Favorite Photos 2008-10

Bird Dog on a Hill...

Today, being Christmas and all, I have a confession to make. I'm plum nuts about a 6 ounce hand full of feathers...not just any bird, but one that holds nice for pointin' dogs and can explode and be gone in a mere blink of an eye. Leaving one standing with smokin' barrels and nothing to show for their effort but sore feet and watering eyes...at least I let them know whose side I'm on..."Don't ever come back!"

From September to the middle of February I'm not worth a dang to anybody except my reckless slathering bird dogs (who don't seem to see anything wrong with my obsessive, compulsive, bird-brained behavior) ...furthermore, my personal and professional relationships suffer, and I'd pert near sale the family fortune or farm (If there was any) to pursue said birds. I'd even drive 300 miles to walk all day just to see one covey and then drive the 300 miles back home again that night...tired, but fulfilled...I'm truly a covey junkie! Dyed-in-the-wool!

Yes, I'm talking about the gentleman...the bobwhite quail.

So, by-golly, this coming year I plan to reform! Baby-steps...but for now, I can't wait to get back on the prairie for one more frickin' covey!

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!. May the season be bright...and full of bobwhites!

Here are some photos from my most recent trip to quail-land...

Gep on a single
Gretchen on a cubby covey
Birds right here



The junk-yard covey
















Let me at 'em...my secret weapon

Setter Feathers...

Top 50 Reads for Understanding the Animal Obesity Epidemic

Here's an excellent link to a blog that was brought to my attention about Pet Obesity...Please Click Here to read more.

Not my bird dog!


Grouse River Gretchen on Scaled Quail in Colorado this past Tuesday Dec 14, 2010

Field Wound Management

This past weekend I was out on the prairie in pursuit of birds with my bird dogs. We had 3 dogs get similar wounds from colliding with barbed-wire...the photos below are a representation of all 3 wounds...these are common field injuries that you're likely to encounter while chasing your bird dogs. I've had several people contact me in regards to these types of wounds. Below is how I addressed these wounds (none of the 3 dogs were sedated prior to wound management).

Obviously, when in doubt...seek professional veterinary care. Also, if your bird dog is profusely bleeding...APPLY DIRECT PRESSURE TO THE WOUND with a towel or shirt while in route to the nearest veterinarian.



Wound prior to management
The edges of the wound were trimmed away to get fresh/clean margins and to allow blood and serum to cleanse the wound. The wound was cleaned with baby wipes from Costco and flushed with dilute Betadine Iodine solution in water
The wound margins were apposed with surgical staples. We still hunted this bird dog because there is very little motion on this area of the body. Staples are great on skin lacerations that DO NOT go into the subcutaneous tissues or muscle layers below. Wounds that cut into deeper layers need different levels or layers of suture to close up what's called "dead space" to prevent pocketing or build up of fluid (seroma formation)

Below are some photos from the field....

Setter Feathers...