Silas is sleeping on the couch and I am watching the birds at the feeder today. I am off for President's Day and it was -17 at 6:30 this morning. We have had snow on the ground here in Franklin, Venango county since Jan. 4. Silas pointed his first grouse that evening. Silas turned 1 year old in late January and has matured greatly in all areas. I look forward to the progression of training when it again warms. My next order of business will be whoa training and steadiness drills with birds. He pointed but did not hold well several times throughout season. He had points on woodcock, pheasant and grouse. He has ranged a little farther than I would like but stays closer in heavy cover and when birds are plentiful. Over the past month I have almost never touched the e-stim collar button. He has been checking in frequently while we are out. He stopped picking birds up to retrieve so that is also something I will work on later this summer. As for now, we will go for conditioning runs when the weather allows and await the return of spring woodcocks.
