Old Farts

Usually I like to talk about my dogs and diagnose what they did right or wrong. This week I was once again impressed with the old man. Greg Munther, a friend from Montana that I met last year, joined Riley and me for three days in Oregon. Of course he had Lucy with him. Although we never hunted side by side I did get to observe his astro unit and of the three days we hunted together he outwalked me all three. I tried picking his brain as to diet, etc. but his humble response was always "I just try to keep a slow steady pace." Slow my ***. I tried to keep up with him on the trail before we split the third day and he had my lungs burning. Greg is 69 years old and covers more ground than most 30 year olds I have hunted with. Guys like him should be an inspiration to all of us. Get a good dog and chase the birds and at 69 we might be lucky enough to be in the physical shape he is in. Here's a picture of Greg and Lucy and a few of my goofy partner.

Sight pointing.

I've read in many different magazines and heard in pointing dog discussions that sight pointing can be a bad habit for a bird dog. I am by no means an authority, but I can't see where it hurts as long as the dog also points scent. It seems like it adds just one more piece to the puzzle of getting more birds. Today, Riley proved to me that sight pointing is very useful. Maybe my other dogs have done the same thing, but I have never seen it as obvious as it was today. The conditions are warm and dry on the hills. I've never seen conditions this tough for dogs. Several times today Riley would act like he hit scent. He'd stop and then search the area with his nose looking for more scent. At some point he'd lift his head like he was looking for birds. Sure enough he'd go on point. Not a high tailed point, but a point all the same. I could tell he had made contact. His eyes told the story. As I approached he would break point and circle the birds pinning them between us. This happened at least a half dozen times today. Rileys nose couldn't pin the birds but his eyes did. I'm not trying to make Riley out to be a super dog. I think all dogs are capable of doing this. It's just that he gets out more than most dogs and is pretty much left to hunt and find the birds how he wants. He knows the point of locating birds is to find them and hold them for me. I don't care how it's done as long as we work as a team. Today was about as good as team work can get. But it was mostly done with his eyes today and not his nose. One more note on Rileys ability to communicate with me. After 3 hours of hunting the dry conditions today he just quit. I was heading back to the truck and walking a cow trail and Riley fell in behind me on the trail. He stayed about 10 yards behind me for the last half mile pretty much telling me, enough is enough.

October coolings

With the cooler temperatures arriving I decided it was time to test Riley's new knees on consecutive days of hunting. So we hooked up the fifth wheel last Tuesday and headed to Brownlee. The camping started out on a sour note. Wiithout going into detail let me just say I dropped the fifth wheel on my truck bed when we got to our camp site. The expenses of stupidity are just beginning for the year.

Barbara and Dakota joined us for a few days and hiked a few miles. It was great to have Dakota trying to find a bird on his fourteenth year of hunting. He soon tired and they left Riley and I to the mountain. With the amount of water I'm carrying on the hill right now I have decided to leave the camera behind. But the pictures of great dog work have been embedded in my mind. Proof that I still have one. Although the conditions are still very dry, the cooler days make it possible to stay on the mountain as long as you have or can find some water for the dogs. Riley is in great shape for being five months away from his second knee operation. In four days he covered 58 miles which included multiple retrieves straight up the steep slopes. Nothing wears a dog out more than coming up those steep slopes with a bird in mouth. A seasoned dog is worth it's weight in gold during these dry days. That I can remember, Riley only busted two coveys in four days. He ranged out hard but slowed way down when he hit bird scent. His nose would get low to the ground (something I rarely see during normal damp weather) and he slowly covers the area until he would locate the birds. It wasn't one of those weeks where I could watch Riley covering the hill and than suddenly slam on to point. If I saw him slowing and working his nose I just started moving towards him knowing there would soon be birds. The condition of the birds is going to be questionable in a month or so if we don't see some green up soon. There is no fat on the birds and there breasts aren't quite as plump as usual. It doesn't take much. Just one good rain and the cheat will start growing. When there craws start getting full of green grass they are getting the nutrients they need to fatten up and survive the winter. Although there weren't birds around every corner as some would like, the numbers are good. Riley and I came home not only for a recovery period but because we had reached our possession limit, even after cooking some up for a nice meal. Riley is favoring his right front leg a little. Hopefully a couple days off will cure this and it won't be anything serious. When the moisture comes and I don't have to pack so much water I'm going to start packing the camera again. Hopefully I can get some good dog work and just post pictures so you don't have to figure out what I'm trying to say. Good luck to everyone on what looks to be a great season. Spudfed, I did finally answer your question on the last post.

Weather

I'm supposing most of the chukar hunters are watching the skies and praying for some cooler temperatures and some moisture. I know I am. Lower temperatures would really help the stamina but the moisture is more important as far as finding birds. A good rainfall would knock the dust and pollen off of everything and make it easier for the pups to hold scent.

