Dog retrieves on the ice?

[fabsroman]

How many of you send your dog(s) out on the ice to retrieve?

I did this past weekend for the first time and will never do so again. I sent Nitro to retrieve a dead goose that was left in the ice by hunters that hunted the pond a couple days earlier. It was left belly up and all the geese were flaring as they came into my spread. They came in locked and left flapping like crazy. Didn't know if it was my spread, my blind, or that goose, so I decided to eliminate one of the variables.

I made sure I sent Nitro in on the thickest part of the ice. Well, he made it out to the goose without a problem and then decided to jump on it. The ice was weakened from where the goose had hit and in Nitro went. I spent about a minute trying to see if he could get out, but he couldn't get his hind legs up. I spent another minute trying to crawl out there on my stomach. Heard the ice cracking and decided to head back. So, after spending another minute looking at him being frantic and waiting for my dad to come back from the barn with a rope, all the while envisioning that he went under the ice making it impossible for me to locate him, I decided to trudge in on the side with the thin ice. Mind you, I didn't have waders on this day because I didn't think I was going to need them. It was probably 20 yards out and the water only came up to my chest, which I was praying to God about because I had never been that far out in the pond. Breaking the ice at first was easy, but the last 5 yards was a little tough. I finally reached him and dragged him back to shore as my dad was bringing the rope. The whole time coming back I was screaming to my dad to bring the truck because I knew I had to get my clothes off, get into some dry clothes, and get the heat going.

Walking was a little tough once I got on dry land and my legs were killing me. My feet hurt like hell and my heart was racing. Nitro had at least pushed the goose under the ice, so as I was waiting for the truck I got to watch a group of geese come in. They didn't flare until the dog started running around as the truck was approaching. I stripped off all my clothes, put on some rags and dusty socks, and stuck my feet by the heater to warm them up. Can't say I have ever been that cold before. I took a little nap with the sun beating in through the windshield.

All in all, it turned out pretty good. I got two pretty good bruises on my thighs and a good one on my elbow from breaking the ice, cut up my right hand a little while dragging the dog through the ice, destroyed my cell phone, my chewing gum, and business cards that were in my pocket, but got reminded of a very important thing. Nobody, including the dog, is to die or get injured while hunting except for what is being hunted.

This was the first, and will be the last time, that I have sent my dog on an ice retrieve. Lesson learned. Thank you God.

How do you guys retrieve birds that fall on ice in a pond without the use of a boat? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[tjwatty]

I'm glad you and Nitro both made it out. I don't take Cricket with me when it gets icy just so I won't be tempted. I'm not sure either one of us would be smart enough to stay off. That is/was one of my fears back in the day when I had Brittany's. My older dog would have gone anywhere to retrieve and there was no stopping him. Maybe my lab is smarter but I doubt it.
I did have my lab tangled in decoys so bad I had my coat off and was heading for the door when she made it to shallow water. I, like you, was not going to watch my baby drown. At least not with out me. That's also one of the reasons I take a change of clothes along.
I'm glad you both made it.

[fabsroman]

I am now debating whether I should wear waders or not when I am hunting with my dog over ponds. If the water was actually over my head (i.e., I had to actually swim), I would have been screwed on Saturday if I had been wearing waders. Luckily, it wasn't over my head. The water didn't actually make it through my clothes until I was a little ways out. I guess waterproof clothing does a decent job.

The feeling was somewhat weird when the water started getting through. At first, it filled up my boots and from there I could feel it coming up the bibs until it got to my chest. After that, I completely forgot about the water as I started to break ice with my elbows. I wonder what I looked like out there. If somebody was watching, they probably thought I was an idiot out there.

I looked up the cost of my phone last night, $219, that hurts a little, but I would trade the phone any day for the dog.

[DelDuck]

You ask how I get birds on top of Ice, well if my boat can't get to it then F the bird. I aint going to put my dog in that situation. A buddy of mine almost had to put his dog down caus he sent her out onto the ice, after that she never went onto the ice. we used his or my boat to break the ice.

As for on ponds, you might want to find an old 10 12 ft john boat to keep near the pond. Just an idea.

[skeet]

I've had my dogs retrieve on ice...but only if I knew it was hard enough to take the weight. She went through the ice one time before I could stop her from going out. I also had to go out and break the ice. I did however take the majority of my clothes off. I was a long way from the truck so I took most of 'em off. Actual truth is I took 'em all off(Glad I was alone). Didn't take me long either..to get 'em off and get the dog too. Da*n water was cold. Used a shirt to dry off and went back to hunting. Dog learned from that and if the ice made any funny sounds she just wouldn't go. Smart dog. We hunted the Chester River a few times on the ice. 150 yds from shore....but it was solid. covered up with sheets and killed the snot outta the geese. Water where we hunted was only 3 ft deep at high tide but there was a foot of ice. If you're hunting a pond that is frozen...wear waders. Safest way to go.

[DogYeller]

My dog went through a hole in the ice, for the first time, this year. He was running flat out after a downed duck the shortest way was across the ice and he went into a hole in the ice another hunter had made to set his decoys. He was too far away for me to be of any help but he got out by himself. I thought maybe he had learned his lesson since the chunks of ice floating in the hole cut his head up when he went in. Thirty minutes later he did the same thing, he got up a lot faster this time. I packed up and went in, I wasn’t enjoying it near as much as he appeared to.

