Early Spring Grouse

 A nice male grouse game strutting through our place the other day. Surprisingly, I was able to get fairly close and get some nice shots. I love these moments living in the woods!

Notice how the black tail band is solid, not broken? That's a male.

Steve Smith from Pointing Dog Journal taught me that. 

Thanks Steve!

Ruffed Grouse ~ Oct. 2015

 The Ruffed Grouse.....

Grouse Hunt Pic ~ Montana 9/5/15

 Blue Grouse......

Michael & Dan

Grouse Hunt in Montana 10/15/15

It was a beautiful fall day to go for a mountain drive. We took Sport and crossed Fatman Mountain. Only one bird though, today.

Sport had a nice point but the bird flushed into a thicket and Dan won't shoot, what he can't see. That's a good thing, since I am usually lurking around somewhere trying to get a picture. 

 

Nice Point Sport!

We're having a wonderful fall here in Montana and it's been nice to see the grouse population doing well again. It's getting dark earlier now and cutting in to hunting time. The grouse don't seem to mind. Although there are optimum times to increase your odds of seeing a bird, you can also find one at almost any time of the day. Funny little bird.

2016 Opening Day of Grouse Season in Montana

After 3 years of wet springs and poor grouse populations, the Ruffed Grouse is making a come back. Spring was dry and very warm and when summer kicked in, it was really hot. Perfect weather for healthy grouse chicks. We've been seeing them along the roads, as well as up the mountain. Numbers look good. There is one clutch of about 6 birds that is hanging around our place driving the dogs crazy.

Dan went out on opening day morning. He only saw 3 birds and no birds were shot.
In the afternoon, I joined him for a drive up Fat Man mountain. In spite of all the fires, the sky was fairly clear and it was a beautiful day.

We came across a bird in the road. We waited for it to leave the road then put Sport out first. He hit scent where the birds had been, but had left. Then he managed to get turned around and on a point.  One flushed and Dan got it. Several others came out, but no good shot could be made.

A little encouragement to bring in that bird.

Got it! Good Boy Sport!

Next, we let Mickey out on a grouse that was standing between a row of bushes and the road. She worked the area, then went on point. There must have been eight or nine birds in that clutch flying out in different directions. Dan got one. All of the rest flushed back over the bushes, over Mickey,  and into the woods. A safe shot was not available.

See the grouse?

In all, we kicked up 5 separate clutches, and about 26 birds. We were happy to see so many grouse in one afternoon. It was a good opening day of Grouse Season in Montana!

Separation Anxiety

I came across a video on You Tube of a dog with anxiety issues. When the owner left, the dog would pace around, cry, and howl. He put a GO-PRO camera on his dog and that's when he learned he had a problem. He has a clever way of easing the dogs tension.
To see the video and learn his trick, go to :

http://www.sunnyskyz.com/happy-videos/1714/Owner-Puts-A-GoPro-On-His-Dog-When-He-Leaves-What-He-Found-Is-Heartbreaking

Traffic Light Coded Dog Collars

I recently came across these "traffic light" color coded collars and I think they are a really good idea. Especially for those dog owners who visit dog parks or have to walk their dog in public. I believe I would act accordingly, if I saw a dog wearing on of these collars.

http://dogspired.com/color-coded-system-for-dog-collars-and-leashes/

What do you think?

From Rubber Waders To Cute Puppies

I thought this was really cute.
I might have to make one or two.

Lawn Chairs, Not A Good Door

So, it's mud season in Montana. That means a lot of muddy foot prints to clean up. I use rugs at the front door and that catches most of it. What is left, is usually wiped off on the rugs I have inside the doorway. Rugs are fairly cheap and easy to replace.

My back porch, my sanctuary, my bright spot in the woods, is painted light cream to bring in more light and warmth. It's my favorite spot in the summertime. I had rather it not get covered with little muddy paw prints that I can't wash off until we hook up summer hoses again.

I had the great idea of blocking the small entry way of the porch, with a lawn chair. I was sure the dogs would not push it out of the way and enter the porch. And I was right. They did not push it out of the way. 

JJ ran through it, getting stuck between the canvas seat and the metal base carrying it about 8 feet!  She was stuck so tight, Dan had to cut up the seat of the chair to free her. It wasn't pretty. You could tell she was embarrassed. I was too. 

Got to get a gate to put up.

A Doggy Summer Video

Someone sent this to me via email. I enjoyed the video because I love watching well trained dogs in play or work. But more than that, it stood out to me , that not only were these dogs well trained, they seemed very happy in doing what they were doing.

That is good training. Train your dog in a way that makes him/her "want" to do the trick you are teaching. Dogs naturally want to please their owners. Work with that. With a tiny little treat, a reasonable amount of respect, a little bit of time, and a lot of praise, you can train your dog to do many things.

There are many good videos out there if you need help. Find the training techniques that most fit you and your breed of dog. A well trained dog, is a well loved dog. 

Enjoy the video!

A Doggy Summer http://www.youtube.com/embed/pkPNa4DBFHI

And Don't Forget to Hug Your Dog!

Just For Giggles

No words needed.....

Merry Christmas 2013

       Merry Christmas ~ Happy Holidays

And Have a Healthy and Happy New Year!