“Smoky gold” and other observations from Aldo Leopold about a grouse hunter’s favorite time of year

Photo courtesy of Rob Zimmer

“There are two kinds of hunting: ordinary hunting, and ruffed-grouse hunting.

“There are two places to hunt grouse: ordinary places, and Adams County.

“There are two times to hunt in Adams: ordinary times, and when the tamaracks are smoky gold.”

Thus opens the chapter titled “October” in A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold. He ranks among the very best nature writers of all time. Not only did he deeply understand the true nature of nature but he simply, yet with eloquence and elegance, describes its splendor.

What grouse hunter doesn’t relish the month of October? Previous months can be taken up with various preparations—training and conditioning the dogs, gear preparation, travel plans—but, still, everything is focused on October. It is the perfect time to be walking along a tote road in the woods with dogs.

Leopold continues:

“The tamaracks change from green to yellow when the first frosts have brought woodcock, fox sparrows, and juncos out of the north. Troops of robins are stripping the last white berries from the dogwood thickets, leaving the empty stems as a pink haze against the hill. The creekside alders have shed their leaves, exposing here and there an eyeful of holly. Brambles are aglow, lighting your footsteps grouseward.”

Several paragraphs later, Leopold notes:

“The tamaracks grow not only in the swamp, but at the foot of the bordering upland, where springs break forth. Each spring has become choked with moss, which forms a boggy terrace. I call these terraces the hanging gardens, for out of their sodden muck the fringed gentians have lifted blue jewels. Such an October gentian, dusted with tamarack gold, is worth a full stop and a long look, even when the dog signals grouse ahead.”

Tamarack (Larix laricina) is a member of the Larix, or Larch, genus and Pinaceae, or Pine, family. Another name is the Eastern Larch. While the tree is a conifer (cone-bearing) and produces needles, it isn’t an evergreen. Instead, this genus is cool because its needles are deciduous and so are shed in the fall.
Photo courtesy of Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy

Leopold finishes the first section:

“Lunch over, I regard a phalanx of young tamaracks, their golden lances thrusting skyward. Under each the needles of yesterday fall to earth building a blanket of smoky gold; at the tip of each the bud of tomorrow, preformed, poised, awaits another spring.”

Leopold’s final sentence of the chapter:

“I sometimes think the other months were constituted mainly as a fitting interlude between Octobers, and I suspect that dogs, and perhaps grouse, share the same view.”

Northwoods Atlas: May 2017 – July 2024

Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017)

Most often, I write these remembrances when, after living a long life, a special dog passes. In those cases, you see the end coming and you can, somewhat, prepare yourself. But when a favorite dog dies suddenly, without warning, in the prime of its life, the heartache and pain are almost unbearable.

Atlas died like that on July 11.

Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017), call name Jet, was owned by Greg and Michelle Johnson of Wisconsin. Previously they had owned Gordon setters. Jet was the first dog “white dog” Greg trained and entered in cover dog field trials.

From the beginning, Greg and Jet were a winning duo. From his first derby placement through two runner-up championships, Jet placed in almost every trial—whether in Minnesota, Wisconsin or North Dakota and whether in wild bird or planted quail trials. The stake wasn’t over until Jet ran.

A stellar field trial season placed Greg and Jet as winners of both the amateur and open 2024 Minnesota/Wisconsin Shooting Dog of the Year awards.

Jet had all the characteristics of a champion—style in motion, style on point and the ability to find birds. In addition, Jet had consistency. In 2024, he won a distinctive honor by taking home the Minnesota/Wisconsin Shooting Dog of the Year for both open and amateurs. Jet was invited to the 2023 Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational field trial, the most prestigious in the cover dog world as only the top 14 point-earning dogs are invited. Most likely, he would have been invited again in 2025.

Jet possessed another attribute: he passed on his special qualities to his offspring. He sired only four litters but there are many happy dog owners to whom Betsy and I have sold puppies. Jet had a bright future in our breeding program and he leaves a big hole. In addition, one son, Big Big Energy, won the 2024 Minnesota/Wisconsin Open Derby of the Year award, so a father/son pair won in the same year.

On a vacation to the Southwest last winter, Michelle and Jet rest in rugged terrain.

