Bird Dog, All Alone, Shoots Wild Game

1920

Bird Dog, All Alone, Shoots Wild Game; Pulls Trigger of Gun with Hind Foot

Clever Animal Bags 111 Ducks During Present Season

PIERCE, Neb. -- What is declared to be the most intelligent and remarkably trained hunting dog in the country is owned by a hunter of this village, Bruce J. Boyd. "Cognac," for that is the animal's name, is a large, spotted bird dog. He not only searches out his own game, but also shoots it and brings it home to his master, who is proprietor of a local grocery store.

An automatic shotgun was made to order for Cognac by an Omaha gunsmith and is strapped to the dog's back by means of a cleverly arranged harness. The gun is arranged with a patent trigger, which is pulled by the animal's hind foot.

"Aiming the gun doesn't bother Cognac at all," declared Boyd. "The dog seems to depend upon his instinct and gets just as good results as a human being would by carefully sighting before he shoots."

Brings All His Game Home

Cognac also carries a wicker basket strapped to his side, in which he puts his game after he kills it. He bears the game back to his master at the conclusion of a day's hunting.

In the past few weeks, during the local duck hunting season, along the north fork of the Elkhorn River, Cognac has bagged no less than 68 mallard ducks, 43 teal and a number of wild geese. During last winter's rabbit-hunting season, the dog killed more than 300 cottontails. Boyd, who is in his store all day and has little time for hunting, thus has his table always supplied with fresh game, and declares that it has reduced his living costs more than 40 per cent.

"It was about a year ago that I got the idea of training Cognac," says Boyd. "Up until that time he had been merely an ordinary hunting dog, with no especial talents. But I always noticed that he wasn't the least bit shy of a gun and I evolved the scheme of teaching him to shoot.

"I tied my automatic shotgun to his back with ropes and then pulled the trigger. Cognac just wagged his tail in glee. The next time I went hunting I fastened the gun to his back with a harness and shot at least twenty times. After a little more of this training, I had the special shotgun made which Cognac now carries.

"It took several weeks to train him to pull the trigger with his hind foot, but he never had any trouble at aiming. For a time I was afraid to trust him out alone, but I soon learned that he understood the danger of possible accidents, and was really more careful than a human being.

"So each morning, during this duck-hunting season, Cognac comes to my bed about 3 o'clock and awakens me. I strap the gun to his back and he trots out. By 8 o'clock he is back with all his ammunition gone and one duck or more for every shot he has fired.

Will Teach Dog to Reload

"When I have more time this coming summer I expect to teach Cognac to reload his gun. As it is now, he is done for the day when he has fired the six shots in the chamber and magazine."

Other hunters have become familiar to the sight of the lone dog and do not interfere with him.

"I have been offered several thousand dollars for Cognac by eastern sportsmen," declares Boyd, "but millions couldn't buy that dog. Aside from his value as a hunting animal, he takes care of the baby, wheeling the carriage about the streets, and is a willing helper about the house."

--The Saturday Blade, Chicago, March 27, 1920, page 9.