Grouse Champion Blue Streak (1995 – 2006)

CH Blue Streak, Betsy and Jerry, 2002

Experienced field-trial people have said, “Give a dog a name to live up to.” Betsy and I can certainly vouch for its truth. We named a spirited, feisty, black-and-white setter female Blue Streak.

Streak was a 35-lb. bird dog that lived for the hunt. She had endless stamina and an uncommon level of focus when hunting. She was sure and intense on point and no cover, from Minnesota and the Dakotas to Pennsylvania and Texas, ever deterred her. She was calm in the house but a whirlwind in the field.  She was a fierce trial competitor and an outstanding grouse hunting dog.

Streak’s breeding

Blue Streak was whelped in our first litter in June 1995 out of Spring Garden Tollway (Charlie) and Finder’s Keeper (Sparks). The litter contained five males and three females including future grouse champion Blue Smoke and the outstanding Oklahoma quail dog, Colonel. Five developed parvovirus at five weeks but all survived without ill effects. Streak was the smallest in the litter and, early on, we nick-named her “Little.” We tried several times to change it but nothing else seemed to stick. Little it was.

We were neophytes in dog breeding but felt we had a unique nick with Charlie and Sparks—both out of Jack LeClair’s Spring Garden Kennel. Charlie was beautifully conformed and it clearly showed in his stamina and strength. He was fast, also, and could run like the wind. In fact, to this day, he was as much dog as I have owned and it took me several years to get him under control. While hunting grouse in northern Minnesota one fall, a friend asked if I’d ever hunted grouse in Canada. I said, “No, but I think Charlie has!”

Sparks was a medium-sized, chestnut-and-white female that was an outstanding wild bird dog with excellent instincts around game.

Early Years
Streak never acted like a carefree puppy. When Betsy and I took the litter out for romps in the woods, she was serious and hunted with focus and determination. This continued as she matured and, ultimately, she pursued anything—birds, rabbits and deer. Deer became her bane. Streak chased so much, so far and for so long that she became lost, occasionally even, overnight. Her record was three days and three nights in Michigan when I lost her at the Lakes States Grouse Championship.

Due to this deer-chasing proclivity, there was a three-year gap between Streak’s last derby placement and her first win as a shooting dog. She and I worked hard and, finally, in the spring of 2000, it started to pay off and Streak began the first of her two “streaks.”

2000

CH Blue Streak and Jerry, 2000

•    Won the Region 19 Walking Shooting Dog Championship (30 entries)

•    Placed in the next five shooting dog stakes

Streak’s second “streak” was even more impressive. We entered her in six championships and she placed in five—an incredible series of wins. Consequently, she earned several prestigious awards.

2001

Streak earned an invitation to the 2001 Grand National Grouse & Woodcock Invitational Championship. Betsy and I traveled to Marienville, Pennsylvania, where, over the course of three exciting days, she went head-to-head with the best grouse dogs in the country, including three-time-Invitational winner, CH Centerfold Rose. Streak and Rose were the only two dogs in the call-back on the final day. When the dust settled, Rose was named champion and the runner-up was Streak.

•    Runner-up Grand National Grouse & Woodcock Invitational

•    Runner-up in the National Amateur Grouse Championship

•    Won the Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship

•    Won the Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship

•    Won the Pennsylvania Grouse Championship (80-dog entry) 

2002

•    Won Michael Seminatore English Setter Award

•    Won William Harnden Foster Award

•    Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Shooting Dog of the Year

•    Won Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship

2003

•    Several local field trials

•    Minnesota/Wisconsin Cover Shooting Dog of the Year

Streak was then eight years-of-age and instead of a heavy field-trial schedule, I hunted with her and used her in our guide string. At the hunting lodge, she is now famous for leading me and their guests on some spectacular hunts into heretofore unknown territory. 

Blue Streak and Jerry, 2006

Her final competition

Something happened during the summer of 2005 when I was, as usual, out on the prairie working dogs and training them for the fall field trial and hunting season. Streak had been in semi-retirement but, out on those alfalfa fields and in those pastures, she ran and hunted at a high level, beating most of her younger brace mates. I thought, “She could still win the Grand National Grouse Championship!”

