I just picked up the left dog on Sunday. Smokey is quite a bit smaller than Jake, and a couple of years younger. Poor guy has been kenneled for the past two years, but I'm glad his owner finally determined he needed a better lifestyle. He's a failed Field Trial dog, registered with the FDSB. On the phone, he was described as pretty Big-Goin', but that is not the case. He's actually more of a short to medium range dog, reminding me of Brittany's I've hunted over. He has the size, energy, and personality of my previous Springer's, so I'm very happy with him.

I now have what I consider the "Perfect Brace". Jake works fairly long, and at a steady Lope, Smokey tears back-and-forth in front of me with typical smaller-dog energy and enthusiasm. Jake's point is the type with the leg-bent crouch, yet Smokey's is the head-high, straight-up tail type. It's very cool when they honor each other's points.

Rescue dogs are great.

Congrats, Ken. Nice to have two, to keep each other company.
Hope they work out real well together.

Best,
Ted

let me add my congratulations Ken as well. I envy all of you as my allergies preclude ever being able to own a dog.
Jim

Wow Ken. Smokey could be the litter mate of Zach.
Affixed to the RV but not ready to leave S. Dakota.



Got him from Dr Greg Abbott in Holton, KS when I covered for him at the Potawatomi IHS clinic in 1995

Thanks James and Ted.

Drew,

He sure looks like him. He may be related. Here's the lineage, a Long Shot possibility:

Sire: Resa's Trouble Mace.
Grandparents: Barb's Tekoa Trouble and CH Sue Maggie Sue.
G/Grandparents: Tomoka's Smokin Mike & Tekoa Mountain Liz, Sue Billie Sue & Master Mohawk Mike.

Dam: Resa's Tekoa Kate.
Grandparents: Run Plummer Bo & Susie Milo.
G/Grandparents: CH See Johnny Run & Killion Diamond Kate, River Ridge Johniejack & Milo's Tomoka Jill.

His Great-GreatGrandfather was Tekoa Mountain Sunrise, Sire of See Johnny Run.

He's got a few champions in his immediate genetics. He's neutered, but that's the way it goes.

All-in-All, a nice dog that'll be a great pet, with the added bonus of being a fine Hunter.

That's it just rub salt in the wound.

My own fault I know. You were a true gentleman giving me the opportunity to take him home.

Bill,

If you're ever ready, I'll find one for you. It seems I have a Knack.

German Shepherds are great dogs. The one's my neighbors had in Germany were incredible. As were the other sporting dogs (Shorthairs, Drahthaars, etc) other's had. They only have the one shortcoming, having to do with feathers...

Yep. Zach had some Tekoa Mountain Sunrise.

Pointing the elusive Kansas yard deer

Ken,
My male my be lacking feathers, but he is hell on squirrels. I use to pay my son $2.00 apiece to shoot the squirrels and keep them at a manageable level. Last year I had to take a loan out to pay him. Now that I found out the Shepherd can catch them, I turned the duties over to him. Only down side is my wife has to wrestle the squirrels away from the dog when he is using them for a chew toy in the back yard.

When I get the ok for #3 I'll definitely take you up on the offer and make the long range road trip to Iowa.

Drew, that's great.

They have the same type of Point. Smokey has quite a bit more black on his back. He's also got some scattered orange (lighter than Liver, more like a Brittany type color) on his front and forelegs.

You can tell he's been kenneled for a long time, he "poops out" quickly. With an hour of work daily, he'll be ready for Fall.

Now I'm like Ted, I'm "counting the days".....

SQUIRRELS!! The middle dog was Zach's deaf sister Abby. "Free" dog must have cost me $3000 in vet bills, eaten dog boxes, buckets and rubbermaid stock tanks. Came home one afternoon and she'd eaten the plastic handle off the outside faucet, turning the water on full in the process. One morning before church found her stripping the lattice work off the fence. She was a sweetheart though.

