Zeke Goes Hunting
While Zeke (Bolt vom Coraschatten) was staying with us for breeding purposes, we took advantage of the opening of Washington’s grouse season to stretch his legs and to learn more about his hunting abilities. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to hunt behind the sire of our future litter; in addition to getting to know him in our home, I’d also get to know more about his hunting style and handling of birds.
We stayed close to home and hiked the logging roads of the state forest near us. This western Washington foothills terrain holds a few ruffed grouse - not a huge population, but enough to reliably get some bird contact without driving more than twenty minutes from home. The cover is ridiculously thick so the chance of actually seeing and shooting a bird is always slim.
Zeke’s enthusiasm for the impending hunt was infectious. Once he realized we were loading guns, boots, and him into the truck, he was positively buzzing with excitement. By the time we arrived at the trailhead, he was almost shaking. There was no doubt about it - this sweet boy was hunt-obsessed. Even so, his excellent training kicked in and he heeled nicely up the logging road before taking off like a rocket once he was released for the search.
Hunting behind Zeke was a bit like hunting behind a cannonball. It was apparent that this was new terrain for him, proven by the bloody nose he received from a blackberry tangle. He was undeterred though, and proceeded to search the forest with great enthusiasm. It was comical for us to watch his style of powering through the brush, since Piper is a much more thoughtful (read: cautious) searcher in thick cover. Neither approach is necessarily better than the other, just different. Despite his vigorous search, he checked in frequently and always stayed within a reasonable range for hunting in thick cover.
We moved a couple of grouse and Zeke had the opportunity to show off his tracking skills in the forest, but no shots were taken. My favorite moment was when a grouse flushed out of a tree along the road, completely unseen. At the first sound of wing beats, Zeke froze. What a good, steady boy!
Even though we didn’t have any birds to show for the outing, I was very pleased to see Zeke’s enthusiastic search and excellent nose work. He clearly has a nice mix of natural hunting abilities and trained skills such as steadiness and whistle handing. He was cooperative and showed great teamwork, much to my great delight.
Knowing the hunting styles of both the sire and the dam of our upcoming litter is really important to me. I think it’s essential to be able to discuss both parents with prospective buyers. Temperament and natural hunting abilities are essential to the future of the Deutsch Langhaar breed and to my breeding goals, so I’m really excited to see how these puppies will turn out!
