Last Woodcock Run

As March comes to a close I knew the woodcock would start to nest and I had to stop running Emma. I ended this springs training runs with a hike into new territory. A tip that there were woodcock up Bear Run lead me on a gamelands road up into a high valley tucked between two mountains. Spotty cover along the road produced several grouse and woodcock finds but no good points. Finally I came upon a beaver dam with some nice looking cover. We only found one woodcock there but saw some splash and placed this cover on next years list to hunt. The most surprising part of the day occurred when Emma bumped a hen and rooster pheasant out of the swamp. What those two were doing in that high mountain swamp surrounded by big timber I'll never know. Far from any grain and hay fields that would be typical pheasant cover.

As I look back over this springs training runs I'm very pleased with the progress that Emma has made. If there are birds in the area I'm confident that she'll find them. She needs to hold her points until I can walk in and flush the bird but with more bird experience I'm sure that she will. It's a long road from a pup to a huntable birddog but with patience the end results are a pleasure to behold.

The only picture of Emma on point today turned out to be an empty point.

The Beaver dam tucked away high in a valley between Lock and Brush mountains.

Some of the Bear Run cover near the beaver dam.

Fresh woodcock splash. What every woodcock hunter seeks as a sign of nearby birds.

A hen mallard keeps a wary eye on us as we pass by.

Upon seeing this old tree with its twisted branches I thought of Medusa the goddess with snakes for hair of Greek mythology.

Woodcock Song

Jim-Bob has a nice woodcock singing ground just across the road from his house. With him running the camera and me holding the spotlight we made a nice little video of a male woodcock trying to attract a mate. Enjoy.

Still chasin' Doodles

Ran Emma today first in the Hickory Leaf covert with several short points and several bumped birds then to the Shawnee covert. After a long circle we found a bird and in open cover no less. Finally a picture of a point that wasn't taken through heavy cover. Emma continues to progress toward becoming a bird dog.........one step at a time.

The Point.

Deep in the Hickory Leaf Covert

Emma checking out some scent in the Hickory Leaf covert.

Our buddy checking us out at the edge of the Shawnee covert.

Day 8 Back to Work

Day 8. I go back to work today on the evening shift so headed out early this morning with Emma to the Doll Head covert. Had hoped to have a pic of her pointing today but it wasn't to be. She had several points but every time I drew near she would run in and bump the bird. On the plus side she hunted very good and found at least 5 woodcock. Now I have to be patient and wait for the "light" to come on in her brain that tells her that she can't catch those birds so she might as well stand there and smell them. She'll have the rest of the week off to lay in her kennel and think about those smelly birds.

Smells good under here.

On the fly.

Day 7 Still Learning

This afternoon I chose the Hickory Leaf covert as Emma's running grounds. We got off to a fast start with her bumping a pair of woodcock in the first 15 minutes of the run. We were soon through the first part of the covert and crossing the hayfield to the larger part. Although we hunted it hard the woodcock were not to be found today. A few spots with splash and lots of good looking cover but we were all too soon recrossing the hayfield to hunt the remaining small front part of this covert. As on several other days Emma saved her point for the last few minutes of the hunt and locked up within 300 yards of the truck. I took a quick picture and moved to the side to get a better shot but the sight of me moving closer was too much for her and she rushed in and bumped the bird. That's how birddog training goes, one step at a time.

Some of the good looking cover in the Hickory Leaf covert.

Another brush-filled picture of Emma on point.

After Emma's run I still had a couple of hours of daylight left so I thought I'd run Copper through my Warriors Ridge covert and get a picture or two of her pointing woodcock. She has pointed woodcock fairly well since she was 7 months old but for whatever reasons she just couldn't scent them this evening. I watched her almost step on two woodcock and saw the bewildered look on her face as she stood there and watched them rocketed away.

Day 6 Patience, Patience, Patience

I ran Emma is afternoon in the Shawnee covert. Hunted good but bumped 3 woodcock before she was able to get a point. I keep telling myself that at this time last week she had never held a point so I've made some progress with her this week. If the rain holds off I hope to run her tomorrow and Monday morning then its back to work for the rest of the week.

You'll have to take my word for it. This was today's only point. Someday she'll point one in open cover........someday.

Someone had Blue Jay for lunch.

This bad boy could hear Emma's beeper but we kept in the cover so as not to arouse his curiosity.

Day 5 Fun with Jim-Bob

I headed north today with my nephew Jim-Bob, his setter Zeke and Emma. I had planned on resting Emma today and giving Copper a run but Copper somehow hurt her front left foot and was limping this morning. I couldn't find any thorns and cuts and am thinking she may have somehow sprained it. I had some new coverts to show Jim-Bob but with Zeke, who tends to run big when down with another dog, and Emma who is only too willing to try to keep up with him, I didn't really expect any stellar dog work. After a slow start Zeke found and pointed 2 grouse but Emma ran in and bumped both birds before we could reach them. Later Emma ran over 2 woodcock and the day wasn't looking too productive. Finally near the end of the covert Zeke went on point close by with Emma backing him. I was able to get a picture and then walk in and flush a woodcock. We tried another good looking cover but came up empty with Zeke tearing his ear on a brier and needing some medical attention. After much ear pinching and lots of Farnam "Wonder Dust" we got the wound to stop bleeding and called it a day knowing that we had some new coverts to play in next fall.