doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What dog do you have in the hunt???

I hunt two Brittany Spaniels and two German Shorthair pointers. Brits are named Pearl and Aggie. Pearl is an all star and Aggie is doing great but still a work in progress. (BTW, Aggie is a rescue dog from American Brittany Rescue. Found on the road darn near starved.)

The Shorthairs are from champion bloodlines and a very large litter but were about to be destroyed due to a divorce situation. Best is Bette and the comer is Roxie (Rockhead!). Bette is outstanding and classic on points and retrieves. Roxie has an elegant style but a hard mouth on pickup. They are very competitive with each other.

No greater joy than a day in the field with these four dogs and my Parker repro 28 or LC 20. A hard day in the field is a pure joy!!!

Get a dog and have a hunting companion who won't criticise you too often!

Jim

In Central Europe it's usually Vizsla, Drahthaar or a Weimaraner. In America they usually provide: English Setter, English Pointer, Labrador retriever (usually for shore wildfowling). I found the Beagle most annoying, oh, that sound! I have no desire to get my own personnal companion. No noise, hair, stench,...thank God!

Pheasants and grouse in MN and SD. Preferred guns are a Tobin 16 or a Darne R10 in 12. Have been known to shoot a pump with steel when they make me do it. The dogs have all been setters, with the current edition being an English female, 6 years old last month. She doubles as my wife's pet, and is a great neighborhood dog, greets the kids at the bus stop in front of the house, and pays regular visits to both my neighbors, who encourage same. She is exactly the kind of dog I need now, sweet as the day is long, and harmless. The last Gordon setter had a mean streak, but, was a much, much better hunter. I was single then. Nobody broke into my house.

She answers to "Jippy", short for Gypsy (I think) on most days, but just about any name spoken in her general direction will get her tail wagging and her attention. She is big, rawboned and muscular, and weighs 55 lbs prior to bird season and 50 afterward. She is also a bit delicate, (especially her pads) and needs a break after the third or fourth day in the woods.

The Gordon would have hunted until he killed me. Exact same weight and build. Black pads he couldn't hurt.

This one is special because she loved my wife from the day she met her, and she still goes hunting with me. Not the best at anything, but, she tries, and gets along with my buddies male GSP. Don't underestimate how nice it is when the dogs don't fight. She is a better on pheasants then grouse, but, we get our share of both.

My dogs are the calenders of my life.
Best,
Ted

Ted,
Like your Jippy, Jas hit it off with my wife right away. She's probably closer to me than my wife, but not by much. To our good fortune, Jas is a lover not a fighter. Not a mean bone in her. She's not the ideal quail dog, but a great combination of pet and hunting partner. Afterall, 9 months out of the year, hunting is just a dream.

BTW, the little neighbor girls have taken to Jas and walk her occasionally. Having others, especially kids, like our dog makes me feel we got the right one.

I hunt grouse and ducks nearly every day with my black Lab named Jake, carrying generally---depending on the choke I anticipate needed--- SKB 20 gauge, Parker and Sauer 16 gauge, and Francotte, Fox and L.C. 12s.

Here he is. Got him from Clair Kofoed last Jan. He's our 5th setter and by far the most oppositional and challenging. He alternates between 'Dirk' the angel sweetheart dog and 'kriD' his evil twin 3 mths ago he decided he was a lap dog and spends the evening in Beth's lap now. Seems to have caught on that 'if you ain't hunting with me, you ain't hunting' and did real well the Dec. trip to KS.
All around gun: 16g 1911 OOE LC Smith .007/.014
S. Dakota/late season pheasant gun: 12g 1915 Sterly .015/.035
Low gun skeet and quail gun: 16g 1906 2E LC Smith .002/.010

Jippy's flaws in the field are mostly cosmetic-she will ford a stream to make a retrieve, even break ice on the edge to do it, but takes her time. When she points, her tail is where it is, not pointing at 12:00 every time. I've seen her on point with her tail down if she is good and tired. I can deal with these, as she is a good listener, and makes a great effort.
For reasons I can't fathom, she is a bit confused about her sexual orientation. Actually, a lot confused. She refuses to let any male dog near her when she is in heat. I used to have an elderly neutered male cat that Jippy would "practice" the male role with, much to the horror of the cat, who was too old to put up much of a fight. It got to where we could tell Jippy, "show that kitty some 'lovin" and she would practice this on command. This all happened before I was married, as you might surmise. The cat has met his reward, as well.
If I had a video, I'd be $10,000 richer. But, alas, the laughter and memories will have to suffice. Good thing, I guess.
Best,
Ted

Hunting - Minnesota uplands - ruffed grouse, wild pheasants

Dog - field bred English springer (my 4th one). Kerry is 4 years old, weighs in at 38 lbs., excellent nose, hunts hard all day and stays in range (with some whistling). She'd be better if I had put in the training time I gave her predecessor, who was my dream gun dog. But for this old hunter Kerry is plenty good enough.



I chose ESS for upland and waterfowl but no longer hunt ducks. I prefer the close partnership and quick action of a flusher, and ESS are great family pets for the 3/4 of the year when I'm not hunting.

Favorite gun: 20ga. Bernardelli Hemingway DL sideplated boxlock, 5lb. 14oz., choked Cyl. and Mod. I don't wear out my aging brain worrying about ballistics; 7/8oz #8s for grouse, 1oz #6s for pheasant is all I carry.

Grouse.....20ga Fox.....Katie Cocker.....

Great shot (and beautiful gun) Mike but Katie looks less than thrilled about the picture taking thing