Seasons come......and go

All this week I've been catching up on the numerous things that have been left undone over the past 4 months..... and all this week The Bestest Gundog in all the World has been catching up on some much-needed rest.

As well he might: he's bounded effortlessly, eagerly and energetically through 38 mostly 6-hour - but some longer - working days on 4 different shoots since the season started. He's proved again to be everybody's favourite dog..... as one young girl said:

"How is it Gunner always does what he's told and none of the other dogs do?"

He got a little over-excited mid season and started to 'run-in' (dash out of the beating line to fetch a bird which he'd marked when the Gun shot) ---- but he soon got the message when I shook him by the ears the 2nd time he did it and he never tried again...

The problem only arose, I think, because one of the Shoots was short of 'Picker-uppers' one day and they asked us to step in. It's very different from beating. Rather than dashing madly hither and thither in the beating line, he had to sit way back behind the Guns until told to fetch. He quickly made the association: man-with-gun shoots bird, bird drops, dog retrieves birds. Most birds are picked up at the end of the 'drive' when the shooting stops - although runners and some birds that might otherwise be lost in particularly heavy cover can be picked during the shooting if safe to do so: he immediately grasped the need to sit still and watch and wait until, or unless, told to "Fetch" - not an easy thing for any dog, never mind a young one, to do. As one Keeper said to me: "You need a different dog to do each job". Naturally, when he returned to beating next time he made the same 'Bang/drop/fetch' association! Until reminded that that wasn't his job today! Confused? Not him. Instead, if we were beating in sight of the Guns and one shot a bird which the dog could see, he'd stop and turn to look at me as if to say: "Want me to fetch that?" A dog with a brain like that is worth more than his weight in gold........

Over the course of the season he not only honed his skills but also the unique Gunner Trade Mark: whenever we were in the Beater's wagon he'd completely switch off - just like a computer logging off - standing, never sitting, sometimes with his eyes shut. But as soon as the wagon stopped moving he'd snap to attention and look at me as if to say "We off now?" Such a gem. And at the end of the day I'd put his fleece jacket on as soon as he got in the car and, when we got home, he'd eat a huge dinner and then sleep for the rest of the night and on one occasion through the whole of the next day! In the thick of the season we were doing 3 or 4 days a week and there were occasions when, with adrenalin still pumping, he woke up howling in the middle of the night. One night he couldn't stop till I let him come up and lie next to our bed! The work was hard but he never tired of it. Early on in the season, he stopped coming out to do morning poultry, pony and pig chores but as soon as he saw me put on the Beating jacket he was up and ready to run!

He was never sick or sorry, not even after hunting through the truly horrendously thick brambles (honestly, brambles like nobody would ever ask any animal to go through under normal circumstances) in the woods around Woodhall Spa which, till his skin had hardened to it, made him pretty bloody on his legs and some other rather delicate places! One of the Guns, remarking on the amount of blood one day, got short shrift: "You'd look a lot more bloody if you'd just bounded through a load of tough brambles with nothing on!"

It looked a whole lot worse on the snowy days - the amount of feathering on a Spaniel tends to make the snow 'ball up' between and round their legs. Gunner was the only dog with red snow balls!!! As some wag remarked: "Looks like you forgot to take down the Christmas decorations!"

Thanks to the dog we've also enjoyed some rather delicious meals: woodcock is now a firm favourite, but we've also eaten coot, waterhen and hare for the first time as well as the old staples of rabbit, partridge, duck and pheasant. And we've enough frozen game to keep us going till next Season starts!! And - thanks to the local Keeper loading my arms at the end of Cocking Day (The traditional last day of the season when only Cocks and poor hens are shot and the Keeper invites his 'friends and helpers' to shoot) - almost a week on, I still have several birds to pluck......and plans to make for next season.... when there's talk of a 'wife' for The Bestest Dog... she's the little spaniel bitch on the man's left side in the last photo...... and then there's what to do for the summer months......But there'll be no more talk of Field Trial training because The Bestest Gundog in All the World has proved himself far too good for that............