Still kicking

It’s been a while, and I don’t even know if this site is still active, but with a few things that have happened recently I thought I might give it a try.

First off, everything is going great for this old chukar hunter. The doctors have done great wonders on my back and I’m able to get up and down the chukar hill, which keeps Barb, me and Grady happy. At 75 I am moving slower but getting there. Grady gets a little impatient waiting for me to get to his points but forgives me when he gets to put a bird into his mouth and bring it back to me.

I had a huge set back Oct. 28. Jake passed away. He was two months short of being a 13 year old. His legacy with me would be a dream for most chukar hunters. He’s the most photographed chukar dog I have had. I’ve got hundreds of pointing pictures, retrieving pictures and limits of chukar pictures with him. He did everything a bird hunter could want and more. Even more than that, he was a great friend. He liked everyone and always went to peoples side for a pat on the head.

Out in the field, I met other hunters that had read my blog and although they didn’t know my name they knew who Jake was and quite often we got to talking bird dog’s because of him.

Like all of our bird dogs, he had some special ways of hunting and making me look good. He believed in me and would never give up looking for a downed chukar when I shot. Even though I often missed. We all need fans like that.

Jake was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago and I believe that is what took him in the end. Although we watched his diet and gave him shots twice daily he slowly started losing his hips and dragging his hind legs off and on. We did everything the vets couold think of to make him as comfortable as possible and it seemed to work. Although his hunting was through, he was happy. He became very needy and wanted to be pet a lot. Barb and I were happy to do so. All it took was his paw on our lap and we would begin petting.

As most of you have probably been through, the end was very tough. Jakes hips suddenly completely gave out and he had a seizure. he became completely dissoriented and would walk into corners, not knowing how to get out. I’m pretty sure he was blind. It was time.

I lifted Jake into the back seat of the pick up and crawled in with him. His seizure had stopped and he was panting hard. With his head in my lap, Barb drove us to the vet.. I hoped that he was seeing my face on our 45 minute drive and could feel the 1000 of tears that were falling from my eyes. We had spent so many wonderful days together and my heart was truly broken as well as Barb’s. She just held together better than me.

The vet came out to the pick up and administered the final shot and left for our final good byes. One half hour later she took his body from my arms to be cremated. His ashes are now on my mantle to one day be place with my other past dogs ashes and will be loaded into a shotshell to be fired at my first chukar next year. Although his body is no longer with me, his heart and sole are and the memories I have of him will help me to be the best dog person I can be.

Most of you have lost dogs as I have. My heart goes out to you because I know how bad it hurts. Nothing will ever replace him. That hole in the heart will always be there. Getting a new hunting pup eases the pain some and hopefully the pup will keep you from thinking of the old guy. And that’s my dilemma right now. Grady is going to be 8 right after this season and I know he probably has 4 more years of hunting and only 2 of them will be hard hunting. At 75, can I find a chocolate colored shorthair that I can hunt with until I am 87 and am I willing to go through the loss of one more friend after Grady? Just like Jake and 6 others before him, it’s going to hurt like hell to lose him.