38 degrees F. and spitting snow this afternoon when Tony and I were out working dogs. Despite the weather we moved five grouse and five woodcock in three braces. Trash has to get the nod for day dog as she dug out three grouse finds. Jack had three woodcock but one was a stop to flush that he probably would have gotten the hook on. On his first find, Tony was able to get a hold of Abbie and bring here in near Jack. I made a big circle to try and make sure the bird flew back towards her. Tony saw it on the ground, and it flipped up and landed within two feet of Jack and then walked towards him. It was a good thing for the woodcock that it was "broke" Jack and not one of the growing number of young dogs because the bird would have been lunch. Little Thuddy looked good going through the woods today for Tony but you really have to keep an eye on him as he has a bit of Houdini in him -- he'll be working nice at a good range and then suddenly he's a couple hundred yards away.
LJ had a limb find on a woodcock on the other side of a beaver canal at 189 yards. He held it for as long as it took me to find a crossing and get within about 40 yards. After he took out that one he almost immediately locked up on a second one.
Tony has discovered a new technique for getting his dogs on wild birds -- when we get back to the truck he runs them down the road past the truck. It's worked five times in a row. He maybe on to something or then again it may just be "dumb" luck.
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