A quintessential sight on a wild bobwhite quail plantation. Northwoods Minerva (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017) points into a chopper block under towering longleaf pines.
It’s hard for us to believe but this is the eighth winter Betsy and I have lived and worked in southwestern Georgia. The adage is correct. Time flies.
The reason we’re here is simple—bobwhite quail. This Red Hills region is unique. There are about 300,000 mostly contiguous acres managed by about 100 private plantations devoted to bobwhite quail.
We’re fortunate to train on one of the finest of these plantations near Monticello, Fla. The manager and his crew work year-round to maintain high quality habitat that consistently produces an abundance of wild quail.
Each morning, I load up the day’s dogs and my horse (this Tennessee Walker is named Snort) into the trailer and head out onto the plantation. I park in a central spot and work several braces from there. Northwoods Valencia (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carbon, 2018), on left, and Northwoods Minerva (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017) are whoa-ed at the breakaway and awaiting my whistle to be released.
I spend the majority of my days out on the plantation, working from horseback and training dogs in braces. When a dog points and a covey of 12, 16, or more flushes within a few feet of the dog and me, the rush is intense and incredible. And I never, ever tire of it.
I also condition derbies and adult dogs. This involves attaching heavy-duty iron bars to my four-wheeler and hooking up the dogs in pairs to each bar. The dogs love it.
Northwoods Vixen (CH Westfall’s Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer, 2011) and her daughter Northwoods Audi (CH Elhew G Force x Northwoods Vixen, 2013) are cool, calm and ready for roading.
In addition, I use homing pigeons brought from our coop in Minnesota to teach steadiness to young dogs.
Steadiness training is started when young dogs show an inclination to not move when pointing. I use an ecollar on the belly so the stimulation is different from other training. Houston’s Audrey is a quick learner.
One spring, Betsy and I attended a Ruffed Grouse Society banquet in Superior, Wisc. We had a good time visiting with friends and participating in the fund-raising efforts. Unusual for me, I bought a raffle ticket for a shotgun. With the purchase of that single ticket, it was possible that I could win but not very probable. If I’d bought more tickets, the probability of winning would have increased.
That notion is similar to breeding dogs.
Photo by Chris Mathan
Random matings that don’t take into account hereditary characteristics, called genotype, and observable characteristics, called phenotypes, can produce an outstanding puppy. It is possible. Is it probable? Not very. Could that breeding produce an entire litter of outstanding puppies? Still possible but even less probable.
Let’s move the odds from possible toward probable. What if the two dogs that are bred are similar in phenotype and genotype and both are physically robust, mentally sound, naturally talented, easy-to-train dogs? Now probability improves.
What if those two dogs came from litters where each puppy was physically robust, mentally sound, naturally talented and easy-to-train? Probability increases further.
Photo by Chris Mathan
Finally, what if those two dogs and their siblings, and all of their grandparents and great grandparents and their siblings, were physically robust, mentally sound, naturally talented, easy-to-train dogs? Now, it’s entirely probable that all puppies in the litter will be physically robust, mentally sound, naturally talented, easy-to-train dogs.
And that’s just what a good, solid, long-term breeding program tries to do. Knowledge, experience, hard work, expense and patience are crucial. A truly consistent breeding program requires many years and perhaps even decades.
Is it worth it to you? Is finding a breeder with those qualifications worth it to you? That depends how badly you want to win the raffle.
Reuel Pietz Derby Classic winners. From left: Steve Snyder with his dog; Dave Moore with The Highway (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2018), Jeff Forsberg with Northwoods Setter Tech Ringo (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018).
Fall is the season when our clients are usually busy hunting their dogs. Some, though, were competing in—and winning—field trials around the country.
In late September, the North Country Shooting Dog Championship was run on native sharp-tailed grouse at the Namekagon Barrens near Danbury, Wisc. Two litter brothers won the top placements at the accompanying Open Derby stake. Northwoods Istanbul (Bull) ran a smooth, forward race with an adept relocation on a running grouse to earn first. Northwoods Setter Tech Ringo pointed a big covey to claim second. Both had excellent manners and were steady to wing and shot. I handled Bull and owner Jeff Forsberg handled Ringo. They are out of Northwoods Nickel by CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock.
Northwoods Istanbul (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018)
That placement started a roll for Jeff and Ringo. In early October, Ringo placed second in the companion open derby stake to the Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship held near Stanley, Wisc. A week later at the Minnesota Grouse Dog Association fall trials outside Mora, Minn, Ringo won the Reuel Pietz Derby Classic with a pointed woodcock, again displaying steady to wing and shot manners.
Second place in that same Reuel Pietz Derby Classic was another setter male, The Highway. Owned and handled by Dave Moore, Highway is out of RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus and Northwoods Carly Simon, one of our most consistent crosses.
Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013)
In the piney woods of Alabama, Northwoods Charles placed third in the Conecuh Station Field Trial Club Amateur Shooting Dog stake for his owner and handler Bill Owen. Charles also placed third in the Burnt Branch Amateur Shooting Dog stake. Charles and Bill are well traveled. They’ve competed and placed in field trials in Saskatchewan, several western states, Alabama and Georgia. Charles is out of Northwoods Chardonnay by CH Ridge Creek Cody.
In other parts of the country, a setter and pointer—both with grandparents that were bred by us—placed in futurity stakes. Erin’s Big Casino won fourth place in both the National Shooting Dog Futurity held near Bloomingdale, Ohio, and in the New England Futurity held near Windsor, Conn. Casino’s sire, CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock, the same sire as Bull and Ringo. Shamrock’s sire is CH Ridge Creek Cody who was co-bred by Paul Hauge and Betsy and me.
Casino’s dam, Three Stripes Livewire, is by RU-CH Northwoods Nirvana. Nirvana is from the heart of our breeding program. His dam was Northwoods Chardonnay and his sire was CH Houston’s Blackjack, a littermate to CH Ridge Creek Cody.
In the North American Woodcock Futurity held in mid September near McAdam, New Brunswick, pointer male Wynot Pete won third place. Pete’s dam is Northwoods Maddie, out of our 2015 CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen litter.
For an owner and handler, it takes a significantly greater amount of knowledge and effort to prepare a dog for field trial competition. To be successful at the highest levels, it also takes a dog with inherent ability.
Good luck to owners and dogs in all future competitions.
Conecuh Station Field Trial Club Amateur Shooting Dog winners. On right, Bill Owen with Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013).
What do you get when you have 15 Northwoods Bird Dogs, one English cocker, five gaited horses, five guys and endless Big Sky country?
World-class upland bird hunting!
Here was our dog roster.
Our host, Sam, brought five setters and one pointer.
• Northwoods Ahniwake Grace (Northwoods Blue Ox x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2010)
• Northwoods Jeter (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2011)
• Northwoods Audi (Elhew G Force x Northwoods Vixen, 2014)
• Northwoods Gucci (Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2015)
• Northwoods Hercules (Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016)
• Northwoods Dixie (Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Carbon, 2016)
Bill had three setters.
• Northwoods Louis Vuitton (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2014)
• Northwoods Flint (Sunny Hill Sam x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2015)
• Northwoods Madrid (Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2018)
I hauled my dog trailer and so had room for one pointer and five setters.
• Northwoods Vixen (Westfall’s Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer, 2011)
• Northwoods Nickel (Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2014)
• Northwoods Minerva (Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016)
• Northwoods Istanbul, Northwoods Geneva, Northwoods Dublin (Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018)
Pat had his stellar cocker Rocket.
On our hunts, there were several moving pieces. Picture the five of us on horseback with at least three bird dogs on the ground and the cocker heeling alongside the horse.
When someone called point, we had one dog on point, two dogs backing, quick dismounts and two gunners going in to shoot.
And every time, a big covey of sharp-tailed grouse flushed.
Bob Wehle, founder and breeder of Elhew Kennels, with his most famous pointer, CH Elhew Snakefoot.
It’s been almost a year since the bird dog world was shocked by an announcement in the America Field.
It is with great sadness — but with the unshakeable conviction that we are doing the right and necessary thing — that we announce our decision to close Elhew Kennels and retire the Elhew “brand.” The Elhew prefix will no longer be available…
~ Gatra Wehle and Martha Hayes
Gatra Wehle is the widow of Bob Wehle and Martha Hayes is the widow of Brian Hayes.
When Bob Wehle died in 2002, he passed ownership of Elhew Kennels and the Elhew prefix to Brian Hayes. Hayes became ill and brought in others in a cooperative arrangement. When he died in 2015, some things became clear to the two women. The letter continued:
… it has become increasingly difficult to do justice to the Elhew legacy.
Why is that?
Because when Wehle died, his line of Elhew pointers died, too.
Bob Wehle devoted his life to breeding his line of pointers. He knew how to train his own dogs and competed with them in top-flight field trial competition. He judged prestigious field trials and perhaps most crucial, he hunted his dogs on wild birds. Pointers bred by Wehle were coveted by serious bird hunters and yet could win trials, also. The look of his dogs was distinctive: when you saw an Elhew pointer, you just knew what it was.
But without Wehle, no one could possibly know which dogs he would breed to which dogs. Breeding dogs is not a science. You can’t plug the information about two dogs into an algorithm and have it produce an analysis of the best mating. It’s far more complicated. The breeding adage, “Breed the best to the best and hope for the best” is simplistic and vague. Someone has to determine which is the best. And then, which best to breed to which best?
