Article Database
These page is loaded with Featured Articles
Don’t Chicken Out Of Hunting Chickens
“Flump! Flump! Flump!” sent soundwaves tingling through my ears, followed by the crack
Filson’s Ridgeway Fleece Pullover
Filson has a knack for integrating history into everything they stitch together. They seem to be able to bring back to life or reinvent pieces of history in the form of garments to handle the tough struggles of outdoorsmen. Filson is synonymous with high quality and durable materials. Their clothing and gear are made to withstand the rigors of the wild outdoors and built to last a lifetime. Some Filson pieces almost possess an heirloom quality and status. Clothing is constructed for long-term use and the company relies on using materials that offers protection from the elements and environment for a wide range of activities. Putting on almost anything Filson, is like transforming oneself into a rugged folkloric Paul Bunyan type figure.
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.
Danner Sharptail Hunting Boot Review
This is my review of the Danner Sharptail 8” GORE-TEX hunting boots. The day I received these boots in the mail and opened the box, my wife walked into the room. She immediately saw the Danner box and started telling me, for the fifth time, about how she used to sell shoes at an outdoor adventure store in Nashville and how they sent her to some special class to learn about all about boots. I hadn’t even gotten the boots out of the box yet, and she’s telling me that Danner makes the best boots, bar none. I waited until she finished her story and left the room before taking the boots out of the boxes so I could form my own opinion. My first impression upon removing the boots from the box was how well built they looked and felt. The boots were sturdy and stiff like tiny little Sherman tanks for your feet.
Don’t Lose Your Birds
Almost every bird hunter has experienced the desperate disappointment of losing a downed bird. We all have had to walk away. It is not a good feeling when a bird is lost. Whether using dogs or not, knowing that a bird has been shot and the feeling of being unable to locate it is unnerving.
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.
Read Your Dog
Just because a gun dog can’t speak doesn’t mean he’s not saying anything. Reading the dogs’ body language is key for elevating performance levels, so here are some things pro trainers look for when they cut loose their string.
Tick Check
When it comes to ticks, the only thing you need to know is that they should be avoided at all costs. Nothing good comes from an association with a tick. They’ll latch on to you, your dog, your wife and kids, your horses, and anything else they can sink their grubby meat hooks into. Diseased ticks can leave you sick for the rest of your life.
DOVES: From the Field, to Cleaning, to Eating
It’s that time of the year when we find ourselves gathered with family, friends, and strangers positioned around a cut grain or sunflower field waiting for those September gray birds to come screaming in. Dogs will sit idly by, panting as they await anxiously for doves to be interrupted in midflight with shot. As the first flight comes in, a barrage of gunfire will thunderously erupt, signaling that hunting season has arrived. Dove hunters will instantly feel the excitement by the heat of expended shotshells, yells from strangers saying “Comin’ at ya!”, and the sweat running down backs and necks as sun rays pour from the blue sky as summer still holds on tightly.
Building the Foundation at Any Age
Most of us know that the best training comes from starting early in a dog’s life. Getting that young pup chasing tennis balls down the hallway is the best way to get that future Master Hunter started on the retrieving journey. But what do we do if the dog we get is a little older, two or three years old, and other than “sit” and playing fetch in the backyard, they have no formal retrieving skills? They are solid with those very basic things, but with no formal training.
Lt. Colonel Robert Milner, Jr., Rest in Peace
On July 14, 2024, the retriever world lost a titan with the passing of Lt. Col. Robert Milner, Jr., USAF, Ret.. Milner’s final battle was fighting amyloidosis, a rare liver disease. He was 79 years old.
Holes and Rules
"Every dog has got a hole, and his handler has to hide it," was a truism in the world of bird dog field trials.
Properly Command Your Sporting Dog
Chatter and over-commanding are two common issues between some handlers and their dogs. For some reason, nonstop talking gives some handlers a sense that they’re in control of the dog. They believe the constant communication improves the dog’s situational performance, and that somehow the chatter motivates pups to cast better or to remain more staunchly on point. But most of those commands fall on deaf ears as the dog tunes out its owner. And when it comes to bird dogs, tuning out an owner is never a good idea.
4 Ways to Stimulate Your Puppy’s Mind
A puppy’s brain and nervous system develops rapidly, much faster than their bodies. Sporting breed puppies have a lot to learn, so here are 4 ways to help stimulate their active minds.
Turkey Stand
It was four in the morning, and still dark outside when Charlie woke his son Avery. They had to get going early for the hunting trip. Charlie didn't make a big breakfast. He just boiled some eggs for the road. Boiled eggs worked well sitting by a tree all day. He would also take along canned Vienna sausages - the tiny meat logs crowded into a gelatinous ooze that Avery loved.
