Am I being a sissy girl??

[Kasomor]

Here's the picture...

Main arm of the Fraser...can't tell you exactly where because then I'd have to kill ya:wink:...you know how that works...but it's the MAIN arm of the Fraser.

I have no idea how fast the water is except to say that when I fish this stretch... been anchored with a 20 lb. anchor in 4 feet of water and it would not hold. We were 8 or 10 feet off shore. Far shore is 200 yards away. I took water temp at end of Oct. in standing pond in same part of town and it was 5 C. or 43F

So...am I being a sissy girl when I say...no dog that I am hunting with will be sent on a retrieve into that. I don't care what colour it is!

Did I mention this is the MAIN ARM OF THE FRASER RIVER?

Lay it on me, I can take it. :mrgreen::mrgreen:

Kasomor

[labguy]

Here's the picture...

Main arm of the Fraser...can't tell you exactly where because then I'd have to kill ya:wink:...you know how that works...but it's the MAIN arm of the Fraser.

I have no idea how fast the water is except to say that when I fish this stretch... been anchored with a 20 lb. anchor in 4 feet of water and it would not hold. We were 8 or 10 feet off shore. Far shore is 200 yards away. I took water temp at end of Oct. in standing pond in same part of town and it was 5 C. or 43F

So...am I being a sissy girl when I say...no dog that I am hunting with will be sent on a retrieve into that. I don't care what colour it is!

Did I mention this is the MAIN ARM OF THE FRASER RIVER?

Lay it on me, I can take it. :mrgreen::mrgreen:

Kasomor

I can't comment on where you hunt as I've never been there but...................

Used to hunt my Labs on the Bow River a few miles below Calgary in November with ice forming on the edges of the river and no Neoprene vest (we didn't have them in those days).

They'd come back to shore after a retrieve and turn white within a couple of minutes because of the water freezing on their coats.............tails still wagging and ready for more.

I wouldn't do that now without a neoprene vest but a Retriever should be able to handle some pretty harsh conditions.....................unless of course................it's a Troller:wink:

You had to know that was coming...........:-D

[mark]

My chessie will chew through ice to go for a swim!!!
But then I have a tough dog! :)

[Iron Glove]

Kas, I can see your concern with the current in the Fraser ( maybe not with a Lab 'cause they tend to be way overweight and will float forever :wink: ) but temperature - no way.
As you well kow, Tollers are the ultimate cold water dog.
Our 8 year old used to hop in the river all year 'round then roll in the snow, while our neighbour's labs would go in once and then we'd have to take 'em home 'cause they were shaking too much.
Our new boy dove in the lake last week for a swim. - 25 plus a blowing wind and whitecaps. Mind you, he's an idiot. :mrgreen:
On a sad note tho' our neighbours lost a Lab a few years ago around New Years. We found him in the lake, looks like he had chased something ( a deer maybe ? ) onto the frozen lake and broken through the ice. Guess he couldn't get out. A very, very sad day for all. :( So, all joking aside, careful around ice.

[Barracuda]

If it was a latte sipping trendy flavour of the month fad dog like a toller then i would keep it out of the water or other real hunting conditions .

If it was Chessie or a Lab i would let it do the job it was bred for :twisted:


all kidding aside



At the end of the day its your dog and your call .

If you have doubts or second thoughts then dont .

[BearStump]

leave it up to the dog. I know that my brother cant keep his out of the river here in the wack at any time of year. as soon as the tailgate opens shes gone like a shot into the river.
Probably a good idea to make sure that the dog will have access to an exit from the water if and when it gets taken down current a bit. If its steep banks then the dog would be screwed.

[Sasquatch]

I try to err on the side of caution in any situation with the dog. If I felt uncomfortable sending the dog in for any reason, I wouldn't. Hunting is a dangerous enough activity for dogs without taking any extra chances.

You know your dog and the conditions at the time, you made the call you thought was appropriate.

[Cdn-Redneck]

I would be most concerned with the current on the Fraser to send a dog in. If they swim after a bird and go down stream it will be hard for them to get back.

[Kasomor]

It's the current that I'm worried about.

On a 100 yard retrieve how far would the dog get swept down river??? If you get a double or a triple there is no way the second bird will be where it landed by the time the dog gets back from the 1st retrieve. By that time who knows how long the retrieve would be.

Yup. I'm a "worse case scenario" thinker. :roll:



I'm not going to hunt my dogs on this. I'll sacrifice the Black Bitches but if they get swept down river I'll be crying and killing the owner of the girls at the same time...so I'm just going to boycott the whole thing :cool::cool:

Proud to be a "SISSY GIRL!!" :-D

[labguy]

Probably the biggest concerns in moving water are log jambs and ice. Dogs can get caught under these obstructions and the current will hold them there. Also, the vests can get caught on limbs etc.

