"Practice Makes Perfect"

It's that time of year when we all start getting in "hunting shape" both Ike as well as myself. Get some clay shooting in (see my previous posts) and now that there have been some cooler days, time for Ike to get some retrieving practice in. We will start taking some longer and faster walks getting both of our cardio work outs in so we both will be able to last longer when we go to South Dakota. I have been getting better with my video glasses and improving my editing skills so take a look at this minute and a half or so video of Ike retrieving a bumper at the farm.

Also since this is cooking with Ike we did get some mighty tasty Sweet Corn from the farm on this trip too.... We're both getting the itch... only a few more weeks and it will be "Ike find that bird!"

Ike's first Swim

Hi everyone;
Well, usually water and I don't really go too well together but we had the opportunity, thanks to an invitation from Sandy's niece Teri and her husband Kyle to go up and enjoy some time at their lake house (BIG THANKS TO KYLE AND TERI). So, I asked Teri if Ike could come as I didn't want to leave him at home or have him go to day camp (although he really likes it there). She said sure he is always welcome. So with that good news I thought it would be a very good time to see if Ike has any desire or disdain for water. Well let's just say he won't challenge Michael Phelps for any speed records but he sure didn't mind getting "his feet wet" so to speak.
See a couple of videos - I didn't get his best stuff as I got brave and got in the water with him but didn't have anyone else video tape... Enjoy!

Teri has a couple of good shots of us out in the water on her blog (Burritt family link from our blog) of Ike wanting to drive the boat etc. All kidding aside, water is for dogs just like for people - good low impact exercise and since it is only 22 days until dove season... :) Until then -"Ike keep on paddling!"

Gotta' stay sharp

This is really the tough time of year for bird hunters, both 2 legged as well as 4. Too hot to work the dog too much, so Ike will have to be satisfied pointing rabbits in the yard and doves and other birds on our walks. I think he will be OK seems like he gets it kind of naturally. Me, on the other hand has to work on it to make sure when it is time I don't disappoint the little guy. He works hard for every bird and it's bad enough when it is a wild hen and we can't shoot them. He doesn't know the difference and I swear last year in South Dakota, after about the 4th hen that got up and I didn't shoot, I got a look from Ike like, "What the heck are you doing, I could've got that one!!" So anyway, humans can shoot clay pigeons to stay sharp. Clay pigeon shooting takes many names and forms, Trap where the presentation is always the same, outgoing and rising targets. Skeet where you have two houses throwing to the same point each time but you move to change the angle. Sporting Clays, where you go from station to station and shoot any number of targets to closely mimic the types of shots you see in real Wingshooting. There are other too that are lots of fun but so can using your own thrower and going on your own.

I used to have a one man operated manual thrower and I really loved that thing. Really was a great thing for the person that shot alone. Once I got proficient at that one I was looking for a tougher faster thrower. I found it in the White Wing model by Do All Inc. So to make it even tougher I bought the wobbler kit for it.. Well by the time I got all of that put together It was too much for me to load and carry - So what would any American male do???... He would commandeer his wife's garden cart and mount it on that and use his ramps to load it in the truck YES!!!

Take a look and I tried it out today and it was really slick.....