The 2005 running was held at the Gladwin grounds near Prudenville, Michigan, and Streak and I made the trip. The judges were David Grub, veteran trainer and Bird Dog Hall of Fame member, and Rob Frame, a competitor and judge of many grouse championships.

Streak ran in the first brace on the first day of the running. She put down a savvy, hard-hunting, forward race and had two grouse finds and one woodcock find. At the age of 10, Streak was named Runner-up Champion over a field of 81 younger entries.

2005

•    Runner-up Grand National Grouse Championship

Less than a month later, I took Streak to Texas. She hunted but with little enthusiasm and didn’t eat well. A diagnosis revealed an inoperable tumor located in her chest cavity between the heart and lungs. She died in March 2006.

Streak’s record

Streak was a 4X CH/4X R-U CH and finished her field trial career with 22 placements, all on grouse and woodcock.

•    four championships

•    four runner-up championships

•    two classic wins

•    three 1st, two 2nd and three 3rd place shooting dog placements

•    one 1st, two 2nd and one 3rd place derby placements

Streak’s legacy

CH Blue Streak

We only bred Streak twice but she left us a legacy. She produced CH Bobby Blue (owned and handled by Bob Saari), winner of the Minnesota Grouse Dog Championship and a powerful competitor, when bred to CH First Rate. We have her daughter, Blue Silk, Bobby’s littermate, and through Silk we have sons, Blue Shaquille and Northwoods Blue Ox. In addition, Blue Blossom (Tina) was whelped from Streak’s breeding to CH Grouse Hollow Gus. Tina was an excellent grouse dog and, in turn, whelped many talented grouse dogs. 

Betsy and I are now whelping litters that have Streak as a great-great-grand-dam. We will always be on the lookout for a competitive, fearless, black-and-white puppy…..that just might also be small in size.

Wile E. Bird Dog

I wonder if Max hunts with an ACME shotgun? A good quail dog, but not worth a damn for roadrunners…

How to improve your ruffed grouse shooting.

Once upon a time, in northern Wisconsin, there lived an old grouse hunter. He was known far and wide for the quantities of ruffed grouse he bagged. Rumor had it that he would go into the woods with five shotgun shells and usually return with five grouse.

This reputation spread to a small town in rural Minnesota where a young man, just learning to hunt ruffed grouse, was having a very difficult time. He could do well enough on open country pheasants and prairie grouse but ruffed grouse, with their craftiness and thunderous flight, was still beyond his abilities.

The young man heard of this legendary grouse hunter and was eager to learn the secrets of someone so successful and so traveled to northern Wisconsin. Upon meeting the grouse hunter, the young man said, “I am here to learn your secret of shooting ruffed grouse as they fly through the dense forest.”

The old grouse hunter looked at him with a quizzical expression and said, “Grouse can fly?”

Grouse hunting and guiding photos: 2010 (Part 2)

This day was a “10” for Wayne and Brian and dogs Abby and Shaq.

Brian and Mark enjoy a tasty lunch while Lucky takes a well-deserved siesta.

Jim, Roxie and Ken take a quick break. 

Jim’s dog Sam is a nine-year veteran of the grouse woods and knows how to do his job.

Oscar pins a pair of running grouse and Mike and Steve hustle to get into position for the shot.

Oscar retrieves, too.

Guide string accommodations.

Jamie and I pose CH Houston’s Belle, who at age nine has a head full of grouse sense. And, yea, Jamie shot well!

Sunsets over Lake Winnie, viewed from Bowen Lodge, is as pretty as it gets.

Let’s introduce Dan

Serendipity…fate…good timing…..or whatever one chooses to call it. Jerry and I have felt it before and we think it definitely played a part when we were looking for a solution to our employee situation.

Earlier in the fall, Jerry and I had a dilemma. Zac, our excellent and loyal employee of three years, was leaving to begin his senior year of high school. He would soon be concentrating on homework, basketball and parties (not necessarily in that order) rather than on dog training and kennel chores.

