I became the proud owner of my first retriever when I was in college. He was the runt of a litter of fourteen pups. This little guy was unable to fight his older siblings for a place at "the dinner table" for mother's milk. At twenty four hours old, the owner found him cold and lifeless in a corner of the box. She warmed him up on her hands and her responded. The med student then fed the infant golden retriever with an eye dropper. He perked up. I had expressed interest in a puppy, hence the phone call. If I wanted to care for him, I could have him for free! It was a lot of work, but after three weeks of feedings and wipings, I had a cute little golden retriever puppy. He ate with such voracity that I used to say that he eats like a champ. Therefore, I named him Champ.
Champ grew to become the biggest dog of the litter. He was a tall ninety five pound brute. That dog was one hard headed and determined animal. The later served him well as a hunter. I was busy with school as Champ was growing up, but I took him bird hunting every chance I had. One day, my good friend Matt, and I went hunting in a local creek. I knew ducks followed the creek to the nearby reservoir. I did not shoot particularly well that day, but Matt harvested two wood ducks. From that day, he is forever known as "Woody". The second of Woody's two birds landed in a thicket that surrounded a dead tree on the outside bend of the creek. Champ laid down on the ground and belly crawled into the thicket. Meanwhile, Woody and I scanned the sky looking for more ducks and told stories. After five minutes I heard a commotion in the thicket. I said, "Here Champ!", and went on telling of my adventures. Several minutes later here came champ with the duck firmly in his mouth. I can still see that beautifully plumed drake wood duck with his head up looking around. I can only imagine what he was thinking, but I know I was thinking that was a heck of a retrieve!
I hunted that creek as often as I could because it was public and no one hunted it. On one late October day, it was just me and Champ. I put six plastic blocks on the straight stretch of the creek. The sun rose majestically on the horizon, but no ducks showed interest in our party. It was a beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky. I knew if I could see well, the birds could see better, So, I constructed a blind beside a log using area vegetation, but no birds fell for our invitations. Without warning, which is often the case, three mallards glided down the creek. I swung my 1100 Remington through the targets, and squeezed the trigger twice. Two birds fell, both upstream on a shallow bend in the creek. I gave the fetch command, and the long haired retriever was off like a rocket! As Champ approached the shallow water both ducks righted themselves with heads up. The shallows had a gravel bottom, and shallow enough that the big dog was able to run rather than swim. As he was only three feet from the first drake mallard and closing fast, the duck had plans of his own. The mallard leaped into the air and started to flap. Champ leaped in response. What happened next I have never seen before or since. That dog grabbed that duck out of the air and brought him down! All I could do was clap in amazement! "Atta boy Champ! Fetch'em up, boy!" I believe that it was at this point that I realized that the other bird had disappeared. I scanned the bank, but to no avail. As I took the bird from dog's mouth, I looked up in time to see a greenhead swimming just under the sparkling clear water, just 15 feet away. "Fetch that bird!", I commanded. Champ hesitated, turned his head, and sprang into action. A few seconds later he came back wagging his soaking wet hairy tail with another drake mallard in his mouth! In the forty years that I have hunted ducks that is the most spectacular double retrieve that I have ever witnessed. One duck out of the air and one duck retrieved from under the water. What else can you ask of a dog?
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