Category: Dogs in general
Holy cow! Next time you hunt farmland make sure a pesticide wasn’t recently applied (maybe some of you check every time? let us know). Unfortunately, some South Carolina hunters weren’t aware of a recent pesticide application, and four dogs – no breed mentioned – paid the ultimate price. Highlights from this article: > A group […]
Ran across a dog eulogy recently written by Eric Sharp of the Detroit Free Press that’s one of the best pieces of dog/bird writing we’ve ever read. Titled “Goodbye to Ghost, the bird dog with the finest nose I’ve ever encountered,” it’s about a friend’s “phenomenal” English setter, named Ghost, who after 12 years had […]
by One of our buddies The electronic collar is one of the greatest inventions that anybody who wants to train a dog could ever wish for. But if used improperly, it can ruin a potentially good dog even more quickly than it can aid in eliminating unwanted behaviors. It’s a training tool for reinforcement of […]
by A buddy of ours There’s one critical concept to remember as you prepare to take a young pointing dog afield for its first season: Those first few hunts are for the dog, not you. Over the past 150 years or so, many great dogs have been developed through exposure to only wild birds. That’s […]
by: That same buddy o’ ours! Last time we discussed getting your dog into optimum physical condition prior to the start of a new hunting season. Now we’ll tackle getting him “back on his game.” A pointing dog that hasn’t participated in any hunting-related activities for several months can easily backslide. For example, his manners […]
by: A buddy of ours! Upland bird hunting is a team sport, and the dog is definitely the athlete in that equation. And just like human athletes, our canine “teammates” benefit greatly from a good preseason conditioning program. If you haven’t started your dog on such a program yet, now would be a good time. […]
Mark Banker, senior biologist for the Ruffed Grouse Society, has sent out a couple emails now about this. His latest is:
Bob St. Pierre is an entertaining writer. We’re enjoying his stuff in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Here are a couple excerpts from his latest bird-related post, which is definitely worth a full read: > I encounter a “Rooster” every year. The problem with the name surfaces any time you hunt pheasants in a group. The dog’s owner shouts […]
Just read this article on hunting ruffies in MN this year. So much of it, while well-intentioned, is wrong. Here goes: > The good news is, counts were up 34 percent this spring in parts of northern Minnesota. Counts remained stable in southern Minnesota. This COULD mean that there’s more easy birds (young ones) early […]
Lessons from 2012 Maine-NH Hunt
Don’t know if we’ve fully recovered yet from our not-quite-a-week of hunting Maine and New Hampshire for ruffies and woodies. We all actually bailed 2 days early, having put in 5 consecutive days instead of our usual 7. Felt like wimps about it, but hey, we were BEAT…from 5 days of the most brutal hunting […]
No Grouse Comeback in SW Penn?
Sounds like ruffed grouse will never be as much a part of the landscape of southern Pennsylvania as they once will. “Never” sounds ominous. Permanent. But that’s the conclusion of an article by Bob Frye in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Why should you care if you don’t live or hunt in PA? Reasons: > Pennsylvania is […]
Hey: All Ruffies Drum Differently!
Did you know that? Not until now…. This info won’t help us hunting, but it’s interesting – and makes sense. Here’s more, from newscientist.com: Male ruffed grouse are the first animals known to make unique non-vocal sounds. Humans and many other animals, particularly birds, can be identified by their voices. But no one had looked […]
Ran across this quote from an article about Iowa’s pheasant count: > “I haven’t even gone pheasant hunting the last couple of years because the birds just weren’t there,†said Tim Wolf, a 61-year-old bank president who lives in Waukee. YES THEY WERE! They most definitely were there. Maybe not like this… > “But I’ve […]
Top 10 Reasons To Go to Phez Fest
Pheasants/Quail Forever’s Pheasant Fest/Quail Classic is coming up soon at KC, MO (see info in right column), and just in case you’re thinking it’s too far or whatever, here are the Top 10 – really just 10 of many – reasons to go. We’re doing it Letterman-style, 10 to 1. 10. What else are you […]
Across the Pond Bird Follies, Vids
Ah the UK, the land that gave the world 17 pieces of silverware on the table, animal rights and other questionable stuff. Okay, it wasn’t all bad – that’s where our bird hunting came from too. But it’s different here…or there, depending on your perspective. Here’s some recent bird news plus some interesting vids. Katie […]
Do Congress, Tea Party Hate Pheasants?
We make it a point to try not to get suckered by political hoo-ha, so that’s not what this is about. We ran across a blog post on the Discovery-owned treehugger.com titled “Why Does Congress Hate Pheasants?” and a related one, “Do Tea Party, Heritage Foundation Oppose Hunting?” Interesting stuff, written by the same gent, […]
Quail, the most beleaguered of our beloved gamebirds, is getting a helping hand in Kansas. Or rather, a bigger helping hand. The state just announced that it’s “launching a new quail restoration initiative aimed at making a difference in declining bobwhite quail populations at a landscape level.” Here’s more: > Includes the designation of two […]
Worms and Birds: What Else Don’t We Know?
Believe we’ve talked about this at least once, but a recent Wall Street Journal article on the plight of Texas quail got us thinking about it again. Here’s the applicable stuff: …Rolling Hills Quail Research Ranch, a 4,700-acre spread an hour west of Abilene. Last month, researchers there found that the levels of parasitic worms […]
Top 10 Reasons To Go to Phez Fest
Pheasants/Quail Forever’s Pheasant Fest/Quail Classic is coming up soon at KC, MO (see info in right column), and just in case you’re thinking it’s too far or whatever, here are the Top 10 – really just 10 of many – reasons to go. We’re doing it Letterman-style, 10 to 1. 10. What else are you […]
Lone Star Outdoor news recently carried an article on a speech given by Dr. Dale Rollins of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch near Rotan, Texas. Seems that a major threat to quail, at least in the Lone Star state, may be an eyeball worm. News to us! Highlights: > Especially mysterious were the continued […]
