Hi all,
Question #2
This is probably really silly, but thought I'd ask anyway. What are the odds of finding someone willing to take an absolute NEWBIE out, not to hunt, just to observe and appreciate the dogs.
I see posts on here about how houndsmen are selective about who they take out, and turned off by those who just want to "shoot a big cat" and don't care AT ALL about the time/effort/dedication that goes into those dogs.
Well, this is precisely the opposite; I don't hunt. I don't have anything AGAINST hunting, I just didn't grow up in a hunting family and I've only ever shot handguns. Not even particularly well. But I've been working with dogs all my life, from detection and search dogs, to police patrol dogs, to military working dogs for specific applications. I've worked with herding dogs (border collies and kelpies) and I even know the basics of how to set up and train a sled team. It's ALWAYS been about the dogs.
I've never worked with hunting dogs in any capacity (used hot-nosed shepherd breeds for scent work in my "past life"). Now that I've moved to BC I REALLY want to get into something to do with the incredible world of hunting with dogs. But I don't want to hunt myself, just be able to appreciate the dogs, spend time with some great folks, and decide if at some point something like wounded game recovery with dogs is something I could see myself dedicating my free time to.
If you're tired of people asking you to take them out to shoot something, well, I'm asking you to take me out to teach me about the dogs. Anyone interested?