The rush of a covey flush

There is nothing more exhilarating to a bird dog or a bird hunter than the flush of birds.

It begins with the intense demeanor of the dog as it stands on point. Anticipation follows when the hunter moves in front of the dog. The explosion of wings is the thrilling culmination.

Ah, I never tire of watching or hearing birds flush.

In addition to pigeons, we use bobwhite quail to train dogs. Four recall pens called Johnny houses are placed strategically around the pastures—near wood edges and clearings. In early July, I buy 12-week-old bobwhites and put about 35 in each Johnny house. They come to know their terrain and learn how to covey up just like wild birds. And by the end of the season, the birds are incredibly strong flyers.

Recently I visited all four Johnny houses to feed, water and check on the quail. I also opened wide the release door to let the birds out.

This video shows bobwhites flushing from each house. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Grouse hunting and guiding report: 2012

Even though the ruffed grouse drumming counts last spring showed an average decline of 24 to 60% across Minnesota, I had a pleasant surprise this fall. Based on the number of grouse we flushed during our guided hunts, the broods had good survival rates. This was confirmed by the higher than expected ratio of young-to-old grouse we bagged.

Overall, we averaged 3.8 grouse flushes per hour during our hunts, which was slightly higher than last year. Most of the reports from our clients and fellow hunters also extolled markedly higher flush counts.

The bigger surprise, however, was the number of woodcock. We flushed almost three times as many woodcock as in 2011 and maybe the most we’ve seen in more than five years.

Clients of ours who hunted Michigan and Wisconsin also reported excellent numbers of woodcock.

Minnesota frequently is the nation’s top ruffed grouse producer. On average, 115,000 hunters harvest 545,000 ruffed grouse in Minnesota each year, also making it the state’s most popular game bird. During the peak years of 1971 and 1989, hunters harvested more than 1 million ruffed grouse. Michigan and Wisconsin—states that frequently field more hunters than Minnesota—round out the top three states in ruffed grouse harvest.

Here are photos of some memorable hunts.  Enjoy!

How to pick a puppy

Blue Shaquille x Snyder’s Liz puppies point the wing at eight weeks of age.

I’ve closely watched and kept records on the progress of hundreds of pups. Those records clearly and conclusively show that it is absolutely impossible at 8, 10, 12 weeks of age to pick out the best pup or pups, no matter who you are or what you know.
~ John Wick, The Tree Dog Encyclopedia

Betsy and I are often asked our advice on how to pick the best puppy.  After 17 years of breeding, raising and training puppies, we have an answer. While it’s simply not possible to know precisely what an eight-week-old puppy will become, we think that if you follow these three steps, you’ll be happy.

Choose the right breeder. Choose the right litter. Just pick the puppy.

#1.  Choose the right breeder.
Within breeds, there can be tremendous differences between any two litters produced by any two breeders.  And while a great dog can come from anywhere, consistently top-notch dogs come from breeders with vision. Betsy and I are now producing our sixth generation of English setters and fourth generation of pointers. This depth of knowledge enables us to make comprehensive breeding decisions which result in puppies with predictable traits.

We continuously evaluate our own dogs, especially on ruffed grouse and other wild birds. When we go outside our kennel, we’re never impressed by pedigrees and titles; rather it is imperative to see and appraise the dogs personally.

Our commitment is to breed setters and pointers with outstanding instinct, talent, conformation and temperament.

#2. Choose the right litter.
A breeder should listen carefully to your preferences and requirements. Some distinctions for us are setter/pointer, male/female, retrieving instinct and hunting style.

At our kennel, Betsy and I like to show puppy buyers the dam and sire, grandparents (if possible) and any other relatives, including puppies with similar breeding.  After some discussions, the choice becomes clear.

#3. Just pick the puppy.
This is the easiest part. Since at eight weeks of age it’s impossible to definitively know what the puppy will become, any puppy should be ideal—no matter the picking order, no matter whether it’s the first pick or last. Choose based on color, markings, relative size or just pick the puppy that most appeals to you.

Finally, remember this key part. What the puppy eventually becomes will depend to a significant part on how it is raised, developed, handled and trained.

Dogs, like us, are more than their genome. No animal develops in a vacuum: genes interact with the environment to produce the dog you come to know.
~ Alexandra Horowitz, Inside of a Dog

Winning wild bird field trial championships….and some 2012 winners

To have a good wild bird dog takes hours and hours of training, days in the field and several seasons of hunting. To have a dog capable of winning a wild bird field trial championship takes that and so much more.

