Well Preserved

This is Shaeffer standing at Shaeffer`s Pond (he was named after the pond, but don`t tell him that):

It`s been a while since we`ve had an update on Shaeffer and although he loves to eat a lot, he hasn`t had a lot of culinary moments that would tie to our topics of conscious eating, local food, preserving and the like.  He`s just turned 10 months old so there`s lots of time for him to have his moment in the sun.

He showed signs of those times to come this weekend – and taught me a powerful lesson:

Shaeffer is a Vizsla.  Vizsla`s are Hungarian bird hunting dogs (they will also chase larger game).  He is a fantastic companion and a student hunter (in that order).

As much as I would enjoy Shaeffer becoming a strong hunter, the truth is that I`ll be very happy if he is a happy dog and great companion who enjoys tramping in the woods.  He will come along on our hunting trips (for newer guests to WellPreserved, these are sustainable harvests that we consume all of our harvest from – a comprehensive intro explains a bit on my perspective here).

My Father was very vocal that I’d learn more from the dog about hunting and the woods than he would from me.  I thought that was a fairly easy leap of faith as my knowledge is thimble-deep.  I am learning that his wisdom isn’t simply better than mine because of my low ability – he simply has built-in tools that are teaching me lots.

Shaeffer is pointing in the second photo above.  This is a fairly casual point – in this case he was staring at his ball.  Although we don’t encourage him to point at his toys, it’s a reaction that happens often.  He’ll stare at the ball for minutes until you throw it and then he’s off like a shot before chasing it down and returning it back on the double.  An errant ball which is launched into thick woods is often found by its stentch – a moment marked by a triumphant jump out of the woods and back to the source where the projectile launched.

The point is a natural reaction that is a typical when he spots birds.  His points are a frequent site on the streets of Toronto where he insists of showing us where all the pigeons are.  It’s a lot of fun I frequently find myself sneaking up on the birds with him.  He does not lunge, attack, bark or startle them – his instinct is actually to show me where they are and not startle them which would give me, as a hunter, time to react and take action.

He also sneaks up on the occasional ONCOMING dog as well.  It’s a funny site to see him practically belly crawl up to a dog walking towards him – a slow-motion stalk where he is apparantly either invisible or hiding behind his shadow.  When he does this I often begin to tiptoe like the Pink Panther.  It can be a little embarassing if you’re not prepared so if you ever come walking with us you’ve now been warned.

We went for a walk in the forest near our cabin this weekend (hunting is an activity reserved for the fall – this was simply a fun walk).  Our pup was walking on my right, about 3 feet away when the woods exploded with activity.  I had stepped within 6 feet of a nesting Partridge.  Shaeffer went into full point – head down, tail straight and paw out.  He snapped a quick glance my way to make sure I saw it before he flicked his stare back at the path of the bird flying away.  I was able to easily find the bird by simply looking at where he was staring; something I would have struggled with by myself because of the natural camouflage of the forest floor and coat of our avian friend.

We watched the bird for a few minutes before I turned my back and moved on.  I reflected on my new knowledge – partridge nest on the ground and they will let you get remarkably close to you without moving… This was the point that a third piece of knowledge hit me square but I knew I was too late before I even turned back around.  A bird stays still for a reason…

Shaeffer was a much faster student than I.  He had remained in a full point until I told him it was time to move on – at that point he figured it was fair trade to eat the egg the bird had been guarding.

I’m sure it sounds odd to a non-hunter that there is a certain sadness around this act.  Some of it is self-serving (less eggs equal less birds) but it seemed simply careless on my behalf and didn’t reconcile easily with me.  I have no justification or understanding other than a few hunches to spend some more time exploring.  I am not disappointed in Shaeffer – he did what comes naturally and he taught me lots.

In the meantime, it’s time to take my notebook out and start listening to my teacher.