It’s said that actions speak louder than words. Seeing Greg and Michelle interact with Jet in their day-to-day lives, at field trials and on vacations, they didn’t have to talk about how deeply they loved him and were devoted to his health and well-being. And knowing Jet as we did and watching him, it was clear the feeling was mutual.

National caliber cover dog winner, excellent producer, devoted companion. What more could a dog give?

RIP sweet Jet. We will always remember.

A pointing dog’s first season

Photo © Chris Mathan Sporting Dogs

The process of developing a puppy into an experienced bird dog should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. That process begins with the all-important first season. Not only is the young dog at an impressionable age, but the experience and knowledge gained from that time in the woods and fields will create a foundation the dog will depend on and use in future seasons.

The first year is primarily about exposure. The goal is to have the puppy hunt for and find wild birds. Owners shouldn’t worry if the dog doesn’t point the bird or hold point for long. Both will come with repeated exposure, maturity and training.

The key is wild birds
Most of what a dog needs to know about finding and pointing wild birds is learned from the birds themselves. The owner’s job is to put the young dog into birds—lots of birds.

The puppy will learn key details about birds.
• Where they’re most likely to be found.
• How to differentiate where the bird is as opposed to where it was, i.e., old scent vs. new scent.
• How close is too close before the bird flushes.
• It can’t catch the bird.
• How to follow running birds.

Handling in the woods and fields
Handling is often a big issue with owners. Jerry and I have a simple handling theory. As long as the young dog goes with us and looks to us for direction, we say the minimum necessary to control it. Over-handling, in terms of too much calling, whistling or constant encouragement, can distract and confuse the dog. We only use two commands: HERE and calling its name. HERE means come to us. When we want the dog to turn, we call its name. At a certain point we enforce the commands with an ecollar

Expecting your puppy to be always in sight or range at a certain distance is unrealistic and, in fact, can inhibit its bird finding. As long as it’s checking in and hunting in the direction we’re headed, we don’t say anything.

In this field, Sage (CH Miller’s Upgraded Version x Northwoods Comet, 2024) looks staunch on point. But was there a bird? If so, did she hold point until owner Joey Paxman of Montana could flush?

Puppy mistakes
Expect your puppy to make mistakes—flush birds, chase rabbits, not pay attention and, at times, just act like the immature dog it is. Be patient. Remember it is still just a young dog. Take a break. Call it in to you, talk calmly and stroke its back.

Be prepared
A few important points need to considered prior to the hunting season. The foremost is proper introduction to birds and gunfire. The young dog should be conditioned to an ecollar for the basic HERE command and for turning. A GPS collar is excellent for peace of mind.

Also, the young dog should be accustomed to wearing a bell or beeper and comfortable both with being in a crate and riding in a vehicle.

Proper physical condition is always crucial. The young dog should be at the proper weight. A couple extra pounds can make a big difference, especially on those hot, early season days.

Finally, remember!
Have fun with your young dog. And savor this first, special season.

Jerry and I wrote a piece for the September 15, 2013, issue of the Minnesota StarTribune. Some parts of that have been reprinted here.

Gallery: September 2024

Beginning with their first dog in the late 1990s, Barry and Jill Frieler have owned six setters out of our dogs. On a recent afternoon in their Minnesota home, the current pack found a sunny spot for napping. Clockwise from top: Northwoods Highclass Kate (Northwoods Blue Ox x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2010), Madison (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2018), Ellie (CH Ponderosa Mac x Northwoods Redbreast, 2022) and Jack (CH Houston’s Blackjack x Northwoods Highclass Kate, 2013).

When Sig (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, 2019) isn’t in the grouse woods or in wide open Montana places, he accompanies his owner Chris Bye of Wisconsin on trout streams.

Lacey (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Minerva, 2020) flies across an open field on Nantucket where owner Zenas Hutcheson conditions her for the hunting season in their home state of Minnesota.

There are good reasons Northwoods Comet (HOF CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2018), a female pointer Jerry and I own, is one of our best of all time. On a recent training run for sharptails, in addition to her breathtaking poise, style and composure, her blazing eyes tell the story.

