He and Toby will be on the way to Mich tomorrow for a Grouse/Woodcock training camp.
FBEC have a reputation for having a mischievous/independent nature and two of the three I've had fit the definition.
To paraphrase a quote from Keith Erlandson: "When the devil comes to earth to do a little gunning, he brings with him two jet black cockers with burning coals for eyes." He also said something along the line of, "They will pick your pocket while smiling into your face."
Toby on the other hand was the easiest Dog to train. A little repetition along with a raised voice when needed and it was pretty much over. He is a big boned/heavily muscled Cocker and can take some serious cold. Merlot, while being insane fast, has a thin coat and looks like he will be much leaner. I'm not yet sure how he will handle cold.
Hey battue,
Great Minds run along the very same tracks.
My longtime bird hunting partner and I, along with our respective War Departments, are leaving for 'da UP @ 0 Dark Thirty next Tuesday morning. It will be a little bird hunting/ color tours/antiquing/ restaurant visiting vacation for us. We are both firmly in the seasoned citizen camp nowadays, so probably won't be hunting 10 hrs a day. Dog power will be provided by my brace of FBECS, Scout and Rocky, nine and ten YO nowadays.
There is a Spaniel Camp ongoing right now in 'da Western UP. Reliable reports from the field are that "wc are down a little, and grouse about the same" as last year. We are right at the bottom of the grouse cycle. The weather here in Michigan was horrible, which is to say very rainy and cold, during the grouse hatching time frame this spring. Leaf fall is two + weeks late this year. Sorry. OTOH, the long term weather projections for next week, look excellent for bird hunting.
LUV the quotes from Keith Erlandson. Here's another one: "You can tell a Springer what to do, but you have to ask a Cocker." You definately need a good sense of humor if you are owned by a hunting Cocker.
Good Luck in Michigan. I will file a report if anything exciting happens this time around.
NB
