Bragging Rights: Skilled Handler Teamed With Well Trained Retriever

 Kate:

Colby may not be good enough for a callback but I'll take real hunting blind retrieves like this any time.  (Kate here:  Dennis is referring to our Washington Retriever Club picnic trial the day before.  Colby did an outstanding job on the marks in the Qualifying and had a more difficult time casting off the marks for the blind retrieve after.  Since he brought all the birds back, had I been judging, I would have called him back to the last series.  But this day, the judges thought otherwise. Colby is a great dog, Dennis--Saturday just didn't turn out to be "his day."  Looks like Sunday made up for everything!)

Jim and I were hunting at Ocosta yesterday and it was looking like a slow day when around 11:00am, I had a flow of geese come in range. It took 2 shots to down the first which landed 30 feet behind the blind. The third shot hit another goose which kept flying and dropped about 100 plus yards away.

Rainy went to retrieve the first bird but since it was huge and heavy--her buddy Colby helped her out, bringing it back to me.   Then we went to find the second bird. I spotted it about 150 yards away on the far shore--and thought what a great time to do a blind retrieve.

I sent him on a line across the water to land and then across water to the bird on the far shore with only 3 casts. He returned on the same line.

Again, all the training pays off.

Thanks
Dennis