Al Hansen
Well-known member
In 2003, I had one of my 4th grade girls come up to my desk with some exciting news to tell me. I could tell when I looked at her eyes which seemed to be dancing with delight. Anyway, she told me all about her best friend's chocolate female lab that just had 10 puppies. How ironic, because I had been looking on the internet for a lab and the closest one that I had found was west central Kansas. When the pups were 4 weeks old Bev and I drove to Kendra's home and checked out the lab pups, five which were black and the other 5 that were yellows. I wanted a yellow female and there were three to choose from so we put a deposit in for first pick. We came back the following week and I let Bev pick out Chili. She has always picked our pups out and I value her good judgement.
That was the year I retired in May so I was able to spend almost 24/7 with Chili and the two of us were inseparable. We worked hard on retrieving skills both at home and then at the small man made lake that is not too far from where we live. Just before early teal season began I had my little girl picking up 5 bumpers and I figured that she was ready.
On the very first day of the early teal season, I drove south of town about 45 miles to a spot where I had seen some ducks while out scouting. That morning there was a group of guys to the south of us and when they opened up on a small flock of bluewings, Chili bolted for the four-wheeler that was parked about 20 feet from where we were sitting in the duck blind. About that time I didn't know what to think because I knew she wasn't afraid of my gun and or the sound it made. But now I was beginning to doubt myself. I coaxed her back to the blind and then had a single BWT come in. I dumped it and off went Chili just like she had been trained to do. She got to the teal, swam around it sniffing it all the time and then came back to me without the duck. My gosh, I was going nuts about that time. I sent her back out to the duck and she went again, but refused to pick it up.
It wasn't too much later when another group of teal came by and I shot another one. This one I could get to. Well, Chili once again went out there but for some reason didn't want to pick it up. So I waded out there with her at my side, then picked up the bird and began another training session with her. I would toss it a short distance and she went and retrieved it just like she did with the two frozen ducks that I used when we were at the man made lake. All of a sudden it was like " the light got turned on" and from that time on, my little girl did what Labrador retrievers are supposed to do. She finished her first year by retrieving 374 birds. Chili amazed me by what she had learned---how to use her nose, her quartering ability in searching for a downed duck. Some of the cattails that she found ducks in were so thick that I couldn't get negotiate them. In her life of retrieving ducks maybe just a handful of ducks got past her. She just won't give up on a bird.
I once was telling another duck hunter about her. She will sit in the blind without moving her body for hours---only her head will move when she spots ducks. Once she knows which way the ducks are coming in from she will adjust to the way the wind was blowing just like we do when there is a wind out of the north and the ducks are coming in from the south. When a bird is down, I told him that is when she is all business: Like "Get the hell out of my way. I have a duck to retrieve!"
Chili is 10 years old today. Her joints are stiffening up, she is going deaf but still wants to be in that duck blind with me. Happy Birthday, Chili. I love you.
Al
My girl with the ultra soft mouth.
A couple of miles from the house. We just drive around on the four wheeler and when done hunting head back to the house. One day I figured out that Chili has probably ridden on the back of the Kawasaki for over 2,000 miles while duck hunting. She has only fallen off once and that was during her first year when she learned so much!
Chili and Pepper
That was the year I retired in May so I was able to spend almost 24/7 with Chili and the two of us were inseparable. We worked hard on retrieving skills both at home and then at the small man made lake that is not too far from where we live. Just before early teal season began I had my little girl picking up 5 bumpers and I figured that she was ready.
On the very first day of the early teal season, I drove south of town about 45 miles to a spot where I had seen some ducks while out scouting. That morning there was a group of guys to the south of us and when they opened up on a small flock of bluewings, Chili bolted for the four-wheeler that was parked about 20 feet from where we were sitting in the duck blind. About that time I didn't know what to think because I knew she wasn't afraid of my gun and or the sound it made. But now I was beginning to doubt myself. I coaxed her back to the blind and then had a single BWT come in. I dumped it and off went Chili just like she had been trained to do. She got to the teal, swam around it sniffing it all the time and then came back to me without the duck. My gosh, I was going nuts about that time. I sent her back out to the duck and she went again, but refused to pick it up.
It wasn't too much later when another group of teal came by and I shot another one. This one I could get to. Well, Chili once again went out there but for some reason didn't want to pick it up. So I waded out there with her at my side, then picked up the bird and began another training session with her. I would toss it a short distance and she went and retrieved it just like she did with the two frozen ducks that I used when we were at the man made lake. All of a sudden it was like " the light got turned on" and from that time on, my little girl did what Labrador retrievers are supposed to do. She finished her first year by retrieving 374 birds. Chili amazed me by what she had learned---how to use her nose, her quartering ability in searching for a downed duck. Some of the cattails that she found ducks in were so thick that I couldn't get negotiate them. In her life of retrieving ducks maybe just a handful of ducks got past her. She just won't give up on a bird.
I once was telling another duck hunter about her. She will sit in the blind without moving her body for hours---only her head will move when she spots ducks. Once she knows which way the ducks are coming in from she will adjust to the way the wind was blowing just like we do when there is a wind out of the north and the ducks are coming in from the south. When a bird is down, I told him that is when she is all business: Like "Get the hell out of my way. I have a duck to retrieve!"
Chili is 10 years old today. Her joints are stiffening up, she is going deaf but still wants to be in that duck blind with me. Happy Birthday, Chili. I love you.
Al
My girl with the ultra soft mouth.
A couple of miles from the house. We just drive around on the four wheeler and when done hunting head back to the house. One day I figured out that Chili has probably ridden on the back of the Kawasaki for over 2,000 miles while duck hunting. She has only fallen off once and that was during her first year when she learned so much!
Chili and Pepper
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