Went out today, driving the roads, looking for a bullsnake to teach Layne snake avoidance. As hot as it’s been, I should have realized there was no reason for snakes to be out on the roads to warm up. Saw a few very old and smashed snakes on the road, but I need a live, aggressive bullsnake. A few days back, I found a large rattlesnake that had been recently hit on the dirt road. It was the biggest rattler I’ve ever seen. 3/4 of it’s body was as big around as my Doctor Pepper bottle.
I went back, admired the huge head size, and then placed it on a trail where I knew the dogs would see it. I put the shock collars on the dogs, walked them around a little, and then headed down the trail. Grady either saw it or smelled it and made a big loop around the snake. It was obvious he was still very aware that snakes are bad. Once Layne saw the snake, she moved towards it. When I was sure she knew what it was, I zapped her. Yelping, she retreated back to me. That was a great response. I should have left it at that, but after a short walk, we came back in that direction. I decided to walk over by the snake and kick it towards Layne and again zap her. I knew it probably wasn’t the right thing to do, but I tried it anyhow. She yelped and took off running straight for the truck and hid underneath it. Luckily for me, she didn’t associate me wth the shock, and our short walks since then were just like normal. Anyhow, now I need a good live snake set up so I can see what Layne’s reaction might be. Hopefully she will avoid it, but if not, I’ll have to light her up again, in hopes she will know snakes are bad and to avoid them.
The wrong thing I am writing about is driving down the road. I don’t like driving down roads. I’d rather be walking. Walking has always been the best way for me to find birds. But my short walks have not produced any young birds at all this year. But while driving down the dirt roads today, I spooked several large coveys of Huns. Each covey had a good number of chicks, 10 or more, and they were more than half grown. I saw 6 to 10 different coveys but only tried to get the dogs on one. I saw where the birds landed and tried to walk the dogs in on them. Grady must have seen them fly also, because the minute I let the dogs out of the truck, he went on point. The birds were a hundred yards away, and after I called him off his point, he headed right for where they had landed.
As Grady got closer to the area they landed, the two adults flushed. Layne, all excited, took a short chase, but Grady locked up. I could see a few of the young huns in the sage bush beside Grady. Layne, seeing Grady on point, came running over. Before I could stop her, she flushed the birds. She very obviously doesn’t honor yet.
It’s a little bit confusing for me. Every pup I have ever brought up has respected the older dog and has automatically honored it. I never had to train them to honor. Hopefully, when the weather cools a little, Layne will start hunting with her nose instead of her eyes, and that will take care of itself. It’s so much fun to watch dogs hunt together and honor each other.
It’s getting closer to upland season, and I have to get the snake thing and the honor problem done with. Meanwhile, the right thing I did today was drive the roads. It educated me that there are at least a good number of Huns. I’ve just been going about looking for them the wrong way. Also, another chukar hunter sent me some videos of chukars on the road. I think the out-of-staters can start making some plans, as long as this hot weather we are having doesn’t produce a lot of fires
Sounds like we may have a decent season coming up! I still need to come get my atlas I left in your trailer! Hopefully you’ve added some X’s on your favorite honey holes…
Kirklan, from East Idaho.
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Yes, it looks like a good year ahead of us. Man, it’s great to hear from you. I hope if you get over this way we can get together. I got a new camper since the last time we were together and I think Barb lost your Atlas.
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That’s alright, it only been about 15 years! I’ll be over that way the end of October-beginning of November. I still have your email if it’s still good. I’ll reach out.
Kirklan
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to be truthful , snakes are purely defensive , though they get labeled as aggressive . The rattlesnakes in my part of the world have been wiped out mostly. They want nothing more than to be left alone and do a great job on the rodents.
I’ve had both my older dogs bit , even though they had the avoidance training. They are still here 🙂
good luck on the training , nice pup
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Thank you. In 50 years of Chukar hunting, I probably have only seen a dozen or so while hunting. I don’t know how many my dogs have seen, but I know by a few of my past dogs’ reactions that the snake avoidance worked. Nothing is going to change that chance happening when a dog jumps over a rock and onto the snake without knowing it and subsequently gets bitten. The snake avoidance is primarily to keep a dog from going towards it once it knows it is there. My young pup is a great candidate. She likes to stick her nose in too many places it shouldn’t be. I hope Saturday’s session at least stops her from investigating when she smells or sees a snake. My past vet, Dr. Koob, who has retired, told me he never had a dog bite die out of all the dogs he had taken care of for a rattlesnake bite. It’s not a pretty sight, but they usually live, as you found out. The funny thing about Dr. Koob is that the dog that was on the brochure for one of the avoidance sessions years ago was his dog. Its head was swollen to the size of a basketball. Also, your point about rattlesnakes being defensive is very true. I’ve seen hundreds of rattlers when I’m looking for them in early summer, and I can only recall one aggressive one that wasn’t that way because I teased it. Like you said, for the most part, they want to be left alone to chase rodents and, sadly, some of the chukar eggs along the way.
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