normally i dont give a rip whether the tail is docked or not but the amount of crap Jake manages to knock over with the nub is unreal, hate to see what would happen with a full length one.....
A serious student of the "Armchair Safari" always looking for Africa/Asia hunting books
Dutch, Well, this is a loaded question. But I'm genuinely curious. Please tell me about how these dogs hunt and mark game. Do they point or flush? What sort of range do they have? They certainly look like they could hunt all day in tough cover. Makes me wonder if they wouldn't be awfully good Appalachian grouse dogs.
Oh, now you've done did it...... Just tell me to shut up when I am starting to repeat myself.
Seriously, the Drents Partridge Dogs are one of the European versatile hunters. They point, flush on command, and retrieve. Well, the good ones do.... Compare to the Small Muensterlander (Muensterland and Drenthe border each other) and the Epagneul Francais. This breed's background is essentially a farm dog that hunts. A bit less focus on pure hunting, a bit more focus on getting along with barn yard critters, kids and wives.....
This particular dog points hard, half high tail, and is pretty darn fair about getting the bird back to you. His weakness is walking birds he can see. In our woods, that means ruffed grouse. He hasn't seen enough yet to have learned that game. Huns, pheasants and sharptails, however? Yup. All day long. More information on my website, or www.DPCNA.org. Thanks for asking, Dutch.
I figure I know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. Have you hunted with Setters or Pointers? Sounds like you've described them by and large, except for the seeing/pointing issue. These dogs can see birds running in front of them, but they prefer to point than chase.
Sure, I've hunted with setters -- there's a guy locally that has some really nice Llewellyns (sp) that do real well. The guy that trains my dogs runs horse back trials with pointers. We have very good natured "discussons" over which breed is best. He even admitted once he wouldn't mind owning "knothead" above. I've even hunted with great enjoyment over a pointing lab.
The dog makes the difference, not the breed. I don't see much difference in the breeds and their hunting. The distinctions are mostly in their personalities. What I like most about these dogs is that they DON'T hunt mechanically. They have a LOT of brain that comes to play, which, I think, gives them the ability to adjust to diffent hunting circumstances. JMO, Dutch.
For my generalist hunting style, nothing beats a lab. No hair to get burrs. Big enough to swim fairly big water and retrieve geese and swans. Easy to tell when getting birdy. I like pointers for chuckar and quail, but when the brush is higher than your head a flushing dog rules. What good is a pointer when you can't see the bird after you have to get into the thick stuff to flush it out? This guy is one of the best I have seen yet and he is only 2 years old.
It is hard to beat a Boykin boys! They are great dove, duck, mountain grouse dogs and they quickly become part of the family. We are all lucky to have so many great options!
I am only certain of my identification of fairly common breeds, however. Of course the breeds (or at least what is officially recognized as one) differ between Europe and North America too.
Could folks put the name of the breed with the photo so I can improve my knowledge? (Oh, and not just the initials either!
"English" Pointer. The "English" is in quotations because these dogs are properly identified as only "Pointer". In order to avoid confusion, some folks started to use the "English" prefix even though it is a misnomer. All other pointing dogs have designations such as German Shorthair Pointer.
A friend who was an upland bird dog trainer recommended a GWP, so I listened for my first bird dog to get a hard hunter that has a pleasing disposition and is friendly around children. Great in the house and field for me. But the cockleburrs and those nasty velcro tubules in mearns country firmly attach to her 'stache, beard and brow.
For my generalist hunting style, nothing beats a lab. No hair to get burrs. Big enough to swim fairly big water and retrieve geese and swans. Easy to tell when getting birdy. I like pointers for chuckar and quail, but when the brush is higher than your head a flushing dog rules. What good is a pointer when you can't see the bird after you have to get into the thick stuff to flush it out? This guy is one of the best I have seen yet and he is only 2 years old.
I agree with you. Hard to beat a lab. My little lady is hardcore! Best marking dog I have seen. She is all business!
I am only certain of my identification of fairly common breeds, however. Of course the breeds (or at least what is officially recognized as one) differ between Europe and North America too.
Could folks put the name of the breed with the photo so I can improve my knowledge? (Oh, and not just the initials either!
John
German Shorthair Pointer(GSP), here Jake is with his partner in crime, Bear a schipperke kind of a spitz version of a terrier and herding dog rolled into one from Belgium.......Jake is smart but nothing compared to Bear....
A serious student of the "Armchair Safari" always looking for Africa/Asia hunting books
Even better. I used to have "English" beagles. Best all around dog ever as far as I'm concerned.
