The Big Brown Dog worked well last week.

Sea Ducks on the Pamlico Sound was on outing that left him whupped.

http://www.duckcentral.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2545&sort=2&cat=500&page=1


The next morning he worked a long waited for Swan.

http://www.duckcentral.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2544&sort=2&cat=500&page=1

Nice pics. Did you make the bluebill crab pot decoys? What was the keel and how is it attached?

Great pictures! The cranes particularly interested me.

I've heard all sorts of horror stories about retrieving sandhills. Have you ever had any problems? Do you have any fears about your pup getting stabbed or injured by them?

I've never hunted them, so I just wondered.

Todd

The Cranes always give me concern and I try to reinforce the "Stay" before shooting and don't send him until I'm certain the bird is down hard. Despite my best efforts he has engaged (read fought) injured Cranes...big geese too for that matter. He works the Cranes with caution and seems to sense the danger. Some dogs I've seen will just bowl the injured Cranes over and then pounce on them. The Big Brown Dog is sly and will circle and bark at the bird until he gets an angle and then trip it with his front legs then he will jump on it and kill it. Classic terrier head shake. It is a sight to see. He will not retrieve a Crane until it is dead. Hardmouth is not a concern with Sandhill Cranes.

The dog is in his ninth season (retrieved a dozen Snow Geese this past week) and has easily retrieved more than 50 Sandhill Cranes to this point.

He is out of Dual CH Caraway's Wild Goose Chase X CH Chestnut Hills Molly of RW CD JH.

G.K. Chambers,

I was just reading through postings to gain knowledge and read yours and noticed you posted your dog's parents. My chessie's father has the Caraway line in him...this is my first dog and I just love tracing the pedigree and seeing the dogs in his bloodline...I guess its a girl thing, but I think it is too cool take care -- Rebecca