Time to catch up with the new member of the team young Heidi. Sadly Isla, after so many years of hard work on the moor, is no longer fit enough for a grueling day on the hill so Heidi is her up and coming replacement. Needless to say Isla doesn't complain too much when she is left at home on her Tuffies bed! Heidi did a little selective work last season and is being trained now for a full season on the hill. Photos by kind permission of Peter Moore and Luise Janniche.
HEIDI IN ACTION:
Heidi attending her first small driven shoot to see how the "big" dogs do things,
Here comes Heidi with her first freshly shot pheasant
"Do I look good with this?"
Heidi was not adverse to picking her first Magpie too.
Heidi did a little woodcock work at the end of the season and proved to be a real cover basher in the gorse.
Heidi knows no fear of cover especially if there is woodcock to be pointed
The pheasants are running ahead - a training session in February
THE GROUSE SEASON 2011
(updated 28.8.11)
The team have already done 13 days grouse work and so far the weather has been very kind to us.The bags have varied between 5 and 20 brace and as usual its all dictated by the weather and how the grouse behave. Some days have seen coveys sitting up watching the guns approach the dog on point and of course they are not stupid enough to wait around! On other days the grouse have sat well and getting the bag is then a lot easier.
Heidi has been doing a little work and has taken well to the whole shooting atmosphere. She is very quiet and calm at heel while the other pointers are working. Unfortunately Dipper injured his stifle on the 7th day out so young Heidi is having to do his job now with a little help from Isla who has been "dusted off" and brought out of retirement - much to her delight. Heidi covers large areas of ground and is staunch on point yet is a very direct flushing dog when asked to produce the birds. She has not been allowed to retrieve off her own points so has remained very steady and positively nonchalant about the shooting and fall of birds. Long may it continue!
Heidi comes on point to a single grouse and Dave takes aim.
Did he get it? Yes of course he did!
Skerry retrieves the first ever grouse shot over Heidi.
Anne Johnson
Tel: 01542 860380
anne@paintingsandpointers.co.uk
