The Local Hills - Wish I'd Kept A Journal

Photo courtesy of Franklinsites.com

I learned recently that you can get an achievement patch from the Belknap County Sportsmen Association for hiking the twelve highest peaks in the Belknap Mountain Range. You hike the hills, fill out a form with names, dates, notes, etc. and send it in. I like the idea.
It's too bad I've never kept a journal though because several years ago we used to find ourselves in some of those hills quite a bit, especially around the backside of Straightback Mountain. It would be nice to know how many I've done. We lived nearby so we were there pretty often. We'd go up to pick blueberries in late summer, go for the scenery during foliage time and of course hunt later in the fall. There was one hunt in particular during which Ben and I must have knocked off at least three of those peaks while tracking a couple of deer in a decent amount of snow. Which reminds me of another time when a light snow turned into a serious whiteout blizzard just as we got to the top and found ourselves scrambling down to where we could see and start hunting again. 
Then there was the day when Laurie's dad and I went up to poke around and we were welcomed by a flock of snow buntings. I'd never seen so many at one time and I've seen very few since. Then as we were starting to head down we met a couple of moose hunters who hadn't had any luck at all and this was the last day of their season. They asked if we'd seen any sign, we told them about a fresh set of tracks we'd come across, showed them where the moose was headed, directed them to the tracks and wished them luck.  

Photo courtesy of peakery.com

On one of the blueberry forays, myself and a buddy of mine hiked up sans blueberry rakes and proceeded to try to fill the containers we each brought. The only problem was that wild blueberries are like candy and we were eating more than saving. By the time we were tired of picking, our containers looked pretty measly so we took what we gathered and gave them to another picker up there who was happy to have them and we headed for home.
But like I mentioned earlier, I never wrote down dates, times and such, I rarely even took any pictures. So I guess I'll start over and hike some of those hills again, not so much for the patch, but for the visit, the views and to jog some memories. If I decide to complete all twelve maybe I'll fill out a form, maybe even one for Chunk since I intend to take him with me. More than likely though, I'll hit the ones I like, skip the ones I have no interest in (the peaks with all the people) and probably call it close enough. We'll see...

Back From Bird Camp

The dogs and I got home from the camp last night, all of us tired and worn out. This trip was with a few friends of mine, where they took turns gunning (two at a time) while I handled the dogs. We had done this last year and they loved it so much they came back for more.

The birds were very hard to come by, as they have been all season. We were hitting some of the best looking coverts we'd ever seen only to find them bare. Chunk saved the day for us on the first day though when in the last covert we hunted, he had seven woodcock and two partridge finds. The setters found a few earlier in the day, but really had to work hard doing it, as we all did. That was the only day I believe, that we had a double digit flush rate.

The story for me though this trip was all about Chunk. He is really developing into quite the gun dog, boldly hitting coverts and covering them completely. He seems to have figured out that we are a team, both working toward a common goal. He displays an intuition I have not experienced before in a dog, where he seems to know what I want him to do and then does it before I tell him. He is just so darned fun to hunt with.

As usual, the food was great and the beverages plentiful. The guys really out did themselves with the meals they prepared. Only in a hunting camp can you spend all day covering several miles and still gain weight.

There is still plenty of season still to go. I love it.