The person making that determination is the breeder.
Based on experience, knowledge, gut and intellect, the breeder decides which combination will most likely produce what is sought. The key here is that the breeder’s exact thought processes can’t be passed on—to anyone or anything.
Genetics can change rapidly and without a vision, the direction is usually toward mediocrity, or worse. In one generation, you can have dogs that are quite different from their parents. In two or more generations down, the dissimilarities can be significant.
Sure, a breeder could pair two Elhew pointers and could produce similar dogs.
But no matter what, without Wehle making key decisions, the outcome is not dogs bred by Wehle and not Elhew pointers.
2019 Western Open Shooting Dog Championship winners are (from left) Tim Schillereff and his wife Angela with pointer Tian Elhew Verbena, Bill Owen (in tan shirt) and his setter Northwoods Charles.
How extraordinary!
Whether it’s ever happened before or not doesn’t really matter. It’s extraordinary. Both the winner and runner up of the 2019 Western Open Shooting Dog Championship were bred by Betsy and me—and one was a pointer and the other a setter!
The trial, held in mid April in Reno, Nev., attracted 15 pointers and eight setters. The dogs were handled from horseback and run on native birds with additional liberated chukars.
Tian Elhew Verbena, owned by Tim and Angela Schillereff of Suave Island Kennels near Portland, Ore., and handled by Tim, was named champion. Runner-up champion was Northwoods Charles, owned and handled by Bill Owen of Santa Barbara, Cal.
Both dogs were whelped in 2013 and sold as eight-week-old puppies. Verbena is out of our first breeding of CH Elhew G Force to Northwoods Vixen. We chose another champion, CH Ridge Creek Cody, to pair with Northwoods Chardonnay. Both dogs have also won prestigious placements in other field trials.
Genetics play a part of course, but it also takes a lot of time, effort and expense to develop a dog into a top notch field trial competitor. Congratulation to Tim, Angela, Bill and their dogs!
Isn’t this pretty? On left, Northwoods Normanie (RU-CH Northwoods Nirvana x Northwoods Carbon, 2017), owned by Paul Hauge, and Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017), owned by Ben McKean, point separate coveys on an early morning hunt in January.
Betsy and I just returned from another winter spent in the piney woods of southwestern Georgia and northern Florida. The area is home to the decades-long tradition of bobwhite quail hunting on beautiful native habitat.
What a fabulous season we had! The quail were plentiful and the dogs were outstanding–both young dogs and veterans alike.
It’s interesting to look back through photos and videos to see how things change. Foliage varies from autumnal colors to bare branches to spring green. The birds change, too. Young fall birds are generally exactly where dogs point while wily spring survivors either run or sit so tight you can hardly get them to flush.
When we arrived in Georgia in November, our youngest dog, Northwoods Lyon, was five months old. He left at 11 months of age–so he had hunted quail for almost half his life!
Here are highlights from the past season. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Northwoods Fen (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis, 2014), owned by Harrison O’Connor, points a covey in December.
On right, Northwoods Istanbul (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018) shares point on a January covey with plantation pointer Pinehaven Dixie.
What a sight! In front, Northwoods Dublin (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018), owned by Paul Hauge, points at the edge of a chopper trail. Three bracemates back: a Sunny Hill Plantation pointer, Northwoods Paris (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2018) and Northwoods Istanbul (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock Northwoods Nickel, 2018).
In a blocked area, Northwoods Paris (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus Northwoods Carly Simon, 2018) points a covey on a training run in March, after the season closed.
The piney woods are greening up when Northwoods Vienna (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock Northwoods Nickel, 2018) points late March birds.
Northwoods Lyon (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Minerva, 2018), owned by Bob Senkler, points a late spring single while two plantation pointers back.
Northwoods Geneva points an early January covey backed by Northwoods Istanbul (both by CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018). Geneva has this covey stuck!
Northwoods Gucci (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2015) backed by 13-month-old Northwoods Valencia (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carbon, 2018) relocate on a mid-March covey. Valencia is almost steady to wing and shot on wild quail.
Two-year-old Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016) has this late February covey pointed right!
In late February, Northwoods Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2013) worked this covey some distance before getting them to stick.
Winners of the Red Hills Invitational (from left to right) are Trey Mills, Devon Harden and Jerry, who poses with first-place dog Northwoods Sir Gordon. In the back, Jason Loper, dog trainer at Osceola Plantation and host of the trial, stands with judges Ricky Furney and Gary Futch.