…field trials were not instituted for the purpose of bringing to the front a dog or class of dogs eminently suited for the wants of the average gunner, whose primary objective in using a dog afield is to swell the game bag, regardless of the manner that his dog performs.  Rather it is for the purpose of bringing to the notice of the public a class of performers best suited to perpetuate the most desirable qualities possessed by the high-class field dog.

~William F, Brown, Field Trials 1947

The field trial competitor must stop on a flush, be steady to wing and shot, hunt in the right places and cover as much ground as possible, yet still stay in touch with the handler. The dog should always work in a forward fashion and with style, strength and flair. And to win big, the dog must not just perform well; it must perform to near perfection.

Preparation for fall trials begins in late June. The dogs start a physical conditioning routine three to four times per week to develop strength and stamina and to toughen their feet. In July, dogs are tuned up on their manners around birds with planted birds. For the next two months, the trainers/handlers spend many days traveling to areas where the dogs can be worked on wild birds. Physical conditioning continues and diets are strictly monitored to keep the dogs in peak condition. When the venues are horseback trials, another time-consuming level of commitment is necessary to condition and train several good horses.

After months of this intense preparation, the trainers/handlers again hit the road to attend the trials—some of which can be hundreds of miles away—and then spend more time at the trial. Each dog gets one chance, usually for an hour, to prove to the judges that they deserve to be named a champion.

Many things can go wrong and some are out of control of the handler. The luck of the draw is a major consideration. So too is incompatible weather, time of day, lack of birds or incompatible brace mates. It sometimes seems that the odds of everything coming together for a specific dog to win are nearly impossible.

This fall, three dogs produced by our kennel won wild bird championships. Good genetics are essential, but these owners/handlers deserve all the credit.

Betsy and I are proud of these dogs and thank their owners for their hard work and commitment.

2xCH/RU-CH Ridge Creek Cody (CH Can’t Go Wrong x CH Houston’s Belle)
Cody is owned by Larry Brutger of Saint Cloud, Minnesota. Larry handles Cody in amateur horseback shooting dog trials and professional Shawn Kinklaar is the handler in open competition. Cody, handled by Larry, won the National Amateur Pheasant Shooting Dog Championship held in August near Circle, Montana. Larry also is successful in AKC field trial competition with Cody and his other setters.

CH Houston’s Blackjack  (CH Can’t Go Wrong x CH Houston’s Belle)
Blackjack is co-owned by Frank LaNasa of Isanti, Minnesota, and Leroy Peterson of Slayton, Minnesota. Frank trains and handles Jack in open and amateur horseback shooting dog competition. In September, Blackjack was named champion at the National Amateur Prairie Chicken Shooting Dog Championship held at the Buena Vista field trials grounds near Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Frank is renowned for running championship pointers; this is his first championship win with a setter.

2xCH/RU-CH I’m Blue Gert (I’m Houston’s Image x Blue Silk)
Gert is owned by Dave and Rochelle Moore of Big Lake, Minnesota. Dave trains and handles Gert in wild bird grouse trials and hunts over her extensively. In October, Dave handled Gert to runner-up champion in the Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship held in the Rum River State Forest near Mora, Minnesota. He has also been successful in wild bird field trials with other setters and pointers.

JTH Izzie (CH Westfall’s Black Ice x Northwoods Prancer)
Even though Izzie is just a derby, I feel compelled to include her because she has all the makings to be a champion. Izzie is owned by Jeff Hintz of Ham Lake, Minnesota, and Tucson, Arizona. Jeff hunts, trains and competes in field trials in both locations. Izzie won first place in the Danforth Social Society and Fine Bird Dogs Open Derby held in late summer. She placed second in the Region 19 Amateur Derby, which was a horseback stake. In October, Izzie finished second in the Minnesota Grouse Dog Reuel Henry Pietz Derby Classic and won first place in the Moose River Grouse Dog Open Derby.

As a grouse guide, I’ve heard all the excuses

Ruffed grouse hunters do have valid reasons for missing a shot. Few hunting environments are more difficult and challenging. Even with leaves down, the grouse woods can be dense.  It can be hard to see the dog on point, much less a bird thundering away through an aspen cut. And when grouse fly at 20 miles per hour, a hunter needs to make split-second decisions.