Similarly, our summer neighbor and training helper, Jeff, would be spending his days hunting grouse and woodcock. And soon after but before the first snowflakes appear, Jeff and his wife, Carol, leave for their winter home in Arizona.

Through our rural township grapevine, Jerry and I heard that a close neighbor, Dan Stadin, was retiring from his many years of service at the federal prison. We’ve known and liked Dan and his wife, Paula, for all the years we’ve lived here but little did we know the depth and breadth of his expertise and knowledge.

What we did know:

•    avid outdoorsman who fishes and hunts turkey and deer

•    has owned retrievers—at least one Labrador and a Chesapeake

•    along with other family members and friends, owns a cabin “up north”

•    drives a very cool Harley.

What we didn’t know:

•    beginning in 7th grade, bred and trained sled dogs and competed in local races

•    for many years beginning at the age of 14, had a summer job as a dock boy at a resort on the Ash River

•    earned a degree from the U of M Waseca with an emphasis on Swine Production

•    worked for a fur farm that produced mink and silver fox for pelts; skunks, raccoons and ferrets for the pet market

•    bought and ran a beef cow and horse farm; managed a hog farm or two

•    worked 20 years for the Federal Bureau of Prisons where he held several positions—his final 15 years as a Correctional Counselor.

Dan is a tremendous asset and already we see improvements in our operation. He has initiative and has taken over responsibility for feeding, watering and otherwise caring for the pigeons, quail and chukars. Dan genuinely likes animals—a trait that is reflected in his ability to relate to them. Jerry feels he has a wonderful way with the dogs.

One of Dan’s primary responsibilities this fall has been the development and training of our puppies. He’s worked them in the pasture on quail and chukars and has also taken them in the woods for training on grouse and woodcock. While Jerry spent the better part of October doing guided grouse hunts out of a lodge in northern Minnesota, Dan helped me manage the kennel.

We’re not sure who’s happier…Jerry and me because we found Dan…or Dan because he’s found a new passion…or Paula because Dan is so happy.

Grouse hunting and guiding photos: 2010 (Part 1)

Ed flushes for his setter.

Wayne’s pointer, Maggie, has a nice find.

Ron and Dave only shoot pointed birds.

Orange clothing is extremely important in this cover.

Blue Shaquille doing what he does best–find and point lots of grouse.

Amber has a grouse pointed close, but the hunter doesn’t know that.

CH Houston’s Belle at nine years of age has been doing this for a while.

There just has to be a grouse nearby….

Grouse hunting and guiding report: 2010

Blue Ghost x Blue Riptide puppies, Rosie, Piper and Sage, at five months of age.

An early leaf fall in both Minnesota and Wisconsin seems to have been beneficial to grouse and woodcock hunters. Region-wide reports from everyone—training clients, puppy buyers, dog buyers and friends—are outstanding. All are finding plenty of grouse, and the woodcock numbers are up considerably.

Weather not only has contributed to the early leaf fall but the clear, cool days make for beautiful days in the woods. Remarkably, I’ve found grouse are moving into late season habitat earlier than usual.

My dog report:

•    Guide string of CH Houston’s Belle (age 9), Blue Silk (age 10), Blue Shaquille (age 6) and Northwoods Blue Ox (age 3) are tearing up the woods and are as good as grouse dogs get. These dogs go from grouse to grouse and you better have plenty of shells when out with these dogs!

•    Three younger dogs are doing well:  Northwoods Prancer (Fallset Fate x Dashaway), Northwoods Chardonnay (Houston’s Belle’s Choice x Blue Shaquille) and Synder’s Liz (CH Magic’s Rocky Belleboa x CH Houston’s Belle)

•    Seven-month-old dogs out of Ox and Houston’s Belle’s Choice are pointing grouse.

•    Six-month-old dogs out of Ox and CH Houston’s Belle are also pointing grouse!

•    Three females are part of the same grouse hunting camp and are having a blast.

