KENNEL TALK

by

Ken M. Blomberg

“Range”

The season for Wisconsin bird hunters is at our doorsteps. It's a picture filled with golden popple stands, yellow maples and red sumac. Grouse will thunder from dogwood patches, woodcock will zig-zag through alder bottoms and pheasants will burst from the marshes. Add a hunting dog, a cattail marsh, or a cornfield and watch an upland hunter's pulse quicken. When they make me king, I’ll decree that fall shall last twelve months of the year.

With the 2001 hunting season soon underway, it's probably as good a time as any to talk about what the average Wisconsin foot hunter considers the proper range for his, or her dog. Discuss range with a group of dog people and you're sure to start a debate. What's good for one roughshooter, is not for the other. Not every dog's natural range compares to the next.

Let's start with the flushing breeds. Spaniels are expected and trained to quarter within shotgun range. Retrievers also flush their game and handlers want them in close when they encounter the birds. There's no argument, flushers need to stay within shotgun range.

The proper range for pointing breeds can cause debate. Under control, a pointing dog can be expected to range according to the cover and terrain. This may be twenty yards to two hundred yards. Twenty yards? I imagine that raised some eyebrows to some, that's classified as "boot-polishing". To a true roughshooter, hunting Wisconsin alder and popple clearcuts for grouse and woodcock, close working dogs can be expected to range from twenty to fifty yards. I imagine most hunters are like me and want to see their dogs hunt. In heavy cover, even close working dogs disappear quickly. Most hunters prefer locating their dogs on point before the sun goes down.

Dogs under control tend to hunt for their masters, keeping tab of their whereabouts. That enevitably shortens their range. Breeding close ranging dogs to dogs with similar tenancies for generations produces this type of bird dog.

With the invention of electronic beepers, which are quickly overtaking the use of standard dog bells, wide ranging dogs can be monitored much better and located in a hurry once on point. Some claim a wider ranging dog finds more birds. Others claim they miss a lot of cover and birds in their haste. But that's another debate.

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Every season we hear of dogs that succumb to heat stroke while hunting in hot weather. Dogs sweat through their tongues, the bottom of their foot pads and slightly through their skin pores. But they perspire primarily through their tongues and during the hot, early season, dogs tend to pant more often. Panting leads to slobbering, which spells relief to an overheated dog.

If panting leads to staggering and gasping, then your dog is showing signs of heat prostration and is trouble. Weakness is followed by inability to stand and finally collapse. If you're far from home and a veterinarian, quick action is needed to prevent serious complications. The dog's body temperature must be lowered to near normal. Immersing the dog in a creek, or lake can spell relief. Ice packets and wet towels can help to reduce the dog's body temperature. As soon as possible, head for the vet for further treatment for shock.

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