January 2010
January is about the same as December. More cold, then more snow, then a January thaw near the end of the month. rain and temps around 33 degrees. The snow started to melt, water started to pool up on the lake and around the low areas, then Boom again the cold hit and made the ground hard and icy like a skating rink. The outdoor pond hockey tourney on lake Washington was cancelled and the ice houses are frozen down. I am glad I am not going to have to chip out a fishing shack.

December 2009
This month has been basically horrible. It started out cold and windy. We got blasted with a big snow fall around Christmas some places received up to 24 inches of snow. It stayed cold for a couple of weeks and the lakes froze quickly. Then a warm up came and we got wet snow and rain for a day or two. then Boom cold again so everything froze down. Trucks would not start, you can’t walk on the ice, and the bird cover is buried. The wild birds will have a hard time trying to find food or cover to survive the rest of the winter.

November 2009
Most of the time this month was spent guiding and helping customers with their dogs. I spent a little time back in the kitchen at traxlers for a game dinner and didn’t burn myself or cut off my fingers. Shelly and Mel and their kitchen staff are doing a fine job with the kitchen responsibilities. The weather is warmer than normal so the hunting has been pretty good. The lake has not frozen yet and I see a few geese and ducks around.

October 2009
October is the month that we dog guys live for. The waterfowl and upland season is upon us and every day is an adventure. Earlier this month I helped guide for the 7th annual Pat W. Smith Sr. memorial youth hunt for SYP ( sheriffs youth programs of Minnesota) hosted by the LeSueur County sheriffs mounted posse, Sheriff David Gliszinski, and Traxlers hunting preserve. I have been a member of the mounted posse since 1999 and have been happy to be part of this program since the beginning. This event helps raise money for the sheriffs youth programs of Minnesota. This event is open to the public by reserving a spot for a 5 person team The day is filled with upland wing shooting in the fields for pheasants and a duck pass over the lake, clay targets at the trap range and sporting clays in the woods round out the days outdoor activities. Great food and a live auction follow the day’s events. Members of the Minnesota Vikings stop by for autographs and conversation. This auction included unique items like a ride in a WWII Texan T-6 airplane. A guided alligator hunt in Florida, and original wildlife artwork. Other items like limited edition sporting rifles, and high end shotguns were also available at the auction. This program has grown over the years, and we thank every one that has helped with this event.

The second week in October brought in the annual 900 bird continental shoot hosted at traxlers by a couple of club members. This shoot was a combination of gunning pheasants and ducks in the traditional European style of pass shooting. Hunters shot at birds released for them while rotating to each of the 14 shooting stations. Even though it rained all day the dog work was excellent. The guests of the event were treated to an afternoon of fun while shooting at steel targets with WWII era machine guns. When night fell the attendees were seated at a giant table for 50 people and presented with a magnificent dinner of wild game including Elk, Pheasant, Duck, Halibut, and Salmon. The Wines served were from a private stock of hand selected bottles from around the world. Simply some of the best wine ever made.

During the third week of the month I spent the 5 days hunting pheasants in south Dakota. Our annual hunt placed us in the Chamberlin area on the beautiful Missouri river. Our days of hunting at the Wings of thunder hunting ranch near Kimball south Dakota was just amazing. The bird numbers in that part of the country was simple unbelievable. My hunters flew into the chamberlain airport in their private jets. We stayed at the cedar shores hotel and convention center on the western side of the Missouri river. The field conditions at the ranch are mostly row crops of sorghum Sudan, millet, Milo, and corn. The birds were plentiful, and the wing shooting challenging. After a week of busting cover it felt good to get home for a short rest.

The last week of October put me back at the preserve. I had friends from Florida come up for some pheasant hunting. Most of these guys have been here before but my friend Bunky has been coming here for about ten years. We shot pheasants, chuckers, and Huns during that week. I spent some time with friends Jared Allen ,Heath farwell and Cullen Loeffler of the Minnesota Vikings.

Jared’s friend Boomer Grigsby of the Houstan Texans football team stayed with us and James Otto (a country music singer, song writer and winner of the CMA song of the year IN COLOR as sung by Jamie Johnson) was in town for a hunt with Jared. I help Jared with some dog issues he was having with his two black labs BONNIE and CLYDE.

September 2009
September is a good training month. The temps are reasonable, the dog volume is manageable, and the fall fishing is worth going out. Game fair was successful I met many new people and saw allot of friends and customers with their dogs. The kennel is winding down and by the end of the month I will be concentrating on guiding for traxlers hunting preserve and gearing up for south Dakota pheasant hunting.

August 2009
The typical hot august weather is upon us. It is hard to do much bird work due to the heat and the long green grass in the now dry fields. Bird work is reserved for day break and possibly again during the last hour of light in the evening. Obedience training, bench work, and water retrieving makes up the mid day training secessions. I am on schedule with the current work load looking forward to a slow down in September.

July 2009
This time of year I expect a high volume of dogs coming in for training. So far the numbers have been greater than expected. It has warmed up so weeks of heavy water work is planned. The hunting season starts in a couple of weeks at traxlers hunting preserve so scheduling the upland dogs for bird work makes the summer days long and the play time for me very limited. A typical day around here in the summer starts around 05:00 am and finishes well after dark around 21:30 pm.

June 2009
June has been unseasonably cold. we experienced some rainy days in the low 50s. Setting the birds for the dogs has been difficult. I don’t want to leave ruts in the field by driving so bird planting the old fashioned way by humping the birds into the fields on foot is the only way to get it done and protect the cover at the same time.

May 2009
This time of year is one of the best times for us dog men to train. The temps are warm enough to dry out the fields and heat up the water. but yet not too hot for the dogs to work Overheating is a problem in dog training but seldom a worry this time of year.

April 2009
Spring is here. most of the snow is gone, a little bit cooler than I had hoped for and many days of rain this month I want to get started with the water work but the water temp is not warm enough to train. The bird work has been challenging due to the mud in the fields and the lack of cover. The heavy snow from last winter really hammered the grass and makes it hard to hide a bird.

March 2009
Spring is on its way, temps are warming up and the sun feels warm on the face. The mounds of snow around here are melting and leaving huge puddles. Keeping the dogs out of them is always work. So far the dog numbers are on track and things around here are good.

February 2009
So far the volume of dogs coming in for training has been constant, The weather has been extremely cold and working out side has it challenges. The dogs have handled the temp’s just fine. having a warm place for them to rest and sleep has kept them happy and motivated to come to work. Dogs are so resilient and come at you with such enthusiasm its no wonder that they are mans best friend.

January 2009
Looking forward at the dog business and the hunting industry I think things could get a little scary. The economy has affected so many across the country and people have elimated some non necessity items in order to keep their homes. This industry falls into that column and what the next year will bring is very uncertain. Fortunately I am much smaller than many kennels, so my overhead is low and I can stay price competitive and keep up the quality of services provided. What is ahead of me is unsure, but making adjustments as I go is so important for my survival.