A couple of weeks ago I took my first trip out to South Dakota for a Pheasant Hunting trip. We had seven guys and two dogs. Definitely could have used more dogs! We hunted on some private ground near Doland, SD.
Not a big town at all, but friendly folks, and a couple of nice taverns/restaurants nearby.
We had good weather the first day, saw a fair amount of birds and Ruby got a workout in. She did a great job finding birds in some of the shelter belts and holding them tight until we got there. Its always a challenge when folks that have never hunted over a ranging pointer do it for the first time, and an even bigger challenge when you have a flusher and a pointer as the only two dogs in the group. Animals and humans both acquitted themselves well and we had a great day.
A couple of nights we ended up at the Time Out and had a great time hanging out with the locals.
I’m not so sure Ruby approved.
Last two days were a bit rougher weather-wise but we saw hundreds of birds and the hunting was good. Ruby ranged out a bit and between the wind and the miles of corn it took some time to get her back on track. She also pointed a bobcat in a rock pile, but fortunately we got her and the other dog away before they mixed it up.
I heard today that Ruby’s Dad, “Rev” has passed away. He was a heck of a dog to hunt with, and I’ll miss the chance to do it again. Lots of great memories of this dog, but the one that stands out was when Ruby was a pup and I took her down to run with him in some of his training. She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight months old and his harness caught on her back leg.
Kevin said “whoa” and Rev held like a rock while this puppy yipped and flopped behind him trying to get loose. We got her loose, no one was worse for the wear (except maybe me) and she took off out ahead of us like nothing had happened. I could have sworn Rev gave her a look and then went on about his work.
Great genes and I’m lucky to have a dog sired by him.
B and H Clyde’s Revenge
Hazel was Ruby’s dam and I think Ruby gets her durability and toughness from her. I always enjoyed hunting with her and the hunts in Central Illinois will most definitely be a lot less fun without her.
She was liver and white like my dog, so that always won a spot in my heart for her.
You can read more about Hazelnut here
Just got back from my second Upper Peninsula grouse hunt with a friend and his dad. Hunted four or five different spots on public land. Populations were generally down, suppose its related to where they are in the seven year cycle, but we had 4 or 5 finds each day. Our missed shots brought some looks of disdain from the dogs.
Ruby managed to find a porcupine and this time I ended up with about 30 quills to pull out of her face. Luckily no damage done, except perhaps to her ego.
I’ve noticed when we hunt she really assumes the alpha female role with other dogs. She’s been well socialized and unless the other dog is really aggressive, she’s pretty easy going. But when she gets her collar on and the hunt is on, she really doesn’t have patience for dogs that want to still play and not work. It’s never more than a warning, but she puts them in their place and gets to work.
What was a bit unsettling this trip was the amount of wolf sign there was around the areas we hunted. Looks like they are coming back with a vengeance up there. One of the locals told me not to run her on a beeper collar as the wolves think of it as a potential dinner bell. Not sure if he was pulling my leg, but I ran her with a swiss bell, which required more paying attention from me. We saw two wolves from the truck late one day. Amazing how tall they are.
Ruby and the family took part in a Field Trial Sunday that was run by the LaSalle Brittany Club. We had a great time, met some nice folks and a lot of Brittanys. Ruby actually took the blue ribbon in the Diaper Derby for pups under six months!
Alot of fun, even tho it was really cold.
We picked up our first Brittany today. Her litter name was “Red” and Ruby seemed a fitting name. She’s a liver and white female and really is quite a gem.Â
I think it was a good omen when we were driving home from Benson and a pheasant bounced off the car.
Ruby is really a sweetheart and is adapting to life in her new home pretty easily so far. Housebreaking is going well and she responds to “come” already. What a great breed this is, I can’t wait to grow up with her. Best Birthday Present ever!
My wife finally got her daughter!