Yesterday Riley and I were up on the hill and experienced one of those off days. I'm sure there were birds around but in 3 and 1/2 hours we found only two small covey of huns and a solo chukar. We had several unproductive points and relocates but couldn't come up with birds. The two covies we did find ended up being bumped after solid points and several relocates. Riley knew they were there but just couldn't pinpoint the birds until he eventually bumped them. I've talked to a few other hunters who are having the same kind of luck on the hill. In fact, I ran into Mike Richards and his good looking setter on the hill yesterday and when the day was through he concurred with me that there were birds around but the conditions are just making it tough on the dogs. A couple of guys I've visited with said they weren't going to hunt their dogs anymore until the weather changes. They thought it was tough on their canine partners. It might be. I don't know, but I do know that Riley loves being out there and it's a lot better than sitting around the house moping. I do know that it isn't hurting me being out there. As I get older I find when I take a little time off from hiking the hills it takes a lot longer to get back into shape than it used to. I have to hike the hills at least a couple times a week or my body lets me know I'm letting it down. So, I'll put up with these poor conditions until we have a good weather change, and be happy with fewer birds and packs filled with water, knowing that when it does happen Riley and I will be like kids at Christmas time. Here's to some good rain in the near future.

Riley not missing a beat

Well, the chukar season has begun. I don't know about the rest of you, but this was and is still a long summer. I've been worried about Riley's return to the mountain but he has come back stronger than I expected. We have been out twice now and Riley has covered over 11 miles each day. I'm sure he could have gone farther but the vet says he has a couple of months left before I can expect 100%. There were plenty of birds out there and Riley had loads of points. His retrieving is as good as ever. The only thing he is lacking this year is honoring. Riley is going to be a loner on the hill this year so I'll be missing that pleasure. I've heard some grumblings of people not seeing many birds. Riley and I did not find that to be the case. We got up early and hunted the shaded sides of the draws. The sun finally hit us about 10 oclock and we headed towards the truck drinking what little water we had left on the way. One advantage of being on the hill early is an occasional bugle of a bull elk in the distance. Outside of the heat, there were only two negatives to being on the hill this week. Number one was the smoke. My lungs really burned and it was hard getting that second wind. Number two was the dust and pollen. Riley's nose was caked with a brownish green substance by the time we finished our hunt. That's got to be tough. Just one more testament to how hard our partners work for us. We'll just keep finding some shaded draws to hunt until we get some cool and moist weather. Hopefully that will be soon.

Getting Closer

John Carter asked where I've been lately? I checked my blog and realized it's been over a month since I've posted. I have to admit there hasn't been much to post about except Riley's recovery. Although it's not that exciting, there might be some that are wondering what to look forward to if their dog ever blows a knee. We've been on the hill every other day since week 10 post op or August 1. Riley shows no sign of pain or limping. He has progressed from 3 miles a day to 9 and would probably go further except I stop at that distance. My only concern is, the evening of the hike, he has a pretty hard time getting up from the laying or sitting position. I hope we're not going too fast. The vet says it takes 6 months for total recovery, which is two months away. We've been able to throw the gun into the equation since Aug. 30 and that helped pick up the pace quite a bit. Every point and retrieve on the blues seems to help both of us forget about the long summer. We're going to get out 3 more times and then take a five day break in preparation for the chukar opener in Idaho. Hopefully, we'll know when to say when, once we start doing what we love best. On a side note. My 10 year old grandson, Conner, shot a limit of doves on his first ever dove hunt. I wasn't there to watch it, but he said there was a big pile of empties on the ground by the time he got his tenth bird. Riley and I have a lot of excitement coming to us through this boy in the coming years. You young guys out there working your tails off, trying to make a living and wondering whether it's worth it at times, keep faith. It does get better. I don't know anyone who has a better life than I do. Family, dogs and the outdoors. It really doesn't get any better.

Thanks

Today was my first day back on the hill with Riley. It's been 10 weeks since his second knee operation and he is free to hit the hill again, at moderate rates. He did very well covering 3 miles of fairly steep terrain. Needless to say I was very excited. The swimming he's been doing really advanced his recovery. We even got a couple of points on chukars and huns. We went to a favorite spot of mine. The place where Tucker pointed his first chukar. It was a good time to take a water break, so Riley and I sat on the shaded hillside and took a break. A lump built up in my throat and tears dripped off my cheek as I thought of my old friend. My heart got even heavier as I imagined some day that Riley would be gone also. In five short years we have sure been through a lot. I again pondered the thought of Dakota and Riley being my last canine partners because each dog in my life has taken so much of my heart with them. Then I remembered a saying a friend sent to me one day. Carol Barton sent this photograph to me. It helps me realize what each dog in the past has done for me and that there is still a lot of room for improvement in my heart.

Nothing more needs to be said except that maybe by next spring I'll be ready for a new addition to the family. Thank you Carol

Hunting dangerous game (the chukar?)

Hunting dangerous game has always been clssified as hunting an animal that can hunt you back. Lions, tigers and bears (oh my) are good examples. They have big teeth and claws that can rip you apart with a quick bite or swipe. Riley and I can tell you from first hand experience that an animal doesn't have to have claws or teeth in order to inflict pain upon a hunter. In fact some animals don't even need to come in contact with you. In our case, the animal is a bird that weighs about one and a half pounds. The bird comes from Asia and is called a chukar.