Dogs make people better

Tally (May’s Pond Hank x Northwoods Stardust, 2024) is at Northwoods Bird Dogs for puppy training and accurately locates a pigeon on her first puppy point.

As are many of our clients, Joe Wech and his wife Deb are repeat puppy buyers. This summer, they picked up their second from us, a female setter out of May’s Pond Hank x Northwoods Stardust.

Tally is her name and she joins Georgia, the first setter they bought in 2015. Georgia is out of Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Carly Simon. In a bit of serendipity, their two setters are related. Stardust is Carly Simon’s daughter.

Joe is a pilot for American Airlines and commutes from his home in the Twin Cities to Texas. That commute gives him hours of quiet time to think.

In a recent email, Joe shared some of the musings from time in the air. Not only were his sentiments totally new to me, they were, all at once, insightful, profound and uncomplicated.

Here is a passage from Joe’s email.

“I think every child can learn so much if they are lucky enough to be around a dog. They make the child feel loved. They give the child something to be responsible for and care for, to not only think about themselves, but of someone else who needs them. So because of you, your puppies and your training, my family is better, and my kids and grandkids are better people.”

Note: A quick glance through the photos under “From field and home” on the right is all the proof one needs about the truth of Joe’s words.

Spring 2024 pointer puppies in early training

Sage is a female owned by Joey Paxman and Amanda Allpress from Montana. Sage joins another female pointer and two male setters they have from us.

The puppies out of Northwoods Comet by CH Miller’s Upgraded Version are in the early stages of puppy development and training by their owners.

The exercises being introduced include clicker training, retrieving and pointing exercises. It’s never too early to start.

Timber is a female being worked in her northern Minnesota training grounds by owner Randy Ott. She is Randy’s fourth Northwoods dog.

Racer’s owners, Doug and Nicole White, are from Oregon and are trusting their friend Joey Paxman for some early training.

Izzy is in the very capable hands of her owner, Robby Graham, of Maine for training. She is the second female pointer Robby has from us.

Dally is the female Jerry and I kept. She is a soft-mouthed but enthusiastic retriever.

Spring field trial review: Minnesota, Wisconsin and others

Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017) strikes a stunning pose for owner and handler Greg Johnson. They had just won the Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Shooting Dog Classic.

Cover dog field trials in Minnesota and Wisconsin are thriving. The number of dogs entered at spring trials often reached 30 dogs. Many handlers of those dogs are relatively new, as are spectators walking in the gallery. These newcomers are grouse and woodcock hunters and they come not only to watch good dogs perform but to enjoy the camaraderie of others who share their passion.

Cover dog trials are run on ruffed grouse and woodcock. Two handlers, followed by two judges, two scouts for the handlers and the gallery, walk on pre-determined courses through native habitat of aspen forests, thick hazel understory and lowland edges. The handlers’ two dogs search the course for birds—similar to a hunting situation—and the dogs are judged on how they respond to their handler, how they move through the cover, how they interact with their bracemate and, ultimately, how they find and point birds. The dogs are run with only a bell to track their movement; no GPS collars, beepers, or e-collars are allowed.

There are three levels of competition based on ages: Puppy, Derby and Shooting Dog. Different standards exist for different levels but all levels must have the drive and desire to hunt through punishing cover in search of a bird. Then, while focused on hunting, the dog must keep track of its handler so that when it finds a bird and points, the handler can find the dog. When pointed, the dog should exhibit poise, confidence and accurate location of the bird.

A dog that competes at the shooting dog level must be steady-to-wing-and-shot and, if the opportunity arises, back its bracemate. In addition, the dog should move and point in a manner that excites and do it with minimum direction from its handler.

In short, the winners of shooting dog stakes are very high-class bird dogs—with physicality, stamina, focus, bird-finding, style and verve. In other words, most serious bird hunters would be proud to own these winning dogs.

To win in field trials, though, takes more than a talented dog. It takes an extremely committed owner willing to start with a young prospect and wear out several pairs of boots in the dog’s development, training and competition. The owner must be dedicated to spend time in the field to bring that prospect to its full potential—and that time isn’t counted in days or months but rather in years.

It’s always fun to see the group photo after a weekend of trials. Pictured with Greg Johnson and Northwoods Atlas are judges, handlers, other participants and spectators.

