The opening of the roebuck season starts on 1 April. The deer management group occasionally go out together to catch up on the last few does for the cull and if a member feels they need a bit of guidance and companionship. I have returned home from one such successful outing.
While mulling over this with a dram in hand, I started to think back to my past deer dogs. Some of you may remember Patch from my early days writing for Sporting Gun. He was a spaniel – not the best deer dog, you may think, but he was a star from day one. Many people remarked that he was well trained but, apart from the usual sit, lie down and return training, it was all down to Patch’s innate talent. In particular, he produced some tremendous tracking in thick cover.
After Patch retired, along
