My golden (Kootenay, 1 1/2 years old) retrieved her first bird this weekend after several days of no luck. I don't know if there is a better moment for a bird hunter than when his dog retrieves its first bird. We walked in about a mile on public ground scouting for a new place to build a blind. I snuck through tall grass with her tight on my heels to jump a little inlet where we had spotted a lone duck. Unfortunately it was just a little diver, but we did get it up, and I wasn't about to pass on her first bird. She plunged into the water when the gun went off, but she had lost her mark, and I had to throw a rock to get her back on track. She circled around the flailing bird a few times not knowing where to grab hold, but with a little encouragement she snagged a wing and came happily swimming back. When she made it to shore we celebrated as though we had just stuck a six point bull (just Kootenay and I). Luckily there were no other hunters in the area to see us jumping around like fools. On the way out, we jumped a small slough, and I knocked down my first wood duck. This time there was no hesitation as she plunged in the water retrieved the bird like she was a seasoned veteran. What a great day for both us.
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