Nick Larson, on left, of Project Upland, interviews Jerry in the kennel office for Nick’s podcast.
On a recent summer morning, Nick Larson of Project Upland visited the kennel. Although he brought his six-year-old setter Hartley (Northwoods Grits x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2014) for a nice run in the pasture, his main purpose was to interview Jerry for the Project Upland podcast.
Besides lots of talk about bird dogs and grouse hunting, specific topics include how we raise puppies and what a new buyer should do during the puppy’s important first season.
Northwoods Madison (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) and Jerry. Photo by Ben McKean.
At the age of one, Northwoods Madison (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) is precocious—and not only in desire and focus but in stamina. From the moment she’s released at the breakaway, Madison has one thing on her mind. Birds. During this morning’s session, she finds and points four coveys.
The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day. When the sun is out and the wind is still, You’re one month on in the middle of May. But if you so much as dare to speak, A cloud comes over the sunlit arch, A wind comes off a frozen peak, And you’re two months back in the middle of March.
~ Robert Frost
Northwoods Geneva (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) on a sunny afternoon in the woods.
Evening meal of sharp-tailed grouse from last fall.
The first place win for Northwoods Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Chocie, 2013) garnered lots of hardware for Jerry and Royce’s owner, Bob Senkler.
After the close of the Florida bobwhite quail hunting season, the Georgia-Florida Field Trial Club gathers for its annual trial. This year, the trial was held March 7 on the Aucilla Plantation near Thomasville, Ga.
The club is comprised of dog trainers, handlers and scouts, many of whom work for the 100+ private plantations in southwestern Georgia and northern Florida. The trial is open only for dogs used on plantation hunts.
The 2020 Georgia-Florida Hunting Dog Invitational Field Trial attracts a big gallery to watch the 24 dogs in competition. Photo by Hope Doolittle.
Three placements are awarded. Winners must be steady to wing and shot but otherwise are no different than the kind of dog our foot-hunting clients would love to own.
Pointers are the dominant dog—by far—used on plantations. This year, only two of the 24 dogs entered were English setters. Jerry, of course, ran a setter. He chose Northwoods Rolls Royce, a handsome seven-year-old, tricolor son out of a favorite nick of ours, Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice. Royce is well conformed and even tempered and he always finds birds—lots of birds. Royce is owned by Bob Senkler of Florida.
Jerry flushes on one of Royce’s four covey finds. Photo by Hope Doolittle.
Royce ran in the first brace after lunch, not a coveted draw anytime but especially in a wild bird trial. He was outstanding! He pointed four coveys with perfect style and manners, handled like a dream and always showed to the front.
Congratulations to Royce and Bob!
Jerry and Royce, on left, pose with the second and third place dogs, their handlers, the judges and some members of the Georgia-Florida Field Trial Club. Photo by Hope Doolittle.
“What do you want this dog for?” I was asked austerely… “I want him,” I answered, “to be my friend.”
~ One Brown Dog, by Dorothy Margaret Stuart
Here’s a last-minute gift idea for that hard-to-buy-for dog lover. On Dogs: An Anthology is a small, lovely book with simple, charming graphics and very nice black-and-white dog portraits.
“There is a profound connection between humankind and dogs that has existed for thousands of years. What began as a mutually beneficial hunting partnership has developed into a deeper emotional attachment.”
~ Tracey Ullman
That blurb is from the introduction by Tracey Ullman. It perfectly sets the stage for the thoughtful, heart-warming, sometimes humorous writing by authors as luminary and disparate as William Shakespeare, Alexander Dumas, Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, Vita Sackville-West, John Steinbeck, Jack London, Alice Walker, A. A. Gill, James Thurber and David Sedaris.
“To get through to a dog’s mind…You need hands that on touching the dog send messages of love and sympathy to its brain. You need eyes that tell the dog who watches them what you are feeling…you need telepathy so that the dog thinks with you.”
~ Barbara Woodhouse
“…and she’s watching me…What she’s doing is learning me. She’s reading me like a book. The truth is, I’m the Fool to her Lear.”
~ A. A. Gill
“Dogs are the leaders of the planet. If you see two life forms, one of them’s making a poop, the other one’s carrying it for him, who would you assume is in charge?”
