Have made it up to most of the Grouse trials this spring with Coco. She had a nice go in the Lake States one hour stake but didn't place with a couple of woodcock finds, had a good race going last weekend at the Ruffed Grouse Club's trial and lost her in the cut at the end standing somewhere, after looking for about 20 minutes I think the bird left and she eventually heard me calling and came back with little time left. She then did a really nice job this weekend at the Beaverton Club. She ran in the 5th brace on course 5 and did a nice job on the ground, as we crossed the road at about 23 minutes I heard her go up through a cut and fade out, and didn't have her bell. As we got up to where I thought I had her, Scott Chaffee's dog Sadie also stopped. I had sent in a scout about a minute before his dog stopped, at that point I thought maybe his dog was backing her in there somewhere. The scout held up as he didn't want to get in between them, so we all went in, just as we got up to where the scout had been, he said a grouse just lifted, but we hadn't found the dog yet. As we went in a little more Scott's dog was seen to the right and facing away about 40 yards. As we walked in a little more we didn't see Coco in front of her, so we went a little further left of her, and Mike Bentley, the judge pointed her out about 70 yards to the left and facing the opposite direction of Scott's dog. As we got about 10 feet from her, I heard a grouse blow out, didn't get a chance to see it, and shot my gun. We then went on to finish with about 5 minutes left. After that it was almost lunch time, so we went to Alibi hall, then went and milled around for an hour or so, and waited at the hall for the other braces to finish up. After a little bit a gentleman came up and said they wanted us out at course 13 for a call back. As we got out, they informed me that they never saw or heard the two grouse go from Coco's stand, and they were putting a few dogs down based on race and wanted to see them on a bird. The first dog was down about 15 minutes and couldn't come up with anything. It was then Coco's turn, she didn't disappoint as I blew the whistle, clicked my stopwatch, and had her standing in about a minute and a half. As we walked up to her her intensity was radiating off her and I would have bet the house a bird was going to get up. As I approached, a woodcock lifted, all was in order, and she ended up getting second place in the shooting dog. This was her last trial for the spring, as we are having Luke's birthday party next weekend, and she appears to be showing some signs of being pregnant, so I am just going to let her milk out the spring on the couch. We have a nice looking male out of her last litter that is about 13 months old that should keep me busy in the mean time getting him ready for the fall derby season. I didn't run him in any trials yet, just wanted him hunting, usually don't worry a whole lot about the puppy stakes, just hoping he can come out in the fall and point some grouse in the derby stakes. Thanks for reading, will keep updated as pups progress.
