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  1. #171
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Habitat Improvement

    08-15-14
    Thank you my friend Mark for answering the call and volunteering to mow the fields at Habitat Improvement and to my BIL, Darel for his sweat equity during our upcoming weekend work party.

    All the critters will benefit from the fresh late summer grass sprouts.

    There is a big trend now of people who are very conscience of the food they ingest. Growing up in our homestead venison was a regular part of our diet.
    I am not ashamed to say that our work here has an organic goal...

    Grass and wild apple fed whitetail deer. And this year we have the right tags.

    Many thanks to the landowner and her nephew for without her blessing this would not be possible.



    08-16-14
    Excellent day spend with hillbilly friends. BIL worked on clearing shooting lanes in preparation of setting up the stands.
    Mark had the first field almost done when I got there.







    Field #1 done.



    Starting field #2



    Drivers seat view



    Since Mark started, I finished the day. I'm heading down this row and in the top left corner as I made the swing left there was a deer standing in the uncut seep. It ran out and through the mowed potion along the top of the field. Best thing was the instant I saw it's spikes I knew this deer from the trail camera pictures.



    Hoping the rain holds off so we can finish today. When I go back I'll pull the card from the camera. Hope Uno Brow is still around.

  2. #172
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Habitat Improvement
    08-17-14

    206 pictures on the camera in two weeks. Highlights include...
    1. The fawn has returned.
    2. New eight point buck.
    3. Hens with poults
    4. And a Bobcat!

    Doe and fawn.



    New eight point buck.





    Hen with poult.



    And our newest arrival a bobcat.



    The two spike bucks are still there.

    And the highlight of my mowing today was seeing a brood of wild pheasants. I thought at first I was looking at partridge until the two immature cocks made their presence. They had no fear of the tractor. The brood consisted of an adult hen, two immature hens and the two immature cocks. Wait until I show Miss Belle.


  3. #173
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    08-19-14
    Went back last night with the chainsaw. This was cut number four and the last. The other three cuts were flat. This field had a roller coaster effect.

    Those green patches in the field were some sort of bushes approx. ten feet high with wrist thick stems. Not really brush hog material.



    This may just look like a piece of land but when you add the support of the landowner and her nephew to the mix only exciting things can happen.

    Brought Bay with me...shucks, no pheasant sightings. They first appeared from the right of the photo.

  4. #174
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    08-20-14
    Summer Camp update...Birds

    Mike reports "BELLE's first bird of the day this morning, she definitely loves birds."



    ""Success based training" is such a huge component of the method I use to get the best a dog has to offer. The concept helps a dog build desire to learn, and it helps a dog incrementally learn more and more complex skill sets.

    BELLE is on return with an Avery Hex Bumper being carried in her mouth. I really love the design of this bumper as it encourages proper carry of birds and discourages chewing and other associated "hard mouth" problems.

    BELLE had to SIT, visually track the bumper in flight, and hunt dense cover for location and recovery of the bumper. She then returns and I get delivery to hand."
    "You can literally see Labrador joy on BELLE'S face as she successfully returns with the bumper- "mission accomplished".



    "BELLE is "locked on target" like a heat seeking yellow rocket. A very productive day today"



    Thank you Irish Whistler.

  5. #175
    Senior Dog IRISHWISTLER's Avatar
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    Coalman,
    T'is me pleasure and me "calling" Mate, but then again, ye already know that!

    Slainte,
    THE DOG WHISTLER

  6. #176
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Exeter, NH
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    Training update
    08-22-14
    Mike reports that there is now continuity flowing between Belle's brain and nose as it pertains to birds. Each day Belle is having bird contact. At this point in her life she lives for Mike's attention and obeys him respectfully.

    Some recent highlights in Irish Whistler's words.

    "As I had mentioned, we are establishing the "mechanics" of seeing a bird shot from the sky, going to the area of fall (MARK), finding it by scent, and bringing it back. Most retrievers want to keep (possess) their prey once they get back to the handler. I am permitting BELLE to possess the bird a bit longer than I normally would, mainly to establish a true love for the process of hunting and retrieving. I won't let this continue too long as it could create other problems inclusive of wanting to eat birds (NOT GOOD)."

    "Miss BELLE is coming in nice and tight to me as her handler while she is in possession of a bird. This is a true sign of trust, the reason I do not immediately take it away from her."



    "I teased BELLE with a freshly shot bird to conjure her curiosity and interest in the bird. In this photo, I also position the bird to help BELLE focus her eye contact toward me as her trainer."



    "When I first viewed this photo I immediately thought of the book titled "DEATH IN THE LONG GRASS by Peter Hathaway Capstick."



    "BELLE'S session ending on a positive note for her hard work and a most productive lesson."



    Thanks Madra Whistler.
    Níorbh fhéidir a dhéanamh gan tú.

  7. #177
    House Broken Aerodogs's Avatar
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    May 2014
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    South FL
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    Love the nightcam photos, pretty neat.

  8. #178
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    08-27-14
    I received some great videos from Mike today showing Belle working cover and retrieving birds. I love his last comments.

    In BELLE'S mind now, "if it flies, it dies,and I might get to carry it".

    Almost all the birds to date Belle has had contact with are homing pigeons with a few chukkas and quail . Treated correctly the feral pigeons can be used over and over. Belle is a little rough with them but is demonstrating a soft mouth as Mike used one pigeon last night for multiple flushes and retrieves.

    When I had my springer years ago my dad would set fishing line foot snares under his bird feeder to capture pigeons. We would tape the birds flight feathers so it could only go so far. At the end of the session we could untape the wings and let the bird fly free.

    Belle is giving me visions of my old hunting buddy an English Springer Spaniel named Carlton Brook Brandy.

    Carry on Dog Whistler.

  9. #179
    Real Retriever Coalman's Avatar
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    Exeter, NH
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    08-28-14
    Walked out into the backyard to test my new trail camera and the two hens with three poults were vacuuming bugs off our lawn.

    As I was walking back and forth to test the cameras sensor some movement caught my eye.

    Behind our neighbors fence is their pool. Looks like the hens were playing lifeguards.



    Belle isn't going to have to go to far to get some turkey flushing experience.

  10. #180
    Senior Dog Scoutpout's Avatar
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    May 2014
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    Tri Cities Ontario
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    Wow, right in town! hopefully they hang around so she can see them!

 



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