Chukars aren't aggressive animals, but will often defend their territory by torturing the individuals that tresspass on their mountain. These tresspassing hunters are known to have small brains and big attitudes making them easy prey for chukars. Even a person with a moderate IQ wouldn't waste time chasing a bird on steep cliffs, so anyone on the chukar's turf must be mentally weak. The chukar uses the hunter's lack of mental wellness to it's advantage. It traverses up the steep mountain knowing the hunter will pursue it. Usually the birds will go over 1000 feet in elevation before they stop to hear the groaning of the chaser. That's when they begin to chuckle. The hunters lungs are now burning, but the chukars laugh makes him push on. After another 500 feet the hunter is using his arms to help him up to his pointing dog. He is on all four limbs. The birds hold under a shaded rock as the mutt is locked in on point. One chukar sits above the rest acting as a sentry. The chukars giggle at the dog who is pointing from the hot sun while they sit in the cool of the shade wondering how much longer he can go without water. The hunter is packing the water and he has now slowed to a snails pace. As the sentry watches the hunter approach, he let's out some soft cackles to let the others know to be ready for flight.

 The hunter finally approaches the dog and tries to move acrossed the shale rock towards the birds. Suddenly a rock gives out below the hunter. As he reaches to grab the hillside the chukars take flight. The chukars fly in a manner that makes the shooter twist his body in the talus rocks to get a shot. As he shoots, he feels a shooting pain in his back and then another in his shoulder as he catches the weight of his body on the hill with his left arm. The dog runs around the hill wondering why he heard two shots but no birds fell from the covey. Dog's learn faster than chukar hunters and it only takes a few seconds for the hound to realize that it was the usual miss and then hurried over to his self proclaimed master . The dog now waits for a drink. That's when the (intelligent one) realizes he only brought dog water up the hill. His water jug is setting on the tailgate back at the truck.

After catching his breath and filling up with ibuprofin, the hunter heads in the direction of the chukars flight. The dog is already half way there. The birds only flew half way down the hill. The chukars could have flown all the way to the bottom but they knew if they went down too far the hunter might not give chase. Every once in a while there is a hunter who shows some common sense and would quit hunting once he reaches the bottom. Once again, the hunters small cranium and big ego will not let him go down the hill if he is half way in between top and bottom and there are chukars laughing.

Going downhill is faster but just as treacherous. It is steep and the rocks dislodge easily, not to mention the jarring on the knees. Once again, approaching the pointing canine, the hunter prepares for the shot. As he inches forward he reaches down to rub his aching knee. Suddenly two birds take flight. They are out of range but small brains can't compute that fast so two shots are fired. The dog goes ahead and flushes the six that are ten feet in front of the hunster as he watches them glide around the hill with an empty gun. Trying to massage the pain out of his knee the hunter hears chukars above him chuckling again. Fido has already heard them and is in pursuit. Here we go again.

This story could go on and on forever. The chukar hunter and his dog seem to never learn.

Riley and I are the epitomy of chukar hunters. Most people spend ten thousand dollars on a guided hunt that is relaxing, as well as successful. Not me and Riley. We spend that much on broken gear, dr.  and vet bills and then brag about how rewarding chukar hunting is. January 31 is the end of chuakar season so euipment and body repairs are scheduled for February. Small brains don't compute the fact that many times injuries get worse the longer you wait, especially if the season is still open.

Ten years ago, I had my first arthroscopy on my knee. I twisted my leg between two rocks while chukar hunting early that season. The Dr. said if we did the surgery I would be off for a few weeks or he could give me a shot that MIGHT help me through the season. Guess which I did. This scenario went on for three years. The pain in my knee was pretty intense going down hills. Sometimes I would side hill for a mile or so just to keep from going down the steep slopes it hurt so bad. After three arthroscopopic surgeries (all done in three consecutive February's) and several shots in the knee I went to Dr. Moore in Boise.

After xrays, we came to the conclusion that a knee replacement was the answer. I was very leary about whether I would still be able to hunt chukars as hard with a metal knee. My dogs and I averaged 60 chukar trips a year and most of them were pretty intense. Dr. Moore assured me that he would have my knee ready if I did my job of therapy. He gave me a shot to help me through the year and we scheduled the operation for Feb. 1. That was six years ago and we've aveaged 70 days of chukar hunting per year since without an issue in the knee or the intense downhill pain. Although my knee was better it didn't mean the chukars were through giving me hell. Tucker, my stallion of a GSP, came up lame in his right front quarter after one of our chukar hunts. When he'd run across the hill his right leg would swing away from his body and he'd often trip over sage brush. I can still hear the laughter of chukars as he would tuck and role down the hill. Dr. Warner DVM was a young new Dr. at the All Pet Complex. He quickly put a finger on Tucker's problem. He operated on Tucker's shoulder and had him back to 100% in just 6 weeks. Of course the operation was done during the off season. Dr. Katie Wright and Dr. Koob were busy for the next several years diagnosing, stitching and medicating my boys. They encompassed many different directions. Dakota had some type of a bite which was never determined for sure whether it was a spider or rattler but was taken care of in short order. All my dogs have been stitched up at one time or other and have torn toe nails, sliced pads and cheat grass between their toes. Every vet visit was chukar related except for the oral work that Dr. Katie Wright did on Riley in his first year. Dental work on a dog? Don't ask. But the chukar season of 2011-2012 took first place in the pain and agony caused by the mighty chukar. I got 80 trips in on the birds. The chukars were relentless on Riley and me. I can't tell you the number of falls I had this year or the number of trips to the vet for Riley but I can tell you we are still recovering. It's mid July and the season ended Jan. 31st. The birds got me first. It was mid November and the chukars took me on a spin mid mountain that flung me to the ground. I caught myself, but injured both shoulders in the fall. My right shoulder was the worst. I could barely lift it to shoulder height. But, that was high enough. I shoot left handed and don't have to lift the gun any higher than that to shoot. So I finished the day up toughing out the pain. As I said, I have a small head that houses even a smaller brain. I hunted two or three more times until it became hard to even put my hunting vest on.