It’s probably safe to say that the highest density of bird dog trainers and handlers in the world are within 75 miles of Thomasville, Ga. Even more exclusive is the Red Hills region between Thomasville and Tallahassee, Fla., where more than 50 private wild quail plantations are located. Each plantation employs at least one professional dog trainer.
All take their bird dogs seriously. Down here, it’s not a hobby. It’s how they make a living.
The quail hunting season is long and usually frenetic for trainers. But one week after the season closes, they gather to compete at the Red Hills Invitational field trial. This is an old-fashioned, bird dog throw-down that’s not sanctioned by any governing body. It’s exclusive, too, in that each trainer can enter just one dog. From among their strings of dogs—numbering from 12 to 40 or more— they choose their best dog to compete. A generous purse is awarded to the winners, but most important is bragging rights.
Thirty-two trainers competed in the trial this year. The dogs are run from horseback and are required to be steady to wing and shot. Preference is for a dog to handle without a lot of scouting assistance, typically in the 100- to 200-yard range.
Osceola Plantation, a large plantation located southeast of Thomasville, hosts the trial every year. Their beautiful land, rich with wild bobwhites, is an ideal venue. There were many outstanding dogs competing in the stake, including the winners of the recent Plantation Owners trial, as well as past winners.
Spring bobwhite quail can be a challenge for a bird dog. These are not the same birds that sat for point in early December. They have been hunted hard all winter, not only by people on horseback but also by predators. The vegetation in spring is probably at its thinnest, making birds more nervous. Quail that have survived are canny and know every inch of their territory.
I rank the quality of the stake on the caliber of judges—and this one was stellar with Ricky Furney and Gary Futch. Ricky is a seasoned professional handler on the all age circuit. He has numerous championships to his credit including the National Championship. Ricky handled Hall-of-Fame CH Law’s High Noon for co-owner Gary. Gary, president of the Georgia Field Trial Association, is an experienced dog man who has judged many major stakes.
Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017), owned by Ben McKean of Minnetrista, Minn.
From our kennel, I chose to run Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017), owned by Ben McKean of Minnetrista, Minn. Gordy ran late on the first day under bluebird conditions with temperatures in the upper 50s. He pointed three coveys—all perfectly located—in his 30 minutes. For a little frosting on his performance, Gordy had a find just seconds after time was called to end the brace. His hunting effort was strong and all his finds were dead ahead on course.
With that fine showing, Gordy won first place.
Devon Harden, dog trainer at Norias Plantation, placed second. His pointer John had three coveys in the last brace of the first day. Third place went to Trey Mills from Mayhaw Plantation with his pointer Queen. She pointed two coveys during the second morning of the trial.
At 27 months of age, Gordy is an exceptional young dog. His instincts around game are among the best I’ve seen. As a puppy last winter, he found hundreds of birds and would hold point until I flushed. He is already one of the finest bird-finders we’ve ever bred.
Eight-week-old Leo curls up for a nap in a tub filled with his puppy toys.
Among the dogs in our kennel, Betsy and I have every trait we’d ever want. The challenge for us as breeders is to get as many—if not all—of those characteristics into each pup.
Leo picks up a bobwhite quail and brings it back to hand at nine weeks of age.
We think we have one now with just about all of them. It is setter male Northwoods Lyon, call name Leo. He has the brains and the nose. He has the temperament and personality. He hunts with verve and determination. He goes to his birds with the right mix of boldness and caution. He is high-headed and straight-tailed on point. He’s naturally staunch to flush, backs, and retrieves to hand with a soft mouth. He handles from foot or horseback and finds as many wild birds as dogs twice his age.
And Leo is only nine months old.
By fall, four-month Leo handled in the woods, found and pointed many woodcock.
Leo was whelped on June 3, 2018, by Northwoods Minerva (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016) bred to Northwoods Grits (Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis, 2011). Carly and Grits represent our two best nicks.
Leo spent a weekend in the northern Minnesota woods at 19 weeks of age–hunting during the day and playing with girls in the evening.
Why do Betsy and I even own Leo? Serendipity. There were extra males in the litter and near the end of the picks, a cute orange-and-white one with a dark nose and eyes was left. We picked him.
Six-month-old Leo easily transitioned to the piney woods of northern Florida and found this covey.
Leo inherited almost every trait we’d want and showed us at this early age what he has. But, more than that, in a year when we lost two of our all-time favorite dogs—dogs that were also sires of those two nicks, Shaq (Blue Shaquille) and Oscar (Northwoods Blue Ox)—Leo assuaged our grief and loss.
Even though Leo is his own dog, he is the embodiment of Shaq and Oscar.
Leo beats two bracemates to this find at seven months of age.
In this video, Leo points a covey that was spread out and feeding. His relocation is bold and confident. He exactly locates two quail and points staunchly until flush.
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
