Actually, my dog hates sticks. When she was a pup we taught her not to pick up sticks becuase we have known dogs that pick up sticks and then walk up to you and jab you in the leg with them by accident. So, I know that she did not think that it was a stick becuase she would not have picked it up and then run across a 15 acre field just to bring me a stick. Now it might have been luck that she just ran across it and was actually not looking for it, and I actually would bet that that is what happened; however, I am still pretty proud of that dog for at least recognizing the antler and actually bringing it to me when she had to run across a 15 acre field to bring it to me. No, you have not bursted my bubble, instead, you have shown me how much people would really like to have a dog that could help them during the spring. If anyone is interested in knowing how I, well, "trained" her, just ask and I would be happy to share what I did...even though it was not too complex.