2008 Accomplishments of Autrey Kennels
Retrievers
The year 2008 was a good year for us in the fact that at the
kennels in Minnesota the new slab was poured, the kennels put up, and they were
put in use. When we got there in May, it looked strange with the old barn gone
but as the new barn went up in it's new location and the new kennel slab was in
place and the kennels up it has all started to take place. While not all
complete, the new look is exciting to see.
We were able to title a number of dogs for 2008, starting with
GRHRCH Diesel who finished the 2nd leg of his Grand title and went on to get for
of his Master passes. HRCH UH Maggie, owned by Monty Sayer, got her first Grand
pass and got three of her Master passes. HRCH UH Diamond Jim (1 Grand pass),
owned by Greg Mills, who got his Master Hunter title and qualified for the 2008
Master National. HRCH Jack Flash, owned by Richard Baker, who got his HRCH title
and his Senior Hunter title. HRCH Jake owned by Trey Schoolfield, who got his
HRCH title and his Senior Hunter title. HRCH Roux-ster, owned by Lon Randall,
who got his HRCH title and four passes toward his Senior Hunter title. HRCH
Rowdy, owned by Jim Thompson, who also got his Senior Hunter title. HRCH Rascul,
owned by Robert Tarver, who got his HRCH title and three Senior passes.
We had HR Doc Holiday, owned by Dr. Lacy Williams, who got
his Hunting Retriever title, three finished passes toward his HRCH title and
four Senior passes. HR Rose, owned by Greg and Nancy Mills, who got her Started
Hunter title and three Junior passes before AKC decided she couldn't run in the
retriever trials, that didn't set too well after she had fulfilled the
requirements.
Quite a few of there dogs are hopefully returning to go on
with their training in 2009. We had three in forcing through the winder who
should be running in Started in the spring. This allowed us to be able to hunt
and relax through the winter.
Duck hunting season was GREAT for 2008. We started off with
the first split of duck season that was slow and patchy at best. The second
split was really nice in that we limited out every day but one that we hunted
and were able to hunt quite a few of the dogs during the year and their owners
brought them back in for training. Several times during the second split, we
worked three hunters and two dogs with the dogs taking turns on the retrieves
and honoring each other. I was able to hunt HRCH Rascul and HRCH Jack several
times over the course of the season. I also got to hunt HRCH Maggie when Monty's
season slowed down and he came over. HRCH Cajun got a good work out when Jim
Smyithe brought Sue in to start her training. Before Jim went back up north, we
also got to hunt SHR Sue on her first ever duck hunt. We were able to hunt HRCH
Diamond Jim with owner Greg when he bought Jim and Rose back in for training,
and for HR Rose, this was her first real duck hunt. SHR Siena got her taste of
real duck hunting on several occasions. I only wish Polly (daughter) would have
been here to see that. I got to hunt HRCH Colo Roux with Mandy Cielinski for two
days as well as get her a real nice pintail drake for mounting and then lost
Roux in training four days after Mandy left going back home. GRHRCH Diesel got a
good work out not only in my duck blind but we swapped hunts out with Robbie
Andries and we got a lot of flooded timber hunts in as well as Diesel and HRCH
Ben getting to honor each other on the dog stands as well as in the rice fields.
Between duck splits, we made the annual pheasant hunting trip
back to Kansas, as always this has become a tradition of friends getting
together, lots of good dog work as well as some good hunting. Robbie Andries and
his son Travis left with me and eight of my dogs and both Robbie and Travis
brought their dogs Ben and HRCH Abbie. We went into Dallas where we picked up
Clay Schoolfield and his dog HRCH Lou. We duck hunted in Texas the next morning
and then drove on into Kansas to meet the other seven hunters and four more
dogs. To tell you the truth, it was cold, the temperature at night would drop
down to zero but the wind chill factor was -10 to -15 below zero. But let me
tell you, it was great hunting, the dogs stayed cool, the birds flushed and flew
and in three days we had killed around 90 roosters, sorry but we lost actual
count. The second day was the worse as the dogs put up 8-9 hens for every
rooster. The rest of the time we had good rooster to hen ration. Our only
problem was the dog boots tore up (all but one brand) in the snow, ice and
frozen ground. We had some sore footed dogs at the end of the second day and
some tired and worn out dogs at the end of the third. Robbie and I walked every
drive as we worked the dogs, the others got to rest some as blockers. My feet
weren't wore, but the rest of me was tired.
I guess you can say we had some back luck also in 2008, when
Earl my assistant trainer left that put us in a big bind. Joe Perron was just
starting up Champion Kennels, nice kennels, good grounds, and he agreed to take
the dogs that my assistant had in training. That put me back to the number of
dogs that I could handle myself. Later on after we got up north to Minnesota,
Ms. Geri, my wife, had a stroke in the month of July. That was a big scare, but
the doctors pulled her through it and she is back to doing good and giving me
plenty of advice. I also had some health problems in 2008. I came down with
streph knee. While I had heard of streph throat, this was my first time to hear
of steph knee. The doctors had to lance the the kneed and clean it out, and this
was just before the fall Grand. While I was down and in the hospital, Ronnie Lee
worked my dogs as well as his. Good friends are hard to find that would take on
that kind of responsibility but he did. After the Grand, Geri and I got home and
started to unwind some and I had to go back to the hospital. It seems that they
had overmedicated me with antibiotics trying to cure the knee without surgery
and shut my liver down. They checked me for all the different hepatitis as I had
hepatitis "C" while over seas but it came down to just being over medicated with
too many different type of drugs at one time. I need to thank all of you for the
phone calls, flowers, candy and most of all for the prayers that Ms. Geri and I
received from you this year. You know you are truly blessed when you have your
family and good friends. But all in all the good outweighed the bad, the rest
and the good hunting has me rested and back to working the dogs.
I'll see you at the retrieving line, Bill
Click to read 2007's Accomplishments