~ Jerry Seinfeld
Northwoods Minerva (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017), in front, and Northwoods Aphrodite (RU-CH Three Leaf Shamrock x Southern Grace, 2018).
Recognize these tricolor setters?
That’s Northwoods Minerva and Northwoods Aphrodite on the cover of the newest catalog from Kevin’s, Fine Outdoor Gear and Apparel. The blurb on the inside page states: “Great wild bird dogs can handle both our beloved Bobwhites and the king of the north woods, the Ruffed Grouse.”
Chris Mathan shot the photograph last spring at Pinehaven Plantation in Monticello, Fla. Chris, of Chris Mathan Sporting Dogs, is an excellent outdoor photographer and graphic designer and also a long-time business associate and friend. She lives in Pavo, Ga., and is in high demand to photograph the myriad bird dog hunting and field trial gatherings in the area.
Kevin’s is an institution in this plantation-rich region of south Georgia/north Florida. Kevin Kelly and his wife, Kathleen, run a business that includes the catalog and stores in Thomasville and Tallahassee. The Thomasville location on Broad Street couldn’t be more charming. Complete with a high ceiling, squeaky wooden floor, gorgeous antique display cases and top-quality merchandise piled in every nook and cranny, the shop is always bustling.
Jerry and I own Minerva (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017). She inherited wonderful traits from her sire and dam, including her spectacular posture on point. She is part of the grouse and quail guiding string and has whelped two fine litters.
Aphrodite (RU-CH Three Leaf Shamrock x Southern Grace, 2018; Shamrock is out of Northwoods Chardonnay by CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock) now hunts quail for John Downing on Long Brow Plantation in Green Pond, S.C.
CH I’m Blue Gert (I’m Houston’s Image x Blue Silk, 2006)
Jerry and I mourn the loss of two great bird dogs in the Northwoods family.
Blue Riptide (Blue Chief x Blue Blossom, 2006) was owned by the Rodney and Monica Klimek family of Osakis, Minn. Rip was beloved by Rodney and his sons as they hunted the fields of western Minnesota.
CH I’m Blue Gert (I’m Houston’s Image x Blue Silk, 2006) was owned by Dave and Rochel Moore of Big Lake, Minn. Gert was a 2X CH/2X RU-CH grouse champion.
Blue Riptide (Blue Chief x Blue Blossom, 2006)
Both dogs made distinguished contributions to our breeding program. Riptide produced 19 wonderful puppies by three different dams: Blue Ghost in 2010; Northwoods Carly Simon in 2014; and Northwoods Chablis in 2017. Gert was bred to Northwoods Grits in 2014 and produced three outstanding females. She had previously been bred to CH Tom Jones which produced a two-time grouse champion.
RIP Handsome Rip. RIP Dirty Gert. We will always remember.
Northwoods Hartley (Northwoods Grits x Houston’s Belle’s Choice,, 2014), owned by Nick Larson.
“Owning my first bird dog forever changed the pursuit of upland birds for me. Hartley has inspired me to become a better hunter, a better shooter and a better dog trainer.”
~ Nick Larson, Project Upland
I recently read a wonderful magazine piece written by a client of ours, Nick Larson. He brought a unique perspective to owning a bird dog.
Jerry and I first met Nick Larson in the fall of 2013. He and his wife, Lacey MacLean, were living in the Twin Cities but had plans to move to Duluth, Minn. Even though Nick had never owned a bird dog, we thought he would be a perfect fit for one of our dogs. He was a passionate hunter and enthusiastic to learn. The couple was sharp, friendly, warm and clearly loved dogs.
Nick and Lacey gave us a deposit and about 10 months later, they picked up their eight-week-old puppy, a tri-color male setter out of Northwoods Grits x Houston’s Belle’s Choice. They named him Hartley after the Duluth city park near their new home.
Nick’s article, along with several stunning photos of Hartley, appears in the Fall 2019 issue of Project Upland, a new magazine which is part of a wider offering including podcast, film, newsletter and more. (projectupland.com).
Here are excerpts.
“When you have a bird dog and you love watching him or her work, the possibilities of exploring new covers, encountering new birds and making new friends are all exciting. Without the dog in my life, I’d likely still be walking the same old two-tracks chasing the same old birds in the same old covers. Instead, my eyes have opened and my breadth of experience broadened, thanks to my four-legged friend.”
