I was able to start on my after-deer season quail lease on Monday in the Panhandle. I turned my 18 month old female setter out and she was wild as a march hare. She did not have any manners nor course whatsoever. I had put her down back in December and it was the same song. I had seen enough. She was self hunting in any direction she wanted to go, not listening and just sailing through the country. This is the same pup that was somewhat of a prodigy last season as she literally broke herself on birds in the field and we killed a bunch of them over her before she was 8 months old. Well one swing she came across the front running with the wind and I was able to nail her pretty hard with the e-collar. I got her stopped. Let's just say I hurt her feelings pretty good, but I got control of her. I snapped a 20 foot check cord on her and let her drag that for the rest of the round. She stayed right out front and listened at that point She ended up pointing me a covey and a couple of singles. Tuesday morning I teed her up with the checkcord and e-collar and turned her loose. We made a 30 minute round and she was always on the front at 150 - 200 yards but listening. When I turned, she went with me. She had 4 perfectly handled covey finds with long holds and birds killed on each flush. I am telling you all this to reiterate the beauty of the checkcord when you need to grind a young dog down a little. After they pull this around a while and get tired, they start listening better. Plus, when you get a pup into a lot of birds, they start wanting to be with you because pointing and shooting birds becomes fun for them. They want to stay close to the action. I will now keep the checkcord on her until she tells me it is time to take it off. She will need to show me that she is listening, watching what direction I am going and adjusting, not playing grabazz in the field. She definitely has all the tools to be great, but we are just putting the polish on her now. The checkcord is the best finishing tool there is along with a properly used e-collar.

To each his own - by your own statements - you've been doing this for 50 years. iYou're not interested in any opinion other than total agreement with your own. Quite a bit of chest pounding comes across n your posts (typical internet forum behavior). Maybe you didn't intend for your post to come across this way, but sounds like a lot of pressure on a young dog. I believe that's the sentiment blanked was conveying.

End of the day, we're all very lucky to have the number of wild birds available this year. Enjoy your pup and be happy you have good health, good bird numbers and dog to hunt behind.

To each his own - by your own statements - you've been doing this for 50 years. You're not interested in any opinion other than total agreement with your own. Quite a bit of chest pounding comes across in your posts (typical internet forum behavior). Maybe you didn't intend for your post to come across this way, but sounds like a lot of pressure on a young dog. I believe that's the sentiment blanked was conveying.

End of the day, we're all very lucky to have the number of wild birds available this year. Enjoy your pup and be happy you have good health, good bird numbers and dog to hunt behind.