Northwoods Bird Dogs is justifiably proud of its breeding program of English setters and pointers. What began as a lark to win field trials has developed into a part of the business that not only ensures the future of the program but supplies passionate hunters nationwide with its preeminent puppies and trained dogs.
The first setter litter Jerry and Betsy bred in 1995 was a fortuitous pairing that produced both CH Blue Streak and CH Blue Smoke. They chose CH Dance Smartly, their pointer champion, as the dam for the first pointer breeding in 1997. Now, some 28 years, 80 litters and 500 puppies later, Jerry and Betsy are producing their eighth of generation of setters and sixth generation of pointers.
So many setters have contributed to the Northwoods’ line that it’s difficult to list them all. A partial list includes males Blue Chief, Blue Shaquille, Northwoods Blue Ox and Northwoods Grits and females Blue Streak, Blue Silk, Blue Blossom, Houston’s Belle, Houston’s Belle’s Choice, Northwoods Chardonnay, Northwoods Chablis, Northwoods Carly Simon, Northwoods Nickel, Northwoods Minerva and Northwoods Valencia.
The pointer line continues from Dance Smartly through her son Dasher and subsequent females Northwoods Prancer, Northwoods Vixen and Northwoods Comet.
A limited number of litters is planned each year. Some puppies are available for sale while others will be owned and trained by Northwoods Bird Dogs.
Listed below is information about three setter litters and and one pointer litter planned for 2025. Particulars include photographs and details about sires and dams and pedigrees of the litters.
Setter litters for 2025 are fully reserved. There is limited availability for pointer puppies. Please Contact Us for more information.
Big Big Energy x Northwoods Stardust Pedigree
Big Big Energy (RU-CH Northwoods Atlas x Clover Valley’s Millie, 2022) is a tricolor male with a black patch on the left side of his head. He is athletically built with good conformation and weighs about 48 lbs. Energy (call name Lotto) is a strong, forward-running bird-finder with a calm disposition and is attractive both pointing and backing. He developed early, winning the MN/WI Cover Dog Derby of the Year award while still a puppy. Lotto comes from a stellar litter; two of his siblings have been regularly winning derby stakes as well.
Northwoods Stardust (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2019), photo above, weighs 44 lbs. and has a white body with a beautiful, evenly masked, tricolor head. She is attractive in motion and runs with a smooth, easy gait. Stardust (call name Dusty) was pointing wilds birds until flush during her first hunting season. With her head high, she is easy to pick out on point, showing tremendous loftiness and intensity on point. She is a natural backer and hunts at a medium range.
Dusty has a wonderful, sweet temperament and is quiet and calm in the kennel. She is out of the third Prometheus x Carly Simon, an excellent pairing. Her first litters by Northwoods Grits, RU-CH Northwoods Atlas and May’s Pond Hank were outstanding and no less is expected from this litter.
Stardust is expected to be bred in spring 2025.
CH / 2X RU-CH Miller’s Upgraded Version x Northwoods Confidante Pedigree
Miller’s Upgraded Version (CH Just Irresistible x RU-CH Miller’s Bring The Heat) is a handsome orange-and-white dog that weighs about 50 lbs. Version (call name Dan) has a tremendous disposition, is well conformed and performs as well as he looks. Not only is his dam a runner-up champion but the phenomenal breeding to Just Irresistible was repeated three times. Of the 20 puppies whelped, 17 are have championship placements. His siblings include National Champion Miller’s Blindsider and National Shooting Dog CH Senah’s Unfinished Business. In addition to his championship wins, Dan has many other placements in field trials. But perhaps most importantly, he passes his excellent qualities, as well as those of his strong gene pool, to his puppies. So far, Dan has produced 25 pups with 116 wins, including six futurity winners. Our 2024 breeding of Dan to Northwoods Comet produced gorgeous, smart, bird-finding puppies with a tremendous want-to-please attitude.
Northwoods Confidante (HOF CH True Confidence x Red Sunshine) is an orange-and-white female that weighs 44 lbs. She is mostly white with orange ticking. Confidante (call name Sophie) is inherited many characteristics of her HOF CH sire True Confidence. She is muscular and stout yet athletic and graceful. She is lofty and stylish whether on point or backing. Sophie is a focused, strong, wild bird finder. She has a friendly, out-going temperament with a want-to-please attitude. Confidante has been hunted on ruffed grouse, woodcock, sharp-tailed grouse, Hungarian partridge and bobwhite quail.
Confidante is expected to be bred in spring of 2025.
May’s Pond Hank x Northwoods Four Roses Pedigree
May’s Pond Hank (I’m Southern Style x A Tarheel Pretty Penny) is a white and orange dog with dark eyes and nose. He is solidly built, displays ideal conformation and weighs about 50 lbs. He is a strong, front-running bird-finder and is the top dog in the mostly pointer hunting string at May’s Pond Plantation near Thomasville, Georgia. He has a want-to-please attitude and an affectionate disposition. Hank’s work ethic and bird-finding ability is truly impressive. His first puppies out of Northwoods Stardust were pointing and backing on sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge at five months of age.
Northwoods Four Roses (CH Rufus Del Fuego x Northwoods Valencia, 2021) weighs 40 lbs. and has a white body with a beautiful, evenly masked, tricolor head. She is strong in motion and runs with a smooth, easy gait. She naturally backs and retrieves. Four Roses (call name Rose) was pointing ruffed grouse her first season and naturally held to the flush. She has been hunted on sharp-tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge as well as being a member of the Georgia bobwhite quail hunting string.
In the kennel, Rose’s disposition is a 10; she is as calm as a dog can be and gets along with every dog in the kennel.
Four Roses is expected to be bred in spring 2025.
CH Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock x Northwoods Snow Bunny Pedigree
Erin’s Three Leaf Shamrock (CH Erin’s Hidden Shamrock x Northwoods Chardonnay, 2015) is a mostly white dog with a tricolor mask on the left side of his head. He is solidly built, well-conformed and weighs about 50-lbs. He has a beautiful gait and is lofty and stylish on point. Shamrock is a two-time winner of the Elwin G. Smith Setter Award given annually to the winningest English setter in Open Shooting Dog field trials.
Northwoods Snow Bunny (CH Ponderosa Mac x Northwoods Redbreast, 2022) weighs 39 lbs. and has a white body with dark nose and eyes. She is attractive in motion, runs with a smooth, easy gait and handles easily. She is intense on point and naturally backs. She has pointed wild birds in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Montana and Georgia. Bunny has a friendly disposition and is quiet and clean in the kennel.
Snow Bunny is expected to be bred in spring 2025.
