Maxx
1992 - 2004
It
is rare for us to keep a dog past six years of age. However,
Maxx was my pheasant hunting partner since he was 11 months
old. Originally, I thought I would simply get him ready to sell
as he came to us as a sort of rescue dog. At 13 months Maxx
helped us bag so many birds I decided he had a home for life.
The clincher came on a 150 yard retrieve on a wounded, wild Iowa
rooster. In Maxx’s lifetime you could count the number of birds
he lost on one hand. I have to take credit for loosing birds
as I should have shot better. Maxx was a real pro on running
roosters. He would track ahead of me and whoa to the whistle
for me to catch up. I would move ahead of him and try to flush
the bird. If I could get the bird up we went to work, if not I
could tap Maxx’s head and he would go to work on the track
again. He and I killed many wild birds playing this game. This
was Maxx’s game, not mine. He only needed me to do the
shooting. He would come in with the retrieve, hold until told
to drop then turn and go hunting. He never liked to hang around
and get petted or good dogged. He lived to work birds and that
was his reward in life.
I
miss him dearly, but he did provide us with his son Rascal to
fill his tracks in the birdfield.
