I listen to veteran wing-shooters talk about that one dog they own or owned that is special. They describe a dog that instinctively works in harmony with them. Beyond locating and retrieving evasive birds, the dog understands how to put their partner in a position for a successful shot.
This is my 7th year in the field, and Echo is my second gundog. We adopted our first gundog, Pride, when his original owner passed away. He was 7, and had already spent many days in the field. Pride’s initial reaction when I tried to hunt with him was to run to the truck. His bond with Dick was obvious, and it took time to build trust with him. Pride and I had 4 great hunting seasons together, and he seemed to always salvage a difficult hunt by locating a deceptive rooster as the day was ending.
Echo is my first gundog that we are raising as a puppy. 2016 was our first season together, and she performed admirably from the start. She was not even one, when I shot my first wild pheasant over her. We spent many days in the field last year, and in all types of conditions. The one characteristic that I noticed from day one, is that she always looks to see where I am positioned. She never catches a scent, and takes off in a futile chase to locate a running rooster. Echo is a quick study and intuitively hunts within my shooting range. She seems to understand my limitations, and works to get me a makeable shot. Echo possess an accurate nose, incredible speed, and a high prey drive. She will hunt from dawn to dusk with a never-quit attitude.
I don’t have enough experience to confidently state that Echo is a once in a lifetime gundog. That said, she is proving to be everything I want in a hunting companion.