I got out the last couple of days with Grady, having some fun with chukars. As I’ve mentioned, birds are pretty much paired up. I got a couple of videos that show how much the GPS collars help us today. For this first one, I didn’t know where Grady was. The remote said he was on point, close by, but I couldn’t see him. In a hunting situation, this would have been perfect. But only because the Alpha told me I was close.
The next video demonstrates the device’s safety features. I had just gotten the treed sound of my Alpha. For me, that means Grady has been on point for 45 seconds. Just as I turned the camera on, a chukar flushed. He flew in the direction of the point. As you can see, he flew right over the area where Grady was. Had he been higher in the air, it might have been a shot to take. Being that low and not knowing where my dog was, I’d refrain from taking that shot. I had a friend pack his Brittany off a hill after taking a shot like this. It was a very long 2 1/2 hour ride home.
This last video is just some fun with Grady. I had to edit out a long walk to Grady. He held as I walked around him to come in from his right. The first half of the video is with the GoPro. I turned my camera on and filmed most of the same sequence. It shows the shot I would have had. A left-to-right shot, which is my favorite. If you watch closely, you can see the bird taking a dump as he flies by.
The Reigning Chukar Champions 
Nice!
I belled my dogs when I hunted grouse in Minnesota, and I like the memories that hearing a bell brings. But here? I can’t imagine not having a tracking collar. Plus, it keeps me from being nervous, which makes my dogs less nervous.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ben. You mention making the dogs less nervous. I believe dogs sense that excitement. I’ve always felt that when you approach a pointing dog, you have a better chance of getting a decent shot if you approach in a calm manner. I believe that dogs and even the birds sense the excitement of a hunter hustling towards the birds and will break much quicker.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes.
The bond with a dog goes both ways. The less nervous I am, the calmer they are. When I know where my dogs are, I relax and have more fun. The dogs I’ve started with a tracking collar have more extra range and confidence.
It sounded a bit woo‑woo when I first heard it, but two trainers I’ve worked with emphasize that both the handler and the dog must learn to “manage their energy”. At first I thought this only applied to the dog when it is around birds. I’m still not sure I completely get it, but I think it goes beyond that.
As for approaching a point, when I finally put eyes on it, I try to remind myself to stop for a few breaths to appreciate what the dog has done, and to collect myself. (I’ll probably miss it anyway, but that’s another issue entirely.)
LikeLike
always always slow down on the approach , the birds know where we are the birds know where our dogs are . The slower approach ke er os us calmer , our dogs calmer and after nearly 40 years of going it both ways , I firmly believe it keeps the birds calmer
not to mention it is safer
LikeLiked by 1 person