As long as there are no obstructions like the ones listed above and there is a smooth shoreline where they can beach as opposed to steep banks, the current should pose no problem.

Also, beware of cripples. If a dog gets commited to retrieving one thats more alive than dead, they could both end up in the Pacific.

If the current is particularly fast shoot only one duck at a time as by the time the dog gets back with he first one it sometimes almost impossible to retrieve the other as it's 2 or 300 yards downstream.

Now that your not going to hunt that spot with your dog, you could invite me out for a shoot and we'll use my Lab as test dog. :-D................we're just about frozen up here in the interior.

He'd think it was summertime out there in Lotus land.

[new and novice]

I have a lab staff cross that goes into the water off kits beach year round no problem.

I aslo just watched an episode of Canada in the rough where a lab was hunting in -15 retrieving duck after duck. Totally your call in my opinion. Rather it is your dogs call.

[Crazy_Farmer]

Was on the river last weekend, and my brothers lab Hank had to chase a cripple, probably atleast 100 yards out and then 200 yards upriver to get it. Any further then that we would of called him in but he was fine. I will say that this is a much slower moving section of the fraser though, alot slower then where you're mentioning.

[dutchie]

I was out fishing with Steelco and my DK was retrieving in the river (not a super fast, but a fairly swift current) and he was jumping in retrieving and then bringing it back from about 200m down river. This was also a main arm of the fraser... around where the Stave joins in.

Gauge your dogs abilities and then go from there... have then do some small retrieves from shore first... if there is no shore then I would not put my dog in the water period.

My dog will break Ice to go swimming, and does it all the time... He is a single coat short-haired dog.

Dutchie

[GoatGuy]

Probably the biggest concerns in moving water are log jambs and ice. Dogs can get caught under these obstructions and the current will hold them there. Also, the vests can get caught on limbs etc.


Too true, had my lab go into a log jamb about 7-8 years ago. Pretty scary stuff. Luckily she didn't have a collar on.

[Spirit's Master]

Spirit's current physical traits. Young, strong swimming, perfect weight (according to the vet), thick coat, chews snow and ice to get at the water then rolls in the same snow after and has to be held back when we are anywhere near water.

I was a bit worried the first time he went to make a long retrieve in the 2' chop and breakers and driving wind on the chuck but he was a champ and loved the whole event. He went back for more.

Main arm of the Fraser, Puntledge during BC Hydro release, **** Creek (censored do to National security concerns) after a heavy rain like yesterday------NO WAY do we even go for a walk near the river.

We'll stick to the marsh for the day. For us, there is always another day or place to hunt. Call me a sissy too!

Play smart

cwf

[Buck]

Here on the Pitt we always have the boat ready to go.It is a wide river and the tide can run fast.Chasing cripples makes me nervous as the dog can get along ways away and it has Log booms ect that you do not want your dog going near.Same as the Chuck out going tide in a particular area eguals dead dog.Best to be a sissy and not set your dog up for failure.

[sparkes3]

i would be worried about the current ,i had to fish my lab out of the vedder a few years ago that was the end of fast water for me and him.

[Kasomor]

I know a retriever that drowned in the Chilliwack River. Never found his body but he got swept away into the rapids. Think he got caught up against a rock.

Forget about the people... :cry::cry:

I live three blocks from the Vedder...my dogs never go there without e-collars on.

Kasomor

[BearStump]

I know a retriever that drowned in the Chilliwack River. Never found his body but he got swept away into the rapids. Think he got caught up against a rock.

Forget about the people... :cry::cry:

I live three blocks from the Vedder...my dogs never go there without e-collars on.

Kasomor
yah, the chwk river is much deadlier in my opinion. faster water and more debris, logjams, and large boulders.

[835]

One thing i know, You have to be very contious of where you send you pooch. The reason we love them is their undying trust they have for us.
It has been a quick learning curve for me..... I have sent Chase places I had no business sending him. But i didnt find out until after the fact.

If you have to ask the question " Am i being a sissy" maybe you should be a sissy...... Who cares! know one will ever know!

[heyblast]

With a vest, water temp not a big problem. 20 lb. anchor not holding 8 feet of shore I would be very nervous.

[Dutch]

I agree log booms and debris have nearly cost me my yellow,but I grew up on the river it doesn't always ebb it does flood or go slack other than spring freshet.I have never had a problem as long as the dog could access the beach and they adapt very quickly when they do it frequently, figuring out better to swim in than against.:wink: