Kaiser Tribute

For months now I've tried to finish this tribute to Kaiser. Overwhelmed and not sure exactly what I wanted to add and how I wanted to edited it, I started and deleted more than a few attempts. Then I just held off on completing it out of frustration. Last night I realized today would have been his birthday and decided I would complete it for this day. Not sure if this really how I wanted it to turn out but this is what I put together. Kaiser would have been 10 today.

Preseason Preparations

After about two weeks of nonstop heat, the past few days was really the first time we had cooler weather and a bit of a reprieve.  It was then a good time to let the dogs out and put them on some pigeons.  Lulu was left at home as she is in heat.  Arnie was unfortunately lost earlier this summer.  So Bluto, Summer, Fawn and Kaiser would be ran today.  All I can say is Kaiser needs some work.

For the past few weekend, Lou and I have been making preparations for the forthcoming bird season.  Arizona is getting some heavy monsoon rains, so there backcountry roads are going to be ugly.  With plans of getting into some Mearns quail, the Rover needed some much needed love before I start taking it into the wilderness.

The list of items needed to get the truck ready included: Change hood latch sensor (alarm randomly going off).  Replace rotors, brakes and sensors.  Rotate tires.  Put on front and rear lamp guards.  Replace windshield wiper pump.  Fix skid plates.

Most were easy enough but when we replaced the windshield pump Lou noticed that my skid plates were in need of reshaping.  While he was pulling off the skid plates, he noticed that it was missing several bolts that secure them.  In Lou's opinion if those plates took another hit, they would have likely be ripped off.  Not only would it be a pain to fix but I could have been driving in the wilderness with the most of the vulnerable parts exposed or even worse having those parts compromised.  My mechanic neither mentioned this to me nor did he choose to fix the plate so he just left the bolts off where the skid plate was no longer flush with the attachment points.  As Lou stated what the hell was I paying these clowns for?

Lou is a restorer by trade so he hammered back into shape the skid plates and realigned one of the tabs that holds the bolts.  The job took him only a few minutes.  The last time my mechanic worked on my Rover the plates were removed anyways, so as Lou stated, why wouldn't he just fix the damn thing.  I've paid that shop a lot over the years so as you can imagine I am not pleased.  Luckily Lou takes pride in what he does and does things right before they cause future problems.  Thanks Louie.

Covey Rise - A New Upland Mag

Looking to use a free gift certificate from Barnes & Noble, I discovered a new upland hunting magazine, Covey Rise.  At $12.99 an issue its one of the pricier hunting periodicals. 

The magazine is well laid out with excellent photography, printed on quality thick paper.  Contents include the usual hunting articles but of note is a high end gear section- On Point, The Ultimate Prep Guide to the Hunt, and a section on table fare with very nice recipes that go beyond the typical bacon wrapped dove poppers, so common to hunting magazines.  Notable contributors include Ben O. Williams who writes an illustrated essay on North American quail .

It's a nice periodical.  Will I subscribe?  Probably not.  I didn't renew my subscription of Shooting Sportsman years ago for various reasons so I don't think I'll be ordering this one anytime soon.

Rattlesnake Refresher

Kaiser remembers and wants nothing to do with this baby rattler.

Rattlesnake avoidance training is, in my opinion, essential for any serious gundog or any dog that spends time off leash) here in Southern California.  The late Patrick Callaghan, the pioneer of this type of training, once told me that on average a dog need a yearly refresher for the four years in a row before the training really took hold.  Patrick performed Kaiser's first two avoidance trainings, and Erick Briggs of Natural Solutions performed his other refreshers once we lost Patrick.

Erick's associate puts a Mojave Green in place.

Kaiser wants no part of it.

Today I had Erick come out to a local park, that I felt simulated the likely terrain I usually hunt, to give Kaiser's fourth refresher.  I did not have Kaiser trained last year for whatever reason and with all this warm weather I felt it was a good ideal to do another refresher.  Kaiser, once he scented the reptile, he remembered instantly that was not a good smell.  It seemed that the last few trainings have took and I was glad to see that.  Even though Kaiser seems to properly rattlesnake broke, I will likely do another refresher next year as well as I like its cheap insurance.  Erick had several types of California rattlers with him and let Kaiser scent each of them to let him know that they are to be avoided.   Not only are dogs trained on scent but on sound and sight as well.  Looks like we are ready to head out.