However, there are times when an easy shot—known as a butterball—is presented and missed. It happens to our guiding clients. It happens to me and I’m fairly certain it happens to anyone who hunts grouse.

No matter the circumstances of the missed shot, the excuses usually start flying. Or as one client corrected me this fall:  “Reasons for missing grouse were not excuses at all, but merely explanations of the facts.”

With tongue held firmly in cheek, here’s my list for 2012.

•    It’s too early in the day and I’m not fully awake.
•    It’s too late in the day and I’m tired.
•    It’s too dark.
•    It’s too bright.
•    The sun was in my eyes.
•    The bird flushed too far out.
•    The bird flushed too close.
•    I was too tired after rushing to the point.
•    I wasn’t ready for the flush.
•    I was off balance when the bird flushed.

•    My gun jammed.
•    My shell didn’t contain any shot.
•    I couldn’t get the safety off.
•    I forgot to eject the empty shells.
•    I was loading shells into my gun.
•    My choke is too tight.
•    My choke is too open.
•    The brush was so thick I never had a shot.
•    A tree was blocking my view of the bird.
•    My shotgun pattern went into a tree.

•    I was falling down.
•    I was getting up.
•    I saw the bird too late.
•    The bird flew too low.
•    I thought my partner was going to shoot.
•    I was letting my partner shoot.
•    The dog was in the way.
•    I had my head off the gun stock.
•    I got poked in the eye with a branch.

•    It was a left-to-right crossing shot; I prefer right to left.
•    A tree stopped my swing.
•    I shot too quickly.
•    I waited too long to shoot.
•    I shot behind the bird.
•    I shot above the bird.
•    I shot below the bird.
•    I shot in front of the bird.
•    I shot for the dog…twice.

•    My boot was untied.
•    My foot got caught.
•    My cell phone was ringing.
•    My glasses were fogged.
•    My glasses fell off.
•    I had the wrong color lenses in my shooting glasses.
•    My hat fell over my eyes.
•    My legs were weak.
•    I was having a sugar low.

•    My shells are too slow.
•    My gun is too butt heavy.
•    My gun is too barrel heavy.
•    My gun doesn’t fit me right.
•    My gun has an improper balance point.
•    The bird was too slow.
•    The bird was too fast.
•    There was too much air around the bird.

•    I think I may have hit the bird.

What I’m Reading: Don’t Shoot the Dog!

Don’t laugh. After a day spent training bird dogs, guiding grouse hunters or competing in field trials, you might think I’d want to read some easy fiction—a Randy Wayne White book or the newest Daniel Silva. Betsy teases me:  “How can you possibly want to read about dogs?”

While I do, occasionally, read fiction or other types of nonfiction, I really do love to read about dogs, birds and training.

One of the more successful ways to train a dog uses the principle of training with reinforcement. Don’t Shoot The Dog! by Karen Pryor is a 2009-revised edition of a book originally published in 2002.

Reinforcers may be positive, something the learner might like and want more of, such as a smile or a pat, or they may be negative, something to avoid, such as a yank on a leash or a frown.
 ~ Karen Pryor   

While a good share of this book advocates training with “positive” reinforcement, Pryor explains the proper use of “negative” reinforcement to modify behavior. She makes excellent distinctions between shaping, extinction, stimulus control and clicker training. She does so in a practical as opposed to a theoretical manner and uses anecdotal examples to make her points.

The trick to making “No!” effective is to establish it as a conditioned negative reinforcer. For example, anyone who feels it necessary to use a choke chain on a dog should always say “no” as the dog does the wrong thing, and then pause before yanking on the chain, giving the dog a chance to avoid the aversive by changing its behavior.
~ Karen Pryor

This book is informative and an easy read. It’s beneficial to anyone trying to train dogs—or, for that matter, any creature.

Grouse Champion Magic’s Rocky Belleboa (2002 – 2012)

Steve and Bud are tired but happy after a memorable South Dakota pheasant hunt.

Steve Snyder, Jerry and I are sad to report that Magic’s Rocky Belleboa (call name Bud) died on October 11.

For a week or so, Steve had noticed that Bud was ailing. He was a bit thin and just didn’t seem right. A visit to the vet and some exploratory surgery showed why. Bud’s abdomen was filled with cancer and the heartbreaking decision had to be made.

