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

Happy home for Riptide x Ghost puppy

"We hope you are staying cool amidst the muggy, tropical assault August has unleashed on us.  Although you are probably not losing any sleep worrying about Piper, we thought an update was in order..

"In short, she is doing extremely well. She loves her kennel and riding in the car.  We have taken her to multiple places, including visiting emotionally disturbed children at a therapy center, Game Fair, the beach, dog parks and many visits with my niece and nephew (7 and 5 years old).  She has gone swimming in the Mississippi, Kinnikinnic, Willow and St.Croix rivers, and loves wading along the shore.

"She makes eye contact and wants to be w us – her temperament is sweet and well-balanced and bomb-proof.  As Roberta proclaims on a regular basis "she is basically and unequivocally and undisputedly the very best dog in the entire world and she couldn’t be more loved."

"When she is not sleeping in her crate or eating, her days are spent playing with the other dogs and going for multiple walks.  Each 20-30 minute walk usually begins heading up the driveway, with much time spent chasing and pointing butterflies in the adjacent pasture."

Chris