Tommy gets his legs

After picking up Tommy from Summer camp in North Dakota on September 20th, I headed to Lewistown, Montana. I had the pleasure of hunting with Joe Augustine and his friend Florida Keys guide Lenny Moffo. Joe had his setters, Ranger, Jacey, and Sugar and I hunted Ted most of the time. I very much enjoyed the days I spent there. I ran Tommy a few times and found that he is living up to his breeding by running big and fast.

Later, when Pete Houser and his friend Bruce joined with me in the Malta area, I put the Astro on Tommy and turned him loose on a couple sections of sharp-tail ground. His first cast was to the left and forward where he stopped to point, then put up a covey of sharp-tails at about 800 yards. He then veered right, continuing out past 1000 yards and moved across the front crossing to a small ridge which he took back to complete his cast. I watched this in awe, and with some anxiety about his willingness to return. But he came back and was rewarded with a drink of water and back into the truck, since I decided that I need to thoroughly yard break him before I can handle him in open country.

I'd love to post a picture, but the fact is that I do not have a lens long enough to capture that blazing white dot waaaaaay out there. I think Tommy will be a good bird dog and trial dog, and I will hunt him when I get the handles installed.