Scooby isn't bothered by a few icicles. The pudelpointer's coat is resistant to extreme weather and punishing cover.

They flew up a hill (Huns always fly up a hill), and landed just a few feet from the property line. I suggested we approach them from below, which theoretically would keep them on the ranch I had permission to hunt, rather than from above and into a steady breeze, where Scooby would undoubtedly have had a solid point, Trapp would no doubt have dropped two birds, and I would have been in perfect position to photograph the event for the edification and entertainment of you, gentle readers.

Instead, we walked up from below and blundered upwind into the covey, which flushed all around us. Trapp never took a shot. Scooby bolted after them, but returned smartly at his owner's whistle. Throughout both hunts, Scooby was very responsive to Trapp's whistled recall commands.

Trapp plans to continue working on Scooby's retrieving skills, or more accurately, his retrieving commands, since there's manifestly nothing wrong with his dog's drive to retrieve. He also plans to steady the dog on upland birds--a laudable objective. And then, who knows? He may be looking for another dog. His is a busy life, and he wasn't planning on it yet, but there just might be room for another pudelpointer in the Trapp household.

There's nothing half-hearted about Scooby's drive to retrieve. When there's a bird down, he's on his way.