Speck of Buckley

[ncnat]

This is the first full season of hunting with my wife's Buckley Mountain Fiest that I got her last year for Christmas. When we got the dog it was 6 months old and had never seen a squirrel.

When I started hunting Speck this year I was really beginning to wonder if he was going to make a squirrel dog. In October this dog would barely hunt and when he did it was normally on the way to the truck. He would not stay on tree long enough to get there to kill the squirrel. He was also hard headed, took forever to start hunting and wouldn't check in. It was November 30 before he stayed on tree long enough to kill one over him.

Starting in December he was being hunted 2-3 days a week. By January I was hunting him 3-5 days a week and he started showing some sign of inprovement.

The switch got turned on in January and by the time season went out he was a full fledged member of treeing squirrel dogs.

When you turned him out in February you had better be ready to hunt because when he hit the ground it was at a dead run and never stopped till you put him back in the truck.

Here's a few from the season.

On the tree.

Trying to locate a jumper.

Treed all 4 in same tree.

Trying to dig a wounded squirrel out of a hole.

Making sure it was me running thru the woods. He was on tree and it took for ever for me to get there.

Morning hunt. 4 of those came from 1 tree, 2 came from another that he had 3 in.
This was the second and third time this season he put multiple squirrels up one tree.

[shadboy]

Man, what fun! There's nothing better than watching a good dog work!