Winding Down

"I CAN HEAR HIM LOADING THE TRUCK!!!"

Quail Season 2008 is winding down and spotty late season reports are coming in from around Texas. Austin Annie De Lamont owner Gareth Cook called yesterday on his way back to Austin from South Texas, reporting that they had found the bird crop had taken a major hit so they wound up working the dogs on pen raised quail. Good news is that Annie adjusted to the change and stayed steady, even when the 'homeboys' were running around in front of her. Interestingly, we had driven over to San Antonio yesterday to attend the funeral of a dear friend and were having lunch in San Antonio at the time of Gareth's call with fellow hunter Jim Brown and his wife Judy. We talked for an hour or more, only to look up and see Gareth and his hunting partner exiting the same restaurant! Small world! Thanks to Gareth's wife Janie for the pix of Annie waiting to leave for the weekend!

Also two straight weekends of exciting calls from Robert Barksdale, with another report from his 'soon to be 6 month old' Lady De Lamont. Multiple finds and retrieves again. WOW!

Robert, and Gareth, are shining example's of how to develop great birdogs...take them hunting a lot and develop a line of communication...praise and correction. Both of these gentlemen (and I use that word in the truest sense) treat these dogs as true hunting partners, talking to them as if they are human and, in so doing, build trust and a strong communications link with these dogs. As the fine old-time trainer Ed Brown used to say....'you gotta teach 'em english!"



Meanwhile, Boogie Bear De Lamont was a touch less enthusiastic about his weekend, but sends along his congratulations to sister 'Annie' and niece 'Lady'!

Whoops! What happened?

After proudly posting about the amount of birds we have been finding at Dos Jefes this year...nature seems to be full of surprises. As more and more rumors surface of a bird 'dieoff' in areas of the state, and particularly South Texas...DJ partner Dick Nelson and guests had a tough time getting birds pointed this past weekend. Covies were there, but much smaller and the birds, in some cases, were not as large as just a few weeks ago.


Meanwhile, reports from Robert Barksdale, who's Lamont Brittany pup "Lady DeLamont" is just over five months old (YES!), had a tremendous weekend at a ranch midway between Falfurrias and Hebronville. Robert was full of excitement as he called on his way back to Dallas today, telling of Lady's many solid points and multiple retrieves. It is exciting to see such a talented young dog develop and I am excited that Robert is able to get her into a lot of birds during this important development period. Lady was the most aggressive of the pups out of Dolly DeLamont and Natl Champion Bean's Blaze and from the start, established her dominance over her siblings from the feeding pan to mom's faucets! I cautioned him that she would be a real 'handful', but she has developed into a very enthusiastic but responsive bird dog and at such an early stage!!! Congratulations Robert!