Land Blinds

AM: Oaks Areas 3

SERIES A. Double land blind (Laddie, then Lumi)

The first blind was to the left, an OD visible from the SL, at 120 yards. The second blind was to the right, an OD also visible from the SL, at 140 yards.

Because of ditches, rises, and depressions in the terrain, the first blind had seven elevation changes, with the dog temporarily out of sight behind a ridge at one point, while the second blind had five elevation changes.

The first blind required the dog to pass thru a depressed area with standing water, alongside a line of trees and underbrush on the left, and later thru a keyhole formed by a gap in another line of trees and underbrush. The line to the second blind was past a tree on the right which had the potential to act as a wrap. It turned out that a more influential factor was a white utility pole at 200 yards from the SL, on a line slightly to the left of the line to the blind. The blind was on a sideways embankment, and both dogs stayed in the depression to the left on a line to the white pole instead of running on the embankment.

Although these were relatively short blinds, they both had enough factors to require several WSCs. With one exception, both dogs had excellent responses to every whistle sit and every cast. The exception was a slightly delayed sit by Laddie on his first WS, when he ran a few yards further before turning and sitting. Because his sits have been so good lately, I decided to treat that as an incorrect response and called him in. He came running with his usual exuberance, whipped around at heel bouncing and ready for another send-out, and showed excellent responses on his WSs the rest of the series.

Both dogs were off line to the left as they ran past the second blind, setting their line toward the white pole and off the embankment on their right where the OD lay. In each case, I let the dog go thru the danger zone, about 20 yards beyond the blind, then used a WS and angle-in with come-in whistle to direct the dog to the blind. Neither dog made showed any inclination to slip the whistle and hunt.

Although both dogs made today's series look easy, I don't think it would have been easy for them in the recent past and was pleased with their performances.