My shoulder Dr. happened to share the same office as my past knee Dr. so it was obvious, even for me, to have Dr. Lindner look at it. Heck, I was already on a first name basis with the receptionist and nurses. They even gave me a nickname. Whimp, whatever that is. The Dr. suggested rotator cuff surgery. After I explained to him it was the middle of chukar season and my dog needed me, he gave me a shot to help hold me over to the end of the season. I heard him mumble something about "no pain, no brain" as he stuck the needle in. We set the operation date for Feb. 2nd. That was two days after the season and two days after Dr. Lindner's birthday. I was hoping with another year under his belt he'd have a little more sympathy for me. I'm happy to say he was kind to me and my shoulder is almost 100%. By pay day for the chukars, it will be. Riley had injury #2. We never have figured out for sure what it was but it required a lot of drain tubes.

He had a total of 6 drain tubes in his right hip. Dr. Stoenner, DVM at All Pet Complex, soon had Riley back on the hill. The next big win for the chukars came sometime early in January. I was having a pretty decent day and Riley was having his normal great day. He was on point about 100 yards up the hill from me. The ground was frozen with a couple of inches of snow on top. As I approached Riley some chukars took off below me. I swung for the shot and the ground just shot out from under me. I assessed the minimal body damage from the fall and than inspected my shotgun. It had made a terrible sound when I hit the ground.

Sure enough. the birds did their damage again. My gun had two pieces busted out of the stock and was pretty loose where it fits the trigger assembly. You could see right through the stock. Over the years I have learned to pack as much as possible on the hill in preparation for the damage a chukar can do. Right along side of my first aid kit is a roll of duct tape.

There was just enough to make my shotgun shootable for the rest of the day. Luckily, knowing the damage chukars can cause, I have several back up shotguns at home to finish the season with. Chukar dogs are a very dedicated animal. They will go anywhere the hunter will go and a lot further. They'll make unbelievable retrieves from way down in the canyon, time after time. The dog knows that a GOOD shooter would make a cleaner kill thus creating a shorter retrieve for the dog, but he also knows that a chukar hunter does not know the concept of straight barrels. To a chukar hunter, the shotgun is a multi use tool. I've seen them used as walking sticks, knocking apples out of trees, and sometimes as a poking stick to see if that really is a bear down in the hole. Chukar dogs are also very tough. The dog's toughness and the hunters IQ don't mesh well. Most people would realize that a limping dog is in some discomfort. They would also know that when your dog lays down every time you stop to take the weight off his legs does not mean he is just getting lazy.

This is exactly what Riley was doing in the month of January. We made twenty trips chasing chukars and each time his limp got more pronounced. Even my wife, Barbara, made comments about Riley's health. I would just shake it off, telling Barb, "we're both hurting a little because those damn chukars aren't playing fair, but we'll be alright". On our Jan. 30th hunt the chukars were extremely tough on Riley and he came home with more of a limp than usual. Although we had one day left of the season, Barb informed me that if I took Riley out one more time she'd break the next shotgun stock over my head. I think I cried that night, knowing I was going to miss the last day of the season. Eighty times just wasn't enough. So the last day of the season had me visiting Dr. Katie Wright instead of hunting. She informed me that their was too much movement in Riley's knee. When I mentioned that the movement in his knee's should be up on the chukar hill she got a wierd look in her eyes and for a moment I thought she was looking for something to throw at me. I knew I was reading her wrong. Dr. Wright is way to nice for that. She arranged for an operation with Dr. Stoenner after I had my shoulder operation. Riley's operation was on March 6th. That way I had a month to heal from my chukar injury. Riley's knee surgery was a success. Dr. Stoenner called it a TPLO or something like that. I really didn't pay much attention. Hell, my shoulder was still in a sling and I'm sure it hurt a lot more than my dog's knee. When the Dr. explained that Riley had a metal plate on his right leg now it all came to light. Riley's knee injury was kind of fake. He wanted to be just like me, so if he limped on his right leg maybe he could have some metal in his leg just like me.

Both of us healed pretty well over the next couple of months. My shoulder injury was definetely worse than Riley's knee because Barb mentioned several times how much more whining I did than Riley. Eleven weeks post op Riley had his second set back. While rehabbing he blew his left knee. Both Dr. Wright and Stoenner had warned me that this was possible. So why was I so shook up? I was now counting the days until chukar season. How many weeks does Riley have to heal before the season opener? I have to get out there on the opener or I might not get 80 to 85 trips this year. What a tough life I have. Now some might say that the chukars had nothing to do with knee number two. Riley hurt it during th off season. I seem to recall something about if A=B and B=C than A must =C. Riley hurt his first knee chukar hunting so there you go. Rileys xrays showed the bones are healing well and we can start on the final phase of rehabbing. Not that I'm counting, but we have 60 days before the opener. I sure hope Riley can tough it out like I have.

