Posts Tagged ‘Brittany’
Dog of the Day: “Brandy”
Monday, April 29th, 2013
Arlen Winter from Conway, Arkansas and his Brittany, “Brandy,” annually pheasant hunt at his family farm in South Dakota’s Hand County. “I always bring seven to eight good friends to the hunt every October,” he says. He considers the group, including “Brandy,” part of his family.
Have your own bird dog photo you’d like to share? Email it to Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor, at ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
Dogs of the Day: “Willie” and “Millie”
Friday, April 26th, 2013
This group of hunters depend son “Willie,” Tim Wright’s Wirehaired pointing griffon and “Millie,” Tom Howell’s Brittany. Wright and Howell, avid Pheasants Forever members from Boyne Falls, Michigan, annually make a trip to South Dakota to pheasant hunt public land in the Miller to Pierre region. Front row, from left, Tim Wright, Aaron Wright and Ruth Howell. Standing is Nathan Howell, left, and Tom Howell.
Have your own bird dog photo you’d like to share? Email it to Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor, at ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
Dog of the Day: “Twenny”
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
Dorin Stanciu’s female Brittany, “TwentyGauge,” call name “Twenny,” has pointed from the day he picked her up from the breeder. “When she was a puppy, her attention span was about three-fourths of a second, but she would stay on point for more than a minute,” he says. A natural bird finder, pointer and retriever, “Twenny” is equally adept in the uplands as well as the water. “I was very lucky with this dog, she gets the job done, and has a heck of a good time doing it,” Stanciu says.
Editor’s Note: Picture from hunting preserve where hens were legal take.
Have your own bird dog photo you’d like to share? Email it to Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor, at ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
Dog of the Day: “Slim” in S.D.
Thursday, March 14th, 2013
Wade Myers and his Brittany, “Slim,” made the trip from Waukee, Iowa to South Dakota for the 2012 pheasant hunting opening weekend. “Slim did an awesome job as usual,” Myers said.
Have your own bird dog photo you’d like to share? Email it to Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor, at ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
Dog of the Day: “Abby,” 2-Year-Old Brit
Tuesday, March 5th, 2013
Josh Hoops’ “Abby” is a 2-year-old Brittany and she’s picking up this hunting thing pretty quick. “She’s learning more every time she goes,” he says.
Have your own bird dog photo you’d like to share? Email it to Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor, at ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
Dog of the Day: Tireless “Tilly” in S.D.
Thursday, February 7th, 2013
Unlike the car pictured, Chad Ganfield’s 4-year-old Brittany, “Tilly,” has a motor that won’t quit. “After a long day of hunting, she was still ready to go,” he says.
Have your own bird dog photo you’d like to share? Email it to Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor, at ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
Dog of the Day: “Ringo,” Star Bird Finder
Tuesday, January 29th, 2013
“Ringo” is Jason Pennese’s year-and-a-half-old Brittany. The pup did quite well on his first trip out west. “And to be honest, he did have some help from my friend John McCumber and his German shorthaired pointer, ‘Tucker,’ who is a veteran and taught the young pup a lesson or two,” says Pennese. Looks like a lesson learned!
Have your own bird dog photo you’d like to share? Email it to Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor, at ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
Dog of the Day: “Annie-O,” Bird Finding Machine
Monday, January 21st, 2013
Annie Oakley, or “Annie-O” for short, is a Brittany pup belonging to the Taylor family – Brian and Kristen – from Oakley, California. “She is seven months old and is a bird finding machine!” Kristen says, “Everyone underestimated her because of her age, but was blown away at how well she hunts the field.” Annie-O pointed Kristen to her very first pheasant this season.
Have your own bird dog photo you’d like to share? Email it to Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor, at ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
Dog of the Day
Friday, January 11th, 2013
Pheasants Forever member John Bilski’s fine 2-year-old Brittany, “Bailey,” first pointed, and then tracked down this Calumet County, Wisconsin rooster. The wing shot rooster was doing what they do best: running. “I excitedly said to Bailey ‘Get ‘em! Get ‘em!’” Bilski said, “Bailey ran him down, caught him, and had a beautiful retrieve. I got down on a knee and took this photo of Bailey’s very proud moment of accomplishment.” Bilski says the pair lives to hunt. “That’s all we do every chance we can when the season is open.”
Have your own bird dog photo you’d like to share? Email it to Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor, at ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
How to Approach a Dog on Point
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
John Edstrom, PF & QF’s Merchandise Supervisor, approaches a Brittany on point
I learned to bird hunt behind a Brittany. I don’t remember my dad ever teaching me how to “approach” a pointed bird, but it has always felt natural because it’s how I got my start. What’s interesting and more than a little humorous is watching my various hunting partners the last few years who have only hunted behind flushing breeds react to my German shorthair on point.
In almost every case, I’ve witnessed “human vapor lock” as these friends look at me with twitching eyebrows, tip toe with caution as they approach the dog, then stop behind the dog and look at me again. Are they waiting for the weasel to go pop? Honest to goodness, I’ve witnessed pure fear on the face of a fellow hunter.
“When a rooster flushes in front of my Lab it’s all instinct and excitement,” one friend explained last season. “With your darned pointer, it’s like watching a Friday the 13th movie and you know Jason is around the corner with an axe.”
I’ve also been told by pointing dog purists to never walk up directly behind a pointer, but rather come in from the front or at an angle. The pointer purist worries about inadvertently causing “creeping” by approaching a dog from behind. “Creeping” being the unwanted broken point and creep forward of the dog toward the bird.
With this subject in mind, I called Purina’s “top dog” and pro trainer Bob West for his guidance on how best to approach a dog on point. “There is no clear cut, best way to approach a dog on point. You have to factor in the dog’s level of ability, the scenting conditions that day and the species of bird you anticipate being pointed to properly make the best approach for the situation,” explained West. “When hunting pheasants, it’s not uncommon for me to make a big 20 yard circled approach in front of a dog on point in an attempt to prevent a rooster from running.”
Approaching a dog on point from the front.
West went on to explain to me that he does believe young dogs could be caused to creep by approaching them from behind and an angled approach would be advised; however, he didn’t think a seasoned bird dog would be susceptible to the same problem. He stressed repeatedly in knowing your own dog’s tendencies and making the best decisions with your dog in mind rather than what some “expert” advised.
West did add that “perhaps more important than what angle to approach is the speed at which to make your approach. It’s critically important, especially with pheasants, to approach a dog on point at a pace as fast as safely possible. That bird isn’t going to hold all day and the conditions of the scent and scenario are also constantly changing for your dog.”
Lastly, West reminded me that the bird isn’t necessarily where the dog is looking. “It’s important to be ready the entire time you approach a pointed dog and be alert in all directions. The bird may be exactly where the dog is looking, but it oftentimes is not. Where the dog is looking simply is where that dog picked up the scent to lock into a point. That dog has been trained not to move any closer than the moment the scent reached a level to cause the dog to freeze. Its eyes should have nothing to do with it.”
Listen to FAN Outdoors this Thursday evening from 7PM to 9PM on www.KFAN.com
To learn more about the pointing instinct and a variety of dog training questions, tune in to FAN Outdoors radio this Thursday evening at 7:45PM (CDT) as Bob West joins the show for a live interview with me and host “The Captain” Billy Hildebrand. FAN Outdoors airs live on 100.3 FM in Minnesota and can be streamed live across the globe at www.KFAN.com.
Billy Hildebrand, host of FAN Outdoors radio, and I approach Trammell on point.
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.
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