I have seen coon hounds get into tree fights. Pretty vicious stuff. If they can't get to the coon they attack any other dog that they think will get there before them.
And, if anyone asks, I've probably hunted every game animal possible other than cougar and leopard with a dog.
Heres my golden Sage with two grouse at camp. [img:center]http://[/img]
Heres one with her aunt Tessie. [img:center]http://[/img]
And heres one with her big sister. We decide to take sassy my rott to see what all the fun was about. Sage showed her these two roosters. [img:center]http://[/img]
Nothing like a fine shotgun and a good bird dog. Franchi Veloce O/U, 7Rm and Orvis rod.
Heres my golden Sage with two grouse at camp. [img:center]http://[/img]
Heres one with her aunt Tessie. [img:center]http://[/img]
And heres one with her big sister. We decide to take sassy my rott to see what all the fun was about. Sage showed her these two roosters. [img:center]http://[/img]
Love the grey on your girl. Its a damn shame that dogs can't live as long as you or your guns. But I figure the good Lord uses this as a teaching moment.
Nice dogs...just tagging the thread for future reference.
Same for me!
... and I do appreciate the names of the breeds so I can learn!
John
Please forgive my cultural ignorance. What kind of dogs do Swedes hunt?
I know its not the same country, but it is in your part of the world. I've had several Norwegian Elkhounds. Do you hunt these dogs? Here, we've used them to hunt squirrels and to recover big game (well, at least I have).
Nice dogs...just tagging the thread for future reference.
Same for me!
... and I do appreciate the names of the breeds so I can learn!
John
I didnt name the breeds in my pic, some may not know what the red dog is, he's a Vizsla (Hungarian pointer). most know what the other dog is, an English Pointer.
I grew up with pointers, setters, labs, beagles, and Brits, but this 'un amazed me. He would back my pointers, find and retrieve birds in briers and brambles that none of my other dogs would venture into, track and find downed deer or people, was one of the two best squirrel dogs I ever saw, was the best cattle dog that many experienced cattlemen had ever seen, was a trained Therapy Dog, and made friends and brightened the world wherever he went.
He was my constant companion and best friend and I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him. He also attracted my wonderful wife, the most awesome woman I've ever met, to me.
He passed on March 21st, 2009. I still miss him terribly, but one of his sons is stretched out on the bed beside me as I type this.
This is Bo:
He caught himself a silver 'coon:
My buddy Bo, the 85 lb lap dog:
Bring enough gun and know how to use it.
Know that it is not the knowing, nor the talking, nor the reading man, but the doing man, that at last will be found the happiest man. - Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)
My next dog will be a GSD..havent had one for 12 years, Ive worked with/Trained a bunch of them and I miss having one around... Have already put a deposit on one...but will wait for attrition....before I replace any dogs here. Skeezix must feel the same as I...theres GSDs...then theres everything else. My last one was just a half breed rescue dog, borderline psychotic with issues( like many rescues) but I miss her terribly...
Ingwe
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
Yeah, +1 on what ingwe said. Good pics. And cool lookin' dog. Looks like a sweetie.
Bring enough gun and know how to use it.
Know that it is not the knowing, nor the talking, nor the reading man, but the doing man, that at last will be found the happiest man. - Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)
Belle is a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (WPG). She falls under the versatile hunting dog category. She can track deer, find rabbits, point and retrieve birds and loves the water. I shot a deer with my bow this year. It was a good shot and I knew that deer was going to die. I went and got Belle, put her on the ground and she picked up that blood trail and tracked that deer about 80-100yds through the woods right to it where it laid. She hunts pretty close, she is not a big running dog. My father-in-law has a 9yr old Setter and many of his bird hunting friends have several Setters. They were all pretty skeptical of our WPG. They have since come around, realizing that she compliments the bigger running Setters. Most of the time Belle is on the ground with my FIL's dog. My FILs dog is a much bigger running dog than Belle, but she finds birds that he missed. She will work slower and more methodical, stick her head in some pretty think cover and produce birds. She is very competitive and it has been tough to get her to 'back' another dog. She has desire like no other dog I have been around. A typical fall for her is 3 weeks in ND, MT and Sask for Huns, pheasant and sharpies. 2 trips to Iowa or KS, a couple of trips to W. TN for grouse and several S. GA trips for quail. Only downfall is she hates cats, skunks, raccoons and porcupines. She has been quiled twice. on point in NoDak
Here is my boy. Still a pup. Wont be bird trained as my good bud has an AWESOME pair of pups in a English Pointer, and a Brittany.