So here we are. Riley and I, along with a new stock on my gun. I wish I could say it is the end of the story, but, when hunting any dangerous game, who knows what is lurking over the next mountain.

I've already sent notice to my Dr.s and Riley's vet's that we will be back on the mountain this year. We will be pursuing the most dangerous animal of all. The chukar. I asked them to keep the first two days in February open.

2012 spring fling

While Riley has been recovering, I have been taking some hikes up in the higher country in order to keep some conditioning. Maybe some of these pictures will help you make it through the summer and dream of a fruitful fall.

Riley gets his xrays Thursday and hopefully we'll start getting a little more time in the chukar hills. They will be short trips at first but hopefully we'll have some good reports about chukar populations.

Deer

    There was one buck and bull elk that I'm saving the pictures of for later. I'm sure they'd make your mouth water.

Elk

       This cow was chasing three small bulls away from her calf. The calf kept going back to the bulls as if to intentionally get them in trouble with mom.

 I saw loads of elk in all my walks even though I saw some wolf tracks now and than.

                                                       Antelope

                   Very aggressive bull snake

           Let's not forget the upland birds including this hen with chicks following.

  There's a little proof that there are still some animals out there to be chased this fall. Riley and I are sure looking forwards to it.

I didn't get a picture, but our neatest sighting this spring was a bob cat. I've seen many over the years but this was Barb's first. She spotted it at about twenty yards crossing the trail we were on. 

                                                                          

Is all lost?

I can't begin to explain how long the last five months have been for me. It all began Jan. 30th, when Riley came up lame in his hind right leg. It was our last hunt of the 2011-2012 season. I was scheduled to have shoulder surgery in four days, so I waited until after surgery to take Riley in for a check up. My fears were soon answered when the vet announced that Riley had blown a knee ligament and needed surgery. Riley had his surgery on March 6 and everything was going well until week 11 post op.  While rehabbing Riley blew his left knee. This was just another set back and he had operation #2 May 23. It's over five weeks since his second operation and we have over 10 weeks to rehab before the season opener and suddenly Riley gave me reason to believe all might be lost.

Riley has been healing very well and his limp is hardly even noticeable. We've been (trying) to take it slow. The knees are doing great. But todays series of events make me wonder if five months out of chukar country has made Riley brain dead. Come out to the pond with me and you'll see what I mean.

While trimming some trees I lost track of Riley. I looked around and finally saw him laying in the shade by the pond. There were a few geese within 20 to 30 yards from him and some others in the pond. This didn't bother me until I watched a pair of geese with their 7 half grown babies walk about 20 yards from Riley and join the others on the grass. Riley just lay there in the shade between the geese and the pond. I thought, this isn't going to be pretty, but Riley just watched them go by. I had to go inside and get the camera.

By the time I got back Riley had stood up, but still watching over his flock. As I moved in to take a picture the geese eased into the pond and away from me. Right behind them goes Riley. He isn't supposed to start rehab for a couple more weeks but I decided "what the heck". The geese just swam with Riley as he seemed to be counting them as a good herder would do.

 After he was satisfied to the safety of the geese he trolled over to the shallow end of the pond. For the next half hour Riley stood in the water chasing and pointing fish. He would stand there and follow the fish with his eyes, slowly moving his head towards the water and than going under.

After a while he even figured out how to herd the fish towards the stream and slap at them with his paws. During all this time he'd look up and watch the geese graze across the field without showing any excitement to give chase or point. He just went back to fishing.

Two problems have been created by todays activities. Number one, I didn't spend all that money on two knee operations to have a fishing dog. Number two, I already claim to be world's worst fisherman. How embarrasing if he starts catching the fish that I can't. Man, I hope the work and efforts of the last five months is for not.

Is all lost? Is there any help for Riley? For that matter, is there any help for me?

Maybe we should just take up golf. I'm sure Riley would let me caddy for him.

Knees revisited

For those checking in here from time to time to keep track of what happens on canine knee operations, or tplo, we had a new development today. It is week 14 of the right knee operation and week three of the left knee. Everything has been going as planned until yesterday.

Three times yesterday Riley let out a painful yelp as he got up and sprinted to hide behind me. The best way to describe what happened is to see the reaction of a dog shocked with an e collar on high and the dog not knowing where the pain came from so he runs to your side for protection. The pain was obviously of short duration but man was Riley shaking afterwards.

  I took Riley in to the vet and we took some xrays to make sure the knees and plates were okay and everything was positive. Dr. Stoehner did mention a small tear in the meniscus of the left knee which he repaired along with the tplo but didn't feel that there was anything else wrong as far as he could see. I remember feeling sharp and quick pains in my knee when I had a torn meniscus that always subsided quickly. That is how Riley reacted yesterday. All we can do now is watch it and hope it doesn't happen anymore. It possibly might just be some of the soft tissue healing. I'm hopeful that is the problem. If not it's a matter of going back in to try and find the problem. Hopefully arthroscopically.

