SEC Traditions: Mississippi Bird Dogs
a great southern staple is a good old duck hunting dog I met up with Marty Roberts at sporting life kennels to educate me on the preseason training necessary to get the boys ready for the hunt for Academy sports and outdoors I’m Marty Smith and this is traditions why say old boy great to see you Marty we got a Marty Marty Shoei how’s it going who we got here practice to build with go different directions in the field so we’re hunting it helped us on blind retreat if there’s a bird that goes down I can’t see we’re able to line them up how long it is a partnership it’s coach quarterback in it what’s it like when you get to take people out hunting and see them work with your life’s work how long you been doing this man I started training dogs on 17 we started about 10 years ago into school time so it’s been a passion all my life and I love them I love the dogs I live out in the middle of nowhere and with a bunch of dogs and I might be accused of loving dog people I don’t think you’re alone brother in this world how many are you working at once typically well I’ve got a principally University of Mississippi students I’m really lucky because I’m 10 minutes from campus nothing not bad Marty that’s what we’re here for we’re here to take young minds where there’s being a dog or this being a student and shape them and then they graduate then they leave you mad it is sort of parallel to being a college football coach you get them at 18 and you get to keep them a couple years and then they leave you and you got to go find a new crop and do it all over again it’s very parallel so blind retrieve explain yeah when they start doing blinds it really starts coming together when we’re out world waterfowl hunting oftentimes the dog doesn’t see the bird fall or it makes a lout way over behind so we needed to build a line that dog up and send him where he doesn’t know where he’s going he’s just trusting us so that takes time to build I can show you blind the trees now I’d love to see it [Music] all by hand sake [Music] Wow good job Pete that’s now blind work so they can get real complicated sweetpea you did a good job but we did a good job man he did a good job and water retrieves yeah I want to see what that’s all about that’s a fun stuff so where we really get to see the athleticism is in the water that’s what I came for that’s right man ready to see the fireworks man [Music] I mean if ed doesn’t make you smile if that doesn’t make you smile you need to check yourself at the door there’s so much joy because it’s just so authentic you know yep [Music] [Music] [Music] so when they hear the whistle they always stop to find you for direction [Music] [Music] how do you build that trust what is the what it successful drills okay [Music] what is the passion for Ole Miss football around here and everybody’s excited emotion he just got me there you got me good buddy it’s interesting you say that when the football team’s good business is good it’s true the restaurants are gonna be full bed-and-breakfast hotels and new hotels going up the real estate market goes up because the parents are buying condos for the kids for the alumni in particular it’s a great place to get away when you send that man paycheck that’s very well set [Music] Marty thank you you and these fine gentlemen are gonna be the stars of this film but I have another agenda right now I know you have puppies around I have to go see him I have to Waller in them I have to love on them let’s go look at the amount of patience you must have I marvel at it because I can sit here and watch what it requires with a young pup who’s eager and doesn’t quite know yet what he’s doing [Music] [Music] Oh [Laughter] [Music] bacon go take a lap you’ve taken this business in this passion to another level now with teaching online classes basically right very universal what’s been the response infuses joy in their lives to bond [Music] it’s amazing how seeing these guys play together just makes you happy they don’t care what happening today he doesn’t care what you do who you know what you got he just wants love that’s our um I your heroes we just met a few buddies I can’t thank you enough Marty for having us out here your passion is obvious and the love here is obvious and I’ve said it five times I came here a pretty happy guy I’m leaving here real happy life so thank you brother appreciate it [Music]