Preserve Hunt Yesterday

[campbellj21]

Here are a few pics from a little preserve hunt I got Squirt out on yesterday. Pretty enjoyable day, good dog work, good friends, and after a few skunks on the last couple wild hunts I'm sure Squirt was glad to be back on birds

[4ShotB]

good pictures.I used to not enjoy hunting on the preserves when I didn't have a dog. However I took my young dog to one a few weeks ago and it was great for him to get so much bird contact. We have been stomping around here for grouse/quail and spent a few days in KS without a lot of contact. Once he got into them at the preserve he understood what it was we were doing....I think he thought we were on long hikes before. Totally changed my perspective on them and now I can't wait to take him back.

[terrym]

I find it a better investment than paying for sessions where pigeons are used or you can't shoot the birds. My dog is a gundog first and shooting birds over him and letting him taste/retrieve them is time and money well spent IMHO. Pen raised pheasant makes a nice meal also.

[campbellj21]

Same here, my work has been crazy this year and I haven't had a lot of quality wild hunts to get him on. Having a good selection of preserves around just helps to keep things fresh and keep him on birds. Plus it can be some good shooting if you go to a place that has decent birds. Hopefully next year I can travel some more and the local hunting picks up. Another good purpose of the preserves is to extend the season and keep your dog on birds for a longer period of the year. Especially those of us who don't have private land to buy birds and train on our own.

[DonF]

I wish preserves wern't as expensive as they are. Not many birds around here any more and driving 250-300 miles to find very few birds doesn't work for me. I'm thinking I can make one preserve hunt this year. Pen raised birds are better than no birds.

Question. Did you really name your dog Squirt? Who in their right mind would do that?

[campbellj21]

No, I bought him from a club in Nebraska, I understand some of the conotations involved in the name, but I do still like it.