Blue Chief (1996 – 2008)

I had always dreamed of owning a classic grouse dog—like the ones in the  old paintings.  It would be an even-masked, tri-color setter male with a blocky build.  He would be big and powerful with a square head and deep brown eyes. He would be a strong bird finder and would naturally back and retrieve.

My dream came true with Blue Chief.

Chief was whelped on a fitting day in September 1996—the grouse hunting opener.  Since his dam, Finder’s Keeper, seemed a little more distressed than usual before I went to bed, I got up and checked every two hours.  At 4 a.m., Annie, a pointer who was kenneled next to Keeper, was barking at a tiny, even-marked male puppy that had wriggled into her run.  I quickly placed him in the heated whelping nest and Keeper promptly took over.

From that auspicious beginning, Chief matured into one of the finest grouse dogs I’ve ever owned.  He had uncanny, raw, bird-finding talent.  He was one of those dogs that made finding and pointing grouse look so easy that you wonder why other dogs struggle with it.  Chief always hunted with a strong, smooth stride and a high head.

Chief was never a field trial champion—perhaps due in part that he was always  competing against other outstanding dogs from our kennel—his litter sister, CH A Rolling Stone and his two half-siblings, CH Blue Smoke and CH Blue Streak.  He was named closest to the winner in several championships, including the Grand National Grouse Championship.  As befitted his natural talent, Chief found birds in almost every trial, whether in Minnesota, Michigan or Pennsylvania.  Perhaps his finest shows included two nine-find performances at the Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship.

Chief also had the amazing and uncommon knack to pass his natural abilities to his progeny.  Litter after litter of “Chief Puppies” produced excellent hunting dogs, and given the opportunity, field trial competitors.  Some of his offspring include CH Regal Blue, RU-CH Neil’s First Rate, RU-CH Governor Sam Houston that, along with Slate Brook Ford, won the prestigious Pennsylvania One-Hour Derby Classic.  Most puppies matured into exceptional hunting dogs, though, and not a fall goes by that I don’t hear from several happy owners about hunts over their “Chief Puppies.”

I have many fabulous memories of Chief, such as the day a client apparently missed a nicely pointed woodcock.  Ten minutes later, as Chief was crossing the path, I noticed something different about his muzzle and called him in. He had tucked that woodcock into his mouth while continuing to hunt. When he gave the bird to me it was in perfect condition, although a little soggy.

Another occasion he was running in the National Amateur Grouse Championship in Marienville, Pennsylvania.  Birds were hard to find and near the end of his hour he pointed in a good looking location.  As the judge and I walked in to flush, the gallery started yelling, “Bear, bear!”  I never did see or hear the bear, but apparently Chief and the judge did as both took off in opposite directions as fast as they could.

Chief made everything easy for me. Almost without effort, he found and pointed grouse.  He naturally backed and retrieved with a soft mouth.  He hunted hard and wide, yet handled kindly.  He had a sweet disposition and almost never barked.  He easily bred many dams and sired almost 50 litters.

Near the end, he was happily running around the kennel yard until about a week before his death.  But his health declined rapidly due to a fast-growing tumor and, once again, Chief made the final decision easy.

Thank you, Chief, for a dream come true!

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