First Day Afield

Beautiful Fall day in the woods today. Perfect temps, clear blue sky and the foliage just starting it's annual display. I ran Gunner first today and it wasn't long until his bell went silent. I moved up on his point, gun at the ready when a song bird flushed from some bushes in front of him. I lowered the gun as I explained to him that this wasn't what we were after and I could have sworn he gave me a look that said "only kidding". I cast him off again and he seemed to be taking things a little more seriously. He runs with a sense of joy, just loving being in the woods and sometimes I think he might be missing birds because he isn't paying attention. I can't fault him though because I am often guilty of the same thing. However, today he didn't miss a thing and it wasn't long before he locked up tight on a woodcock point. He held nice and steady and I couldn't have asked for better manners on a bird. Just to prove it wasn't a fluke he repeated the performance a little while later. Next up was Gally. She is the complete opposite of Gunner. She is all business right from the git go, with no lack of motion and none of it wasted. You know when she hits the ground that it's time to kick things up a gear. She stays within a comfortable range but when she considers an area covered, it's covered and time to move on. No pottering around with this girl. She had a couple of nice woodcock finds and one relocate on a running bird that she handled beautifully. I couldn't help but marvel at how far these Setters have come. It seems like only yesterday they were busting birds and chasing them over the hills to parts unknown. I could not be more pleased with how these dogs have turned out. Last but not least, it was Chunk's turn. This season I'm not actually hunting Chunk per se as we have begun the steadying process with him in preparation for next year's Hunt Tests and Field Trials. So being without someone to gun for us, the two of us headed out with only some water and a whistle. He handled very well, hit the coverts with enthusiasm and was just a delight to watch. Unfortunately we didn't find any birds but I did give him some remote hups which he accomplished admirable. I heeled him back toward the truck and on our way back I hupped him as another truck was approaching. The husband and wife who had also been hunting stopped to see (as they put it) if I was the one making all the racket over here. We laughed as I admitted that indeed I was the guilty party. We talked about their dogs, my dogs, the area in general and the beautiful day. They were suitably impressed that the entire time we talked, Chunk continued to stay hupped without reminder, while I tried to not look too overly proud. So that's the report on Day 1 afield for us. Tomorrow we'll head to the camp and see what's doing up there and maybe kick around a bird or two.

Banjos & Gun Dogs - The Same But Different

                                   (Gerron & Chunk at this past weekends Hunt Test)

I was reflecting this morning on the past weekend's Hunt Test in Maine with our English Cocker pup, Chunk. The three of us, Gerron, Chunk and I, had such a wonderful time catching up with folks, meeting others and of course watching the dogs do what they were bred to do. It doesn't matter whether it's sled dogs, herding dogs, hunting dogs, whatever, I am always fascinated watching them work. This got me to thinking about my own journey into the world of flushing dogs, especially my first day training at Churchie Kennel & Gun Dog Training with Steve Church, when he put a hand on my shoulder and said "remember this day".

My only experience working with flushing dogs up to that point had been a too brief period with a Lab we had in high school that my brother and I trained using only a book from the Outdoor Life Book Club. We sent in our penny and a promise to buy more books within a certain period of time. With neither of us working, keeping that promise was tough but we did it. We had that Lab quartering, retrieving, doing multiple marks, blind retrieves, just my brother and I and our Lab, "Buck". He was taken from us at the age of two and was the last dog we had until I was on my own. 

I've had other dogs since then that have done some flushing, but they were pointing dogs so that hardly counts (because they aren't supposed to flush). Hunting behind pointing dogs is entirely different than hunting behind flushing dogs or at least it is for me. I'll drive to an area I want to hunt, get out a dog and equip him with bell and e-collar and let him go. The dog will make a pass, figure out the wind and head into the woods deciding how he will cover it. He will be out of sight in no time and I'll follow along listening for the bell and when the bell stops, I'll head into the direction where I last heard it until I see the dog on point. 

Shooting over a dog on point is a magical thing that I can't get enough of, but there isn't a whole lot of interaction between the dogs and me with the exception of an occasional "come 'round" or when I call them in for water. I put in an incredible amount of time training these dogs to handle far away from me and it has been both rewarding and effective for us. But it is different (I'm getting to the banjos, I promise).

                                       (Ben moving up over one of Gunner's points)

When I first started working with Steve, he explained flushing dogs to me, how they work, their body language and how to "read" them, the importance of paying attention to the wind and our part in the process. We put in a lot of time getting Chunk ready but it's taken a lot more time getting me ready. There have been times when it's been too easy for me to stop handling and moving forward or to stop watching for the wind, or forget how I'm supposed to work the wind. I've always paid attention to wind when deer hunting but for some reason I never did when bird hunting, not to mention rabbit hunting, where we used to just let the dogs go and wait for them to bring the rabbit around. So after a couple of brain farts during the four days of Hunt Tests, I got to wondering if I would have had an easier time with a flushing dog if I hadn't started out with pointing dogs first. 

Now in the words of Bluegrass musician Ron Thomason, "Now, I told you that story to tell you this one".

When I was a kid we used to watch The Beverly Hillbillies. The theme song for the show featured Earl Scruggs playing the five string banjo and the first time I heard it I was hooked. Other shows like the Andy Griffith Show and later, shows like Hee Haw, and several variety shows like the Tennessee Ernie Ford Hour, The Glen Campbell Show, etc. would feature a banjo player from time to time and I knew I always wanted to play one. Unfortunately I never knew anybody that played banjo and by the time I hit High School I also fell in love with the guitar, both electric and acoustic and started playing those. It wasn't until several years later that I got a banjo and started learning to play it.

