From my hunting column that ran in The News Journal.
Although some diehard hunters are wringing the final seconds out of the 2011-2012 hunting season by hunting crows and snow geese for the next several weeks, most Delaware hunters have cleaned and stored their guns, packed away their decoys, and moved their camouflage to the back of their closets.
The collective sighs of forlorn hunters resonate throughout hunting households as the sportsmen are forced to deal with the months-long emptiness that accompanies the end of hunting season. The inactivity that now occupies the schedules of many hunters may be welcomed by some and loathed by others, but it is sure to be perplexing to hunting dogs.
Hunting dogs, especially the high-activity searching, chasing, pointing, and flushing breeds like beagles, pointers, and spaniels, grow accustomed to their extended explorations and pursuits when they are hunting rabbits, pheasants, woodcocks, or other small game. Their frequent activity, strong desires to please their handlers, and uncompromising passion to satisfy their instinctive drives leaves them more than content during Delaware’s various small game and upland game hunting seasons.
As a dog hunts during Delaware’s hunting seasons that span from September through February, he becomes more physically fit. Likewise, hunts may make him more mentally alert and less apt to exhibit undesirable conduct like excessive barking and property damage (via chewing, digging, etc.), since the high activity levels provide engaging outlets that eliminate boredom and encourage natural behavior.
Dogs used for waterfowl retrieving from blinds and boats also benefit from their hunting season activities, and they, too, can be befuddled when the season ends.
Waterfowl, small game, and upland game hunting dogs struggling to comprehend the end of hunting season often look at their owners curiously when alarm clocks ring in the pre-dawn hours. Others jump in trucks and wag their tails excitedly when their owners try to leave for work. And others pace like caged lions when they hear collar bells, see their hunting vests, or smell guns or ammo.
The end of hunting season doesn’t have to be the end of compelling and energetic activities for hunting dogs, however.
To combat the abrupt cessation of hunting-related activities, hunting dog owners should keep their dogs physically and intellectually stimulated during the off-season. Hunting dog owners and their canine hunting companions can engage in multiple activities that reinforce hunting lessons and drills, create memories, and teach new tricks.
Off-season hunting dog activities can incorporate real-life hunting scenarios, such as retrieving fowl dummies on land and in water, and they can introduce new concepts like teaching a dog to track wounded deer or to locate shed antlers.
The hunting off-season also presents a superb time for carrying a camera, rather than a gun, into the woods so that hunters can capture action photos of their dogs locating, chasing, or pointing game. Many of the same game species are present in Delaware’s fields and forests during the spring and summer as in the fall and winter hunting seasons, so photo opportunities can be plentiful.
While structured activities can be great for dogs and owners alike, unstructured exercise and activity is also important for hunting dogs. Allowing them to explore their natural surroundings, run with other dogs, and fetch balls in the water also keep dogs in shape for hunting season and build bonds with their owners.
Here is some feedback (and useful information) I received from Michael Globetti from the Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Public Affairs office. – SMK
Enjoyed your article in today’s News Journal, Steven – and wanted to expound on your list of offseason activities for hunting dogs and gundogs in Delaware to include field trials and hunt tests, of which the state has a great number, perhaps proportionately more for its size than anywhere else in North America.
Delaware is renowned for retriever events especially – the state hosted the National Retriever Championships in 2009 in the Dover environs, and the National Labrador Retriever Club has spring and fall field trials each year at DNREC’s C&D Canal Summit Retriever Training Area and nearby Rebel Ridge Farms.
Pointing dog trials and tests are frequently held at DNREC’s Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area in Kent County, and spaniel events also are staged hereabouts.
Micheal also mentioned the DelBay Retriever Club, the country’s oldest continuous club in terms of competition, having been founded in 1937, and which holds a half-dozen field trials and hunt tests annually.
Couple of other things worth noting about off-season gundog activity: There is a Delmarva Chapter of NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association) that spans the state, featuring the “continental” breeds such as Vizsla, spinone Italiano and the German shorthair and wirehair pointers. And lastly, DNREC’s not in the dog licensing business any more, having handed it off to the three counties, but all dogs in Delaware, including gundogs, must be licensed – and the respective counties where the dogs (and owners) reside should be contacted for more information.
Thanks for the info, Michael. – SMK