Each year, I eagerly anticipate pheasant season with the same excitement that I felt when my father took me out on opening day in 1959.
Later in life, I guided bird hunters for around 35 years. I made many friendships with the hunters I encountered, but I have to admit, a lot of my best friends have been dogs.
All of the dogs I’ve used while guiding or enjoying a hunt with family and friends have been Labrador retrievers. Black, yellow, chocolate… it didn’t matter. They all gave me everything possible to ensure the hunt was successful.
When I recently retired from guiding, we decided I didn’t need a Lab anymore. Settling instead for a cute little puppy from a Sioux Falls area rescue center.
All of my dog training has been with retrievers, so that experience was accidentally used with the new cross-bred poodle. She seemed to enjoy chasing the squirrels, bunnies and gophers that hang out in the back yard. Multiple daily visits to the nearby city park also provide some outstanding “hunting”.
Penny, “Chloe” and I went hunting at midseason last fall. I chose a fence line that looked like it had potential — harvested corn on one side— green radishes on the other. As I was getting out of the truck, a small covey of prairie chickens flushed and flew off safely. But there often is a straggler that stays under cover. Sure enough, up he soared. A load of 6 shot from my 12 gauge Browning flew in its direction. Missed! A second try was a solid hit and the bird folded over heavy green cover.
After unloading the gun and crossing the fence, I searched for a minute or two without picking up my bird. “Let the dog out,” I called to Penny. Reluctantly at first, as the dog’s curly fur is the other half of “weed Velcro,” she turned the beast loose.
“Go find it,” I said, a phrase Chloe normally hears when looking for a hidden toy. Sure enough, after about 30 seconds she found the downed bird laying under the radish leaves.
Although she didn’t go with me on opening day this season — the sticking weeds problem — last year’s outing still proved to be a fun autumn outing with my unique hunting dog.