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Met up with my pup's breeder on the Oregon/Idaho border for a chukar hunt on Thursday morning. We hunted all day Thursday (walked 13 miles) and we discovered that the birds were EXTREMELY skittish. Many of the coveys wild flushed 60+ yards out. However, we did see lots of birds (close to 100 chukar and probably 30 or 40 huns. About an hour into our hunt Rowdy locked up on a covey that held fairly tight. I immediately knew it was the real deal by the intensity he was showing on the point. I walked up and the covey flushed and I shot a double. He retrieved the one he saw fall, but is nowhere near being able to make double retrieves. I showed him where the second one fell, saying "dead bird" and once he caught the scent of it after I took him downwind of it, he picked it up and brought it over to me. We got into a few more coveys, one of which my breeder shot one out of on a point over his dog. The others we either blew shots on or the birds wild flushed far out and were down off the rim and into the canyon below. At the end of the day Rowdy locked up again. He started to move to bust the covey and I said "whoooaaa" softly. He stayed still and right then the covey flushed and I shot a hun out of the 5 or 6. My breeder shot a hun out of that covey as well. Went back to "town" and stayed in the motel. Hunted again this morning and early afternoon in the snow before I had to make the long drive back to Bend. My breeder and I split up, him taking on ridge with his dog and me taking another with Rowdy. I had a covey wild flush far out and never saw another covey after that. I missed a shot on some mallard that I jump shot. Needless to say, my shooting could have been better but Rowdy's hunting could not have been better. My breeder got into a covey of chukar and a covey of quail. He hit a double on the chukar and missed his only shot on the quail. Very successful trip for my pup and I couldn't be happier. He seems to be learning that he has to remain staunch on point to be able to retrieve the birds. Pictures coming when my breeder sends them to me.
Here is a pic from our hunt of my breeder's friend and his Brittany and Rowdy and I with some chukar.