Grady

February 15th, Grady will be 8 years old. He will have 8 years of chukar hunting by the time his birthday comes. Just as my past four shorthairs, he has achieved my chukar champion status. As I look at him laying here beside me, I can already see the tiredness in him. We put in a hard day of chasing chukars yesterday. Years past he woud be still bouncing around but today he is ready for the rest. A few years back he could cover 30 miles in an outing but now 20 miles is pushing it. It’s sad to think that at best he’ll only have four more productive years. Oh, I’m sure he’ll still want to be out there, but it will be for me to decide how to keep him happy and healthy and still have fun.

As you read this, put yourself and your dog or dogs in Grady’s and my place. I hope you feel the way that I do about my hunting companion. When I say I love him, I really mean just that. More than just a tool to get me birds, he is my best friend. Being retired, I spend more time with him than I do my wife. All I have to do is put my hat on and he is ready to do whatever I want. Never has an excuse to not be with me. I love my family more than anything, but they have others to spend time with and Grady only has me. He is committed to me as I am to him.

Another young fellow was by today and asking some questions about how I trained and worked with my dogs. I always take that as a compliment to the dogs. Evidently they do things that make me look good. He talked about the retrieve and asked me if I thought retrieving or pointing was more important. As usual, I had no answer. I’ve been very lucky and since my first shorthair, Tucker, they have just come together. Somehow they became equal parts of the game.

As I mentioned, put yourself on the hill in place of me and Grady. How much excitement is there when your dog is on point? How do you feel when your dog is bringing a bird to you after the shot? I’m just as excited in both situations because I know Grady is doing it just for me. I really feel he is just as happy as I am because I am his world. Your dog will hold a point from long distances because he knows you’ll be there.

He doesn’t really care to stand there motionless, but will do so because he likes doing what the two of you do as a team. And over the years he has learned more tricks to help the two of you be be more successful. And how rewarding is it after I make that long trek and see Grady’s eyes telling me what to expect.

It’s probably as rewarding as Grady feels when he sees me putting the camera down and getting the shotgun in the ready position. I really believe our dogs get just as excited as we do when they know it’s about to happen. The more we’re out there doing it, the more excitement we’re having and the more we want. It’s really that simple. One of my favorite pictures of Grady on point was this one.

It was a few years back, but I remember how he held that pose as I walked down past him and turned to take the picture. His eyes stayed focused and he never looked at me, but kept his eyes focused on where the birds were. I put the camera down and turned to flush the birds. The excitement started all over when he got to retrieve two birds.

So, with your dog in some of these situations, can you say those moments were better than any other or do some of the retrieves make you just as proud. Remember, your dog would much rather eat or play with the bird than bring it to you. But he brings it to you because that is what the two of you have done so many times in the past. The two of you compliment each other. I had a retrieve just two hunts ago that was special.

I had flushed a covey of chukar and missed. I watched the covey fly around the rim and was heading in the direction they flew. Knowing that Grady would probably head that way I moved on. After a couple of minutes of not seeing Grady, I looked at my Alpha and noticed he was down the hill a couple of hundred yards. Walking his way I finally saw him covering an area about the size of two football fields intensely. I watched him for a few minute and convinced him to come back where I was. I know that Grady, like my past dogs, had more trust in my shooting then I do and he probably figured I hit a bird. We started in the way I wanted to hunt and five minutes later my Alpha said Grady was back over in the same spot. I climbed up on a rock where I could see and Grady was still covering that area. Finally as Grady approached some cover a cripple tried to fly. Grady grabbed it and knew right where to come to get it to me. None of my dogs have ever held onto the bird until I took it from his mouth, but for some reason Grady likes it. Well this bird was the exception. When he got to me he dropped it like, I worked my butt off for this bird and you’ll have to pick it up yourself after you give me a drink.

We seldom stop and sit while chukar hunting but we did after that display. I talked to him some but he wouldn’t divulge his secret on how he knew I hit that bird and where to go. Once again, like most of you, I could show picture after picture of retrieves and mention how long some of the retrieves were, but can you tell me whether you appreciate any of them more than points?

I could go on and on about points and retrieves by Grady but like I told the young man just starting to chukar hunt. After a few years, you tell me what is more important. I had such a great time talking with him and his buddy and I envy them for the journey they are embarking on. Nick and Gus are in their early thirties and after we went through hundreds of pictures of my dogs they asked me for advice on chukar hunting. I had none except for to keep it fun. Don’t get involved with the right kind of dog, ethics of hunting, over hunting areas and all that other crap you see on blogs. Enjoy it and don’t believe that stuff about it ain’t like it used to be, because it is.

Meanwhile, back to Grady. After going through the photos, there is no doubt that he has achieved the chukar champion of our house award. Anytime he wants to sit on the kings lounge chair I’ll remove my fat butt. I hope you all have dogs that deserve that title and you make a commitment to get them out as often as possible in 2026.

Coming soon. Some great conversations I had with these guys that everyone might enjoy. But I need to get back on the mountain before the bad weather comes.