, I have a feeling she will be sore tomorrow...there again I am akso far from match fit and may also be a little creaky tomorrow.

[harrycatcat1]

A good job done give her an extra little pat

Regards

Hcc

[kent]

I bet the nerves were on edge during that swim. I admit I wouldn't have sent such a dog, have you considered tethering it if its not 100% steady there are times you really don't want your dog in the water

[scoots]

wow

[henry d]

Kent - She couldn't hear the whistle against the wind and normally she would have stopped within 10 or 20yds. The total distance swam was 200yds I am still feeling the effects of a long run through gutter s and around to where I could get a clear shot without pushing the goose to the other bank and out of range.

[lampingman]

A good result in the end and you did right a nice warm bath then in front of fire plenty of food best thing to bring them round

[kent]

I tether mine in dangerous localities, simply not worth the risk. Dogs just don't do things 100% of the time, despite what some might have you believe they make mistakes and push their luck just like we do at times. If they didn't nobody would get put out at a trial

[henry d]

I would have if it was the Tay in similar situations, but had I done my bit then the dog would not have even got wet

[kent]

I would have if it was the Tay in similar situations, but had I done my bit then the dog would not have even got wet

If it was in range then its just one of those things its were each pellet strikes. Many times I have held off on a retrieve the dog could likely make but posed to great a risk, its not nice but better than getting home without the dog one day. Any dog worth the name "gundog" will risk it all to achieve its task, they have so much more heart, loyalty and courage than any man alive

[scolopax]

Have you ever heard of a gundog getting drowned? I have heard of a few getting too far out / getting taken by the tide, happened twice to myself in fact (on one occasion so far out I lost sight of it!), but they have always turned up alive and well, even if a little lost a mile away from where they entered the water.

[kent]

Have you ever heard of a gundog getting drowned? I have heard of a few getting too far out / getting taken by the tide, happened twice to myself in fact (on one occasion so far out I lost sight of it!), but they have always turned up alive and well, even if a little lost a mile away from where they entered the water.

 

Yes more than once

[Maddaftspaniel]

I was shooting at Ballathie on the Tay and shot a mallard on the river which my springer went for (ran in). It was on the far bank and I had visions of having to go and get the car and drive around over the bridge to get the dog back as he was running around the far bank with the duck in his mouth.

The river was in spate and to my horror he got back in the water with the duck firmly clamped in his jaws. He paddled furiously out into the current and then let the current carry him about 500 yards downstream where the current carried him onto my bank and scrambled out bringing the duck proudly to me.

 

Innate intelligence or just luck?

[scolopax]

it was a Spaniel, so you can discard any notion of intelligence

[kent]

I was shooting at Ballathie on the Tay and shot a mallard on the river which my springer went for (ran in). It was on the far bank and I had visions of having to go and get the car and drive around over the bridge to get the dog back as he was running around the far bank with the duck in his mouth.

The river was in spate and to my horror he got back in the water with the duck firmly clamped in his jaws. He paddled furiously out into the current and then let the current carry him about 500 yards downstream where the current carried him onto my bank and scrambled out bringing the duck proudly to me.

 

Innate intelligence or just luck?

 

Dogs soon learn to run up current on land first to make an exit at the right point. A person just couldn't estimate so well IMO, they can get real good at collecting birds mid current intercept and I doubt any man on earth could do that worth a jot

[henry d]

Kent- In my former career we used to compete with throw lines to see who could get closest to the drifting casualty/rescuee as well as practicing our interception of casualty/rescuee, it's hard but practice makes perfect

[kent]

Kent- In my former career we used to compete with throw lines to see who could get closest to the drifting casualty/rescuee as well as practicing our interception of casualty/rescuee, it's hard but practice makes perfect

Yeah that's like leading a moving fish on the flats were you want to fly to get in front and sink the the correct depth at just the right time. Swimming there for a perfect intercept is what gets me and dogs learn this real quick. My current Lab cracked this technique almost perfect second or third go with tennis balls on a fast flowing river hodder, they say dogs are dumb but on some things they are way sharper than the average two-leg!