 The big problem I see ahead is knowing which knee might be the problem, since they both have been operated on. I'm hoping that this is the last of this issue and knee two continues to heal as well as knee one did. If so we'll be on the mtn. pestering chukars by October.

You'll never walk alone

The title looks familiar. Yeah, I know, it's a famous song. But, yesterday brought a new meaning to those words for me. I went for a long hike to preserve any of the conditioning I still have. I went to a favorite hunting location just so I could see how bad of shape I was really in. With Riley only four days into his second knee surgery and Dakota's hips too bad for such a hike, I went by myself.

I wasn't very high up the mountain when I realized I wasn't alone on the hike. Sure, there was lots of wildlife out there, but my favorite hunting companions were there with me also. They all seemed to be there. Rookie, one of the finest Brittanies I ever saw, was retrieving a chukar from way down by the river. The longest retrieve I have ever seen. He must have stopped and put the bird down at least a dozen times. It was hot and dry but his heart wouldn't let him do anything less than get the bird to me. His heart was as big as the rest of his body.

As I turned from Rookie's great retrieve I was greeted by Allie's smile. She did everything with a smile. Her GSP blood told her to find birds, but the other mix in her sometimes said let's play. As I walked up the hill she stayed within 100 yards as usual, not wanting to miss out on any of the fun I might be having. No birds got by her in that area and since we always hunted with Rookie he was covering the outer edges. She'd much rather honor Rookie anyhow. In fact, if Rookie saw the down bird she'd yield to his retrieve knowing he liked the bird in his mouth much better. Allie was there on the hill with me just like she had been hundreds of times before.

As I watched the two hunt their way to the east, I wasn't surprised to find Tucker coming in from the west. He was making that eye contact with me, like he always did when he had pointed birds long enough for me to get there but I didn't show. I was familiar with the look as he returned to the spot where he backed out of a point on a covey of birds. Sure enough the birds were still there and Tucker made the shooting easier for me by positioning the birds between us. There were times when the aging Brittany hunted with Tucker, who was always willing to let Rookie have the easy retrieves and close points. The miles Tucker put on the year he had to hunt by himself was amazing. But he never faltered. He led me up several ridges teaching me how to hunt chukars properly. On the hike yesterday he was pushing me once again. I could feel it. Just over the next hill and you'll find me on point.

So, up the next ridge I go and sure enough there Tucker is on point. I start towards him when I notice another solid liver GSP on point in front of Tucker. It's Dakota, Tucker's son and Tucker is showing him how to do it with an honor. Gosh, I can't tell you how many thousand's of times I saw the two of them on point honoring each other. It was a sight I never got tired of. Dakota got a lot of his father's abilities, but wasn't quite the athlete. But what a retrieving fool. He never gave up on a downed bird. Although I would have to classify Dakota as a great chukar dog, he never got the glory he deserved being between two great athletes like Tucker and Riley. Riley came along to relieve the pressure on the aging Tucker.

Somehow, as I watched Tucker and Dakota working the hill side another solid liver GSP joined the duo. It wasn't long before they were all on point and honoring each other. For a year the three amigo's worked together producing hundreds of point, honors and retrieves. Riley learned a lot from the dynamic duo that year and now is left to cover the mountain for me in the year of 2012. There won't be no relief pitchers for him this year, but maybe a solid liver pup looms out there for the future.

I wasn't real sure I had room in my heart for another pup but taking this walk yesterday has helped stretch it a little wider. I miss my passed dogs very much but found that they were still with me. All I had to do is take a familiar walk by myself to find that I'LL NEVER WALK ALONE without great memories of my dogs

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Knee number two

Well, about the time I thought things were getting back to normal, bam, we hit another curve in the trail of year 2012. Riley blew his other knee. I've been noticing for the last couple of weeks that Riley was struggling some to get up from the resting position but thought it was due to fatigue in his repaired knee. Yesterday, on our hike he didn't run much so I figured once again, fatigue from the repaired knee. He went 7 miles and got a couple of nice points on turkeys and spent a lot of time in mud puddles cooling off before coming home.

This morning Riley and I were chasing each other around the field when he suddenly let out a yelp and quit using his hind left leg. Knowing the familiar gait of a bad knee I took Riley in to see our vet, Katie Wright, who diagnosed my fear as being correct. From there she sent me to the surgeon where Riley was scheduled for a Wednesday operation. So we are now braced for another 12 weeks of boredom. I'm not sure which of us this is roughest on.
Dr. Wright told me that when one knee is blown it usually isn't a case of if the second knee is going to go but when. At least the when is over for Riley and hopefully September 15 will see us back chasing chukars and hopefully at 100%.
One other note I might point out. Each of us are built differently. The hills are not the hills for me anymore unless I have my dog with me. I love hiking the hills with my canine partner as much as he enjoys being there with me. So when he is down I am down. Down time is an eternity when you only have 13 or 14 years together. Tucker taught me that it was alright to love my dogs and Riley has taught me how much I need them.

recovery

Alan in Alaska posted me on how Riley and I are doing since our operation. We're both doing great. Riley got his release for mild activities yesterday and I got mine today. Thanks for asking Alan. I've been keeping a weekly update on the Riley's operation post. The next entry in that post will be the xrays showed the bone is healed and it's time for rehabilitation. We're a couple of happy campers.