When it all comes together, though, and the handler’s name and dog are announced as winners, the feeling of exhilaration and of accomplishment render most handlers speechless and all that time is forgotten.

Listed below are winners of field trials in Minnesota and Wisconsin this spring. Congratulations to our clients and their dogs who have put in the effort and felt the thrill of winning.

2X RU-CH Northwoods Atlas (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2017), owned and handled by Greg Johnson.
• 1st place Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Shooting Dog stake
• RU-CH Region 19 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship, sponsored by Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc.
• 1st place Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Shooting Dog Classic
• Winner of Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Open and Amateur Shooting Dog of the Year

Eric and Lindsey Saetre, owners and handlers of Northwoods Cedar Edge (CH Snyders Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022), and Edge’s silver trophy as Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Amateur Derby of the Year.

Northwoods Cedar Edge (CH Snyders Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022), owned and handled by Eric and Lindsey Saetre.
• 3rd place North Country Bird Hunters Assoc. Open Derby
• 3rd place Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Derby
• 2nd place Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Shooting Dog
• Winner of Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Amateur Derby of the Year

Northwoods Cedar (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019), owned and handled by Eric and Lindsey Saetre.
• 1st place North Country Bird Hunters Assoc. Open Shooting Dog

Ruffed Country Sweet Lily (Northwoods Rob Roy x Northwoods Minerva, 2018), owned and handled by Jordan Pharris.
• 2nd place North Country Bird Hunters Assoc. Open Shooting Dog

Northwoods Paco (CH Southern Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2023), owned and handled by Josh Matel.
• 2nd place Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Derby

CH/RU-CH Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019), owned and handled by Ben McKean.
• 1st place Midwest Field Trial Assoc. Open Shooting Dog

Northwoods Eddie Setter (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023), owned and handled by Ben McKean.
• 2nd place Midwest Field Trial Assoc. Open Derby

Pretty cool for first-time trialers Mitch Anderson, on right, and Brad Gudenkauf, center, to place first and second, respectively. Even cooler, the two derby-aged dogs are littermates.

Northwoods Homer (CH Snyder’s Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022), owned and handled by Mitch Anderson. (These were the first field trials for both Mitch and Homer.)
• 2nd place Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Derby
• 1st place Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Derby

Northwoods Pied Piper (CH Snyders Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022), owned and handled by Brad Gudenkauf. (This was Brad and Rigby’s first field trial, too.)
• 2nd place Minnesota Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Derby

And in other parts of the country…

Riley Crumbie, on left, and Pine Fair Lady (Northwoods Parmigiano x Northwoods Rum Rickey, 2014).

Pine Fair Lady (Northwoods Parmigiano x Northwoods Rum Rickey, 2014) owned by Pine Fair Plantation and handled by Riley Cumbie.
• 1st place Georgia/Florida Hunting Dog Invitational, Aucilla Plantation, Thomasville, Ga.

Northwoods Sunny Day (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Northwoods Stardust, 2023), owned and handled by Tom Keiffer.
• 3rd place Black Moshannon Field Trial Club Open Puppy, Philipsburg, Pa.

CH Charlie’s Zip Tie, sired by CH Northwoods Charles (CH Ridge Creek Cody x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2013), is owned and handled by Bill Owen of Santa Barbara, Calif.
• 3rd place Cahaba Bend Field Trial Club Amateur Shooting Dog Classic, Greensboro, Ala.
• RU-CH California Open Shooting Dog Championship

In addition, it’s worth noting that winning carries on when dogs out of our breeding are crossed with other dogs.

An impressive father/son duo: Jordan Pharris, on right, is owner/handler of Big Big Energy and Greg Johnson, on left, is owner/handler of Northwoods Atlas, and Energy’s sire.

Big Big Energy (sired by RU-CH Northwoods Atlas) is owned and handled by Jordan Pharris. Call name “Lotto” won the Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Dog Open Derby of the Year. Amazing fact #1: Lotto is the first puppy-age dog to win the Derby of the Year Award in its 34-year history. Amazing fact #2: This is the first time in the Shooting Dog/Derby of the Year that a father/son won.

Over The Hill Morgan (sired by JTH Cooper (CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2015)), is owned and handled by Rod Lein. She won 3rd place in the Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Assoc. Open Shooting Dog.

