I’ve written before about my Brittany, Tucker, and usually have been talking about how well he does out hunting, and how great a companion he is.

But Friday, he was the most defiant, beligerant, simply bad hunting dog I’ve seen in a long time.

It was the weirdest thing.  He didn’t respond to the collar, whistle, or my commands.  He didn’t really concentrate on the CRP.  He just seemed to be content to run around out there and chase rabbits.

I’m really hoping that this was an isolated incident.  He has done this in much lesser degrees in the past, about once a year, so I’m hoping this might be it this year.

The only thing I can think of is that I’ve deer hunted the last couple of weeks and couldn’t take him out, so this was his way to show how pissed off he was for leaving him home with the women while the guys went out into the great North Dakota outdoors.

Have any of you experienced this sort of defiant behavior in your bird dogs?

The saying “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes; it’ll change,” is very applicable in North Dakota, as in many areas of the country. But check this out.

Last week I was driving around the SW North Dakota countryside with windows rolled down, short-sleeved shirts on, and sweating like crazy.  It was 80+ degrees and I was out crawling for pronghorns. 

Fast-forward to the upcoming weekend.  Same area.  Same hunting season.  Same hunter.  Forecast is for 30 degrees, snow mixed with rain (up to 12″ of snow in some areas), and 30mph winds.  Global warming my a$$!

But just 150 miles NE of the storm in Bismarck/Mandan, ND, where I live, the forecast if for 50 degrees and rain.  That mans that somewhere between here and my hunting area there’s going to be a wardrobe change.  Where that boundry is, no one knows, but now I have to pack tons of extra clothing just to chase a dog-sized “big game” animal around, and a colorful chicken?

Damn right I do!  It’s October in North Dakota.  Upredicable weather and hunting season!  It just doens’t get any better than this (copyright Old Milwaukee Beer).

North Dakota doesn’t have many hunting fatalities but Saturday afternoon a 15-year old Dickinson, ND youth was accidentally shot and killed by his 10-year old brother while pheasant hunting.

Dunn County Deputy Glen Gietzen says the family was hunting during the state’s youth pheasant season when the shooting happened about 5:30 yesterday afternoon, north of Gladstone.

Authorities say Dillen Bloomgren was pronounced dead at Saint Joseph’s hospital in Dickinson, of a gunshot wound to the head.

Please extend your thoughts and prayers to Dillen’s family and friends. And please be careful out there eveyone.