2024: Hail and Farewell

Jeff Hintz and Cooper (HOF CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2015)

In a nod to the CBS News “Sunday Morning” feature, Betsy and I want to honor two special people and nine dogs that passed away in 2024.

Jeff Hintz (1948 – 2024)
Though our mutual association with grouse trials, Jeff had been a friend since the 1990s. But in 2005, that friendship blossomed to another level when Jeff sold us a chunk of his land where we built our house and kennel. Every summer and fall, Jeff lived next door in his own unique home, Thunder Meadow. We saw him almost every day because he helped us train dogs. He also was one of our biggest supporters and advisors.

Jeff owned lots of dogs—many were pointers he got from us—over the years. He loved his dogs and bird hunting; few dogs worked wild birds more than his. Jeff also competed successfully in field trials for more than four decades. He was especially proud of CH JTH Izzie, a pointer that won off horseback and foot and was the MN/WI Derby of the Year. She pointed many species of upland birds and even retrieved ducks!

Jeff was our neighbor, friend and confidante. We miss him.

Steve Studer and CH Bear Hill Bob

Steve Studer (1945 – 2024)
Shortly after I bought my first setter in the late 1980s, I met Steve. He took me to my first big trial, the Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational Classic held in Gladwin, Mich., and we became good friends. We worked dogs together and hunted together. We traveled to Texas every Christmas to hunt and bring dogs for our friend, Roger Buddin, to train. Steve’s Bear Hill pointers were successful competitors in the woods and his pointer male, CH Bear Hill Bob, won the National Amateur Grouse Championship in the early 1990s. Steve was a long-time president of the Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc.

Steve was also an outstanding chef who was way ahead of his time in cooking ideas. His laugh was loud and infectious and he lifted up everyone around him. Steve was a big man with a big heart. We are grateful and feel fortunate for the years we spent with him.

“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.”
~ Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Two female setters and one male died far too young. Two female pointers and a male setter lived to ages of 13, 14 and 13 respectively. Three setter females from the same litter died this year at age 14. They had spent their entire lives together as their owners all hunted at the same grouse camp.

We will always remember.

Maquina (CH/RU-CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2021), age 3

Valencia (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carbon, 2017), age 7

2X RU-CH Northwoods Atlas, a.k.a. Jet (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017), age 7

Birdee Sue (CH Westfall’s Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer, 2011), age 13

Morris (CH Houston’s Blackjack x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2011), age 13

Ice (CH Westfall’s Black Ice x Black Bama, 2010), age 14

Rosie, Piper and Sage (Blue Riptide x Blue Ghost, 2010), age 14

 

Photo Album: Autumn 2024

Piper (CH/RU-CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2021) is owned by the Tom McPherson family of Pennsylvania.

Autumn is a hunter’s favorite season of the year. It’s also when Jerry and I hear from happy dog owners around the country. They head out with their dogs as often as they can—sometimes with friends and family and other times by themselves with just one dog. They hunt as long as they can—from early season when foliage is still lush until the snow falls.

Here are photos from some of those hunts. The locations vary from West Virginia and Pennsylvania, to the Lake States, Dakotas and mountains. The birds vary, too, including that most difficult of birds—the ruffed grouse—to woodcock, pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, chukars, and to perhaps the prettiest of them all, the Hungarian partridge.

What’s especially gratifying is that no matter how old the dogs are and even if their eyebrows are turning gray, they still love to hunt. The ages of dogs in the photos range from six months to 12 years of age.

Many thanks to our dog owners for sharing the photographs. They are arranged in chronological order of the whelp date—from the eldest to the youngest.

Tana (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis, 2012) is owned by the Brad Gudenkauf family of Minnesota.

Valencia (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carbon, 2017), on left, and Tasha (Blue Shaquille x Snyder’s Liz, 2012) are owned by Tim and Tia Esse of Minnesota.

Finn (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis, 2014) is owned by the Todd Wiedmann family of Minnesota.

Jenny (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Carbon, 2016) is owned by John and Jeri Cleverdon of Michigan.

Rae (Sunny Hill Sam x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016) is owned by the Gregg Knapp family of Wisconsin.

Luna (RU-CH Northwoods Nirvana x Northwoods Carbon, 2017), on left, and Pep (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2023) are owned by the Mike McCrary family of Michigan.

Oz (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carbon, 2017) is owned by the Ryan Gould family of Minnesota.

Earl (Northwoods Rolls Royce x Northwoods Valencia, 2020) is owned by Craig and Karen Purse of Wisconsin.

Rickey (HOF CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2021) is owned by the Jake Beveridge family of Minnesota.

Boone (CH Rufus Del Fuego x Northwoods Valencia, 2021) is owned by the Brady Miele family of Minnesota.

