[susan tuck]

After I take my dog tracking I usually drive over to a hiking place that also has fire roads so I can take Arkane on a 2-3 mile walk. I like the fire roads because it's easier to spot rattlers than on the narrow hiking paths. Anyhow, I was walking along when a lady ranger pulls up next to me in her truck. She said "Where did you get that sable shepherd? I laughed & told her probably a similar place to where she must have got hers. So we must have talked dogs for about 20 minutes. She has a young male which she does SAR with. Upshot of the whole thing is she told me about a pretty nice field for tracking so I went & took a look at it. It is not fenced & looks to be maybe 5 acres. There is a dirt road road that goes around the whole thing. It is irrigated (sprinklered) but no specific crop - just weeds! It had a big sign that said "Conservation Tillage Demonstration". I couldn't find anyone who was working there. Anyway, I'm going to give it a go tomorrow morning. I guess the worst that could happen would be being told to leave.

 

[David Frost]

Go use it. If anyone says anything, tell her the ranger pointed this field out to you and you just thought it would be open to use. Like you said, the worst they can do is tell you to leave.

DFrost

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Cool!

I would too!

 

[susan tuck]

I've been happily tracking away at the places I mentioned above. One of the plowed fields is next to a business park with lots of grass areas, so I can lay a dirt track and a grass track. Add to that my new tracking bait (Connies' recipe which dogs are willing to die for) and I am "in like flynn".

Pretty funny, this morning I first laid my dirt track then walked over to one of the grass areas & laid my grass track. After I laid my tracks I took Arkane on a 20 min walk to warm him up & let the tracks age. When I came back to start my dirt track, something was eating my bait - a big black CROW!!! Hopping right down the track, bold as you please. He got most of the jack pot too. :-& Should have seen me shaking my fist, shouting "you rat bastid, you". I guess if it's not one thing it's another!!!! I guess you have to get up pretty early in the morning to pull one over on the crow.

Arkane still tracked beautifully. \\/

 

[David Frost]

Now combine the two, go from grass to plowed and vice versa.

DFrost

 

[susan tuck]

You read my mind! I was thinking about that this morning.