[rubicon]

This has been a real concern of mine with the creek next door. When I let Leeann out of the house she heads straight for the creek and it has been iced over the past couple of weeks. Turn your head and she is out on that ice. Fabs at least wear a chest belt with those waders. We boat down the Severn to the duck blind and then wade over to it on an island. We have to use chest waders but lately I only put them on when we get there.

[fabsroman]

Rubicon,

You can bet that a chest belt will be on the next order to Cabelas. I have never worn my waders in really deep water and never thought I would need a chest belt, but you can bet that I will have one from now on. Never know when I'll go on a hunt and need it. At the ponds I usually hunt, I always figure that I can just rip the waders off if they get flooded because they have velcro straps, not the buckle type. What do you think?

Is it better to get rid of the waders if I am in deep water and they fill up or would a chest belt and keeping the waders on be a better bet? If I had to ditch the waders, a chest belt would just be one additional thing to get off. Of course, the waders are usually under my parka, so the parka would have to go too.

[rubicon]

Fabs, I have never been in that situation thank heaven other than going over them in a trout stream but when I did that the belt kept most of the water from going on down. Of course I was not dressed like we do hunting waterfowl. I also wear my parka over my waders and it is not overly pleasant taking it off to put on waders for that last treck to the blind. Even though I am a fairly strong swimmer I have gotten into the habit of wearing a suspender life preserver when fishing in the summer. I dont know how much they would help with waders on but have seen dnr guys wearing them.

[fabsroman]

The life preserver is a good idea. I might pack one in the truck too.

What is sad is that I have a first aid kit in my car and my truck, but we drove my dad's truck that day and he doesn't have a first aid kit in it. Luckily, the cuts on my hand weren't too bad.

[Steverino]

Glad that you and Nitro both made it off the pond okay Fabs. That must have been scary! I am not the seasoned waterfowler that most are here on HC but I can assure you that I never take to the woods, blind, or field without a spare (dry) set of clothes including socks and boots. All you need is one time that you need them to make it all worth while. I keep mine packed behind my seat up in my truck cab. It doesn't take up a whole lotta space and pays big dividends in the piece of mind department.

It sounds like you acted pretty soundly considering the circumstances. Most folks don't know how quickly that hypothermia can set in. When I went through auxillary Coast Guard training years ago my eyes were definately opened.

[mtmiller]

My dog has never had much of a problem with ice of course I would hunt over ice on a flowing river. Some of our best hunts have been over thin ice and Axl has always been able to bust through or crawl up. Maybe the vest helps a little.

Glad everything turned out ok in the end.

[fabsroman]

MT,

I was wondering about you and Axl the other day. Where have you been all of the season? Probably out hunting so much that you didn't have time to post.

The ice was pretty thick and could support my weight, on my stomach, right up until I got within a couple of yards of Nitro. I think the ice was weakened where the goose hit it and got stuck in it. That is why it gave way under Nitro when he pounced on it. He kept trying to get up with his front paws, but I guess he just didn't have the upper body strength or he just couldn't get a good enough purchase on the ice to pull himself up. If he were smart, he would have kicked with his hind legs enough to get his butt up and the pull with his front legs. Where I went in, the ice wasn't too thick, but as I got closer to Nitro it became a lot harder to break the ice and that is where I probably got my bruises from.

Since I haven't heard from you in a while, how did your season go?

[mtmiller]

Howdy Fabs.

I had a typo in the above statement, "I would not let my dog out on ice over a flowing river".

Glad to Nitro is out chasing birds. Axl and I had a pretty good season. We ended up with just over 60 ducks for the season. Here are a few pics.

Opening day


Mixed bag with my little brother. This was only his second trip duck hunting with me, so he shot about any bird that came in. I think he is starting to be able to distinguish shovelors though.


We even found a white bird this year. Unfortunately he was not as big as I had hoped. Next year hopefully I will get a good one for the ceiling.


When Axl wasn't getting ducks, I had him retrieving decoys. Better him in the mud than me.


We did get into the mallards big time once the weather cooperated. This day it was -30 as the sun was coming up.


Sorry I haven't been here in awhile. Decided to disconnect at home and only visit sites occasionally from work. Maybe this got me to the field a little more. I ended up hunting or fishing 75 days in '04 and shot my biggest whitey and muley last fall. Life was good.

Good to read up on what you guys have been doing as well.

[fabsroman]

MT,

Sounds like life is going well for you. Congratulations on the whitey and the muley. By the way, I wish we could shoot a swan in Maryland, but I cannot remember the last time they were in season.

You sound like me two years ago. I was out clobbering rockfish, bluefish, doves, waterfowl, and I shot my first antlered whitetailed deer which was a decent size. That was when I first started practicing law on my own. Life is still pretty good for me, but I think I hunted about 7 days this season and didn't fish a single day. That will change next year because my townhouse will be finished and the wedding will be over. I'll have plenty of spare money for boat accessories, new blinds, decoys, shotgun shells, etc. and more time to hunt. It should be a great time. I am really looking forward to this summer and fall.