Houston’s Belle’s Choice: January 2005 – December 2018
Houston’s Belle’s Choice (Gusty Blue x CH Houston’s Belle, 2005)
On the day after Christmas, Betsy and I received a heartbreaking message from Marc Austof that Jill had died. She lived happily and sprightly through Christmas but suddenly her health failed. Marc, his wife Melissa and their four children made the sad but merciful decision.
Marc Austof took Jill out for the first hunt of the 2016 season.
First hunt of the season. Man, I love this dog!
~ Marc Austof, September 2016
Jill was whelped January 16, 2005, in a co-breeding arrangement with Paul Hauge. Betsy and I were novices—it was only our seventh setter litter and the last at our home in Forest Lake, Minn. Parents were female Houston’s Belle, Paul’s soon-to-be multiple grouse champion, and Gusty Blue, owned by Bob Saari. I liked Gusty after watching him frequently at our prairie camp. He showed the gait, boldness and bird savvy we look for in a breeding dog. Besides, Gusty reminded us of his grandsire, our grouse champion Blue Smoke.
We sold most of the puppies but Paul chose two. One was a black-and-white female and the other was an evenly masked tricolor female that Paul named, suitably, Houston’s Belle’s Choice.
JILL AS A YOUNG DOG
Paul was interested in campaigning Jill on the grouse field trial circuit and so we tailored her development. She spent her first summer at our North Dakota prairie camp where I worked her on sharp-tailed grouse and pheasants. Paul then hunted her in Wisconsin and North Dakota and, in early winter, I took her south for training on our quail lease near Childress, Tex.
Jill was a beautiful dog, lofty in motion and with a strong, ground-eating gait. Luckily, she wanted to please and always handled. Jill was a natural at finding birds and was bold and confident on her game. She was steady-to-wing-and-shot as a fall derby and naturally backed. In short, she was a talented prospect for field trials.
JILL IN COMPETITION
As a puppy and derby, Jill was recognized in the most prestigious grouse trials in the country. In spring 2006, she placed fourth in the Grand National Grouse Puppy Classic held in Marienville, Penn., and second in the Minnesota Grouse Dog Association Open Puppy Stake. She was named one of three reserve dogs at the Grand National Grouse Futurity held in Marienville that fall.
As a derby, Jill won first in a quail shooting dog stake. After her derby season, Jill was campaigned sparingly.
During a training session in April 2012, the veteran Jill worked and pinned a grouse deep in an ash swamp.
JILL AS AN ADULT
Jill matured into an exceptional adult in all ways important to a bird dog and companion. She was long-legged, big-strided and weighed a solid 42 lbs. She was a focused bird finder and adept at pinning running grouse. Her range could vary from close to big but she was always in search of birds. In addition to ruffed grouse, woodcock and sharptails, she traveled with Betsy and me wherever we went in winter—whether Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Georgia—and she handled each situation, location and bird with ease.
Jill inherited long ears from her sire Gusty which she often passed on to her progeny. We always found the trait endearing but a friend always kidded us: “Jill can put a set of ears on her pups!”
Besides her calm and affectionate disposition, Jill had another distinct trait. When she was especially enjoying being stroked, she made a purring sound that seemed to be coming from her adenoids.
Bob Senkler owned both Jill and her grandson Grits. Those two veterans were a good brace in the grouse woods.
Bob Senkler, a serious, passionate grouse and woodcock hunter, became her owner in 2010. Bob commented: “Jill gave me some of the best grouse hunts I ever had.” That is very high praise from someone like Bob who has had more “once-in-a-lifetime grouse dogs” than anyone I know.
JILL AS A PRODUCER
Betsy and I bred Jill five times—three to Blue Shaquille and one each to Northwoods Blue Ox and Northwoods Grits. Puppies were sent all over the country. All were hunted and many were also campaigned. Jill’s production record from the American Field Stud Dog Book shows 12 winners with a total of 29 wins.
The pairing with Shaq was one of our best nicks and produced outstanding bird dogs. Three females—Chardonnay, Chablis and Carly Simon—became proven dams on their own and formed the foundation of our sixth generation of setters.
Jill was bred five times–three of those were by Blue Shaquille, our best-ever grouse dog. This litter of six in 2013 includes some famous dogs: Royce (Bob Senkler), Duke (Tom Dosen-Windorski), Creek (Randy Ott) and Mac (Dale Robinson). I built this shelf above the whelping nest so Jill could get some respite from her puppies.
In addition, Chardonnay (owned by Betsy and me) won the 2011 MN/WI Cover Dog Derby of the Year award while Chablis (Bob Senkler), Northwoods Lager (Jim Bires), Northwoods Troy McClure (Dale Robinson), Northwoods Creek (Randy Ott) Northwoods Rolls Royce (Bob Senkler) and Carly Simon (owned by Betsy and me) all earned placements on grouse and woodcock.
Her litter by Northwood Blue Ox produced stellar grouse dogs whether used in competition, guiding or hunting. Northwoods Highclass Kate (Barry Frieler) won the 2012 MN/WI Cover Dog Derby of the Year award and Northwoods Parmigiano (Paul Hauge) won woods derby placements and horseback stakes. professional grouse guides: Northwoods Camembert (Bill Heig) and Northwoods Brie (Scott Berry) are keys to professional guiding operations. Northwoods Ahniwake Grace (Sam Gary Jr.) has been one of our best Georgia quail dogs and Northwoods Roquefort (Grant Murray) is hunted hard on grouse every fall.
Jill’s last litter by Northwoods Grits produced grouse derby winner Northwoods Lady Got Rocks (Joe Byers). Northwoods Hartley (Nick Larson) gets many hours in the woods and Northwoods Elmer (Luke Olson) is part of the passionate New Wood grouse camp.
Finally, as a testament to her ability to pass on her excellent qualities, all setters in our kennel have her name in their pedigrees, down now to the seventh generation of great grandsons and daughters.
Marc Austof’s son proudly shows off his woodcock while hugging Jill, his hunting partner.
JILL IN RETIREMENT
Since 2014, Jill lived a pampered and privileged life with Austof family of Traverse City, Mich. There she quickly became the queen of the house, slept in her favorite chair and played with the four Austof children.
Marc is a serious grouse and woodcock hunter, though, and every autumn Marc and Jill headed to the woods where both benefited. Marc capitalized on her extensive hunting experience and Jill had ample opportunities, right up to the end. She pointed grouse, woodcock and pheasant within a couple months of her passing.
Great grouse dog, field trial winner, producer, companion. Jill had it all. RIP, sweet Jill.
Thanks for all those precious hunts, memories and everything you taught me. It has been an honor and privilege to carry a gun behind you. You will be missed.
~ Marc Austof, December 2018