Hail and Farewell: 2024

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

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