Going to Brag up my Dog Now!!!!

[KDM]

Sorry Fellas!! I have to do it again!! Herc and I hit'er again today and he was off the charts. I watched a couple hens run into a rock pile about 400 yards off the road covered in brush and I couldn't pass it up. I let Herc out and we were off. Got to the rock pile and Herc dove in. WHAT A RUCKUS!!! Cackling roosters busted out of everywhere. I knocked the first one to come out my side and then ran around to the other side just in time to dump a late riser right off Herc's nose. There were 6 roosters and the 2 hens in that little nothin' of brush. Herc brought them to hand and I could have about burst with pride. Hit a few sloughs with some wild flushes and then I watched a rooster glide into a small creek type stretch of cat tails. I thought, "Oh Yeah" I can get on him. Herc and I made our way to that creek, but I only made it about 30 yards into it when Herc dove into the grass and up came a cackling red rooster. I shot, hit'em enough to bring him down, but knew he wasn't hit real hard. Headed over to where he came down and Herc stuck his nose right under the snow and dove in. I thought "He's got'em!" Nope. Out the other side comes Herc and he races down a deer path.....gone. Uh Oh...... I waited a minute and couldn't hear Herc busting brush anywhere. I whistled for him to come, but he never came so I went a lookin'. Went about 40 yards until I could see darn near 360 and no dog so I started to get a little nervous. Then I saw a single cat tail stem just a vibrating like mad. Just one!! I walked over there and it was then I could hear Herc "Snorting" under the snow. HE WAS GONE!!! I couldn't see a single hair, but I could hear him. I started to dig out trash can lid sized pieces of snow until I found his hind end. His tail had been wagging and hitting that cat tail. All be darned I he didn't emerge from that snow pile with a VERY live rooster in his mouth!!! The roof must have collapsed on him when he went under the snow after that bird. I just sat there and laughed at him with his face all covered in snow. I wrung the roosters neck and gave it right back to him. He pranced with that rooster in his mouth all the way back to the truck and I let'em do it!!! He EARNED that one!! Man do I love these late season birds!!! Now some more pics....

 

[SDMF]

I remember 3 short yrs ago when all you wanted to shoot were ducks and didn't give a hoot for roosters.

A good dog will change your whole life, for the better.

Congrats to you and Herc, it only gets better from here!

 

[camoman]

That a boy, Herc!

 

[KDM]

You were RIGHT SDMF and I'm not afraid to admit it. Herc has changed the whole game for me. I still don't like to eat pheasants, but watching Herc root around and get'em up is just plain MESMERIZING and approaches MAGICAL!!!! We're going to hit'em again tomorrow if Herc's up to it. He worked his furry little butt off today so I'm not going to push it. I'll bring him out and let him decide how long we are out.

 

[svnmag]

That's great stuff KD.

 

[tikkalover]

Thumbs Up :;:thumbsup :::thumbsup::

 

[Kickemup]

Way to go herc a KDM.

 

[nxtgeneration]

You want another dog. Wife might kill me or the dog soon.

Looks just like our bed did. Somehow I ended up on the side with the hole until we get a new mattress.

 

[wildeyes]

nice, When a guy and dog connect. people dont understand until it happens.

 

[guywhofishes]

nice, When a guy and dog connect. people dont understand until it happens.

yep!

imagine the absolute thrill when it's a poodle you got from a show dog breeder and started training him as a pup just on lark (and maybe a little prayer)

I honestly would never have to hunt behind Royce again and I would die happy/satisfied that a semi-miracle occurred for us - it's been that "neat"

 

[Zogman]

Looking good! The big question is does Herc have all his parts in order to pass those genes on? He seems like stud material too me.

 

[KDM]

He's Sunkist. Got juice, but no seeds.

 

[johnr]

Pups is listening for the bad guy that came in and ripped up the cushion. Trying to make sure they don't do it again....

Was it the Russians again?

 

[SupressYourself]

Awesome.
My dog is the main reason I pheasant hunt too.
He loves it. Just got back from a hunt with 13 guys and he was the only dog.
He's 8 years old but the only time you can tell is after the hunt.






On two separate occasions he pulled an un-shot bird out from under a snowbank. Luckily they were both roosters.

 

[KDM]

Great Pics SY. I don't think Herc could handle runnin' for 13 guns. Here's the mighty Hercules after 2 days of runnin' for just little ole' me.....

 

[SupressYourself]

Yeah, he crashes hard, but he's ready to go the next day.
The deep snow this year was a bit tough on him, but he did it 3 days in a row.

There's too many birds down at once or too far apart, so he doesn't retrieve all 13 limits, but I often end up with my vest so full that I have to make a pile and come back after the push.

 

[KDM]

Ha!! I hear ya. Some friends and I were on a late season hunt and we had to pile up some birds and when we got back to the pile there was a hawk sitting on it like he owned the place. He didn't want to give'em up either. We were 5 feet from him before he took off. Ate the heads off two roosters and he narrowly avoided becoming part of the landscape, but no real damage to the good stuff. Obviously I still giggle about that one.

 

[wslayer]

Congrats on a couple excellent days of hunting. Seems like to early for it to be over in a couple weeks.