Westley Richards Courteney Selous Boots

Dove season is upon us.  That means waking up early and heading off to the desert sweating our balls off in 100 degree weathereven before the sun rises.  For the most part dove hunting is a pass shooting affair and what you'd normally wear for a quail hunt is generally not needed.  Years ago I realized that and adapted my gear to mirror that of African professional hunters.  After all they spend most their days in 100 degree weather searching for that monster duggaboy.  If I do hunt doves south, I look like I'm on a 10 day safari, but instead of carrying a .470NE double I'd be carrying a 12 or 20 gauge side by side.

Besides the Tag Safari shirt and shorts, I bought years ago the Westley Richards Courteney Selous Boot.  These boots are made in Zimbabwe entirely from game skins.  Stitched entirely by hand, each boot comes with is own serial number imprinted on it.  Unlike most modern boots, the soles are stitched on and are soft that gives great feel of the ground.  Although it is not necessary for bird hunting but vital when stalking through the bush while going after a member of the Big Five particularly if wounded.  There is plenty of thread providing excellent traction if climbing but I wouldn't be climbing any scree mountains anytime soon.  That however is unlikely for the SoCal Dove scene.  For the most part hiking is done in or around farm fields and the only climbing is over a ditch.  So the boots suit this type of hunting.

A traveling sack is provided along with polish, spare laces, and brush.  Boots are labeled in UK sizes.  Westley Richards suggest you order a half size smaller to approximate US sizing.  While I did do this when ordering, sizing was still off slightly for me.  I need to wear thick wool socks in order to fit mine.  While this is fine for me and my purposes, many African hunters hunt without socks for a few reasons.  One, its hotter than hell in the dark continent but also it provides better feel to the ground.  You'll feel a twig at your feet before you snap it and spook the game you're stalking. So it you're buying these for Africa, you may want to take that into consideration.

These boots are not cheap, currently at $369.  Five or so years ago, I paid less than $285 for mine so they have gone up considerably from then.  I'm not sure if that is a result of a weak dollar or the cost of higher raw material or what.  I once had a hunting acquaintances that thought I was nuts for buying a pair since, according to him, these boots in its home country of Zimbabwe, they go for extremely cheap.  I do not recall what he claimed but it was something like $20 or thereabouts.  Whether or not that is true I old him I don't care and  I countered that the crappy Nike shoes he wears for everyday use, costs Nike somewhere around $5 to make and they retail for several hundreds and are made in China.  He quickly shut up afterwards.  Also since I had no recent plans on traveling to Zimbabwe and if I did I'd buy a another pair at the local price.

One day I hope to actual wear these boots for their intended purpose- that is hunting in Africa.  Until then I just have to wear them during the dove season.  Although that is becoming less and less because of all the knuckleheads out afield that have ruined dove hunting for me (and others).  I do wear these while birddog training during the summer as well but that too seems to become less and less these days. At any rate these are nice boots.  Pricey but nice boots nonetheless.

Getting ready for the Season, Prado Dog Training

With one day away, September 1st marks the dove opener for most of the States.  Most hunters are foaming at the mouth by now.  Not me.  I'll bypass the opener like I have done so for a few years now.  It's simply too hot and there are too many knuckleheads that ruin your day.  On top of that, who knows what yesterday's dessert rains had done to those birds.  They are probably all gone.  I do look forward to September 8th, though as it marks the opening of the early mountain quail season for the northern half of the state.  In anticipation to that I joined Lou for his weekly dog training at Prado.

Lou's Darne R10 (take off that damn slip on pad!)

Lou had excess birds and as this was his last time out for training until the season opens he gave me call to see if Kaiser needed some bird work.  He invited me last week as well but unfortunately I was too busy t come out.  With two of his females in heat, Lou brought his three other dogs.  We had 20 birds for four dogs, so each dog was going to get a good workout.  I brought my Merkel 147SL in 12 gauge and Lou brought his Darne R10 in 20.  After telling Lou about Darnes and having bought his first, he is now a convert.  His Darne is lovely but unfortunately its LOP is much to short.  Lou added a slip on pad, which I hate and can not stand, to help increase the LOP to 14.5 inches.  I told him to get rid of that slip on and put on a proper rubber pad but its his gun.

My Merkel 147SL

It looks like my time at the clay range was a big help as no birds escaped my 12 gauge.  If only that will be the case in the field this year.  I even tried the R10 for the last bird.  His Darne seems so much whippier than mine.  As with any lightweight and short gun it is very whippy and as such you tend to stop your swing.  I missed the first shot and just barely made the second after realizing I was stopping my swing.  Kaiser needs work.  He bumped the first bird tripping the launcher right after he pointed.  After a correction he stopped that nonsense.  Since I've done little bird work in the past off seasons, he is no longer is he steady at wing and shot which is a shame.  Lou's dogs did well as they should have as they've been training all damn summer.  For whatever reason all the birds seemed to launch my way.   Also my damn launcher failed to trip the latch, I'm hoping its just the batteries.  If not I'll be pissed.

