Todd Duncan Tennyson
Well-known member
my boat got hammered recently just when things had fallen into alignment with all the stars
must have been around the end of december
it was a terminal blow to the lower unit.
so i had a boat
no motor
a bad deal at the peak of the diver season
especially disappointing after finally getting back up and operation with a good dog that had the spit and vinegar to get things done.
so we hunted rabbits
even found some
fought a porcupine
and chased chukar out on the breaks on the snake river
i even sneak the boy into my workplace where he can sleep under my desk, and we can run and fetch dummies along the river and in the woods by the office during my breaks and at lunch.
all of my peers love the dog
he stays right under my desk on my sleeping bag
he and i have formed quite a bond in a very short time
somebody said, “hey, dogs aren’t allowed in the building”
i said “kaden is”
“oh, is he one of those therapy dogs” i was asked
“yep, he keeps my blood pressure under control, and my co workers as well”
it is the truth.
i was really hoping that i could get the red dog out and get him into some good diver shooting at a special spot that is perfect for learning how to swim through longlines
there is a long stretch of beach to allow multiple attempts at figuring it all out before the bird washes away
but with the broken boat and the season reaching its end
i’d lost hope
my buddy mike called and said
“hey look man, i have that jon boat
and even though we’ll burn about 6 gal of gas getting to a spot a mile or so from the launch to gun divers (with my carb float/needle issue)
we need to get him out and let him give it a go”
mike is a true friend, and we’ve been buddies through many hunts and trips into the dark and wind and waves.
so i said, “ok, lets go!”
kaden saw me getting the shotgun out and loading up the gear the night before.
“more rabbits?” he asked?
“no boy, this is to be your true calling” i said
he watched me and wagged his tail
“what is it” he begged
i said
“i can not put it to words properly boy,
you will just have to experience it for yourself”
mike met me at the milltown gas stop
i grabbed a mc muffin thing and took 2 bites
gave the rest to the red dog
mike and i launched his rig
kaden got onboard
we made the run to the spot and sized it up
mike ran the boat and we set out the longlines into a stiff outgoing tide
i was worried that the kaden would only have a moment or two to get on the fetch, before it washed out to sea
mike said “it will be ok man, he’ll figure it out”
kaden was fired up as we set out the lines and tried hard to retrieve the decoys we’d just set out.
we were able to keep him aboard the boat and get back to shore without him retrieving any of our decoys
sets of hen bluebills landed in the spread and kaden was wound so tight i thought he’d snap
i held him close and we praised him for keeping calm.
finally a drake made the mistake of dropping his flaps and landing in the spread
mike fired and kaden jumped in
kaden had been staring in my eyes (because he always watches me) so he had his back to the action
he turned around and immediately swam to a decoy
we said “no boy, back”
kaden said, “which one”
we said , “get the one that is stone cold dead on the water and floating away”
kaden bolted downriver and grabbed the next decoy.
“no boy”
by that time the duck was 100 yards out and floating away
mike said
“i’ll get the boat and we’ll get kaden on that bird”
“kaden get in that boat” i said
he hopped in
but when he saw me on shore,
he jumped ashore to join me as mike backed out
“it is ok boy, mike is on the team, do what he says, he wants good things for you”
i told him
kaden jumped on and mike took him down wind of the floating bird
mike spent a few minutes and finally the dog took that leap and fetched the bird
kaden came back with mike and seemed pretty fired up
he seemed to have made a connection and no longer faced me, but he decoy spread upon his return.
“see todd,” mike said
“ i told you he’d put it together,
now he knows that the action is in front of us”
soon we had another set of birds land and we got one
and kaden blasted out towards them
but he got lost in the lines of decoys.
one more trip out with mike (this time i came along)
we really fired him up and he got out and fetched it and hauled it back
“see”
said mike,
“now he is getting the picture”
soon we had more birds in the set.
a set of three drakes dropped in and i got one, and mike got another.
kaden was off and into the lines.
he got to the downstream side and managed his way into the end of the gangline
plucked the bird out of the tangle and was able to make it back
the other bird was floating away quickly face down and dead
the dog put it together
all of the training and trials and errors
were water under the bridge
he was where he was meant to be
and all was right
for that brief moment beside the waters edge
mike and i clapped and whistled and praised the boy
because we were happy in his first real “duck hunt” retrieve
and also so he could tell what direction to swim towards (since he could not see us)
“come on boy, good dog”
we banged on the ammo cans and whooped and cheered the red boy on
kaden got closer to shore and we said “come on boy, you are almost there”
he coughed and snorted and said
“do they always blindfold your eyes?
is this what is called a “blind retrieve?”
the boy made his way back to shore and we give him a great reception
mike said,
“you have to get a shot of his first “full on diver fetch” with you beside him”
soon we had goldeneyes that needed attention
and then more bluebills
we had a heck of a time out there with the red dog, and he seemed to understand a little more than he did the day before.
mike was really helpful with breaking the dog in to hunting in a way that made it fun, and exciting for the dog.