Chuk fever

Everyone that hunts has heard or been affected by buck fever at one time or another. Buck fever is the excitement you get when you are about to shoot an animal. You loose control and sometimes the ability to even pull the trigger. Well I'm developing a bad case of the opposite, CHUK FEVER.

Chuk fever developed when a person does not get to the hills often enough with his or her canine partner. Whether it is actually hunting for birds, training on birds, conditioning or just hiking the hills where chukars frequent, these are the only way to avoid the disease. I have developed a bad case of chuk fever do to the lack of ability to do all of the above.

In the last two months I've had a shoulder operation and Riley has had a knee operation. My shoulder doesn't hinder us from walking but Riley's knee surgery does. Riley is into his fifth week post op and I finally read the papers sent home with Riley that explains post op procedures and it's going to be three more months before he is allowed to ramble the chukar hills. After reading this, I became even more infected with the chuk fever. Nights are becoming more sleepless. I'm looking for yard work to keep me entertained. I've actually even vacuumed the carpet a few times. Riley enjoys going to the vet now since that's the only place he gets to go these days.. He lies on the floor and watches me do my shoulder exercises with a strange look. I believe he is wondering why I'm doing these pussy exercises instead of taking on the hill like a real man.

Chuk fever causes a man to wander aimlessly. There seems to be no purpose in life. Not only does your dog not understand what is going on, you lose sight of reality. Guns have no meaning and you become frightened of the mountain. You can't defeat it alone. Things that used to be enjoyable seem to have no meaning. I can't even get excited about scouting for turkey because I can't get the drive without my partner. Pacing aimlessly and mowing the lawn have become my only leg exercise. Chuk fever also causes some weight gain. You deny it at firs,t but finally accept the fact when the wife asks if your ever going to wear anything but those old sweats.

Yes, I have a bad case of chuk fever. I've had buck fever before and believe me, out of the two, chuk fever is worse. For three more months I have to fight the affliction and hope that I have the fortitude to stay on course. When the time is up I hope that the mountains are kind to Riley and I and break us in gradually.

Another name for chuk fever might be "jail sentence." 

Family, friends and dogs

Since February 2 both Riley and I have been recovering from doctor and veterinarian visits. Me with a shoulder operation and Riley with first a hip infection and now a knee operation. If things go the way they should, we will be pretty close to 100% in 8 more weeks. The past two months have given me even more appreciation for my canine partners.

As a human I have many different things to fall upon to help me pass the down time. I have my wife and family to help me in all the things a one armed guy can't do. All those little chores like cleaning up the dog poop still have to be done. They have also helped to keep me entertained by playing word games and bringing the grand children over for entertainment. I also have my friends to humor me with dog stories and travel to sports shows with. What's more I have a dog that helps keep me entertained. With all that Riley has been through he still is always by my side. If I lay on the floor to stretch my arm he is right there either flipping my arm with his nose for a ear rub or shoving a rag in my face trying to get me to play tug of war.

To say that we have become attached at the hip in the last two months would be an understatement. With that, I have come to an understanding of how much we are needed by our dogs. Especially hunting dogs. Think about it. Almost every aspect of a hunting dog's life revolves around one person. Who feeds the dog every day? Who is usually the first person your dog sees in the morning whether he is kenneled or sleeps in the house? Who exercises the dog? Who takes the dog to the hills to hunt birds, the activity he enjoys the most? Our hunting mutts are pretty much dependant upon us.

Riley and I have always been a pretty good team on the hill and now we read each other at home also. He has learned what just about every move I make at home is for, just as I have his. After a therapy session, Riley usually puts his head on my lap as if he knows I'm hurting a little and he has different postures when he is uncomfortable that I pick up on.

I've always known how much our dogs rely upon us, but the last few months have really driven that point home. So, the next time you take a ride somewhere and your dog stares at you from the kennel or house window, consider taking him or her with you. The next time you're eating a treat, share a little with your partner. Remember, all that dog wants in life is to be doing something with you. Give them the attention they give you. 

Riley's Operation.

Riley's operation has been moved back to the sixth of March from the second. I'm going to post a weekly report of how his recovery is doing so others know what to expect as far as recovery problems, problems around the house and so on. Hopefully chukar hunters will be able to plan there activities a little better knowing what to expect.

The operation is not as simple as just replacing the tendon anymore. They actually cut part of the fibula bone in order to make a more level joint. There will be a metal plate with six screws holding it in place. Normally there are only four screw but Riley is a little bigger than the normal GSP. I'll be bringing him home on the day of the surgery and he's going to be pretty groggy that day and probably the next. He'll be on pain meds and antibiotics for a while and will  have to be confined.

The first two days are very critical to not move any more than necessary. A short trip outside to relieve himself is about all he should be doing.

So, I am getting the house ready for rehab. Much the same as for when I had a knee replacement. Placing carpets or non slip material over the slick walking surfaces, making a clear path to the outdoors with no steps, fixing a bed in an area that is easily accessible without climbing and is also soak proof because there will be plenty of drainage and basically making a comfortable area for him. Next we'll be bringing him home.