I videoed the training with my Contour Roam and if I have the time and patience to upload it on youtube I'll post it here.  They came out quite nicely.

An Easy Way To Hydrate Your Dog In The Field

I found this video sometime ago with some great tips for not only hydrating your dog but also keeping him cool as well.  This is good stuff.  It's raining now but the hot weather will be here sooner than later.

Professional trainer Jennifer Broome demonstrates a simple way to make sure your dog gets the water it needs while afield. She also shows how to identify signs overheating, as well as ways to treat them and cool your dog down.

An Easy Way To Hydrate Your Dog In The Field -  Professional trainer Jennifer Broome demonstrates a simple way to make sure your dog gets the water it needs while afield. She also shows how to identify signs overheating, as well as ways to treat them and cool your dog down.

A Great Gundog Show And an OK One

A Dog's Life was a short lived show that each week featured a particular breed of bird dog . Aired on OLN, it was hosted by Jamison Parker of Simon And Simon fame. I really wish this show was still on air. Showcasing various breeds and set in various hunting scenarios, A Dog's Life may just be one of my all time favorite bird dog shows. As an owner of a Deutsche Drahthaar I particularly enjoyed that episode.

Each episode explained in detail the breed showcased, all the strengths, personalities, history, and even an advice segment from Steven Smith and a vet segment with Doctors Foster and Smith. All that and it even included the dog at work hunting. The show was even sponsored by Filson, my garment of choice while bird hunting in the States. Jamison even hunts with a side by side. I wish the show was on DVD because I'd buy it. If your considering buying a bird dog for the first time I'd suggest you watch the episode of your desired breed.

The show, and all episodes can be seen here.


Another show, I'll mention since it is also on the same site, which is not nearly as good, Bird Dogs Forever can also be seen here. It is nowhere near as good as Jamison's show although it looks like it aired much longer than A Dog's Life. Bird Dogs Forever can even be purchased on DVD.

Choosing the Right Dog Food

It's always surprising to me how many supposed "dog guys" know about dog food. Not all dog foods are created equal. There are so many brands, so many types that it's not surprising people are confused. Dog food can be bought at Costco, supermarkets, drug stores, pet stores chains, and boutique pet stores. Generally speaking the only places that sell quality dog food are the later.

How does one know if your dog food is quality? A good guideline, though not necessarily guaranteed, is price per pound. Generally quality food should cost at least $2/lbs or more. Think about what goes into a price of dog food (or any product for that matter), the ingredients, the marketing, the production (labor, wages, equipment, the packaging, the transportation, and the profit. I'm sure I might have missed something as well but you get the point. If you just look at ingredients alone, if you pay $1/lbs, what type of ingredient can you really expect? Even at wholesale prices its difficult to find meat for $1/lbs. That is not including all the other determinants mentioned above that go into the overall cost of the food. So the real cost of the meat may only be 50 or 60 cents. And thats not including the 20 or 30 other ingredients in the recipe.

One should always look at the packaging to see the ingredients and the guaranteed analysis. If you have a hunting or active dog both are critical. If you have a house pet that is rather inactive than the former is more important than the later. Ingredients listed are always listed in the order of most to least. So it is important that the first few ingredients be some sort of meat, fish, beef, chicken etc. You may see meal after the meat, that is OK. Meal is just the meat is cooked and the meat rendered is then dried. Since it is meat, it is still good. What you do not want to see is a meat By-product. This is inferior to the whole meats and includes everything such as the hearts, lungs, intestines and other undesirable portions. You may also see digest which is the worst of all. It is basically By-product that is cooked and made into a slurry. Make sure the first few ingredients are either a meat or meat meal to ensure you are getting your money's worth. Otherwise you are paying for filler.

Active dogs are like Olympic athletes and should be feed a quality diet. It's long believed that a minimum of 30% Protein to 20% fat is ideal for working dogs. This ratio keeps your dog cool and helps prevent injury. It will keep your dog healthier and will live longer.

There are many benefits to feeding your dog a quality dog food. One is because the ingredients are quality the dog does not need to eat as much. This helps the pocket book as a 30 pound bag will last longer than a 30 pound bag of inferior dog food. You'll also notice that the dog's stool will likely be less, which is always nice.

Quality always cost more but that is why it is quality. there are a number of quality foods out there. I personally feed Kaiser Adult Dog from Orijen. The guaranteed analysis is 38%/17%. The fat is a little less than ideal but I supplement boiled ground beef and veggies that should up the the fat levels.

