Spring Training Anyone?
Posted on 09. Feb, 2010 by Blue Weimaraner Today in Field
No, I’m not talking about Baseball!! I’m talking about getting you and your dog outside in the upcoming beautiful weather and doing some bird work! Not into hunting? Neither was I! I had never hunted a day in my life. But the day I saw my blue Weimaraner go on point in real life, it honestly brought a tear to my eye it was so beautiful. At that point, I wanted nothing more than to see my dog do what she was bred to do, so we started training. That was September of 2007 and Roxie was only 5.5 months old. Now she’s almost 3 yrs old, has earned an AKC Junior Hunter title and is on her way to Senior Hunter and maybe even Master Hunter. She has also earned a NAVHDA Natural Ability title; all because she and I spend time in the fields working and learning how to hunt Together. Being in the field with her is a great deal of fun for both of us as she gets to Exercise and run free and find birds and I get to Exercise too while keeping up with her. Not only that, I believe it has created a stronger bond between us.
Once we are done with all of the tests, I will continue hunting with her recreationally. Previously, I had never considered shooting for myself after all, I’m just a girl! Then I met a woman from NAVHDA who told me that even a girl can go out and hunt and shoot over her own dogs and ya never know, I might like it. Then a couple of years ago, I attended a NRA Women’s shotgun clinic and learned to shoot sporting clays and loved it! I bought a shotgun six months later.
I had finally decided that I wanted to take it a step further and actually learn to hunt so that I could shoot for Roxie and complete the circle of the woman/dog/hunter relationship. I signed up for a women’s hunter camp sponsored by California Waterfowl last fall. It was a two day camp where we took the hunter’s safety exam Saturday morning, did sporting clays in the afternoon then on Sunday went on a real pheasant hunt. 15 other women were in the camp with me and we had a great time! Roxie wasn’t a part of the hunt and I didn’t get a bird, but that’s OK, I really wanted my first bird to be with her anyway.
The following few months, I attended several women’s pheasant hunts put on by the Department of Fish and Game and in the process met MORE great women to hunt with. Roxie and I got our first bird (and on video no less!) and a new club was formed, Bad Ass Girls Club. Our goal is to encourage more women to get out and shoot and hunt.
I cooked my first pheasant for my parents and cooked and shared it with friends at Thanksgiving. With all the pheasant in my freezer, I think I can stop buying chicken now!
Renée and Roxie with friends showing their pheasants.
This season, I hunted with friends, family and enjoyed every minute of it. There are moments when training or hunting where the moon and stars align and Roxie does exactly what she is supposed to do, when she’s supposed to do it and looks beautiful doing it. It’s an amazing feeling and when it happens, I just have to stop and take in the moment (and try to get a picture) and I think to myself… this is why I do it.
Renée with her Blue Weimaraner, Roxie.
This article written by Renée Viehmann, secretary and treasurer for the Blue Weimaraner Club of America. Roxie is Int CH Fairhaven’s Blu Skys the Limit, JH, NAVHDA NA2. You can read more about Renée’s adventures with Roxie on her Blog. Photographs © Renée Viehmann. Please do not reproduce without permission. Click on images to see larger.