i was glad that i had a good day
with a great friend
a red dog
and blue bills
must have been around the end of december
it was a terminal blow to the lower unit.
so i had a boat
no motor
a bad deal at the peak of the diver season
especially disappointing after finally getting back up and operation with a good dog that had the spit and vinegar to get things done.
so we hunted rabbits
even found some
fought a porcupine
and chased chukar out on the breaks on the snake river
i even sneak the boy into my workplace where he can sleep under my desk, and we can run and fetch dummies along the river and in the woods by the office during my breaks and at lunch.
all of my peers love the dog
he stays right under my desk on my sleeping bag
he and i have formed quite a bond in a very short time
somebody said, “hey, dogs aren’t allowed in the building”
i said “kaden is”
“oh, is he one of those therapy dogs” i was asked
“yep, he keeps my blood pressure under control, and my co workers as well”
it is the truth.
i was really hoping that i could get the red dog out and get him into some good diver shooting at a special spot that is perfect for learning how to swim through longlines
there is a long stretch of beach to allow multiple attempts at figuring it all out before the bird washes away
but with the broken boat and the season reaching its end
i’d lost hope
my buddy mike called and said
“hey look man, i have that jon boat
and even though we’ll burn about 6 gal of gas getting to a spot a mile or so from the launch to gun divers (with my carb float/needle issue)
we need to get him out and let him give it a go”
mike is a true friend, and we’ve been buddies through many hunts and trips into the dark and wind and waves.
so i said, “ok, lets go!”
kaden saw me getting the shotgun out and loading up the gear the night before.
“more rabbits?” he asked?
“no boy, this is to be your true calling” i said
he watched me and wagged his tail
“what is it” he begged
i said
“i can not put it to words properly boy,
you will just have to experience it for yourself”
mike met me at the milltown gas stop
i grabbed a mc muffin thing and took 2 bites
gave the rest to the red dog
mike and i launched his rig
kaden got onboard
we made the run to the spot and sized it up
mike ran the boat and we set out the longlines into a stiff outgoing tide
i was worried that the kaden would only have a moment or two to get on the fetch, before it washed out to sea
mike said “it will be ok man, he’ll figure it out”
kaden was fired up as we set out the lines and tried hard to retrieve the decoys we’d just set out.
we were able to keep him aboard the boat and get back to shore without him retrieving any of our decoys
sets of hen bluebills landed in the spread and kaden was wound so tight i thought he’d snap
i held him close and we praised him for keeping calm.
finally a drake made the mistake of dropping his flaps and landing in the spread
mike fired and kaden jumped in
kaden had been staring in my eyes (because he always watches me) so he had his back to the action
he turned around and immediately swam to a decoy
we said “no boy, back”
kaden said, “which one”
we said , “get the one that is stone cold dead on the water and floating away”
kaden bolted downriver and grabbed the next decoy.
“no boy”
by that time the duck was 100 yards out and floating away
mike said
“i’ll get the boat and we’ll get kaden on that bird”
“kaden get in that boat” i said
he hopped in
but when he saw me on shore,
he jumped ashore to join me as mike backed out
“it is ok boy, mike is on the team, do what he says, he wants good things for you”
i told him
kaden jumped on and mike took him down wind of the floating bird
mike spent a few minutes and finally the dog took that leap and fetched the bird
kaden came back with mike and seemed pretty fired up
he seemed to have made a connection and no longer faced me, but he decoy spread upon his return.
“see todd,” mike said
“ i told you he’d put it together,
now he knows that the action is in front of us”
soon we had another set of birds land and we got one
and kaden blasted out towards them
but he got lost in the lines of decoys.
one more trip out with mike (this time i came along)
we really fired him up and he got out and fetched it and hauled it back
“see”
said mike,
“now he is getting the picture”
soon we had more birds in the set.
a set of three drakes dropped in and i got one, and mike got another.
kaden was off and into the lines.
he got to the downstream side and managed his way into the end of the gangline
plucked the bird out of the tangle and was able to make it back
the other bird was floating away quickly face down and dead
the dog put it together
all of the training and trials and errors
were water under the bridge
he was where he was meant to be
and all was right
for that brief moment beside the waters edge
mike and i clapped and whistled and praised the boy
because we were happy in his first real “duck hunt” retrieve
and also so he could tell what direction to swim towards (since he could not see us)
“come on boy, good dog”
we banged on the ammo cans and whooped and cheered the red boy on
kaden got closer to shore and we said “come on boy, you are almost there”
he coughed and snorted and said
“do they always blindfold your eyes?
is this what is called a “blind retrieve?”
the boy made his way back to shore and we give him a great reception
mike said,
“you have to get a shot of his first “full on diver fetch” with you beside him”
soon we had goldeneyes that needed attention
and then more bluebills
we had a heck of a time out there with the red dog, and he seemed to understand a little more than he did the day before.
mike was really helpful with breaking the dog in to hunting in a way that made it fun, and exciting for the dog.
i was glad that i had a good day
with a great friend
a red dog
and blue bills
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