One last thing I'd recommend is to buy food that is 100% US or another first world country made. Orijen is 100% Canadian. Make sure of this. Many companies try to short cut ingredients and outsource to cheaper nations. Remember a few years ago, all the dogs that were dying or falling seriously ill? That was a result of ingredients coming from China making its way into the recipes of some dog foods. Don't risk it.

More good info from retriever trainer and DU Waterdog host Justin Tackett:



I realize this article should have been written during the off season rather than the hunting season. That just shows you how little I was able to hunt this year. What a shame although I'll be able to make it one day this weekend. So I should have at least one more report for this season.

Preseason Warm Up At Prado

I got a call earlier this week to see if I wanted to do some dog training at Prado since Lou has trapped a boat load of pigeons recently. Originally I intended to train Tuesday but since Ed called me to fish I decided to fish instead since Lou was hitting Prado twice this week.

Kaiser showed alot or rust and you can tell I have not been keeping up with his training. He is no longer stead to wing and shot as he was before. I really need to work on this and get him back to being steady at least during training. Lou asked if I wanted to come back on Tuesday, I told him I'd have to look at my schedule. If I do I'll bring both my e-collars and attach one to his waist. That should remind him that he needs to be steady.

After the bird session I had Kaiser doing some water drills for duck hunting. He still remembers his hand and whistle commands even in the water. This good so I'll bring him to the blind this year if I end up hitting San Jacinto or Wister with Ed.

I shot my Merkel 147SL today as I've not shot it in some time. The gun as always shoots like a dream. It fits me perfectly so hitting targets is never a problem.

Prado Preseason Training

Yesterday I received a call from my hunting buddy and he asked me if I was up for some dog training. My intention was to fish carp on my one weight but I decided that could wait another day. Its been some time since Kaiser and have hit Prado dog park for some training so Lou's invitation was more than welcome. Having not shot my Merkel 47e since I got it back from the gunsmiths at Steyr USA, it was a good time to make sure they did the job properly (although I had no doubt that they did).

Kaiser definitely was rusty. He no longer is steady at wing and shot. I'll have to rectify that this summer. After the bird training I took him to the ponds and worked on his whistle and hand commands. He had not forgotten those, so I think he'll do just fine in the blinds at Wister and San Jacinto. Last season I intentionally left Kaiser home during my duck hunts as I did no training last preseason so I was not comfortable with him in the blind. This year that won't be the case.

Loading my DT Systems bird launcher. Lou has the LCS launcher. One flaw in the DTS is that to arm it requires a magnet tool to lower the lever. Although I attached it to a lanyard that is connected to the launcher, I find that this is a poor design. What if one loses the magnet during training? You essentially then have a useless box as you can not arm the system without the tool.

Scenting conditions were poor. Kaiser is literally right above the bird before scenting it and going on point.

Bird launches as Lou takes the shot.

Lou's dog. Two GWPs and one GSP. Each dog had three birds which made for a very long training session.

Sidelined last year, the Merkel 47e is back and ready for some quail this season. It will be nice carrying a light sub gauge again.

Kaiser getting ready for the season. The Rattlesnake season.

For those who have had their dogs rattlesnake trained here in Southern California, it was most likely done by Patrick Callaghan of Gameland Kennels. Unfortunately, Patrick has past and has many of us looking for a replacement. While doing some Internet searches I did find one, Natural Solutions. http://socalrattlesnakeavoidancetraining.com/

I had my dog do a refresher with them. Patrick had once told me that it usually takes about 5 years for it to really set into the dogs mind. This is Kaiser's third year.

Although I am no snake avoidance expert, I know Patrick may not have approved of all of their training methods. They definitely conducted there session a little differently than Patrick but that being said I am not knocking NS but rather I am saying they are different than what I have done in the past. Everyone has different training methods and philosophies. I can say NS was professional and knowledgeable. One thing they did that Patrick never did was they used baby rattlers. I may be mistaken but the reason Patrick never used them was because the baby's do not put out scent. NS disagrees. In any case I think its prudent to use them whether or not they put out scent. Its better safe than sorry. One of the best features is that they do house calls. I recommend anyone with a dog to do such a training especially any gundog or outdoor dog in California. Even though this does not guarantee your dog from ever having an encounter with a rattler, its cheap insurance and should be done.

Kaiser meets a baby rattler and learns they are no good.

Kaiser wants no part.

Kaiser avoids an adult

Colby's turn

Colby learns the rattle sound is bad. Note the rock behind the trainer, that is no rock. It is a compartment with a rattler that looks like a rock.

Colby wants no part.

The snakes used.