“…the drive to go deeper and deeper while taking the passion further than I ever thought possible has resulted in countless connections while opening some very unique doors along the way.”
“My evolution as an upland bird hunter has been a direct result of Hartley’s development into an experienced bird dog. From the guns and gear to my own knowledge and skillset, everything looks different today than it did before Hartley, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“Hartley has changed my hunting, my family and my life forever.”
Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016), owned by Ben McKean, Minnesota.
To everything – turn, turn, turn There is a season – turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose, under heaven ~Written by Pete Seger
Training at Northwoods Bird Dogs falls into distinct seasons. June and July are pigeon months when Jerry and Jeff Hintz, our friend, neighbor and training helper, work with young dogs. Using pigeons in bird bags and in electronically controlled release traps, they control and tailor training situations to match the individual needs of each dog.
Late July and early August heralds a transition to bobwhite quail. Jerry buys them as young birds, divides them into groups and places them in four, strategically spaced Johnny houses. He then develops the birds into wild-acting coveys which are perfect for training puppies.
Northwoods Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2013), on left, and Northwoods Lyon (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Minerva, 2018), both owned by Bob Senkler, Florida.
The final focus is on wild birds. And for Jerry, that is the lure, too. There simply is no substitute for training on wild birds. Even though the work is more laborious and more strenuous, time devoted to wild bird training is crucial.
Northwoods Minerva (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016), on left, and Northwoods Valencia (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carbon, 2017).
Before the grand finale of work on ruffed grouse and woodcock, Jerry heads to western Wisconsin where unique grounds offer sharp-tailed grouse. He arises early to load the dog trailer with veterans and young dogs alike and gets to his first spot before the sun clears the horizon.
There’s almost always heavy dew. There can be fog and it usually warms up quickly. But the landscape is beautiful, the sunrises are breathtaking and the wild bird work is extremely gratifying.
Northwoods Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2013), owned by Bob Senkler, Florida.
Northwoods Istanbul (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018), on left, and Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016), owned by Ben McKean, Minnesota.
Northwoods Big Bang (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, whelped Feb. 6, 2019)
Hands down, my favorite job responsibility at Northwoods Bird Dogs is the whelping and raising of puppies. Jerry’s favorite is their development.
Besides obvious distinctions such as color and gender, it’s hard to tell much difference in personality, conformation, mature size, instinct or talent when our puppies are younger than about 12 weeks of age. By about four months though, when Jerry begins their formal training in earnest, we begin to notice individual traits.
Puppies from our four Big Bang* (explained below) litters are now five and seven months of age and Jerry and I are really excited. They represent the very best of our setter lines and our single outstanding pointer line.
Our 2019 puppies are:
Northwoods Cosmic Ray (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, whelped Dec. 4, 2018) Northwoods Comet (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, Dec. 18, 2018) Northwoods Atom, Northwoods Big Bang, Northwoods Super Nova (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, whelped Feb. 6, 2019) Northwoods Cosmos, Northwoods Stardust (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, whelped Feb. 7, 2019)
* Almost as much fun as whelping and developing all these puppies is naming them. The thing began, innocently enough, with our first pointer CH Dance Smartly. Her call name was Dancer—and it perfectly suited her. She was strong and graceful, poised and confident. Dancer’s first litter by CH Brooks Elhew Ranger in 1997 produced a handsome liver-and-white male that Jerry and I named Dasher, continuing the reindeer theme. Next came Prancer, Vixen, Blitzen and, our newest, Comet.
Northwoods Comet (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, Dec. 18, 2018)
Comet, fortunately for us, coincides with this year’s naming theme. Due to our joint fascination with astrophysics and the hit tv show, we decided on Big Bang for 2019.
Our first setter theme was in 2004 when we honored NBA Los Angeles Lakers players Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. (We had rooted for The Lakers for many years, although latter teams could never touch the alchemy and power of the Magic Johnson/James Worthy/Kareen Abdul-Jabbar era.) Other good years include Beer and Wine, Luxury Designers, Gods and Goddesses, Cheese, Cocktails, Geology and elements of the Periodic Table.
Northwoods Cosmic Ray (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, whelped Dec. 4, 2018)
