Goin' out tomorrow!  Supposed to be warm (means it will be messy...), but I will try to get some good photos to post (last ones were a bit foggy - must have had some condensation on the lenses due to cold).  I may have to get the water-proof enclosure .  I have been very excited - Sadie has been doing AWESOME in her training over the last week!  Could mean all goes to heck, but I will take my chances.

Well, in any case it is nice to be able to run the dog off the leash, and watch her work birds (breeding!) without the risk of getting in trouble (LOL PB!), a ticket, or getting Shot/Tased by police, or park rangers... 

"Don't Tase me Bro!"  - or my dog

Will do.  I keep a "Dog Log" with Sadie.  It has become a little bit more than just a photo-journal.  I think I have pictures of about every bird shot over her (of course, it is but her first season!). 

I am cursed by having a Quality Engineering background - so I also keep all sorts of useful (and useless) information on Sadie, and our training/hunting.  I know how many birds we released, how many she pointed, how many we shot (and...  I hesitate..  how many shots we fired...  ugh...). 

Sadie did FANTASTIC!  Can't quite say the same for us...  It was a cloudy, windy day, and that gave the birds afterburners once they got turned with the wind.  Lost 3 right off the bat first thing - flew right out of the field.  Thought it was going to be a really bad day.

We did settle down, however, and ended up getting 7 of the 8 birds we released on the morning.  Add to that one quail as well.  Sadie did beautifully and had great opportunities to retrieve (6 of the 7 birds were hens).  She retrieved every opportunity I gave her, and even some of them directly to hand (we have some clean-up to do on that end with fresh birds). 

In all, Sadie put-up 16 birds (some birds were flushed twice after misses).  We figured we had quality chances at at least 10 birds - NOT A BAD DAY!!

WOW! Some weird stuff going on. I posted a couple of pictures, but they were originally on Walgreens, so I am not sure if they are visible. I tried to change my avatar (from me and Sadie, with me holding Sadie's first bird (a rooster) to a black and white of Sadie Pointing), and it would seem from your comments that it worked, but I still show my old avatar... Weird. What does my Avatar look like to you...?  I will try to re-post the pictures.

OH!  Wait a second.  You stated what the sign in one of the pictures said - so you must see it...  That was the best shot of the day (camera issues - sorry).  There should also have been one of Sadie bounding through the cover as well.  Only other good one I got was this of my dad...

Amazing we wee hunting in Flannels in the beginning of February in Northern Illinois...

And one more of Sadie working, although not so exciting...

Sadie would whine again when she was on a bird.  With the wind, and warmth, it made the birds a little skiddish, and they would flush when she would start whinning. 

Strange, I still see my initial avatar instead of the B/W!

I guess I should clarify. Her tail stops most times, and she stands-off prey well. The new Avatar I took as a series where she stood off the bird on point long enough for me to snap quite a few shots (many of which were out of focus, unfortunately), and then flush the bird.  The main exception is when the birds are moving. So, I think she is holding point, but whinning. We had one situation in the middle of our day where there were 5 birds running ahead of her in cover (on a tree-line at the north-end of our field). Because we were in thick cover, I couldn't see the dog, but I knew she was on a bird because she was whinning!  She pushed to birds to a break, and all 5 flew - two roosters, and 3 hens (we shot twice, and got nothing, of course). Interestingly enough, all three hens flew south, both roosters flew north. We bagged all three hens eventually. I agree, she will probably outgrow it with experience - especially if she pushes birds where we don't get a shot (still occasionally happens hunting up-wind, although A LOT less than her first couple times out). Her reward is very much being able to retrieve a shot bird.

For the record, we got our first "look" (like she would've flipped us off if she could) after we missed the first 3 birds she pointed.  And I guess that's why they call it "the bird"!!

I can usually get some good pictures.  My issue Saturday was that I couldn't get the batteries to last more than a couple of shots - partially due to the cold (and alakline batteries), and partially because of the cloudiness (and flash).  I had a different camera than I normally take with me.  I usually have a little Sony DSC point-and-shoot that works well, and I can strap it to my wrist.  It is light enough that it doesn't affect shooting (if it is on my right hand).  And, I can flip it up and grab a shot pretty quickly.

I also would have done better if we had more roosters - We only bagged one that we had thought we had missed (magic BB).  All the rest were hens.  We saw 4 total roosters (by our count) which Sadie pointed (one other that the group to the North of us shagged up, but missed).

I am looking for that shot of Sadie retrieving, and holding that big rooster!  Maybe next time .

Yeah. That's what I thought you were meant. Both clubs I go to have more, or less of a hybrid form of those methods. This club (Coon Creek, www.cooncreekhuntclub.com) is a pre-pay (buy the birds before-hand). They do releases, but because birds are pre-bought, they dizzy the birds slightly (and I do mean slightly), and toss them into cover (so they fly occasionally, but not too far). They don't tuck them into the cover, and they don't (having seen some) spin them to the point that they are unconscious - just a quick shake. They do this well before they allow you in the field as well (30 - 45 minutes), so the birds are seldom where they were released - at least running, sometimes flying off. They also are able to spread them out while still keeping them in the field they were released in.

The other club I go to (McCullom Lake, www.mccullomlakehuntclub.com/) is a pay-what-you-take. This club takes a truck into the field with birds. Rules state that dogs get leashed, and there is no shooting when the truck is in the field. They open the cages, and shake them to get the birds out (which fly all over, seeding the fields). Once the truck leaves, hunting can resume.

I understand what you mean. We always, ALWAYS question when club-owned guide dogs are used. Seems to be a conflict of interest, and a lot of questions, since such a premium is paid - either extra birds are put out, or the guide knows where the birds are (planted birds). I have heard of guys going out to clubs, with a guide and dog, and by the end of the hunt even THEY knew where they would find birds... "wait a second - I'll bet there are birds over here in this bizzarr clump of cover in the middle of the clearing...". No need for a dog! Success is guaranteed!

Nah, at the club I go to - Coon Creek Hunt Club - success is definately not guaranteed... I wish they had more breaks to better hold the birds in the field I am hunting (tend to leave field if they are running - adminttedly a personal financially biased statement, I want to protect the investment in the birds I purchase ahead of time). Cover is very good though, and last week some of the other groups came up well short - 1/4 on one (no dog), and 4 of 8 (I think) on the another (hunting with a lab, I believe).