"It's like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it."
I don't completely agree with the above maxim. Although the basic aspect of a skill can be retained, the finer points can be lost. All skills are perishable and if they aren't refreshed, refined, and honed skills begin to deteriorate. This applies to people and dogs. I know this from personal experience relating to my skills and my dogs' skills. Winter is an easy time for us in the northern climes to hibernate, watch football, read about hunting, and browse hunting catalogs. Getting out and polishing our otherwise deteriorating skills can help break the winter blahs.
Last week I renewed a friendship with a friend and got out for a pheasant hunt on a game farm. I am not a fan of canned hunts or put-and-take hunting (the reasons are for a future blog) but I view this as more of a training event. We are both avid hunters and Paul has two Griffins that are well trained, as he belongs to a local dog training club. I left Drake and Olive home because they are flushers and Paul's dogs are pointers. I didn't want my less-than well-trained dogs messing up his dogs' good time.
Our reason for going out on a day when temperatures barely reached above 0-degrees Fahrenheit was to renew a friendship and work his dogs. Most hunting seasons are over and to keep a dog sharp, it's important to get them out on birds. There's only so much that can be learned and practiced in a park or yard with a dummy wrapped with a bird wing. At some point, the dogs need a live bird to flush, get shot, and fetch it back to hand. Any dog worth taking out of the kennel will get excited with a live bird and will behave differently than when they are under a controlled environment. I am not a dog trainer, not by a long shot, but I do appreciate a well-trained dog. It was fun seeing Paul handle his dogs and how they quartered a field.
The second skill to be honed on that day was Paul's and my shooting skills. Pheasants are not the fastest quarry, proper mounting of the shotgun, target acquisition, lead, swing-through, and game marking are still necessary. Proper leading proved to be an especially perishable skill for us. The first pheasant, despite being pointed by the dogs, escaped with a couple of warning shots sent in its direction. We eventually located the bird and put it in the game carrier, but it was a reminder of how proper skills need to be practiced.
Buying pheasants and hunting on a game farm isn't the cheapest way to harvest a few birds, but the investment can pay off when the sun is breaking in the marsh and the first flight of teal come whistling into the decoys. Practicing can be expensive, but it pays off when it counts. I'm not the best shooter in the marsh, but with more time and practice I hope to be a consistent shooter.
Our reason for going out on a day when temperatures barely reached above 0-degrees Fahrenheit was to renew a friendship and work his dogs. Most hunting seasons are over and to keep a dog sharp, it's important to get them out on birds. There's only so much that can be learned and practiced in a park or yard with a dummy wrapped with a bird wing. At some point, the dogs need a live bird to flush, get shot, and fetch it back to hand. Any dog worth taking out of the kennel will get excited with a live bird and will behave differently than when they are under a controlled environment. I am not a dog trainer, not by a long shot, but I do appreciate a well-trained dog. It was fun seeing Paul handle his dogs and how they quartered a field.
The second skill to be honed on that day was Paul's and my shooting skills. Pheasants are not the fastest quarry, proper mounting of the shotgun, target acquisition, lead, swing-through, and game marking are still necessary. Proper leading proved to be an especially perishable skill for us. The first pheasant, despite being pointed by the dogs, escaped with a couple of warning shots sent in its direction. We eventually located the bird and put it in the game carrier, but it was a reminder of how proper skills need to be practiced.
Buying pheasants and hunting on a game farm isn't the cheapest way to harvest a few birds, but the investment can pay off when the sun is breaking in the marsh and the first flight of teal come whistling into the decoys. Practicing can be expensive, but it pays off when it counts. I'm not the best shooter in the marsh, but with more time and practice I hope to be a consistent shooter.
The dogs were too bushed to pose for a proper picture.
Tim,
ReplyDeleteYou're too modest with your assessment of our (my) shooting skills. Needless to say, it's a good thing I kept both barrels loaded all day. As usual, the dogs performed better than their "master." In addition to the retrieves, their reward was not having to pose for too long with their hind quarters frozen to the tundra!
I'm looking forward to trying out your boat when the snow melts!
Paul