MJ and Mac

July 2007

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7/9/2007 - Under the Rusty Windmill 3

Well, I arrived with the dogs and my oldest son, Daniel on the 6th of July. We have been busy doing chores. Getting grass mowed, quail pens repaired, and repairing kennels.

I started roading dogs this morning with 6 dogs and 10 puppies. We moved over 50 birds this morning.

The prairie and cover looks fantastic and the ranch owners I have been in contact have said - that they are seeing more birds than they have in a long time. The duck population is rather large with standing water in fields and wallows that have numerous broods of ducklings on them. The sharp tails and pheasants are evident in abundance and we have seen many broods ranging in age from very small to 1/2 grown - we are very excited about the prospects this summer may hold.

I can be reached at 605-865-3275 or bootleatherllew@hotmail.com

7/12/2007 - Under the Rusty Windmill 3

Well, we are getting ahead now. Most all the paths are mowed, I went to ND and bought my training permit and 90 quail and 40 chukar. Yesterday, morning I took the puppies out on a 2 mile walk - we had puppies ranging in age from 9 months to 2 months.

Obviously, the 9 month old dogs were out a bit further. MJ and Trooper had multiple points on sharptails and pheasants, Maggie and Maggie (pointer pups) got into a bunch of young sharptails - it was very fun to watch those dogs bouncing around after the birds flushed wondering which way they should go first.

Chester and Bennie were in on it too - Bennie is from James Singletons breeding as is Trooper and his littermate owned by Cary Thorton - those three pups moved more birds than the other 5 puppies combined - Cary's dog is going to be a wonderful dog - already she and MJ are making casts to the end of quarter and half sections - a pure joy to watch them. Trooper has a more moderate pace but has a knack for birds.

The two Tanner pups I had with me were very game walking the two miles and occasionally sniffing around - which I thought was great for two month old dogs. This litter is busy exploring and generally having fun - I really like watching puppies grow up on the prairie.

That's it for now. Tomorrow once we get all the areas cleared and weed free we will start in earnest on our yard work.

Good Luck and I hope everyone is having as much fun as I am.

Keith

Posting from Under the Rusty Windmill

7/13/2007 Puppies - Growing up on the Prairie

Well, I thought I would start a new thread about puppies.

First, the cast of characters

MJ (MacXSahara) Trooper (PrissyXBama) Grace (PrissyXBama) Ben, Chester and Sue, (PrissyXTrace) Maggie (b/w PF) Maggie (o/w PF) Belle (Amos daughter) Darlin (GSP/F) Tucker (TannerXLucy)

We started up the road towards the prairie - Grace and Maggie were making huge casts, and show nice style and class. Darlin, Maggie were out a bit and having fun. MJ was working well, and pointed a sharptail and busted and chased. Several of the puppies amused themselves by chasing snipe, killdeer and ducks. Trooper and Grace each had points on pheasants with Ben, showing a quick flash point/back.

We walked out about 4 miles total, and we moved sharptails, pheasants, ducks, snipe and other shore birds wading around the pot holes that have sprung up from the rains that have come to the prairie this summer.

Each day the dogs get bolder and more adventurous, with Sue and Ben chasing the bigger puppies - barking.

So, far the only points we have gotten are from Trooper, Ben, MJ, and Grace but the other puppies have blundered into/found many pheasants and sharptails and it is only a matter of time before they are pointing/backing and running with confidence on the prairie.

Keith

Posting from Under the Rusty Windmill

7/16/2007 Puppies - Growing up on the Prairie

Well, we are into our first full week of training - we have divided the big dogs into an "A" and "B" team for roading.

Maggie, Chester, Bennie, Maggie, Sioux, Tucker and the little puppies from Tanner and Polly have been on walks every day. Maggie (O/W) has a huge set of wheels, as does Sioux when she puts her mind to it. Maggie, Bennie, Chester and Tucker, have less go - so far.

We typically get into 30 to 50 young birds a day with the puppies, today was no exception on the puppy walk across the prairie - Maggie and Sioux each found a brood of sharptails, and Maggie (o/w) was pointing the liberated quail (3 or 4 of them) that are hanging out in a copse of trees near the johnny houses.

We are running the bigger puppies - Trooper, Belle, Flitter, Grace, and Darlin separately now when we road the big dogs - Trooper and Belle are making consistently big casts while Grace (due to sore feet) has been running a bit closer.

Darlin is very attentive and methodical in her work - and Flitter has begun to live up to her name - flittering around the prairie - chasing ducks, snipe, pointing sharptails and generally aggravating the roading dogs when given a chance.

