Iowa Opener Photos

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wems2371
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Iowa Opener Photos

Post by wems2371 » Mon Oct 29, 2012 3:07 pm

My husband and I haven't really hunted the last few openers, just because of all the folks that come out. But then a good friend wanted to go out, and then there was no holding me back. :D Bad part was that I had two lame dogs the weekend before, ironically both left front paws. By opener, the older dog was still a little gimpy and set it out. The younger dog's gait was back to normal on Wednesday, but she had a small infected lump between her toes that we went to the vet for. The vet is thinking maybe a thistle point or something got rammed between the toes, and so she got a antibiotic prescription. I booted her up though, and she made it through Saturday fine.

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The cover we started in was thick and tall. Not necessarily suited to a pointing dog, but in sharing the field, that's where we ended up. We got a rooster or two from it, and some nice retrieves.

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On our way back to change out dogs, Brandi worked this one. She got very birdy, tracked for around 30', stopped with a brief point before a rooster burst out of the foxtail, and Clint knocked it out of the sky.

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After two hours, and trading out some of our friends dogs, it was back to the field. Brandi retrieving a wild flush rooster in the 2nd hunt.

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This was worth a laugh. We were out in the boondocks, walking through a dried up pond mud flat. Our friend joked about a good place to rest, and I look over and he's sitting down. My husband decides to join him. Evidently some red neck hunters left their two card table chairs and a mallard decoy out. Maybe they were hoping to come back when the pond filled up.

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Another point of Brandi's. Couldn't much see her in the cover, but I managed to get the bird right as Clint was shooting.

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My friend with 3 of his French Brittanies, Clint with Brandi, and 6 beautiful roosters.

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Like the goober that I am, I forgot to take the GoPro hat off for the photo with my girl and her birds, and I didn't even get any good video before the battery died. That reminds me, I've got to go scrape the stickers off the vest. :D

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hettmoe
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by hettmoe » Mon Oct 29, 2012 3:31 pm

I really like your photos....And Brandi is a beautiful dog. Thanks for sharing!!!

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SHORTFAT
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by SHORTFAT » Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:43 pm

That's awsome! Thanks for sharing, those are great pics! 8)
Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.
- Mark Twain.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
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nikegundog
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by nikegundog » Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:51 pm

Great photos Wems.

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rkappes
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by rkappes » Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:57 pm

As usual AWESOME photos, thanks for sharing, looks like you guys had a fun opener!

I contemplate the MN opener every year but always end up going out….get’s to be a little chaotic for me.

We used to hunt the Spirit Lake/Okoboji area….been quite a few years now, love that area.

Where are your buddies EB’s from?

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wems2371
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by wems2371 » Tue Oct 30, 2012 4:22 pm

Thanks guys. I got those stickers off her vest running her again today. Saw one rooster and 2 hens. Rooster was a wild flush in a food plot and too far out for my amateur shooting skills. B got some nice pointing & tracking work in on a hen though.

I love Spirit Lake too. Hope to be there yet this year.

The EB's are from Corn Country Bretons, and Randy lives about 20 minutes from me, here in eastern Iowa. I didn't realize it at the time, but we had all 4 of our 2012 NAVHDA Utility prized dogs down together and in that photo. Randy NAVHDA Utility prized all 3 of those EB's in the photo this Fall, along with his wife putting a NAVHDA NA on a young orange & white female. That's quite an accomplishment and they are super nice people too.

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Munster
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by Munster » Tue Oct 30, 2012 7:06 pm

Have to second the "Great people" comment. Very ice dogs too.

D, very very nice pictures! We should have a blast next week. The pheasants were thick today.
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tn red
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by tn red » Tue Oct 30, 2012 7:39 pm

NICE,thanks for sharing!

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Stoneface
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by Stoneface » Tue Oct 30, 2012 10:39 pm

Outstanding. Are those wild or preserve birds? What part of Iowa? I've heard your numbers up there have become desolate in the last couple years.
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rkappes
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by rkappes » Wed Oct 31, 2012 5:59 am

Hey Wems, here is a photo of our Iowa 'Glory' Days in the Spirit Lake area.

viewtopic.php?f=81&t=33584

All great lookin' dogs! I like the looks of Randy's dog George.

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wems2371
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by wems2371 » Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:37 pm

Stoneface wrote:Outstanding. Are those wild or preserve birds? What part of Iowa? I've heard your numbers up there have become desolate in the last couple years.
Wild birds. Eastern 1/2 of Iowa is all I can give. I'd rather give you my bank account #, than where I hunt. :D Our numbers have been down for several years, and according to those with more worn boot leather than me, it's been more than a decade or two since pheasant were abundant. This was a good year for hatching I do believe, but overall our wild lands are vastly becoming crop lands. If you've put in the time, and scouted for seasons, you kind of know where to look. :wink: Otherwise IMO, it would be a crap shoot.
Hey Wems, here is a photo of our Iowa 'Glory' Days in the Spirit Lake area.

viewtopic.php?f=81&t=33584

All great lookin' dogs! I like the looks of Randy's dog George.
Holy brittanys and birds! Cool pic and something neat to look back on.

I like tri's (if that's what it's called) and George too. I also like his sister Gracie a lot.
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Randy and George at our NAVHDA group's youth fun hunt. 10/20/12
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George's littermate Gracie on a scratch hunt the next day.
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Vman
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by Vman » Thu Nov 01, 2012 5:03 pm

Beautiful pics. , are they taken with the Gopro?
Had many great hunts in that area back in the early 90s. Met some great people also.

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wems2371
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by wems2371 » Fri Nov 02, 2012 9:55 am

Vman wrote:Beautiful pics. , are they taken with the Gopro?
Had many great hunts in that area back in the early 90s. Met some great people also.
No, I carry a DSLR, which is going to be a handful when I carry my gun more.

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Dave C
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by Dave C » Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:49 pm

Excellent pics and sounds like a great start to the season :D

bently
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by bently » Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:51 pm

Wems, what boots do you use? My springer gets a thorn or two now and again. I've thought about boots. Did it take long for them to get used to them?

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DonF
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by DonF » Fri Nov 02, 2012 3:13 pm

That second photo of the Brett is super!
I pity the man that has never been loved by a dog!

quackerjack
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by quackerjack » Sat Nov 03, 2012 12:08 am

Great pics!!
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AtTheMurph
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by AtTheMurph » Sat Nov 03, 2012 8:21 am

Man I love that first picture!

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wems2371
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Re: Iowa Opener Photos

Post by wems2371 » Sat Nov 03, 2012 4:25 pm

bently wrote:Wems, what boots do you use? My springer gets a thorn or two now and again. I've thought about boots. Did it take long for them to get used to them?
I believe it was "Gonehuntin" on here that suggested Dogbooties.com and their 1000 cordura boots. That's where I've been getting these from. My dogs high step it briefly, like it's the worse thing that's ever happened to them, and then they get to hunting. :D I posted that the lump between her toes ended up being an almost 3/4" long weed shaft (Health section). Wish I'd had boots on her that day.

EDIT: I wanted to add that the front set she has on her lasted 4-5 hours hunting the Saturday before, 2 hours hunting Tuesday, 2 hours hunting Friday, and 4 more hours today. They are just now starting to get a tiny hole in each one and were new when I started with them, for the abcess. I don't use boots usually, but that is about how much wear I get out of them when I do. I suppose it depends on type of cover and how the dog hunts, as to how long they'll last. I'm kind of curious to find out how Lewis boots hold up.

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11/3/12 Hunt

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