Cancer sucks no matter what species. Today we put down a dang good dog because of bladder cancer.

Rosco was only 6 years old and I don’t even think he’d hit his prime. When we was let down and pointed, you knew 100% their was a covey there.

When I first started helping out at the plantation he was the only dog I was sorta afraid of. He was about 2 and mean as a snake. Even though it looked like he was smiling, I just didn’t trust him. He was never aggressive to me, just other dogs whenever one of the girls came into heat.
One day while feeding and cleaning kennels one of the girls was in heat next to Roscoe’s kennel. I always let all the males out together, then the females. Well one of the older males went in his kennel to check the female out through the fence and Rosco didn’t like it. They went at it and ole Rosco had a grip on that dog I couldn’t break with my bare hands.
The manager had told me the only way to break up their fights was to basically drown them out. I thought spraying them down with a high pressure hose would do it. I quickly realized we were about to lose a dog if I didn’t do something quick, so I shoved that hose down Rosco’s throat and turned on the water. He gagged enough I was able to get the other dog out of his kennel.
That did nothing for fear, lol.
When I go to put the dogs up after cleaning kennels they’d all kennel except Rosco. I’d grab his collar and he wouldn’t budge unless I’d use some serious force. It always made me nervous for some reason.
I’d finally had enough and decided we’d have a face to face. I knelt down in front of him and just started talking to him and held his face in my hand while rubbing his ears. He licked me dead in the face and I laughed and rubbed his back a few times and told him to kennel up and he went right in.
This was our “bond” lol. Every time since that day he always stops short and waits until I kneel down and give him a good rub around the ears and back and then he’ll kennel. Apparently pointers are a smart breed cause there’s now about 5 of them that follow Roscoe’s lead and stop right outside their open gates and wait for me to make my rounds of me talking to them and giving them a good rub down before they’ll kennel.

Old Rosco will be missed. I imagine the kennels are pretty quiet this evening.
Here’s a few pics of the manager, his wife, and Roscoe’s empty kennel.

I’m SO sorry. Sending big hugs your way.

RIP, Rosco.
Always tough to see a good dog go.

RIP Rosco. Cancer sucks for sure!!! Sorry for your loss!

So sorry....I've been there too many times myself.

What's the big idea of riding a horse while quail hunting? Does the horse have pellet holes in its ears? And can you shoot quail at a gallop?
(I mean hit)

So sorry to hear that! It's a tough thing to do.

Wild bird hunts aren’t cheap and hunts are booked more for tradition and dog work than actual shooting. Guide and Scout ride out in front following dogs and clients follow them on horses. Behind the horses the wagon/Jeep follows along behind them with the Cockers (retrieving the shot quail) and the extra dogs for the hunt, along with snacks/drinks/first aid supplies/etc…
At the point, the guide and scout dismount and the designated shooters dismount. The hunters line up either side of the guide and the guide flushes the covey and the hunters shoot.
The scouts job is to hold the honor dog and then the point dog. If birds are down the cockers come into play to find them. If not, everyone gets on their horses and once the guide tells the scout to release the dogs, he’ll go ahead and mount up and it’s on to the next covey.
Horses are just a part of a Southern quail hunt.

Wow...I had no idea! That's pretty formal. Quail here in NE have been nonexistent but hunters say they're seeing some.

When the pointers are released, they’re over 100-200yds before you could even mount up. The good ones, like Rosco, would range straight out on the feed trail then run back and start a zig zag type pattern across the trail ranging farther out each pass, but never more than 100yds either direction.

When quail are feeding it’s “easy” for the dogs. When they’re still on roost, you could take a wash tub and if stealthy enough, trap an entire covey under it. So with that said, finding birds that aren’t actively feeding is tough and it takes dang good dogs to find them. Last Friday afternoon from 2:50-5:30pm they found 19 coveys and 4 singles. Hunters killed 6 birds. The birds weren’t feeding at first but when they started, it was on.

Incase y’all are thinking I’m a guide or scout…I’m neither, lol. I ride the Jeep and handle the clients horses when they get down and help them back up. I’ll help with dogs as well. And what’s even funnier is I get paid hourly plus tips and I’ve told the manager a hundred times I’d do it for free just to watch the dogs work. We generally get there 2hrs before time to pick up clients at the lodge to clean kennels, round up horses and saddle them up, get the Jeep ready, load the horses, then load up the lucky dogs that go out on the first hunt. I definitely get my exercise in on the days we hunt, lol.

Them hunters need to practice on blue rock!

Do you know the easiest way to get invited back to a wild bird plantation?


Miss!!!!

Sorry to hear this. It's tough losing a good dog, been there a few times.

Sorry for your Loss!!! He was still in his Prime.