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The Curmudgeons’ Christmas
Ben and Sam had rituals at Christmas time. They centered on friends less well-to-do than they.
More Than Just Retrievers
As an avid duck hunter growing up in central Arkansas, it is a given that most of the outings in the duck waters would be accompanied by a retriever, most often a lab. Labs and ducks go hand in hand. In Arkansas, practically all duck hunters have labs, plus they fill the role of family dogs in an endless number of non-hunting homes. Labs are loyal, loving, and obedient; something that makes for a great duck dog as well as a family dog.
`Upland` Chaps
The snow had begun to accumulate. Measuring just high enough that each boot step would certainly put me into almost ten inches of the white stuff. The landscape was wet with freshly fallen snow. Its weight had pushed down all the dried, tan switchgrass that fall and winter brings. I opened the back half of the truck’s cab to get to my gear bag. I unzipped the main compartment and pulled out matching tan chaps. They were quickly put on over my pants and secured. An hour into my hunt, I quickly found the chaps sole purpose that day was to keep me dry. I had pushed though snow-laden grass, flushing roosters who had taken to burrowing themselves in small openings to get out of the weather. If I had not worn chaps, I would’ve been one wet and cold bird hunter.
How to remove Cockleburs from your hunting dogs coat
I have two Field bred Cocker Spaniels, aka Cocklerbur Spaniels, magnets for all things like cockleburs to get mired in their little wisp of hair. As sure as the sun rises, my dogs will be covered in hundreds of these annoying prickly little burs within minutes of being turned loose in the Field. I’m sure it’s no different for any other long-haired breed like English and Irish Setters, Brittany and Springer Spaniels. What I’ve put together here isn’t meant to be a comprehensive guide on how to remove Cockleburs, this is just the method that I use. If you’d like to share your own method, please do so in the comments below.
Tails We Could Wag
“It's not much of a tail but I’m attached to it,” said Eeyore, the donkey made famous by Winnie the Pooh. When it comes to tails, some hunters require them on their dogs while others do not. But regardless of your breed of choice, did you ever wonder why some tails are bobbed while others are not?
Outwitting Pheasants
Late-season roosters are neurotic in trying to stay alive. Throughout the winter months those ring-neck roosters that have been successful in avoiding ending up in the game bag and then on to a plate with vegetables and potatoes have evolved into hardy and experienced birds. Worthy field opponents. They have become field masters at out-witting orange vested bird hunters and their dogs. The upland chess board is made up in their favor. With an array of habitat and varying landscape, including every imaginable type of cover a pheasant will use to escape – it’s no wonder that hunters need to employ military style tactics to be on the same upland battlefield as a ring-neck pheasant.
How to sell dogs during a recession
There is a lot of debate in the media right now about whether we're headed for a recession or already in one. The Feds talk about making a soft landing with the economy, but I keep seeing the stock market dropping and the interest rates rising. There might be some tough days ahead, or there might not be, but it never hurts to be prepared. Selling dogs is tough, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it, it's even harder in a recession. During a recession, you may face some challenges placing your dogs. This article offers sure-fire tips to stack the deck in your favor should the economy take a turn for the worse.
Overcoming In-Season Obstacles with Your Duck Dog
You’ve waited to hit your honey-hole spot for the perfect day. You know that you’re hitting the migration just right, and if you’ve played your cards correctly, you’ll be limited out by early morning.
NOT ALL SINNERS GO TO HELL
Harry was a close and cherished member of the Winterhawk Bird Dog Club. He ran dogs throughout the walking circuit in the 80’s, and was particularly known for running his favorite, Harry’s Gentle Ben. I’m pretty sure he got Ben as a pup from Delmar Smith, and Ben won in the best of competition. Winterhawk Bird Dog Club had some stout competition in those days, accounting for many championships at all levels of the field trial sport. On hunting trips Harry and Ben held their own too, and then some. This may all sound ho-hum until you know Ben was a Brittany Spaniel. Big, stout, and leggy, he’d run and hunt with the best of the pointers and setters back then.
Zen and Sharing Space With Bears and Snakes
While planning a trip to Montana a friend asked me if the possibility of running into a bear or snake was “over hyped or a real concern?” After some thought, my answer “both” wasn’t very helpful in easing his mind. But it is true - while the odds of an encounter go up exponentially in the country either dreaded species inhabits. The sheer volume of hunters, fishers, and hikers flooding the space makes the odds of you actually being the one who gets bitten or mauled impossibly low. Put another way, you have to play the lotto to win, but when was the last time you won the jackpot? That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared, but common sense often goes out the window when we head west with our fears in tow.
An End and a Beginning
The economics of the business had always been fragile. For-the-public trainer-handlers
WHAT TO WEAR? THAT IS THE QUESTION.
What do I wear for bird hunting? Is a valid and common question asked by new bird hunters. The answers they receive will be on both sides of the spectrum. From the very basic to high-tech. Comfort and protection are paramount when hunting the uplands, as they can be versatile in every aspect of the hunt. There’s a style to the upland ruggedness we hunt. What bird hunters wear must allow them to walk comfortably and if need be, crash through heavy and unruly thickets, brambles, thick cover, as well as up and over rough terrain in mild to extreme conditions. Wear what makes you comfortable and what you can afford, while still maintaining breathability, warmth, dryness, and durability. These attributes make for upland field excursions more enjoyable when not thinking about whether the clothes on your back will function, so focus can be to putting birds in your bird vest.
Overcoming In-Season Obstacles with Your Bird Dog
Between dangers in the field and training-related issues while hunting, how do you handle and prepare for obstacles that may arise this season?
The Versatile Beagle
There is a lot of emphasis on versatile hunting dogs in recent years, and guys like me have been running them for decades. What am I talking about? Why, the ever-popular beagle is what I am thinking has been the versatile hunting dog par excellence for centuries. Growing up in the Northern Appalachian Mountains, specifically in the Alleghenies, there were lots of hunters who kept a beagle or two for rabbit hunting. Beagles are hounds, with a powerful nose, and a strong urge to pursue game. Typically, the biggest problem faced by owners of beagles is ensuring that they do not chase off game—deer being the most tempting and problematic off game species. A cottontail rabbit might run in a circle a few hundred yards in diameter. A deer chase might take a pack of beagles so far away that you no longer hear them baying, and it ruins a day afield. Experienced houndsmen do not venture afield for a hunt with a beagle that will run off game.
HUNT DOVES ALL DAY
There had been no birds for at least an hour. The last dove that flew by was met with a string of pellets. The dove lay next to five others on an old heavy, weathered canvas bag that saw double-duty in the duck blind. I looked up at my father, and he was gazing into the blue sky. He must’ve sensed me staring at him, because he turned to me with a smile and said in Spanish, “Let’s stay the whole day out here.” I nodded in agreement and gathered up two frijoles negros sandwiches for us to eat. We sat and talked and continued watching for doves that never came. I was happy to spend all day with my father and not see a thing.