Day 1 was pretty calm early but by the end of the day he was already wanting to move around more than he was supposed to.

Day six and what an education I'm getting. Especially in pain tolerance. We humans (especially this one) are real fragile (pusses) when it comes to putting up with pain. Keeping Riley calm has been a real chore. I puut my shoes on, he's ready to play, pick up a hat, he's ready to play, head for the garage, he's ready to play, heck if I open my eyes he's ready to play. The farther into this we get the more fired up he is getting.

He had his first check up Friday and the vet says he's looking great. He uses his leg more than I figured he would. I gave up on a friends advice of keeping him in the bathroom, because even in there he is constantly standing, doing circles,  reaaranging his bed, and stays pretty active. He still steps up on the couch to sleep without using his leg and the vet says to let him go. Fortunately, he is so tall that it is pretty easy.

This first week has been a real education to me as to how much Riley and I do together. When I work outside he is usually be my side, when I get a treat I get one for him also, when I exercise he always right beside me helping, when I'm scooping poop he is beside me pointing out the next pile, and you probably get the message. He is handling this whole ordeal a lot better than I figured he would.

Tuesday he will have the drain tube removed and have his first laser therapy treatment, whatever that is.

Week two went pretty good. Keeping Riley down is impossible but he hasn't done anything to injure himself. The safest thing to have done would have been to keep him confined to a small room like a bathroom, but I have a hard time keeping my buddy in solitaire. He had all the drain tubes removed and the stitches out of his hip. Antibiotics are done now and he is down to only taking Duramax which seems to be a miracle drug for pets. I have been in contact with several other dog owners that have had great results with the pain killer and antiinflamatory drug.

The laser therapy takes about five minutes and involves putting some type of laser light over the bone area to help in the healing. Riley has turned into the perfect patient. He walks right up to the scale, weighs himself (85 lbs.) and the nurse escorts him to his room. I wish my dr. was that punctual.

So far Riley has been limited to short trips out in the yard and has gotten away with his playful tactics in the house. His stitches come out Tuesday and he can start short (five minute) walks on a leash after that. Luckily my arm is out of the sling now amd I'm sure it will be stretched abundantly by Riley.

Also during this second week, Riley seems to use his leg quite well, not putting a lot of weight on it.

After two long weeks of sleeping on the living room floor with him, I am going back to the comfort of my bed soon and hopefully my lap dog will stop asking for leg massages.

Week three is in the past now. Nothing exciting to report except that the stitches came out and the hair is starting to cover up his scar. Riley still lifts his leg up when he gets going a little faster (which he's not supposed to do) but is now using his leg while walking with very little noticeable limp. Surprisingly he hasn't gained much weight over the three weeks. He's got free range of the house without constant super vision and is now back to jumping up on the bed at nights. He seems to know not to use the bad knee yet for jumping. All in all, week three was not as bad as I expected.

Week four was pretty uneventful. Riley received his last laser therapy treatment and won't see the vet again for four weeks when he'll get his xrays to confirm the healing has been successful. Riley is heavier than he has ever been (90 lbs.). We're walking off leash now and I have to slow him down. Even our thirty minute walks wear him down now. He wears out soon and I think his leg is a little sore after the walks. Riley is starting to use his leg pretty normally.

One other thing at this stage. I have to take walks in areas where there are no birds and without any other dogs. Otherwise Riley makes to many fast moves which could injury his repaired knee.

Week five was pretty much the same as week four. The hair is back and the limp is gone most of the time. I'm extending his walks some but still trying to keep him lower keyed.

Week six. Quite a bit of improvement. Riley gets a little running around time now, even though he is supposed to be still on a leash. I try to keep him from hard jumps or runs and he seems to be handling it. His hair is all grown back now. He is 90 lbs. His limping is limited now although he keeps the weight off it at times.

Week 7 was a a lot like week six. You can't even see where they shaved Riley now. We probably had a little more activity than we were supposed to but Riley handled it just fine. He shows very little limp now. Tuesday will be his xray to make sure the bone has healed up properly. If so we will start a little heavier therapy, I HOPE.

Week 8 came with much anticipation. Riley's xray's came back good with a complete heal of the bone where it was cut and reshaped. The vet gave the okay to start rehab at a slow pace. I also got the go ahead with my shoulder so we are both starting a program to get back into chukar shape. It's going to take a long time. We are both in the worst shape of our lives. I'm taking Riley out in the fields on flat ground for the first week and than we will start some short hill hikes. I don't see Riley limping anymore but he is tiring quickly and when we stop he still keeps most of the weight off his right rear leg.

Week 9 has Riley doing 3 mile hill hikes and doing real well. Just like us humans he tires quickly and is going to have to take some gradual building up miles before he's 100 %. Over all I'm tickled pink and Riley is a lot more happy running the hills. He even got a couple of points today.

Week 10 has Riley doing about 5 miles on our hikes now. He shows no sign of limping while on the hikes but seems to use his shoulders to lift up from the laying position after the walks. Like humans I'm sure he is a little sore so I give him a pain med to help him out. One good thing is, Riley seems to know when enough is enough and slows down.
Week 11 went good for the repaired knee. But, as I was warned could happen, Riley blew his other knee today. So we are about to go back to week 1 with knee two.