Today we ran Chunk first. Tom and I spread out about thirty yards or so and let Chunk cover the ground around and between us. He did a great job of patterning and staying within range and responded well to his commands. To my biased eye he looked to be doing very well for a pup his age. He had one woodcock find which unfortunately we were not able to get a shot at. Chunk took it in stride and was right back to hunting while we worked our way back to the truck.
Next up was Tom's dog Izzy. She was all business as soon as we put her down. She's a natural and did very well. She handled very well for Tom and she wasn't down long before she flushed a partridge. He made the shot count and Izzy made a nice retrieve.
We made the move to check out a different covert and brought Chunk out again. He did really well once more, covering the ground with enthusiasm. I cast him toward Tom and then around back to me. He hit the area just to my right and put up a woodcock. I shouldered the Browning, let some lead fly, and down came the bird. Chunk made the retrieve and brought it to hand.
We put Izzy down for one more run and though she was game, Tom and I were spent. We pushed through one last covert to give her the work but found no birds there. We headed back to the truck to water the pups and put them up for the ride home.
I continue to be impressed with how well these pups do especially considering their age. There is an old saying somewhere that "Breeding Tells" and that truly seems to be the case with these pups.
Now it's time for the Geezer Hour, a time for some fine scotch and some storytelling.
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