Webfoot

What kind of bumpers are you using? I could see the rubber bumpers with the numbs on them being a little painful like you described. If rubber bumpers are all you have I would wait a few days or until he's able to comfortably pick it up and carry it. If not, canvas bumpers might work. Maybe he'll develop a really soft mouth because of all this?

How old will be be come September? I think dove hunting is a good starter. Gets them used to gunfire and what not. Set it up so you are doing the handling the first few hunts and not the shooting. That way you can control/handle him (with a lead) a little better while getting him some opportunities to find some birds. I wish I had done that the first time I took Mocha. She ended up running across the 80 acre plot we were all hunting around. I was not able to control her bacause I wanted to shoot. Bad Idea. She got eveyones birds but that's not exactly what I wanted. I wanted her to hunt for me, not herself. I'm still fighting that a little bit today. I think the first time I had Mocha out was right around year. I introduced her to gunfire earlier with a .22. I think if he's obedient and minds there's no reason you could not take him earlier. Like I heard someone else say, set him up to succeed. Don't make it hard for him and to easily fail. Maybe plant a few dead birds, add some gun fire and get him excited about hunting. See where it goes and make adjustments accordingly.

Well done....

I'm excited for Waterfowl season for several reasons.. First, my wife and I will be expecting our first child, (due on opening weekend of duck season no less) plus I turn 30 next month so I have a decision to make. Wife has granted me one more toy before the tide turns...So, I've been wanting a SBE II for a while now. I settled, and wished I wouldn't have, for a M2000. Its beenn flawless to this point but I'm just dying to get my hands on one of the finest autoloaders out there. I have an 870 as a back up. The other problem is, I've been wanting a layout boat. It is perfect for a majority of the hunting we do. But, I co-own a nice boat and blind set up but the other co-owner is 100 miles away but we generally hunt the same places and together but not always. He's getting a layout this year so I might have the boat even more. So I have decision to make. New Gun....New Layout Boat.... What do you think?

At first, Mocha did not want to retrieve it. She was used to canvas and rubber bumpers. But she finally caught on. Its held up longer than anything else. I injected it with duck scent to get her interested. She finds the weak spots on the rubber bumpers, the ones with the nubs (for lack of a better word) and chews the ends completely off. I had not payed that much attention to one bumper, threw it out in the water for her and I watched it sink. I was a little pissed because her hard mouth is something we've worked on. So I let her look for it for a while before I gave her the "No bird" signal. I doubt that that really taught her anything.

Nice birds. You must have been near SW MO. My in-laws farm was ravished. It will take decades for a lot of the timbers to recover. Very sad sight.

Its amazing how a small bird can do so much.

Wow. Six weeks?? I don't know of any professional trainer that would start training that early.

We only use Frontline. We take our dogs out swimming and to the lake but not near the frequency you do. So re-application might be necessary. We doth bathe them weekly. My wife said that while Frontline is a good product it seems that its effectiveness seems to dwindle after that third week. She also said that water and baths usually don't effect it when its been allowed to be absorbed into the oil glands and dispersed throughout the dogs coat. At least 24 hours after application and make sure their coat is dry and clean when you apply it. I was wrong about ticks having to bite for it to work. If they come into contact with the drug it should kill them. But, most of the ticks we take off our animals are dead. Highly infested areas can be a problem too. Re-application might be considered at that point as well.

Sorry to hear about your pup. Glad he's doing better. As far as the ticks go, do you have him on Frontline or Advantix? Advantix works as a preventative where Frontline does not. Frontline does do a good job of killing ticks not long after attachment. The tick must bite for Frontline to work. But, a tick has be attached for a certain peroid of time before it transmits the organism that causes Lymes Disease. With Frontline, they say that a few days after application the animal can have baths and be in the water with need for re-application.

While starting a dog early can be rewarding, it can also be easy to burn them out. I think a young dog also needs time to be a pup and to develop a bond with you beyond just training and making him work. Simple OB and some retrieving work is great at this age just remember to make it fun. What you do now, good and bad, sets up the foundation for everything to come.

Sounds like you have your "ducks in a row."

Congrats on the new pup!! I think keeping a dog in doors helps create a more personal bond. You and your pup get to interact more and you develop a bond that last a lifetime. All my dogs are indoor dogs and mind very well. They mind because they received the correct discipline at the right time. They learn rules and limits. They also learn what kind of behavior is tolerated and what is not. I think all those things carry over into the field. Also, don't foget to get him to a vet and get his shots and puppy check up. Parvo is a killer. And when it doesn't kill its usually very expensive to treat, $1000+ at some clinics. Its stupid not get the shots and other vaccinations. They work very well and are inexpensive. Last note, if you don't plan on breeding him. Have him neutered. If you do plan on breeding him make sure his hips and cleared by OFA and his eyes are good. Good luck and we hope to see some more pics of Tank bringing back the birds.

That's real nice....

Thought I'de post a few from this season. I'm bored already...Bring on the Snows!!!!

I have been very pleased with my Cabela's waders. I have the super-mag 5mm. Plenty warm for those cold days but too warm for early season. I wear a pair a quality wader pants and it keeps me dry (you will sweat). I went through several pairs before I found a pair comfortable enough to shell out the bucks for. I tried buying over the net but just became frustrated. Go to the store to pic them out.

That really sucks. But I wonder if there were any bands??

I think GWT are the most fun to shoot just because of the wads they usually bomb in. With that being said, once the big honkers lock up I start drooling into my call rendering it and myself useless. There are not too many things that get me like that...

I don't own one but I've blown one. Pretty good call. I thought it sounded great, real raspy. But it was louder than I wanted. I already had a call I liked. I went with a DOA double trouble for that low bottom end stuff. Still real raspy but ultra quiet for that close in stuff. Great finishing call. I'm sure the RNT will work well too.

I don't get it??? lol Looks kind of like that guys of CHIPS. Can't think of his name.

Beautiful country down there. We take a float trip on the Current or Jack's Fork every summer.

Just south of KC

Send it this way!! But somehow miss LA, MS, AL and Tex. Seriously, "bad drought" is an understatement right now. I'm sure whatever happens, it will be the government's fault. [ 08-26-2006, 06:32 AM: Message edited by: Webfoot ]

I shot a "Shootibus Alluim Useezes" (hooded merganser) a couple of seasons ago. Great looking mount. First and last one I'll ever shoot. We shoot several Pintails a year so I'm waiting for that perfect bird. But I agree they are a beautiful bird. As for Canvasbacks, I'll probably never see one unless I do a little traveling. Another fine bird for the wall. I'm a little jealous of mudhen. The variety of birds he sees and hunts is amazing. A cinnamon Teal is pretty high on my wish list.