During this mornings run we had points of 7 broods of sharptails and pheasants, with Trooper and Grace sharing a 3 divided finds early, Flitter with 2 finds (a pair and a single) Darlin and Trooper sharing another find on a pheasant brood. Flitter chased ducks, and Belle found one brood of pheasants that she pointed and ran over another.

About the 4 mile mark in roading I acquired a co-pilot/navigator when Grace with tremendously sore feet decided to jump in my lap and layed across the gas tank on my quad for the remaining 2 miles.

We have been working some of the bigger dogs - mostly Ted and Mac on pointing, and backing with Mac doing some retrieving. The horses are fat on grass and we will be utilizing them quite often as the days roll on.

Well, that is all for now.

Keith - Posting from Under the Rusty Windmill

7/22/2007 Puppies - Growing up on the Prairie

Well, we are into our 2nd week with the puppies running all over the prairie - We have 2 stand out's - Maggie (o/w) and Sioux. Tucker is getting into the act and he is pointing meadow larks and other birds. Sioux is a little hunting machine often heading out into the prairies and inevitably she gets into lots of birds - she is quite a trooper. Maggie is making huge casts and Maggie (B/W) is going with her sister more now and are getting really competitive with each other and pointing and knocking birds.

The bigger puppies - Trooper, Grace, Flitter, Darlin and others are getting into the act a lot - wandering farther and making nice moves - most days between the little dogs and the older puppies we are moving between 30-100 birds mostly pheasants so far.

Most days the really young pups (2 months old) are tagging along and occasionally get close enough to the birds to get into some excitement.

So, far the crop of puppies is exciting and wonderful to watch.

Keith - Posting from Under the Rusty Windmill

7/24/2007 - Under the Rusty Windmill 3

Well, we are well into yard work now - all the dogs are doing wonderfully on the "whoa" post and we are making much progress - the puppies are running all over the prairie - most have sore feet from all the running and chasing of birds that they are doing.

It has been very hot here the last couple of days - we start working dogs at 4:30 am and we are done by 9 or 9:30 am - too hot to work much past that - it has been in the 100s the last three days - it is a full time job for me and Daniel to keep dogs watered and fed.

The stars of the show for the pups are - Maggie (o/w) Sioux, Trooper, Belle and Flitter all are doing remarkably well and are well ahead of pups nearly the same age - and are doing much better than many of the pups have in the past.

This can be attributed to the abundance of birds - we are looking forward to the arrival of Chuck Wilson to take pictures and post them on this forum.

Many thanks to the owners who sent me dogs this summer - I believe this to be the best one of the 3 summers I have been here.

Keith - Posting from Under the Rusty Windmill

7/27/2007 - Under the Rusty Windmill 3

Well, we have been into training on the prairies here for about two weeks now. We have the dogs split up into "A" team and "B" team roading groups. The "A" team are the dogs that by the end of summer camp will be roading 12 miles or more. The "B" team are those dogs that will be roading 10 to 12 miles.

We are free running 10 to 12 puppies a day. The star of the younger pups (up to 6 months old) is Maggie (o/w) this little pointer will be a very nice bird dog should she continue training and advancing as she has. Yesterday, she went running with me (4 miles) after she had run 6 miles with the bigger dogs in the morning. She pointed 5 times - and flushed about 30 sharp tails in the process. The star of the Llewellin pups ( up to 6 months old) is Sioux, owned by James Singleton she is by far the bolder of the 3 littermates - Bennie has flashes of brilliance and Chester is getting better. Of the older pups (over 6 months old) BeBe is doing well, pointing pheasants and running well. Trooper, Flitter, and Grace are doing wonderful making nearly 1/2 mile casts on occasions. All of them are pointing birds, Darlin pointed 2 pheasants today, as well as many doves sitting on the road. We had backs from Sioux and Trooper.

We are moving along well with the dogs that are being "Whoa" broke. We work 12 of them on a daily basis. Pepper, Ted, Chief and Charlie are doing wonderfully well. Trooper and Flitter are well advanced for their age. Ellie is making progress with her submissive nature. And the hard headed ones are learning to give to the lead and are picking up "Whoa" well.

Mac is roading, pulling 10 lbs of chain (he is kind of lazy ) and working well in every other thing that we need to get accomplished this summer.

I am looking forward to Ernie's Trial in October and hope to have 10 or so shooting dogs and derbies to enter.

Keith - Posting from Under the Rusty Windmill