                                         (Stylin' me slinging my 5 String at a festival)

Because I had fallen in love with the Scruggs style of playing that is what I learned how to play and eventually became somewhat proficient with it playing a lot in jams and in a band and even did a recording with it. I just couldn't learn the banjo fast enough and couldn't get enough of it, until...

One day we were attending one of the Noppet Hill Bluegrass festivals (I forget which one, but it was mid to late '90s) and while I was out walking around early one morning I heard this incredible sound. I could tell there was some kind of banjo, a fiddle and a guitar that I could hear. So like a hunting dog following scent, I tracked that sound to it's source. To my surprise there was one of my friends, music mentor, true renaissance man and all around great guy, Robert Fraker playing the sweetest sounding clawhammer banjo you ever heard. He along with the others in that small early morning jam (or maybe it was still going on from the night before) were playing old time fiddle tunes that were being done to perfection; just so incredibly tasteful, mournful, soulful, joyful, almost all at the same time. I didn't know at the time that Robert played clawhammer banjo in addition to his many other talents but I found out that he is a championship clawhammer player, although he'd be the last one to tell you that. 

(Deb Smith, Ken Belanger and Dave Shaw sporting our Noppet Hill Tee Shirts at one of the Noppet Hill Festivals)

So I vowed to myself that I would learn how to play clawhammer banjo. Robert showed me the basic bump-ditty stroke that is the foundation of the clawhammer sound. I went home and practiced it over and over but just could never get it down right. I got books that described it, cd's that I could play along to, every thing I could think of, but I just could never develop a smooth clawhammer stroke. I would give up for a time and try again a year or two later but I just couldn't do it. I eventually got to where I could play a couple of songs to the point that they were recognizable (June Apple and Fortune if you're wondering) but never to a level I thought acceptable.

I discovered something interesting though during my banjo endeavors and it was this. Other banjo players were struggling with the same thing. I was in a jam with a clawhammer player one time and complimented him on his playing and told him how incredibly difficult I found clawhammer to be. He told me he thought it was easy but he always struggled with Scruggs style picking. He thought that was the more difficult style. Similar discussions with pickers of both stripes revealed that they each thought the style they started out with was easier than the style they were trying to learn. Some of them eventually became proficient at both but I was never one of them even to this day. 

Which brings me back to working with dogs. I still feel that handling pointing dogs is easier than handling flushing dogs but what I don't yet know is the reason. Is it because I started with pointing dogs and am now trying to learn something new or is it because handling flushing dogs is in fact more difficult. I wonder if people that started with flushers and switched to pointing dogs have as hard a time as I do or if it's just because I'm an old dog that has a hard time learning new tricks. It's hard to tell though because I haven't met many flushing dog people that switched to pointing dogs. 

(Chunk during the Land Series at his first Hunt Test June 6, 2015. Photo courtesy of Faith Maclaren)

What I have learned though is that Chunk has made great progress in a short period of time. Each trip out is so much fun. Every time he does something well I think back to that first day when he was first learning to work a cover; the same day when Steve told me to "remember this day". That is when I see how far we've come. And, whenever I start to feel like I'm holding Chunk back, like he is ready for more or should be further along if not for me, I remember something else Steve told me and from time to time reminds me of. "It's not about the ribbons, it's about the process and the journey". To that I can only add, Amen. 

Enjoy your dogs,

Ken

                               (Steve Church, Laurie & Gerron at a training with Chunk)

Chunk's Homework & The Training Table

This weekend I had an opportunity to train with Churchie Kennel & Gun Dog Training in Epping, NH. They are a great bunch of people who really know how to make training successful and FUN.

Saturday we put Chunk through the paces, rolling him into some birds for him to find and retrieve, which he was doing quite well at...until...seemingly out of the blue, he started dropping birds before completing the retrieve. I thought to myself, "wow, where did that come from". Chunk continued to do this while working on Marked Retrieves so Steve Church did some Hold work with him. We then took Chunk back to the field and rolled him on some more birds which he then successfully retrieved. He successfully completed all of his retrieves on Sunday as well.

