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 shooting preserves, and small family farms that hold the elusive Gentleman-Bob…opportunities abound. In fact, I cut my gun dog teeth, as it were, training pointing breeds and stumbling around bottom lands I could access hunting quail. It would be some years before I switched my focus over to retrieving breeds entering the world of professional training and trial competition.
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They had been rivals since 1916, the year of the first Yankee Field Trial, that trial held every Presidents Day by the Georgia-Florida Field Trial Club and called by its members (all quail plantation owners) the Owner’s Trial. They were three adjoining quail plantations, owned by cousins now, once by siblings, children of the same Cleveland Robber Baron, a coal and iron ore man, fabulously wealthy, who owned them all and called it Heavenfield. Before that assembly, the ground had been owned by a dozen turpentiners and small-patch cotton farmers. They sold for $6 an acre in 1885 to a straw man for the coal and iron ore man.
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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 experience is important. It doesn’t matter if you’re training a pointer for the uplands, a retriever for the wetlands or hounds for small- or big-game, by keeping new experiences positive and slowly increasing the scope of that experience will guarantee your gundog loves all the aspects of her future job.
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Pointers are more adept at using their amazing nose to find birds & game. Once found, this breed will freeze, usually pointing the direction of game.
While most Retrieving breeds can be used to locate game, they excel at returning downed birds or wounded game to the hunter undamaged.
Flushing breeds are primarily close working dogs used to spring birds & game from cover.
In the past, hunters would carry several different breeds to the field with each serving a different role. There became a need for a dog capable of serving multiply roles in the field. The Versatile dogs are bred to find and point game, as well as track and retrieve on both land and water.
Scent hounds specialize in following a smell or scent. Most of these breeds have long, drooping ears. Most of these breeds have deep, booming voices and use them actively when running, and especially when following a scent trail.
