Hi Dennis, I still do some hunting with my dogs. Now two G.S.P.'s and two working cockers and sometimes my sons Brittany but I'm past the sixty barrier and I've got a couple of things limiting my mobility now. I now do more "picking up" than actual hunting type shooting - in fact I no longer do any shooting, I work my dogs for others that do.
Sorry if I'm teaching my grannies how to suck eggs here but maybe an explanation of "picking - up" is in order just in case you don't understand the term - many of your American terms leave me baffled !
Picking -up is all about retrieving. The dogs only hunting involves finding dead or pricked birds - often dozens of them in one drive.
The birds, pheasants, ducks, partridge and grouse are "driven " by beaters over the guns with the terrain, whenever possible, making the birds fly high to provide high testing shots. Some shoots shoot "double guns" with loaders. The loaders job is to hand "the gun" a loaded gun as soon as he has fired the other one at the birds streaming overhead. A lot of birds can be shot in just one drive doing this. Most driven shoots will do about 6 drives in one day. That can mean several hundred birds hit the ground - or the water !
My job, along with the other pickers up ,is to get those birds into the bag and then into the gamecart. Decent retrieving dogs are essential for doing this. I customarily work two or three dogs at a time while doing this. Some pickers up work more. The job can totally knacker a dog. The birds fall - and run - and swim where they will and dogs that can be under control yet be hard going game finders are what is required.The work is hectic for a picker up on a busy drive. You need eyes in the back of your head and the ability to make an instant decision as to whether to send a dog at once or leave that bird to be hunted for at the end of a drive in order to ensure that other falling birds are not missed or lost.
I love it but it doesn't suit everyone - a bit too busy and maybe a bit too heavy on gray matter usage for some !
Bill T.