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PHEASANTS AND FIELD DOGS 
Bird Dog Breaking , Handling and Upland Shooting 
By G. F. HAMILTON 
There had been only one shot fired, 
and the bird fell dead not fifty feet 
from the dog. His first opportunity 
had been a perfect one and he had made 
good. 
We had laid out a course that would 
bring us back to the house in two or 
three hours. On this course Skip made 
several nice points and every time the 
bird was right in front of him. I made 
a clean miss on one of these occasions. 
The dog was a hundred yards or so 
ahead of us and as he came to the 
corner of the woods he froze. There he 
stood with his eyes popping right out 
of his head he was so intent on his bird. 
I walked up to the dog and watched 
him a minute, then started into the 
brush to put up the pheasant. It was 
a very heavy corner and I turned back 
to try for a more open place when out 
he went from behind me. I swung 
around and snapped at him, missed, 
and before I could line him up again 
he was around the point of woods and 
away. I think we killed two more birds 
before we reached the house, but can¬ 
not say for sure, as I was really pay¬ 
ing more attention to my big pup and 
seeing that he did right, than to hunt¬ 
ing - . It was about nine o’clock when 
we reached the house. 
We shut Skip up and turned Peggy 
loose. When I say loose, I guess I said 
the right word as she certainly was 
not tied to anything. She went away 
fast and wide, but had hardly got 
started when she dropped into a point. 
Jim walked in and flushed a hen and 
1 AALK about nuts; we were so flitted through a pasture, made a couple 
anxious to go that we started the of long casts into a corn field, and then 
night before. The party con- swung to the best cover of all, a clover 
sisted of Percy, Jim Eldee, and your patch. If there are any birds around, 
humble servant with his two English one will find them in clover in the 
setters, Reproducer and Philagene early morning or evening. Ten rods 
Eden, but called for short Skip and in the clover and Skip had ’em. There 
Peggy. We generally hunt to the west, he stood with his head and tail up, 
around Phelps or Canandagua, but as and what a picture it is to one who 
there are always a great many hunters loves a bird dog. I called point and we 
up* that way, decided to go east about came up behind the dog. The tip of his 
thirty miles to Sippio and Sippio Cen- tail was wagging, which told me the 
ter. To be on the job early in the bird was moving or else there were 
morning we spent the night with a more than one and they had begun to 
fanner friend right on the hunting scatter. 
ground. As the dogs were both used to j called to Percy to get up close, and 
sleeping out, they were put in the barn when I was twenty feet behind the dog 
with plenty of straw for beds. They U p they went. There were six or seven 
gave us a little music at first, but were and pretty well scattered, but the only 
quiet and evidently asleep long before coc k j n the bunch was right in front of 
we were. We played cards and talked the dog and I brought him down with 
over previous hunts till about midnight, the first shot. Skip made a couple of 
then turned in. jumps for him as he fell, but stopped 
A half hour before daybreak we were at command. I let him stay down a 
up, and after a good breakfast were off little while, then ordered him to retrieve, 
to spend one of the happiest days of The beautiful big bird was dead when 
the year: a pheasant day. I love a dog the dog reached him and after I had 
and most of all a good setter or pointer; repeated the command “Fetch” several 
one that is a real bird dog. My dog times, Skip picked him up and brought 
Skip was pretty well broken, though him to me. The photo showing him in 
had not been shot over afield, while the act was taken later in the day, 
Peggy was untrained. I therefore de- after he had had some practice. I 
cided to take Skip out alone for two afterwards thought there were a couple 
or three hours, then take Peggy alone; of young cocks in that first bunch, but 
and in the afternoon hunt them to- as it was not real light yet, nobody took 
gether. a chance as we are not allowed to shoot 
As the chain was unsnapped the big the hens. Anybody who has educated 
blue belton was off like a ghost in the a young dog, will know how I felt when 
uncertain light of early morning. He Skip brought that first bird to me. 
