Article Database
These page is loaded with Featured Articles
Looking for a Pointer?
Few breeds have earned the reputation of the Pointer. Known for their speed, style, and natural bird-finding ability, Pointers have been a favorite among upland hunters for generations. Whether you are chasing quail across southern plantations, hunting prairie birds in the Midwest, or simply looking for an athletic companion with strong sporting instincts, the Pointer remains one of the most respected bird dogs in the field.
English Pointer or Pointer?
If you spend much time around bird dog folks, you'll eventually hear the breed referred to by two different names. Some people call them Pointers, while others insist on English Pointers. For newcomers to the sporting dog world, that can be confusing. Are they the same breed? Is one term more correct than the other?
Spaniel Bird Dogs
When most hunters think of bird dogs, their minds jump straight to pointers, setters, or retrievers. Yet for generations, spaniels have quietly earned a reputation as some of the most versatile and enjoyable hunting companions in the field. Compact, energetic, and eager to please, spaniels bring a unique style of hunting that combines close-working efficiency with an enthusiasm that's hard to match.
Leather Gloves : A Tool for bird hunters
With a profound swoosh of wings, the covey flew down the tree line. Most veered off to the left, disappearing through the foliage. Others settled down, close to or just beyond a tangled mess of brush. The dogs quickly retrieved two quail that had been shot from the initial flush. We found where the birds had crossed over, even scaring up singles while pushing through a lattice framework from a bristly plum thicket. After emerging, we carefully climbed over a rusty barbwire fence, then carefully passed a briar patch of thorns before finding more bobwhite quail. If it were not for our leather hand coverings, navigating the things that tried to cut scratch, tear, and poke us, would’ve been painful and annoying.
Best hunting dog breeds for wetland hunting
Waterfowl hunting demands a special kind of dog — one that thrives in cold, muddy conditions, works calmly from a blind, and has the grit to plunge into icy water after a downed bird. Not every hunting breed is built for that challenge, but a select few have been bred for generations to master the wetlands. These dogs combine powerful swimming ability, a weatherproof coat, a soft mouth for careful retrieves, and an unshakable desire to work beside their handler through rain, sleet, and wind.
Best hunting dog breeds for upland hunting
There are several dog breeds that excel in upland hunting, and the best breed for you depends on your specific preferences and hunting style. Whether you’re flushing bobwhite quail in the piney woods of the Southeast, chasing sharp-tailed grouse across the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains, stalking ring-necked pheasants in the grain fields of the Midwest, pursuing chukar in the rocky terrain out West, or hunting ruffed grouse and woodcock in the dense young forests of the Great Lakes region, each breed is tailored to a different type of hunt. Finding the right one for your hunting situation can be key to success in the field.
A Broken Plate
After a long hiatus I have returned to a sport I loved for many years. As I turn my pups loose now and watch them sail across the south pasture, I reflect on the many turns in the road that placed me here.
The Smith Setter Celebration
It’s tough to beat the warm days and cool nights of Georgia in the Spring. The high heat and humidity, the kind that drives field trailers in droves to the Dakotas, the Rockies, or Canada, hasn’t yet hit. The sounds of songbirds float on the light-variable winds, while the thundering gobbles of Eastern wild turkeys echo through the fields and draws. Bird doggers hear them, but they’re really listening for the ‘poor Bob White’ whistle. Gentleman Bob has been an important part of life on the land off of Ben Hatcher Road for a long time.
Tall Timbers: Burning Down the House
I’ve heard of folks figuring out the price tag on costs to raise wild quail, but I don’t know of anyone who has kept track of the amount of time that goes into the breeding, training and developing of a championship gun dog. Both are significant. Take that dog number, multiply it by 55, and you’ll have one heck of a lot of hours all represented in the dogs that qualified to run across 28 braces in the February 2025 National Championship for Bird Dogs held at Ames Plantation. The first brace of this 126-year old Super Bowl caliber event commenced on February 10th . The final brace ran over two weeks later on February 27, and during that time weather conditions ranged from a soggy, below-freezing 22 degrees Fahrenheit day to a 75-degree Fahrenheit sweat lodge. If you don’t like the weather in Grand Junction then wait five minutes.
DRIFTER HYDRATION
No matter the environment wingshooters and the bird hounds that accompany them find themselves in, it is essential that both man and beast stay hydrated. Even more so as temperatures fluctuate and the sun beats down, both humans and dogs can be susceptible to dehydration in any kind of weather condition. A lack of drinkable water can have serious health consequences, so taking proactive measures to prevent thirst is something to take seriously. Having the ability for a constant source of H2O is detrimental in maintaining a safe, functional, and enjoyable bird hunt. It comes down to having enough water in a capable carrying system that is flexible in its configuration and use. The best way to do that is to procure it from a water source and have the ability to filter it easily for consumption and allow for refilling. Enter … Drifter Hydration.
Don’t Chicken Out Of Hunting Chickens
“Flump! Flump! Flump!” sent soundwaves tingling through my ears, followed by the crack
Meet Gen Next
Everyone loves puppies, but not everyone likes dogs. It’s unsurprising that the same holds true in the canine world. Many adult dogs don’t care that much for puppies, and some downright despise them. Making sure that the introduction is successful isn’t just important, it’s critical. That prevailing attitude means introductions to the new member of your string requires some thought and planning. After all, you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Booty Blevins and Marvin Means
It was 1946. The War was finally over, and Booty was back in Alabama after duty as a duce-and-a half driver and then infantryman at the Battle of the Bulge, mustering out as a corporal. Before the War, he had worked as a hand on Mr. Maytag's quail plantation at Union Springs. The washing machine maker had loved to shoot quail. Booty had helped Mr. George Hardin train his bird dogs and retrievers and the horses ridden by those involved in the hunts or pulling the hunt wagon.
C-C-C-Cold-Weather Canine Care
Our October and November waterfowl hunts weren’t anything to write about. Air temps north of us hovered between 70-and-82 degrees Fahrenheit, and with all of that open water those birds weren’t in a hurry to go anywhere. A bone-chilling cold snap rolled in just before Christmas, and it spanned half of the East Coast from Canada to Maryland. The season’s entire migration seemed to arrive all at once.