How fitting, though, that this strong, powerful bird dog went out with an unforgettable performance—a final swan song perhaps. Just four days earlier, Steve had taken Bud hunting and Bud had a beautiful point and retrieve on a South Dakota prairie chicken.

Bud was a dream come true for Steve, who wanted to enter the world of grouse trials. In late 2007 Steve discovered that Tim Post from New York was selling his multiple champion, Magic’s Rocky Belleboa, out of Post’s own Magic’s Stokely Belle by Long Gone George. Post entrusted Dave Hughes and the Foreman brothers to Bud’s training and handling and when Bud was four years old, he started winning.

In 2006, Bud won the New York State Grouse Championship and North American Woodcock Championship. Those wins earned him a spot in the 2007 Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational where he was named Runner-up Champion. To top off the amazing string, Bud won the 2007 Michael Seminatore English Setter Award.

When Steve learned that Bud was for sale, he called Jerry and me. We knew of Bud and were intrigued.

2X CH/RU-CH Magic’s Rocky Belleboa (2002 – 20012)

Bud was handsome and had a beautiful blocky head with a dark nose and deep brown eyes. He had excellent conformation and weighed a solid 52 pounds. Bud had tremendous endurance and desire, always searching for birds. He ran with style and pointed with intensity.

So the three of us concocted a deal where we would co-own Bud; Jerry and I would train him but Steve would foot the bill. “We will not be under-funded,” Steve commented.

What fun we all had! We trained and worked Bud in North Dakota, northern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. We traveled to Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota for field trials. We planned special advertising campaigns for Pointing Dog Journal and The American Field and its big Christmas issue.

Ultimately, and this just might be his legacy, we bred him to some wonderful dams, including Paul Hauge’s multiple grouse champion, Houston’s Belle. Here is just a sampling of some truly great Bud puppies:  Liz, Ranger, River, J.B., Manny, Madge,  Jagger, Jenny, Foster, Cooper, Tucker, Haley, Lucy, Rainy and Rosco.

Sometime during the year 2009, we three decided that it was time for Bud to retire. He then became a permanent resident of Steve’s kennel where he was the star of countless hunts. And for these last three years, Bud lived the privileged life as Steve’s coddled pet—well deserved for such a talented bird dog and multiple grouse champion.

Pencil drawing by Shawn McCarthy.

A quintessential day on a guided grouse hunt

Ken, left, and Jim are long-time friends and clients of Bowen Lodge and Northwoods Bird Dogs.

A guided hunt.

Don’t the words evoke images of camaraderie, hospitality, gorgeous locales and excellent hunting?  Whether for pheasants in South Dakota, ducks on Delta Marsh or doves in Argentina, a guided hunt sounds at once fanciful and wonderful.

Anyone can indulge. The back pages of sporting magazines are full of opportunities. Jerry and I recommend the experience highly as we’ve been fortunate to be part of a grouse guiding operation for almost 20 years.

Jerry guides for Bill and Gail Heig, owners of Bowen Lodge on Lake Winnibigoshish, northwest of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Come September, some good fishing remains on the big lake but the family resort side of their business wanes when school begins. All of which makes room for a limited number of guided grouse hunts.

Over the years, the hunters and other guides have become friends and clients. It’s nice to see the same faces each fall but it’s also gratifying to see again all the dogs—whether dogs we trained or puppies purchased from us that have matured into good bird dogs and favorite companions.

Ruffed grouse and woodcock hunting, bird dogs, fine shotguns, great food, and great friendships. These words pretty well sum up the month of October at Bowen Lodge.
~ Bill Heig

Before the morning hunt, Northwoods Chardonnay waits patiently while Jerry puts on her bell and tracking collar.

Guides like to see a recently used drumming log. A Grulla Armas 20-gauge shotgun looks nice, too.

Every guiding day includes a break about mid day. Chairs are unfolded and a cooler full of water and soft drinks is opened. In addition, big, tasty sandwiches, plenty of side dishes and homemade treats are unpacked from the picnic basket.

When hunters stop for lunch, dogs get a rest, too. Jim waters Sam while Roxie, Casey and Morris relax.

Even guides need a break!

Ken and Northwoods Prancer pose with a perfectly retrieved woodcock after a beautiful afternoon in the woods.

A favorite part of the day is cocktail hour when hunters and guides gather in front of the fire at Bowen Lodge.

