Hunting Articles

Article

Consistency in Dog Training

Think back to a time when you first started school or a new job. You were probably nervous and didn't know what to expect. How did you make it through those first few months? You had to learn the expectations and how to perform the tasks ne.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: July 3, 2022

Article

The Role of Antioxidants in Recovery

Give a pointer, setter, shorthair or Lab a choice between working or taking a nap, odds are they'll take work at every opportunity. Handlers are in it to win it today, but they've got an eye on tomorrow as well.
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By: gundogcentral
Posted: June 26, 2022

Article

Field Cocker Madness

The brace of pointers was stunning, and they were locked up on the edge of one of the thickest patches of greenbriar I'd ever seen. The tangle was so dense it resembled unfurled rolls of concertina wire. A little cocker named Rip didn't car.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: February 24, 2022

Article

The Conflict - By Tom Word

A lawyer fears a conflict of interest like a foot-plowing share cropper fears a kicking mule. And so fear grew in me after on impulse I recommended Sweetie to John Bassett as a grouse dog after his beloved Jill went to her reward. That reco.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: August 4, 2021

Article

Girls, Guns, and Gun Dogs!

Growing up in the south one gains an appreciation for late fall/early springtime bobwhite quail hunting behind a brace of pointers about as much as anything can be appreciated. The landscape here is dotted with private plantations, public s.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: April 12, 2021

Article

Puppy Introductions: Water, Game and Gunfire

Puppyhood plays an integral role in the future of your hunting dog. Introducing her to critical aspects of the hunt, including game, cover, water and especially gunfire, at critical ages and in a controlled manner to ensure a positive exper.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: March 26, 2021

Article

Field Trials Matter

Most scouts yawn when linemen run 40's, but not at the 2020 combine. Mekhi Becton, a 6-foot-7-inch, 364 pound offensive lineman out of Louisville ran a blistering 5.1. Heads didn't turn so much as they spun off of heads, for what current li.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: March 18, 2021

Article

Late Season Care for Gun Dogs

As opening weekend and memories of early fall rambles through our favorite covers begin to fade, winter settles in across the northern reaches, signaling the last call for many bird hunters. For many of us, hunting the last days of the late.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: January 25, 2021

Article

The Great Debate: Pointing or Flushing Dogs for Quail

My wife said I winced when we pulled up to the only game in town. It was an old motel of a vintage that reminded me of the Golden Era of travel by car. Over the years families probably over-nighted here while on their way to any one of a .. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: November 3, 2020

Article

Pups first year or so

Your hopes and dreams are wrapped up in that little ball of fur you just brought home. Training started the moment you gathered him up in your arms for the first time, and it never ends. It is a continuum of more and bigger distractions you.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: June 29, 2020

Article

Joe and Denny and Me -- and Lucky - by Tom Word

In the summer of 1973, when I was thirty-five and a striving Richmond lawyer, I got an amazing gift from a more striving life insurance salesman hoping for referrals from me, an introduction to his brother, Joe Prince, perhaps Virginia's mo.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: April 7, 2020

Article

Whatever you do, dont shoot the dog - By Tom Keer

I've never seen a bird dog get shot, but I hear of at least one instance per year. When the stories roll in I get sick to my stomach. They unfold in pretty much the same way. A group of folks review the pre-hunt safety talk. All have he.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: January 21, 2020

Article

Beware the Twins - By Tom Word

They were twins, and identical, at least every one said they were. Of course white folks would have said identical anyhow, they couldn't have distinguished between them if they were just cousins, let alone twin brothers. They could each rid.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: November 30, 2019

Article

Go Slow When Introducing a Dog to Gunfire

Sometimes hunters are so eager to develop their new pup into a hunting dog that they rush things. With some training exercises, if you make a mistake and try to teach something too fast, you can fix the resulting problems by going back and .. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: May 22, 2014

Article

Training Your Retriever for Double Duty

If you own a waterfowl dog, chances are that sooner or later you're going to ask it to perform upland duty. It might be a pheasant hunt as a sideline to your Dakota duck hunt, or maybe an afternoon of quail hunting after a morning goose hun.. more ..

By: gundogcentral
Posted: October 3, 2013