If and when the day comes, plan on a September-October time frame. Our Pheasant numbers are still low, but I can offer some very exciting Snipe hunting. Snipe and Doves offer the most opportunity these days in Eastern Iowa.

Your dog would love my yard, but my philosophy is to feed the squirrels to keep'em from getting into trouble. They're to the point that they'll take peanuts off my shoes. I don't have the heart to hurt the little buggers. They also keep my dogs on their toes.

Never found Snipe to be real tasty. I did see a couple one time when I went over to the parachute shop on base and asked for 50ft of flight line.

If multiple quail are coveys are snipe, snipers or snipes?

Ahhhh,

It seems like every time I kept a Springer pup I lost a piece of furniture. I used to have a pair of high winged-backed chairs with the most beautiful Grouse pattern you've ever seen. I lost each of'em to a pup, four years apart. Why them?

You always have to forgive a lot with dogs, but it's really a small price to pay.

Smokey has never lived inside. He thinks the TV is a window, like my Springers who would see a Pheasant walking across the screen and go to the next window to see where it went. He's also fascinated by a fish tank I have with a large Goldfish in it. You can see I'm single, I can keep an aquarium for Golden Shiners in my Living Room in anticipation of the next fishing trip.

It's a "Walk", or "Wisp" of Snipe. "Bevy" is also used for Quail. Snipe are very strong tasting, but marinated, smoked breast of Snipe wrapped in bacon is pretty tasty. Kind'a like Dove or Canada Goose. Especially after two or three Martinis..

You put'em in the smoker before you start making the Martinis...

I always thought snipe were southern woodcock.

You're not too far off. I've occasionally shot Woodcock at the area I hunt Snipe at. It's a large river bottom, bordered by wooded hills. It all depends if they're "down" or not ....

Funny stuff. When I lived in Abilene, buddies use to tell their wifes we were going snipe hunting. Code for a road trip. You know you could only hunt them at night.

Then when in Louisiana, I found out they really did exist. Fun to shoot. They moved like a bat and were very hard to hit. Never put any on the grill.

I started hunting them in the late 1970's, when I was still in High School. At my hunting area, I always used to (and usually still do) burn two boxes of shells before I'd get my limit. I think I'm one of the very few that hunt them. I've never seen anyone else doing it, and my spot is a very large public hunting area.

They're much more fun to hunt with a dog and a double, as opposed to a bag.

Ken, one of the four setters I have owned so far was a rescue. I got him when he was almost ten and had him for four more great years. He too had never spent a day indoors, lived his whole life at stud in a kennel. Wind'em was utterly clueless when I brought him home, in a completely charming way. He's the guy on the right. The one on the left, Scout, is the hunter. LOL

Canvasback,

Good for you. I take great satisfaction that virtually all the dogs I've had that I didn't breed myself were dogs that needed a good home. Especially the older dogs that were running out of options or were stuck in bad or poor situations. All responded well to attention and care, and were trainable. I hope others see these threads and make the decision to provide a home for these "Hard Luck" dogs. Especially the mature ones. I'll echo what King Brown said in an earlier thread, "Without a dog and gun I'm lost". ("Dogs" is even better, as well as "guns")

It's well worth it.

Very nice picture.

Regards
Ken

Thanks for the setter pictures; they are indeed the most beautiful of dogs! I've owned one and hunted with several over the years. Always loved'em...Geo

Thanks for the kind words Ken. I'm loving that picture in the OP. Smokey has that stare!

All I can add is that I am so glad I did take that dog home. My dogs are as much pets as hunting dogs and Wind'em really added to our lives. I highly recommend looking for a dog that needs a home. I'll do it again when the right opportunity presents itself.

Dogs are kind'a like Old Doubles. Sometimes the one's that need the most attention are the most irresistable.

There's only one thing better than a brace of Gun Dogs. A threesome..

Smokey has discovered a very convenient household fixture, at exactly the right height, that he thinks is a great water bowl that always has fresh water in it. Not necessarily a bad thing, as he has a tendency to either knock over, or attempt to climb into the other water bowls.