Fall Conditioning Time

With the weather cooling off, and deer season not yet started, now is the time of year that is the sweet spot to get the hunting (pheasant) dogs conditioned which just means walking them in the mornings and evenings around the hunting property to get them back into the swing. It's easy for them to overheat even in upper 60 degree weather, so they haven't been out much over the summer. The ticks have died off but the bees and butterflies are still out and about. It's so nice to take the camera, take a dog, and amble about the varied terrain to see what we can see. Two Sundays ago I took out Deke, the larges English/American black Labrador retriever. I think he is particularly handsome, but it is impossible to get a picture of him because every time he stops in a nice, natural pose and I raise the camera up...he thinks it is a gun and starts running toward me. So this picture is the best I can do. Remember the camera adds ten pounds...both for me and Deke. The walking is helping me too.

And yes, his tongue is hanging out as this is an "after walk" picture. Don't worry he gets plenty of access to water on the walk. And no, I'm not paying attention to what I wear when I go out, hence the color circus. We came across this doe and was able to turn around and not spook her completely out of her hang out.

Not five minutes later, we did flush this doe and fawn out of their grazing spot.

But they didn't go far. Notice the doe on the left, how her leg is raised up, it's a classic move to decide fight or flight. Often when deciding what they are going to do, the deer will stamp this leg on the ground...it's a sign you are pretty much made if you are in a tree or blind. The picture may be too far away for you to tell, so you will just have to take my word for it.

Since they didn't move off right away I tried to "call" them in for grins, making a bleating noise does use. And lo and behold, the big doe came right back over to where they were so quick I was astonished. I probably called her over about 30 yards.

I don't know how close they would have come in, because Deke started jumping around and then they were gone for good. When I got home and told Dad about it and then replicated the sound I made, thinking it was a pretty good imitation of a doe, he just laughed and said that they came closer just to see what the heck was making that noise...ah well it was still effective in bringing them closer!