Blind Ambitions

Well, the countdown is reaching it’s climax.  At 6:28 in the morning, the resident goose season kicks off for me. It has been a long off season. Countless hours have been spent training dogs, practing on a call, and scouting. It all comes together in the morning. I won’t sleep tonight, I already know that. Gonna load the boat, blinds and decoys this afternoon, and then I’ll check everything over and over again all evening. I’ll try to watch some television, but won’t be able to pay attention to what’s on. I ‘ll probably head out to supper with my wife, but I won’t be good company. I’ll stop by one of my huntign spots this evening, for one last glance, just to make myself feel better about the decision on hunting spots I made. I’ll get in the bed and toss and turn, scared to fall asleep becasue the alarm clock may fail. I’ll get up 4 or 5 times and pace the house, looking for something to snack on or checking e-mail. Then it will finally be time to head out. I’ll grab a Diet Pepsi and a Snickers bar on my way out, just waiting for 6:28AM to get here.  Man is there anything like opening day?

Last weekend, found me standing in a field, the temperature was pushing 100 degrees, my stomach was in knots, my knees felt like jelly, and I just knew I was gonna hurl. Yet, I couldn’t think of a place and a position I would rather be in. See, I ran my pup to her second HRC/UKC Hunt Test. No matter how much time we spend trianing, and how many marks she has picked up, when you step to the line, the nerves still tear you up. We got through and earned a ribbon and some points towards her SHR title. We will be running another test in two weeks, and I can’t wait.  For more info on HRC/UKC Hunt Tests visit : www.huntingretrieverclub.org

A story came out today, that Wal-Mart has voluntarily pulled two more dog treats off their shelves after testing showed trace amounts of melamine. Melamine is the chemical that caused the huge pet food recall a few months back, and was the reason behind a number of dog and cat deaths. The treats were imported from China, much like the last group of food and treats that were recalled. The story can be found at:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,294059,00.html

EIC or Exercise Induced Collapse, has been gaining headlines in retriever circles as of late. It seems the University of Minnesota has uncovered that EIC is a genetic trait that can be found through DNA testing. This news is huge. Over the last few years an EIC diagnosis has been blamed for deaths in field trial and hunting dogs, but others believe some of these deaths were due to severe overheating or dehydration. With new information on EIC, hopefully we can learn a great deal about it in the very near future, and possibly put an end it. http://www.thelabradorclub.com/library/eicstudy.html

In the coming days the NCWRC will be holding their annual public waterfowl hearings next week. These meetings are a great way to keep up to date on proposed season/bag limit changes. These meeting usually begin with a film from the USFWS discussing spring counts and duck numbers. Then they discuss the proposed changes and everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinion. Usually, they will end up with a question/answer session. Here is a lsit of dates and times. The number before the location is the district number. All meetings start at 7:00PM.

TuesdayAug. 21, 2007

1 N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Manteo
6 Courthouse, Albemarle
9 Haywood Community College
Wednesday Aug. 22, 2007

2 Courthouse, New Bern
5 Courthouse, Graham
8 Courthouse, Morganton
Thursday Aug. 23, 2007

3 Courthouse, Louisburg
4 Courthouse, Elizabethtown
7 Courthouse, Yadkinville                                                                    

I had planned on posting the story of my plastic duck boat build today. However the record setting heat much of America is dealing with has put that on hold for the time being. I read something jsut the other day that bugged me, a veterinarian in Indiana left his 11 year old lab in his SUV and forgot about him, the dog died. I truly believe it was a mistake on the vet’s behalf, but it is still in excuseable. With the temperature hovering around 100 degrees and the heat index much higher than that, we must think about our dogs. If at all possible, bring the dogs inside during the hot part of the day when the temps are this high. If that is not possible, at least be sure they have shade and plenty of cool, fresh water to drink. This may mean changing the water several times a day. If you can, set a fan up to keep a breeze blowing. Do not leave your dogs in a vehicle. The past week our training time has been cut very short, we are running from daylight until about 8:00-8:30 and then our evening training is mainly been just simple yard work stuff; starting about 8:00 and going until dark. These extreme temps are going to pass, but until then, we must take precautions with our dogs. One afternoon of training, is not worth losing your best hunting partner over.

This was the question I was asked a number of months ago, when a deal came along too good to pass up on a Coleman Scanoe  http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=S16M010&categoryid=66001. I decided I would turn it into a duck boat for the rocky river I hunt and guide in. Since most of my trips consist of one or two customers, the baot doesn’t have to be real big. In the past i have used an aluminum jon boat, but it would bang rocks, and I spent a lot of time patching holes from the boat being dented. In the dark, those rocks just below the surface can be brutal on aluminum.  So the past few months, I have been tinkering around with a design to turn this 16ft. plastic boat into a bonafied duck and goose rig. Well after several ideas, some fabrication and a lot of sweat (it’s over 100 degrees today), today the base coat of paint went on. I’ll be posting up some pictures and details once it’s finished; which should be by the end of the week. Oh yeah, the best part, I’ll have under $300 invested in this rig. So check back this week and I will be psoting the story of the pastic duck boat build.

I don’t know of too many things as fun a hunting road trip. Most of the time, for me, that includes taking the dog. Traveling with a dog, takes a little extra planning, but it’s well worth the effort. First thing is transporting the dog. If I am heading on a hunting trip, I always have a kennel in the bed ofthe truck. Personally I like the hard plastic Pet Porter kennels for the truck bed (http://www.petmate.com/Catalog.plx?ID=1550&SizeID=1). Just be sure and use ratchet straps to secure it to the bed. These allow plenty of ventilation, but keep the dog secure while heading down the interstate. I like to put a bed or kennel pad in it for the dog to lay on (http://www.mackspw.com/Item–i-AVE194-L). If the weather is cold, kennel covers are a great idea to help block the wind and keep the dog warm. Be sure to bring planty of food and water. A great way to travel with food is the Avery Dri-Store food bags (http://www.mackspw.com/Item–i-AVE100-7), they are waterproof and take up very little room. Something to keep in mind is that it is not a good idea to feed a dog before heading out. I make it a point to stop every 2-3 hours to let the dog air. Each time you stop, offer water, but don’t be surprised if the dog doesn’t drink much. When you stop to eat, try and park the dog in the shade. If you are staying in a hotel during your travels, be sure to find pet friendly hotels so the dog can sleep in it’s kennel in the room with you. I know Motel 6 is a pet friendly chain, as are many others. Make sure you have your first-aid kit and make a list of local vets. Take some extra towels to wipe the kennel out and clean up any messes made such as vommit or urine. Wheh I stop to air the dog, I try and stop at rest stops, so I can take the dog out and throw a few fun bmpers to stretch their legs and burn some energy. Following these tips will make the trip more comfortable for the dog, and easier on you.