New Year - New Blog - Great Hunting!!

I've decided to start keeping an online blog of our adventures with Cleo our 16 month old German Shorthaired Pointer. The first adventure for the new year was a hunting trip this morning at Powderborne Pheasant Preserve which is located about 20 minutes from of our house in Bucks County Pennsylvania. It was a pretty big commitment on our part because that meant we couldn't get too out of control with our New Year's celebrations last night. Who wants to be hung over and hunting?? Anyway, it was an absolutely beautiful day for January 1st. The sky was a tad bit cloudy but it was a nice and balmy 45 degrees. 

 

Jimmy watching Cleo work the field

Cleo knew this morning before we left the house that she was going hunting. As soon as she sees her electric collar and her gear bag getting packed she's full of enthusiasm. She's always a ball of energy but when she knows she's hunting or training that energy has direction. As soon as we hit the field she was down to business. Within about 3 minutes she had pointed her first bird and a puff of feathers later we had our first confimred bird of the day. As soon as she had that first bird locked down she couldn't be stopped. We even commented at the end of the day that even when Jim and I are ready to pack it in she's still working hard. I'm pretty sure she would search for birds until her last breath. She even seems annoyed when you make her stop to water her. She really is her happiest when she's in the field.  

 

So at the end of the day we bagged 5 Pheasants. We had an opportunity to shoot 3 more - one I accidently flushed. Another one flushed right up into the trees and the other one flushed as soon as Cleo found it and we just weren't ready. Some of the birds were real runners today so it made it challenging. But it was a ton of fun and Cleo did a phenominal job. I'm always amazed at her natural instincts.

 

One of the best parts about today was Jim spoke to the owner of the Pheasant Preserve and gave them our number to use Cleo as a guide dog. Hopefully Jim will get to take her there at least once a week and work her in the field. He won't be shooting but it will give him an opportunity to work her in real hunting situations. 

 

We had a great time today. I'm looking forward to making homemade Pennsylvania Dutch Pheasant Pot Pie with those Pheasants. Mmmmm good eats. And Cleo rode home in a ball on my lap. I'm pretty sure she is the only hunting dog who rides to hunts and tests on heated seats and on my lap in the front seat. But we don't care she's spoiled....we love her and appreciate how hard she works. Besides she's a pretty good dog when she's not destroying shoes and rolls of toilet paper.

Proud Pappa