Kona’s Blue Sky (sired by CH Northwoods Sir Gordon) is owned and handled by A. J. Kalupa. Sky placed 3rd in the Moose River Grouse Dog Club Open Shooting Dog.

Note: Scroll down to a post written by Betsy, dated May 1, 2024, for an in-depth piece on the Dog of the Year awards.

Puppy training: what’s better than that?

Our three males out of CH Woodville’s Yukon Cornelius x Northwoods Redbreast, Beech, Roy and Jack, basically share point on a pigeon in a releaser.

Timing, as the saying goes, is everything. This year, Jerry and I are not only fortunate to have 10 puppies from two setter litters and one pointer litter, but all are at exactly the perfect age to begin training. We introduce them to the bird field, take them on walks and expose them to other aspects for their future as bird dogs.

PUPPY FIRST POINTS
These are no-pressure walks in the bird field to bring out a puppy’s pointing instincts in a natural manner through bird contact. We want the puppy to become confident, bold and accustomed to gunfire.

PUPPY WALKS
On a warm afternoon last weekend, Jerry and I took our six four-month-old puppies (CH Woodville’s Yukon Cornelius x Northwoods Redbreast) for a walk on a nearby pasture. The buttercups and orange hawkweed were blooming, the ponds were full and butterflies provided fun things to chase. Yet even on this seemingly simple walk, the puppies learned.

They learned to turn on a whistle, run to the front and go with us. The puppies found water independently and all six not only drank but splashed in far enough so they swam. They were also reinforced on the “HERE” command several times.

TIME ON A STAKEOUT CHAIN
When our puppies are eight weeks old, we always put brightly colored collars on them. When they became comfortable with their collars, we clipped them to a stakeout chain. They all struggled at first—some more than others—but they all learned to give in, to be comfortable with restraint and ultimately to relax. 

Front to back: setters Chestnut and Foxglove (May’s Pond Hank x Northwoods Stardust) and pointers Peony and Dahlia (CH Miller’s Upgraded Version x Northwoods Comet).

Front to back: Our six puppies out of CH Woodville’s Yukon Cornelius x Northwoods Redbreast: Daffodil, Roy, Beech, Violet, Jack and Miley.

RETRIEVING
Puppies are eager to please which makes retrieving an easy exercise at a young age. Jerry and I always start with tossing a tennis ball or retrieving dummy in the kennel office. But soon, Daffodil (CH Woodville’s Yukon Cornelius x Northwoods Redbreast), below, progressed to retrieving a freshly killed quail in the field.

Our winter training on a bobwhite quail plantation

Ten-month-old Cupid shows beautiful, high-headed style when she accurately points a covey on a chopper trail at the edge of a block.

After spending two brutal winters in Minnesota, Betsy and I decided to go back to the bobwhite quail plantations of the Red Hills region of the Southeast. We missed not only the mild weather but the training opportunities on wild birds and the friendships we had formed at several of the plantations.

So in mid-November, we made lists and packed up everything we’d need for five months. Besides 16 dogs of various ages (12 years to seven months) and two crates of pigeons, the lists included training equipment, office files and supplies, books, clothes and boots. Some 1,500 miles later, we landed at our home for the winter, Meander Plantation in Monticello, Fla.

*****

When it comes to finding and pointing birds on the wild bobwhite plantations of southwestern Georgia/northern Florida, it’s not about the dog’s range but rather how thoroughly it hunts the ground. This is in stark contrast to most suppositions about big running quail dogs.

Backing—or honoring another dog on point—can be confusing. It sure looks like Sweep (in front on the chopper trail) was first to the birds with the others backing. But Sweep pointed where the birds had been while Cupid (in center) had the birds accurately pointed. Either way, Queen had a nice back.

The key is the maintenance of these many-thousand-acre plantations. They are meticulously groomed in a checkerboard pattern with six-foot-wide mowed strips separating 24’ x 24’ blocks of quail cover. These blocks hold quail, often at mind-boggling densities of eight coveys per hour.

