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115 geese retrieved in five hours...One dog. UPDATE: Pic

4K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  Aussie 
#1 ·
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: I just got this email from a friend and client of mine in New Zealand....the Chessie bitch, Bek, that I raised, trained and exported for him a couple of years ago is the dog that did this. Here's the story in his own words...(I'll post the photos when I get them)

"As I have mentioned before Canada geese are imports to NZ and periodically reach pest proportions here predating crops and fouling forage and grass for dairy cows.

About every 3 or 5 years, Central South Island Fish and Game organized a 'goose shoot' near Wainono Lagoon a estuarine coastal lake which is a favorite haunt of geese after moulting.

I was invited to be part of a 'cull' shoot and to bring a dog.. one dog per hunting group of 5 people. The dogs and dog handlers were specifically nominated and invited. No inexperienced dogs or dog handlers.

I took 'Bek' over my older and more experienced black Lab as I knew that he suffers badly from the heat.. and was very mindful that the day was going to be hot, sure enough it dawned fine and clear and turned into a real scorcher.

We assembled at day break in the nominated sectors, the team I was in positioned ourselves in the hides and we let the geese come... and did they come. I have never seen anything like it in my life before. They flew in endless groups of 20 to 50 birds low and steady, flight after flight after flight.

Of all the shooting teams who were out on the day, we five happened to be in the right place... with one dog!

We were all shooting with 5 shot autos and out of most mobs we were taking between 10 & 15 birds, dropping them into a very weedy lake and into the rough cover around the lake.

Bek worked like a charm, from the first shots and birds dropped I gave her her head and let her start retrieving..... diligently swimming out, diligently retrieving, never faltering for just over 5 hours. I do admit though that in the last hour she was so exhausted it was just a matter of bringing them in, the retrieves weren't exactly copy book.

The good thing is I do have some photos... which I will get down loaded and sized this week.

The word soon spread with the other hunting groups that the American bred Chesapeake was at the lake.. if that wasn't news enough, soon many of the other shooters lined up to watch her work. All where very impressed to see a real Chessie at work.. she did her breed and her heritage proud... and yes... I am very humbled and very proud too.

As an aside we got 122 for the day... of which Bek would have picked up around 115 ... but who's counting!

I will send a copy of the piccies soon.."

And here is one: (I love the way she has that one leg possessively draped over them):

 
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#2 ·
Wow, that is amazing. Had to have been as tough on you as on the dog. That many shots would have given me a head ache, and probably shoulder ache, too.

Are the birds you're shooting "Giant" Canada geese? Our Giants usually range between 9 lbs (juvenile) up to 14 or 15 lbs.
 
#3 ·
Sharon, you know I met Bek's owner, as he attended Judy Aycock's seminar while we were in New Zealand, even though he is not a trialer, as such. He told me of 50 birds per day as a matter of course, on his own property.

Judy and I drove through Bek's town, on our travels, as well. His owner had invited us to stay, but with it being Christmas Day, we did not take him up on his offer. His farm sounds lovely. What a great home for Bek.
 
#10 ·
OOPS

This is not a reord I would be proud of,
OK I will put on my flame suit NOW

This dog is trained and "programed" to retrieve. 5 hours of non stop work is near abuse. Exhaustion, hypoglycemia, strains and joint abuse are all part of this picture. When I instruct beginner dog folks I lecture that a dog will die retreiving, and many have, we need to be the common sense end of the team and "call" the game when the dog is exhibiting any signs of stress.

The fact that this dog servived in one peice nothing short of a miracle, consider youself lucky and not proud.

JMO
 
#11 ·
What purpose does your post have, Flywaylabs? Do you think you are going to influence the way people hunt and handle dogs half way around the world?

Maybe that Chessie can take more than your Fargo labs.

Personally, I enjoyed hearing the story and I'm sure the Chessies owner knows the dog better than you do.

Tim West
Oklahoma
 
#12 ·
:wink: I knew somebody would bring this up. :wink:

I do appreciate and understand your concern, but want you to know that this is not a "weekend warrior" kind of dog or owner. They routinely retrieve over 50 ducks a day during season, and the dog is kept in tip top condition just for this type of work. (think market hunting on the Chesapeake Bay way back when....what the breed was born to do). The owner spends a great deal of time making sure his dogs are very fit and well conditioned for their job, and he would not put them in danger. If he felt she was not able to handle it, he would have pulled up right then and there. The fact that she did do the work speaks volumes for her fitness and the conditioning that has been done to get her to that point.
 
#13 ·
Sharon

It was with concern that my post was written.

The hot weather during a pheasant opener when over 100 dogs were lost to heat stoke comes to mind.

I get goose bumps when I see the skill and heart my dogs put into their retrieving but I aways keep in mind that we human made these games up.
 
#14 ·
I have a chessie in training right now, trains with my dog Billy,whos not flashy, not fast, dosen't really look like he's working hard but he just keeps going.
This story would have had me wondering before but not now. These are blue collar dogs for sure.
 
#16 ·
Aussie, you're right on....most of the water work was shallow, and not all the retrieves required swimming.

I've added a pic to the original post at the top here, and I'll put it in this post as well. She looks tired, but she's also still got possession of "her" geese...note the way she's got her foot draped over them. :wink:



 
#18 ·
Excellent hunting in New Zealand.

Sharon,

I was going to PM, but........thought I may as well ask on the forum, no one will know LOL, when you were over in NZ, was it you or your travelling companions who initiated the antibark/pressure point, string thingo around dogs mouths.
 
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