Char (Northwoods Louis Vuitton x Houston’s Dancing Queen, 2022) is owned by Stu McIntosh of Wisconsin.

Brego (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly, 2023) is owned by Amanda and Sam Ballengee of West Virginia.

Racer (CH Miller’s Upgraded Version x Northwoods Comet, 2024) is owned by Doug and Nicole White of Oregon.

Legends of Coverdog: Blue Streak

4X CH/4X RU-CH Blue Streak

At the banquet preceding the 82nd running of The Grand National Grouse Championship held in early November in the Eau Claire County Forest near Eau Claire, Wis., our 4X CH/4X RU-CH Blue Streak was named this year’s Legends of Coverdog.

Legends of Coverdog is a special award given by The Grand to dogs “that have had a profound impact on the sport of coverdog field trials.” Streak joins only six other bird dogs to earn this award. Jerry and I were shown a commemorative plaque that will be hung in the National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction, Tenn.

It was an evening we’ll never forget. We were, at once, honored, thrilled and humbled for Streak to have achieved such distinction.

Blue Streak (Spring Garden Tollway x Finder’s Keeper, 1995) was a setter female Jerry and I bred and owned her entire life. We called her Little because she was the smallest in her litter. But apart from her 36-lb. frame, everything else about her was big—her heart, her drive, her fire and her bird finding.

“She is independent, adaptable and has bottomless guts. What great qualities!”
~Craig Peters, reporter, 2001 Pennsylvania Grouse Championship

Streak’s 22-win career spanned 10 years. She was handled by Jerry and scouted by me. Her first derby placement was in 1996 and, as a 10½-year-old, her final field trial was the 2005 Grand National Grouse Championship where she was named Runner-up Champion.

“Her considerable effort, featuring a pair of good grouse finds added to by a woodcock find, stood up for the runner-up position despite the challenge of 80 other contenders.”
~Dave A. Fletcher and Ryan Frame, reporters, 2005 Grand National Grouse Championship

Streak’s breakout year was 2001. She was entered in six cover dog championships and placed in five: Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational (RU); Pennsylvania Grouse Championship (CH); Minnesota Grouse Championship (RU); Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship (CH); National Amateur Grouse Championship (RU).

Based on that “streak,” Streak won two prestigious awards in 2002:  the Michael Seminatore English Setter Award and the William Harnden Foster Award. In addition, she won the Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Shooting Dog of the Year award in 2002 and 2003.

“Streak finished this brace to the front and hauling the mail. It is seldom that I witness an hour I will never forget, but this will be one that is stamped in my memory. Fantastic!”
~Steve Studer, reporter, 2002 Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship

Although bred only twice, Streak left her mark by producing eight field trial winners including CH Bobby Blue and Blue Silk. Blue Silk won the 2001 Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Derby of the Year and produced winners CH I’m Blue Gert and CH Satin From Silk.

Of prime significance, Blue Silk’s sons, Blue Shaquille and Northwoods Blue Ox, are foundation sires for our setter breeding program. Through these grandsons, Blue Streak’s legacy continues in 5X CH/5X RU-CH Northwoods Charles, CH/RU-CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock, CH/RU-CH Northwoods Sir Gordon, RU-CH Northwoods Atlas, CH/RU-CH Northwoods Cedar, RU-CH Northwoods Nirvana and RU-CH Cody’s Sadie Bell.

“In her hour, Blue Streak showed us bird savvy, style, race, endurance and excellent manners.”
~Brett Edstrom, reporter, 1999 Region 19 Amateur Shooting Dog Championship

“She had two grouse finds, four woodcock and a back. Combined with a strong, forward easy handling race, it truly was a championship performance.”
~Rod Lein, reporter, 2001 Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship

 

A personal note from Jerry: Blue Streak challenged me more than any dog before or since. Her tremendous desire to hunt game—whether feathers or fur—along with her endless stamina would sometimes get the best of her. In the days before GPS tracking, this led to her spending a night or two alone in the woods! Streak gave me the highest highs and the lowest lows, but she also taught me important lessons. If you believe in your dog, forge a bond and put in the effort, you can go farther than you ever imagined. In fact, it can change your life.

From Betsy: From the beginning, Little was destined. I remember our first puppy walk with her. Instinctively, right out of the dog topper, Little was off. She charged into the woods, independent but hunting, and she didn’t want to stop. A lifetime of memories also come to mind but my final time with her was especially poignant. More than ten years later when Little had serious lung complications, I stayed up with her all night as she struggled to breathe. Her big heart simply would not quit.

 

Northwoods Birds Dogs    53370 Duxbury Road, Sandstone, Minnesota 55072
Jerry: 651-492-7312     |      Betsy: 651-769-3159     |           |      Directions
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