Gail always sets a beautiful table for dinner in the lodge.

In the lodge, a setter naps in the shadow of a bronze grouse sculpture after another fabulous day in the woods.

Many of the photographs were taken by Ken Taylor. Thank you!

2012 hunting reports from clients

Chris’ lap is the perfect spot for Piper after a good day in the woods.

October must be every grouse hunter’s favorite month. With careful planning and hopefully without endangering any careers, many spend more days in the woods than in the office. Despite some rather discouraging spring drumming counts and early season predictions, friends and clients of ours are enjoying excellent hunting. Grouse dogs seem pretty happy, too!

From Chris
Piper, Setter Female, whelped May 15, 2010, Blue Riptide x Blue Ghost
Roy, Setter Male, whelped March 12, 2012, Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis

Perfect day. Limit of grouse and woodcock by 3:30, and that is with a 2-hour lunch. Roy is having lots of fun. Two beautiful solo woodcock points this morning…He is extremely stylish and tall on his points. He was also able to hunt dead on 4-5 birds and had fun with a wing flapping grouse. I think he might be in puppy heaven.

Roy is tired but stares devotedly at Chris.

Piper is hunting extremely well and finding birds at an amazing rate, despite her tendency to range more than I would like. She has become very proficient at pointing birds in trees, which is fun and entertaining even though I don’t shoot birds out of trees.

…three pairs of hunters had a combined 36 grouse flushes in 2 hours last evening. In the light rain this morning, I had 11 flushes in two hours before heading home.

Ryan is proud of Biscuit on her second season in the woods.

From Ryan
Biscuit, Setter Female, whelped January 1, 2011, Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis

It gave me great pleasure being able to tell people that I had limited or nearly limited most days. I would agree that the count was down in the area but for someone with pointing dogs and the willingness to walk there were birds to be had.

From Mike
Sue, Setter Female, whelped June 18, 2011, Blue Shaquille x Houston’s Belle’s Choice

Had Sue out several times this weekend and she might be the smartest dog I’ve ever owned….I hope her range extends a little. About 75 yards right now but the way my legs feel this morning that might be good.

Ken and his son with a nice day’s work by Tia, at rest in the background.

From Ken
Tia, Setter Female, whelped January 1, 2011, Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis

Last weekend between grouse and woodcock I bet I saw 40 birds in six hours of walking. This weekend maybe 20 or 25. There were good shots on about half or a third of them. Tia has been doing great. She’ll hold some woodcock three feet off the end of her nose (and bump others). She might point a grouse from 30-40 feet away or more if the wind is right.

From Mel
Jake, a French Brittany we had in for puppy foundation training

Thought you might be interested in an update on Jake’s maiden trip for grouse & woodcock yesterday. He pointed or flushed over a dozen birds, found 3 downed birds including one point a second time before it tried to crawl under a log, when he grabbed it by the tail feathers. He had no problem holding the points and responded well to whoa commands. He had enthusiasm and energy to hunt all day so I am quite pleased for his first time out.

For a seven-month-old puppy, Snicker shows remarkable maturity and beautiful style on a woodcock.

From Bart
Snicker, Setter Male, whelped March 12, 2012, Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis

Yesterday was the pheasant tournament that I sponsor through our company…..I couldn’t believe what a fantastic job he did. He quartered in front of all of us (most of the time) like he had been doing it for years and if I needed him to come back in closer he responded to my whistle commands with very little repeats. It was windy and the birds were moving around a bit and it was thrilling for me to watch him as he very carefully worked into the bird. He never bumped a one.

I was also amazed at how well he marks downed birds . . . even those that were out 35-40 yards he was at the fall quickly and it was a thrill I will never forget to see him deliver, to my hand, 11 big roosters.

From Brad
Tana, Setter Female, whelped March 12, 2012, Northwoods Blue Ox x Northwoods Chablis

Tana and I went on a long hunt. 21 grouse contacts and 2 woodcock. I thought she did great! Saturday we hunted about 5 hours and covered 6 miles and even though we took breaks, I gave her Sunday off….though I’m sure she would have rather gone out again.

She ranged well and checked in with me to stay in contact. I was also impressed with how she already seems to know birdy cover. When we would cross through some open maple stands she would beeline for an alder thicket or edge created with fir trees, etc. ,and ignore the open areas.