But when the conditions are tough or the birds aren’t moving, the coveys can be extremely difficult for a dog to find; and this is precisely when experienced grouse dogs shine. These dogs hunt every step and exhibit a naturally forward, quartering pattern. They hunt the blocks of cover at the ideal range of about 100 yards on either side of the hunting course.

All are ready and waiting for Jerry at the breakaway: Lyon, on left, Stardust and Strut, Jerry’s horse.

The winter was ideal for working dogs—and not only because the temperatures were the coolest we’d experienced in 10 years. Our puppies learned how to find and point bobwhites early in the season when the birds were more plentiful and less spooky. They had gained proficiency by January and February when the birds started to run or flush wild.

With both our own and client-owned seasoned dogs, we had one of our strongest hunting/guiding strings. No matter which plantation we hunted, our dogs regularly pointed as many birds as the plantation dogs and frequently out-birded the best of their kennel.

At eight years of age, Hercules has found and pointed many wild birds—both in quail country and in his home state of Montana. His polish, stance and confidence are stunning.

Our string, in mostly alphabetical order, included the following dogs.
Charlotte Bronte (Northwoods Louis Vuitton x Houston’s Dancing Queen, 2022)
Comet (HOF CH Rock Acre Blackhawk x Northwoods Vixen, 2018)
Confidante (HOF CH True Confidence x Red Sunshine)
Della (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Nickel, 2018)
Dixie (CH Shadow Oak Bo x Northwoods Carbon, 2016)
Dublin (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Nickel, 2018)
Four Roses (CH Rufus Del Fuego x Northwoods Valencia, 2021)
Hercules, Madrid and Stardust (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2016, 2018, 2019)
Lyon (Northwoods Grits x Northwoods Minerva, 2018)
Penny (CH Elhew G Force x Northwoods Vixen 2013)
Rolls Royce (Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice, 2013)

It’s not only fun to gang run puppies, but it’s a good training tool as they learn from each other. From left: Queen, Molly and Cupid.

For part of the season, three owners sent their puppies from last year’s breeding of 2X RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly. Layla, Molly and Tinkerbell joined Queen, the female we kept, and those four had a ball together. They were fun to train, fun to run and gratifying to watch mature.

With countless bird contacts, young Eddie matured from a puppy into an outstanding derby over the winter.

Also joining us for training sessions were several very nice young dogs.
Eddie (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023)
Enni (CH Snyder’s Pioneer Scout x Northwoods Cedar, 2022)
Flirt and Hope (HOF CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2021)

Rounding out our southern kennel were several puppies that Betsy and I own.
Boots (2X RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Northwoods Stardust, 2023)
Bunny (CH Ponderosa Mac x Northwoods Redbreast, 2022)
Cupid and Rudy (CH Southern Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2023)
Sweep (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023)

Birds other than bobwhites are prevalent in the region and exciting to see. We regularly had eight pairs of cardinals at our feeder.

Littermates Queen, Molly and Tinkerbell (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Houston’s Nelly Bly)

Northwoods Fallset Hope (HOF CH True Confidence x Northwoods Comet, 2021)

Northwoods Snow Swept (CH Northwoods Sir Gordon x Northwoods Valencia, 2023) 

Northwoods Confidante (HOF CH True Confidence x Red Sunshine, 2022)

Like mother, like daughter

Northwoods Vixen, on left, and her pregnant daughter, Northwoods Comet, watch for rabbits.

Northwoods Vixen (CH Westfall’s Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer) and her daughter by HOF CH Rock Acre Blackhawk, Northwoods Comet, have always been house dogs.

As eight-week-old puppies, they were brought into the house where they learned to get along with our other house dogs–older setters and May, our Labrador. They were house-broken and, after sleeping in crates at night, they graduated to sleeping on dog beds alongside the older dogs.

Vixen and Comet spent days in the kennel and they received the same training as all our bird dogs. They were hunted in the grouse woods of Minnesota and in the southeastern piney woods on bobwhite quail. They’ve also both starred in Jerry’s guiding strings—whether at Bowen Lodge on the shores of Lake Winnibigoshish or at various quail plantations. Too, they hunted sharptails and Huns on the prairies of North Dakota and Montana.

Around the house, Vixen and Comet are a perfect two-some, much like a cashmere twin set. They are two beautiful, classic peas in a pod.