Idaho Ron
New member
I got Gretta one year ago. She was the only liver female left in a litter I thought had potential.
Gretta was going to be my first pointer. I had trained spaniels up to this point and I put a Master hunter title on my Male Buzz. Gretta was also going to be my first house dog in 18 years. I got her in January so I could spend a lot of time with her after the hunting season. I put her on wild birds as soon as possable. When the nesting season came around, I went to yard work. Gretta progressed quickly, but it was apparent that her retrieving was going to need work. At 7 months I force trained her to retrieve. I took my time and she was done in two months.
By this time, nesting was done and the young birds could fly well. It was the end of August and more birds were in order. This is Gretta pointing a covey of sage grouse.
Soon came opening day. I took this 9 month old pup for her first real hunt. She did well and pointed four blue grouse.
We hunted a lot of forrest grouse in September, and October. In Oct, We got a invitation to go to Montana for a Pheasant and Sharptail hunt.
After the Montana trip, we set our sights on Chukar. These birds were the reason I got a GSP. Gretta and I were both lucky. Up to this point she was doing well with pointing birds, but she needed more contacts. This day was the day. She had 18 points, and this was her first limit of chukar.
This day was the turning point. she was a full out hunting dog after this. She was almost 11 months old on that day.
November was much the same, Chukar hunting every chance I got. December was a little better for finding birds. The last of Dec, and the first part of Jan were the best.
Gretta had four days that she provided me a full limit of Chukar. She never got skunked, she always got some birds.
Gretta got to see many new sights, like these bighorn sheep.
In the end she finished the hunting year like she started it. She provided me another limit, but this time it was chukar.
This year I shot, 78 chukar, 21 pheasant, 11 sharptail, 35 blue grouse, 5 ruffed grouse, 5 hun's, 3 sagehens, and 10 quail. I got some of these birds with my Springer Buzz. I would have to say Gretta got most of them. AS I write this Gretta is next to me. I hope our next year is as good as the first. I hope this next year we can expand on her training. She is steady to wing, and sometimes to shot. She has been a new experience for me. The addition of a GSP to my hunting pack has been a good one. I hope that in the future she helps my son Jacob get his first bird. I hope my Youngest daughter Katie gets to shoot birds if she wants to. I also hope That as I grow older that I never forget this first year. Ron
Gretta was going to be my first pointer. I had trained spaniels up to this point and I put a Master hunter title on my Male Buzz. Gretta was also going to be my first house dog in 18 years. I got her in January so I could spend a lot of time with her after the hunting season. I put her on wild birds as soon as possable. When the nesting season came around, I went to yard work. Gretta progressed quickly, but it was apparent that her retrieving was going to need work. At 7 months I force trained her to retrieve. I took my time and she was done in two months.
By this time, nesting was done and the young birds could fly well. It was the end of August and more birds were in order. This is Gretta pointing a covey of sage grouse.
Soon came opening day. I took this 9 month old pup for her first real hunt. She did well and pointed four blue grouse.
We hunted a lot of forrest grouse in September, and October. In Oct, We got a invitation to go to Montana for a Pheasant and Sharptail hunt.
After the Montana trip, we set our sights on Chukar. These birds were the reason I got a GSP. Gretta and I were both lucky. Up to this point she was doing well with pointing birds, but she needed more contacts. This day was the day. She had 18 points, and this was her first limit of chukar.
This day was the turning point. she was a full out hunting dog after this. She was almost 11 months old on that day.
November was much the same, Chukar hunting every chance I got. December was a little better for finding birds. The last of Dec, and the first part of Jan were the best.
Gretta had four days that she provided me a full limit of Chukar. She never got skunked, she always got some birds.
Gretta got to see many new sights, like these bighorn sheep.
In the end she finished the hunting year like she started it. She provided me another limit, but this time it was chukar.
This year I shot, 78 chukar, 21 pheasant, 11 sharptail, 35 blue grouse, 5 ruffed grouse, 5 hun's, 3 sagehens, and 10 quail. I got some of these birds with my Springer Buzz. I would have to say Gretta got most of them. AS I write this Gretta is next to me. I hope our next year is as good as the first. I hope this next year we can expand on her training. She is steady to wing, and sometimes to shot. She has been a new experience for me. The addition of a GSP to my hunting pack has been a good one. I hope that in the future she helps my son Jacob get his first bird. I hope my Youngest daughter Katie gets to shoot birds if she wants to. I also hope That as I grow older that I never forget this first year. Ron
