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| me. I'd been told this is what you do
once the ducks start to move. Only if they hesitatewhich these
ones did about half way indo you show the dog again. I did and
they once more obediently started for shore. Soon they were so close I could see every detail of their variegated feathers and hear their soft clucking sounds as easily as if I'd been surrounded by barnyard chickens. I glanced up toward the road. I wanted to be sure Ron was observing these amazing phenomena, but both the truck and road were hidden by alders and grass. He had to be watching I told myself. This was much too amazing an event to witness alone. Up on the road, I learned later, another truck had stopped and its driver paused to chat with my husband. When the newcomer saw the ducks swimming rapidly toward shore, he was astounded. "Oh, my wife's down on the shore with our tolling dog, bringing them in," Ron said with a nonchalant he was far from feeling. After that, we were hooked. Watching Chance and later our other Tollers, Ceilidh and Molly, draw in ducks became one of our favorite activities. Not that it always worked as smoothly as it did on that first occasion, but it never ceased to an exhilarating and amazing experience. A phenomena that to this day lacks a definitive scientific explanation, it remains one of nature's most enduring mysteries. There are, however, details that can make the tolling process much more likely to succeed than our initial basic attempt. Dog and companion have a much better chance if they have access to a reasonably large body of water isolated from boat traffic, vacation homes, and other man-made distractions that normally disturb resting waterfowl. Preparation, too, will aid in having successful tolls. For instance, prior to attempting to lure waterfowl, a blind should be built on land that juts out beyond the regular shoreline. This allows you to get as close to the birds as possible. If you're lucky, an evergreen thicket along the shore behind the ambush will allow you and your dog to enter it without being seen by the ducks. If this natural cover isn't available, a screen that leads from forest to blind can be built by stringing boughs and bushes that blend in with the surrounding foliage along a strong line of some sort of synthetic material. The next step is to make sure the dog has a clear running space along the shore. There should be no obstructions that will hinder the ducks seeing the dog or impede the dog's speed and agility. Most tolling people agree twenty feet of clear shore is plenty to "show" the dog. It's also a good idea to familiarize the dog with the territory before actually sending him out on a toll. This will reduce his desire to explore new territory when it's essential he doesn't. Most old time tolling people believe that ducks and geese can smell humans and have a keen sense of hearing; therefore, it's best to be downwind from a flock. The push of wind and waves also helps bring the birds to shore much faster. Fascinated by the tolling dog, they're easily distracted into going with the flow. Once the hunter and his dog are settled in their blind, they wait until a flock touches down and becomes comfortable on the water. Then the ball or stick is thrown for the dog. This is called "playing the dog", but, in actual fact, at this point, the tolling dog is hard at work. Obedience is essential. The dog must never be allowed to run helter-skelter along the shore or display any interest in the birds. If a dog does pause to sniff or explore before returning to the blind with his fetch, the next time he is sent out a long line should be attached to his collar. That way the hunter is in con |
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