What a great year to be a grouse dog—young or old—and a grouse hunter.

A September hunt on the North Dakota prairie: 2010

I was fortunate to be invited by a friend, Frankie, to his “Grouse House” on the western prairie for a few days of sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge hunting.  Another friend, Ian, accompanied us.

Here’s the wrap-up.

•    dog power:  8 English setters, 3 German shorthaired pointers, 1 pointer.

•    sharp-tails were plentiful and lots of young birds.

•    early-season, young grouse were easy for dogs to handle.

•    numbers similar to what I remember from my last trip 15 years ago.

•    conditions were unusually cool with snow on the last day.

Pearl, Ian.

Here’s the highlights:

•    endless prairie.

•    beautiful pastures.

•    terrific dog work.

•    sharp-tail appetizers.

•    good friends and an excellent trip.

Jerry, Prancer, Ranger, Frankie.

Feeding bird dogs

Betsy and I get many inquiries about how we feed dogs to keep them healthy and in good shape. Feeding properly requires attention throughout the year but, especially now with the fall hunting season looming, a healthy dog is imperative. If your dog is overweight, the physical exercise will be hard on bones and joints and will cause premature fatigue. An underweight dog, on the other hand, will not have necessary reserves for endurance and will lack resistance to fight off maladies.

Feeding your hunting dog properly takes time and effort. Betsy and I practice what we preach and manage our dogs’ feeding programs as described below. This has worked exceptionally well for us for more than 15 years and we’re certain it will work for you, too.

Feed a premium quality food.

Reams have been written about various dog foods and it all boils down to one simple statement. Your dog is what it eats. Good dog food is balanced and nutritionally complete and is made with high-quality ingredients. Companies such as Nestle-Purina have done decades of study and research in formulating their foods and the price is worth it.

Feed the right amount at the right time.

Determining how much to feed your dog is an art that will take time and attention. Recommended feeding amounts on dog food bags are good places to start but are merely guidelines. Find out your dog’s body condition and then take into account its current activity level. Then, it’s simple:  if your dog is too heavy, reduce the portion; too light, increase it.

This brings me to another important point: Your dog should eat when you feed it. If your dog is a finicky eater and needs some enticement, try these two tricks. Add warm water and stir until a thin gravy forms. Or mix a spoonful or two of canned dog food into the bowl but then reduce the amount of dry food accordingly.

As with most things in life, timing is crucial. Nestle-Purina has conducted thorough research and their most up-to-date information on when to feed your dog is once per day. Studies show that dogs fed 24 hours before exercise had almost twice the endurance as dogs fed just 12 hours before. Nestle-Purina recommends these guidelines:

— Feed your dog 24 hours before hunting for optimum performance. Minimum time is 12 hours before.

— Feed your dog 40 – 60 minutes after it is done hunting for the day.

Use a glycogen replacement when working your dog hard.

Glycogen is one of the first forms of energy used by the working dog. Studies have shown that glycogen stores cannot be replaced in a short period of time and, further, loss of glycogen can have a negative impact on a dog’s performance. Dr. Ben J. Character, a veterinarian specializing in sporting dog issues has an excellent article on this topic called Power up: The Role of Glycogen Replacement

We have used glycogen replenishment for years. In addition, many field trial competitors use glycogen supplements for both multiple day trials and consecutive days of hard training. We buy Annamaet Glycocharge from Lion Country Supply.

Another happy home for Riptide x Ghost puppy

"Scout is doing well since we brought him home. He’s all paws, legs, and ears at this age, but he has a nose for birds as well. I attached two pictures of him pointing liberated Chukars at 10 weeks old and this morning at 13 weeks. He also loves to retrieve.

"I forgot how much work puppies are at 8 -12 weeks old. Luckily he’s very patient and quiet in his crate, staked out in the yard, and in the outdoor kennel so we get some relief from the mischief. He and our eight year old setter have pretty well sorted things out between themselves already, so that concern is over.

"So overall he’s adjusted quickly and is progressing nicely with his training."

Kindest regards,

Bill