Pointer training – 12th May 2008

An early start and up in the forest by 6.20am.  Very warm already with absolutely no breeze.  It didn’t take long before Grace went on point, finding a cock pheasant in the grass by the side of the path, obviously expecting a more relaxed morning than it got.  The bird flushed and Grace didn’t chase.  It took three attempts to drop her but she didn’t chase.  A mile further on she indicated that she had a bird, pointed, then moved in on a runner that I could see clearly from about 15 feet away.  Strictly speaking she shouldn’t have moved in on the bird but what happened next gave her room for a little credit.  The bird, a cock pheasant, decided to head into a pile of brash.  She stopped, looked at me, and I signalled her on.  The bird obviously felt it was hidden with its head in the brash, but its body and tail were sticking out in plain view.  Grace moved in and actually nudged the bird with her nose.  The pheasant sat motionless.  Grace stood there stationary with her nose no more than an inch from the bird.  I called her back and made her hup, which she did.  The pheasant then moved further into the brash and I called her away.  I was pleased with this, she didn’t attempt to peg the bird at all.

A good start to the day.