Northwoods Birdcamp 2010 Continues…

I can’t believe I have been this awful at keeping the reports updated! So much has been going on and the landscape has drastically changed as well. Over the past week, Scott has arrived, one group has been here and left, and others have arrived.

We were blessed to have family, friends, and fellow Llewellin Setter enthusiasts and breeders stay and/or hunt with us. We’ve had a very busy week- to ten-days. The weather has been unseasonable warm which has really slowed down the hunting. It has been much too warm to hunt all day so afternoon breaks have been the order of the day most days.

I have barely had a chance to really hunt my trailer of dogs over the past week. Well, a few a day, but not all of them daily as I try to do. More dogs have arrived, so it is their turn now. I lost a dog for several (around 4) hours yesterday which really put a damper on everyone’s hunting. It was nice to have the help looking for the dog, but I felt just awful that this was ruining everybody’s hunting. I found a new area I wanted to check out so thought I would just take a short walk to look at the cover the area held and then catch up to the others and report my findings. I grabbed my new buddy (I’ve only had the dog for just under 5 months), who has been working beautifully for a month now. He was working like a dream and we were just walking along. It was already very warm so we were just taking it easy. I decided I needed a little break and I stopped while the dog continued working very near me. I heard the bell stop and grabbed my gear and went to find the dog. I couldn’t find him and continued to think I heard the bell a little further… and a little further… and before I knew it, I really couldn’t find the dog. I don’t know if I was hearing bells in my head (I really think this happens when I think I hear bells but they really are not there, like when I go to sleep after a day of hunting) or if it really was the bell, but in a matter of a few short minutes, I could not find the poor dog!

I had been texting another group that I was to meet up with and reported my location… I then reported I would be out as soon as I found the dog, and the next thing I know everyone is on scene helping to look for the dog. It was a long, hot, stressful several hours. I just kept yelling for him. Everyone was walking and searching and yelling. Finally, a fellow on an ATV came down the trail and told me the lost dog I was yelling for was at his camp tied to his pick-up truck… and could I now stop yelling so he could try to bow hunt?! The dog just wondered onto his porch so the fellow was kind enough to give him a drink and tie him out so a passerby could see him. By the way, the dog does have ID and my telephone numbers on his collar…

Well, so, the dog was retrieved and I was very, very grateful to everyone that gave up their afternoon of hunting birds to help me hunt the dog! I felt terrible, but incredibly relieved. I have no idea what happened or how I lost him/how he lost me…. but I sure hope it doesn’t happen again. The fellow on the ATV did mention the area is full of wolves!

We are having a great time despite the very warm weather and a declining grouse cycle. There are fewer birds, but we are able to find some and still give the dogs great opportunities and that’s what it’s all about. I have turned into a terrible shot, so I don’t think I am hurting the bird population at all! 🙂 The dogs are doing great–even with what happened yesterday, which I feel was my fault, not the dog’s.

The puppies are doing great and I can’t believe how much they have grown in the month we have been here. They have adjusted to life here and are really something else. I really, really miss sleeping with them and having them in the house with me, but they seem just fine in their cozy boxes and getting to get out to the woods and trails all the time. They’ve even been present when older dogs went on point on a grouse and you should see them point! Then the flush and they go WILD!!! Love it!  I love everyone of these boys and really, really like this breeding. It looks like Rock will be going to live with a wonderful hunting family in Anchorage as soon as we get all of the details and flight arrangements worked out. There are interested parities in PA waiting to see Gunni and Stoney, too. Gunni is a doll and he and Copper are the most obedient to my calls. Copper is a complete sweetheart and melts in my arms when I pick him up. I am head over for Stoney probably only because he reminds me of a miniature Luke! All these pups are fantastic and pointing, using their noses, are bold but love people too, are built beautifully, and are very, very bright (I LOVE a smart, bold, agile dog). Future bird dog extraordinaires (in my humble opinion)!

Well, I have to work the next few days and try to get some hunting in. We have more friends arriving that we will all guide for, then I think next week I will get to possibly hunt with a pup from Jenna and Steele’s litter–FUN! OH–and I got to see Seneca from Addie and Steele’s litter and she is absolutely gorgeous and works fantastic! I will get to hunt with her later in the week if I ever get my work done and get out of here!

Talk to you all soon.