After giving it some thought, I believe I know how the dropping started. During the course of the winter, Chunk was digging up some of his toys from under the snow and bringing them in to us. He would deliver to hand until one day he dug up a mole. It was dark outside and it looked like another toy until it was delivered, yuck. He also did it with a dead squirrel, some sticks and eventually we just started commanding him to "Leave It" at the door know matter what it was.

So, our homework assignment from Steve was to do some Hold work with Chunk.

I like to use a training table that I built a few years ago for the Setters. It has lots of great uses for training and grooming and allows me to train when the weather is bad outside. I set it up in the garage this morning (it's pouring out) knowing we won't need the garage to park in again until next winter (fingers crossed).

The first step was to introduce Chunk to the table. I used the Setters to show him this. They are quite used to the table which I used to help teach them "Whoa","Steadiness", "Heel" and "Hold".

I started with Gunner and began with just heeling him to the table, then around it and up and down it. Then I "Whoa'd " Gunner on the table, all the while with Chunk watching.

Gunner has to Whoa no matter what part of the table he is on, including the ramp.

Next, it was Gally's turn to demonstrate.

Then after Chunk had seen both dogs work AND saw them get LOTS of praise while they were on the table, it was his turn.

Chunk went up onto the table without any trouble on his first try. I hupped him and praised the heck out of him. What I had not anticipated was that Gally would want to be part of the action. She came over, got on the table, with Chunk and he never budged. I was so proud of him I heaped on the praise.

 I should point out that I should have corrected Gally for moving from her place but I did not want Chunk to experience any negative associations his first time on the table.

I then looked at Gunner who by now had crept over to us and I said "oh alright, get up here", which he did.  I at least insisted that the "Deviants" had to Whoa on the table so I could take the picture above.

I continued to work Chunk by himself, just getting him comfortable with the table before letting him see some "Hold" work by the Setters just to help prepare him. Again I lead with Gunner. You can see he has the bumper in his mouth while he is Whoa'd on the table. Chunk was watching but turned toward the camera when I took this shot.

This is Gally taking her turn. One funny thing I noticed is that while I was praising each of the Setters, Chunk's tail would be wagging like crazy while he was seated, watching the action.

Here is Chunk on the table with the bumper. He held it the very first time for a long time. I take no credit for this as I think Chunk remembered well the Hold work Steve had done with him.

The next steps will be to continue with the Hold command, using a variety of bumpers which differ in size and weight, as well as birds. I'll also have him walk the table without dropping the objects, then heel off of the table, up the table, around the table without dropping whatever he is carrying. I'll continue to use the Setters to demonstrate for him. Then once Chunk has that down, I'll use him to demonstrate to the Setters what a proper retrieve is.

Thanks for reading this and as always, Enjoy your dogs,

Ken, Gally, Gunner & Chunk
(Yes, I need to clean my garage)

Spring-Time Rite of Winter's Passing

A Spring-Time Rite Of Winter's Passing
by Ken Belanger

When Spring has sprung from Winter's grasp
Leaving only banks of snow-plow trails
Upon the ground in frozen clasps
Lay our boxes for the mail

We venture forth with tools in hand
To resurrect our box and post
All through the year we hope it stands
At least until next Winter's ghost

Our rookie year for all to see
A beautiful box stands tall and proud
But after Winters two and three
T'is enough to have a box unbowed

Year after year this task we tend
And continue on as years abound
Until we meet our very end
Within our own box in the ground

A Little Training & Chunk Helps A Neighbor's Pup

Chunk & I had a good session this morning in our journey toward steadiness. We walked along one of our normal routes until we got to a small field. I removed his leash and cast him off. He took right off and started patterning left and right just as if the season never ended.

I let him get out a ways, gave a whistle to hup and he sat right down. I had him hold it for a minute before casting him off again. We repeated this a few more times and then I called him in and we continued our walk. He never messed up once. Naturally, I praised the heck out of him.

On our way back to the house we ran into a neighbor and her new five month old puppy. We let the dogs do the sniff get acquainted thing and let them play a bit. The other dog is a little Pappillon who has been having a hard time with walking on leash; The owner moves and the dog doesn't. We decided to try walking them together.

Chunk and I went ahead and they followed. The little dog took right off after us like she had been on a leash all along. We would stop to hup, then they did the same thing and then we'd repeat it. We did this all the way back to the house. Our neighbor was so proud of her little dog it was really nice to see. I was proud of her little dog too.

Enjoy Your Dogs,

Ken