doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com looking to get an English Setter, need suggestions

I would like to get an English Setter and would appreciate any pros and cons of breeders that you know. I would like a dog for hunting grouse, woodcock, and maybe a pheasant hunt every few years. I need soemthing that would hunt fairly close and slow.

I am in northern MN and ideally would like to find a puppy in MN, WI, or IA, but open to anything. Been looking at web sites, but have no idea who is good for me. In the past I have owned A LOT of dogs, but they were running dogs, tree dogs, and cow dogs. This will be my first bird dog. Not looking to spend the price of a new double shotgun here, just want a puppy out of solid hunting stock.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Marc:

They are in Arkansas though, but check with Drenda at http://www.llewellin.com. She has been most helpful in my attempt at searching for a Tricolor Belton female.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Hi Marc:

Post your question on UPLANDJOURNAL.COM There are many good people who will be willing to give you advice.

Good luck,

Franchi

You will not go wrong with a dog from this Gal. I love mine.
http://www.beirlsetters.com/Index2.html
She's in Wisconsin also.

Also, this place in Minn.
http://www.setterhills.com/

Not sure ES would do it, they are running dogs. Slow ES is bad hunting dog.
You need German drathaar or kurzhaar I believe.

I recently picked up my first hunting dog, an English Setter.

I got her from a friend in Michigan on the advice of other friends. I wish I could help you out, but I am such a newbie at this my advice wouldn't be worth much.


I did spend that weekend hunting the entire time over the setters of friends. Great fun but some of them are big runners!

Geno is on the right track. A setter is going to range. You may want to consider a Brit. Spaniel.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Britany is a very good hunting dog, works pretty close, but he's not slow at all, I'd say vice versa

First of all most English Setters in the Northeast are breed for grouse and woodcock. That means a close working dog. If you get a puppy that is your job to make him stay close. The other thing is that for grouse as soon as he gets the scent he has to point, no creeping, and that is your job also. As few have posted there are good breeders in your state. I highly recommend a dog that was bred from the DeCoverly Kennels in Pa. Also Pinecobles in N.Y. near Copperstown. Both breeders the lineage goes back to Ryman's Old Hemlock, and for Pinecobles also goes to Aspenglow, I believe they are either Wi. or Minn.
Picture of 16 month old Max from both of those kennels. Wieghs 65.7 lbs and is 27" at the shoulders.



First male I have ever owned, and I think he is going to be good. Very smart.

Remember, you can always get a dog to hunt close, but not the other way around.

If hunting just pheasants, you might find 1 out of 100 pointing type dogs that can do the job right. Flushing type or retrievers are the best, and I'm not talkling the pen-reared pheasants you see on most shows.

If you go to the website that Dave M posted, Setter Hills. You will see that their breeding stock is from Pinecobles.

Thanks for the info and please keep suggestions coming!

A friend, and member of this board, in WI has an English setter and he reccomended the Ryman and Old Hemlock as well. He warned me that competition bloodlines would be speed demons, which is not what I am after.

How popular are English Setters these days? I did a search on this site before asking my question, but I only got about a dozen hits from the past year. I figured they would have been mentioend more than that.

JDW-

What did you mean by, "Remember, you can always get a dog to hunt close, but not the other way around" ? I have never owned a bird dog, so I am very green at this. Used to own between 15 and 25 dogs at any one time for many years, but most were running dogs.