This boy is still my hunting companion and boy does he LOVE to get outdoors. He helped with this coyote. I should have had a double, but my AR was off so bad that I aimed for center of chest, facing me on this dog and hit her square between the eyes!
Meet Charlie, my Yellow Lab pup:
The dog with him in this second picture is his big brother, Ojos. Ojos isnt much for a hunting companion as he HATES gunfire, but he is a good boy and has helped train Charlie on the ways of the world and "What Dad says, do it!" :
I tell ya what, they are sharp sharp sharp! This dude got "sit" by voice and hand signal in hoestly, 10 minutes. Of course he does the puppy dance of wagging his tail and not wanting to, but he does it well! They are smarter than I can imagine!
HuntKY your WPG looks to my eye much like a (GWP) German Wirehair Pointer as far as color and size. The GWP seem more slighly built than the than German Short hair Pointer. Is it true that you WPG is similar to the German Wirehair as far as size and coloration? Disposition they could be miles a part I don't know. Thanks for your time. Cheers NC
don't judge until you have walked a mile in other persons' moccasins' SUM QUOD SUM........HOMINEM TE ESSE MEMENTO
For my generalist hunting style, nothing beats a lab. No hair to get burrs. Big enough to swim fairly big water and retrieve geese and swans. Easy to tell when getting birdy. I like pointers for chuckar and quail, but when the brush is higher than your head a flushing dog rules. What good is a pointer when you can't see the bird after you have to get into the thick stuff to flush it out? This guy is one of the best I have seen yet and he is only 2 years old.
I grew up with labs, this one in particular was a great dog!
This one is the companion of one of my good friends, and a great dog in the tall stuff ( we were hunting in 6'weeds that day)
However, after working with a bunch of pointers, my son decided he wanted a GSP. In the tall stuff , the key is to get a dog that will work a bit closer than the big ranging trial dogs. A bell helps as well. I'm still not convinced completely myself ( I was hoping he'd get a lab), but the waterfowl hunting my son does is in fields, not on the water in the cold weather we get up here in Canada Cat
Just noticed this thread on "Best Hunting Dogs" and had to chuckle to myself. I have spent many years around hunting dogs and was blessed to have some good ones along the way. With this said, I have always noticed most folks "Best Hunting Dog" is always after it has died.
Just noticed this thread on "Best Hunting Dogs" and had to chuckle to myself. I have spent many years around hunting dogs and was blessed to have some good ones along the way. With this said, I have always noticed most folks "Best Hunting Dog" is always after it has died.
Well, not ALWAYS!LOL Allie ( the lab in the pic with me) is still very much alive and well, as is this scalliwag , Tramp the Griffon (aka the village idiot)!he's a great dog and will go all day on wild birds. Great pal to Hornhead....
HuntKY your WPG looks to my eye much like a (GWP) German Wirehair Pointer as far as color and size. The GWP seem more slighly built than the than German Short hair Pointer. Is it true that you WPG is similar to the German Wirehair as far as size and coloration? Disposition they could be miles a part I don't know. Thanks for your time. Cheers NC
Northcoutry...we have her hair cut in Aug every year when it get hot here. It also helps with burrs/briars etc. while in the field hunting. 80% is I am tired of combing the burrs out of her hair, 20% is relief from the heat for her. Her hair is normally 3" long and she doesn't shed.
She weighs exactly 48lbs. I have seen different Griffs from different bloodlines and they can have a broad range of looks. Belle's mother was s 100% French import, so she has longer, more curly hair and smaller frame, indicitive of the French bloodlines. I have never owned a GWP, but it seems the GWP have longer legs and longer bodies (nose to tail) too.
There are lots of similarities in looks between the WPG, GWP and Drahthaar. We were very close to getting a Drahthaar.
Here is my first lab Belle. Got her out of Louisiana.
She passed away this last december and it was hard. She would have been 13 years old this month. She retrieved my first duck i ever shot as well as my first and only duck this season. I still miss her every day but i know she is up above retrieving ducks for my uncle who passed away when i was 4. But I got this little ball of fire last July. His name is Jaeger and he will be a year old the first week of may.
Smartest dog i have ever seen. Learned "sit" in literally 10 mins as well shake. He even knows how to shake with his left or right paw when told which one to use. Every time i give him a treat, he about gives me a black eye trying to shake! He retrieved his first duck when he was 4 months old! Still have alot of work to do with him this summer but he is going to be a great dog! Ill try to get some better pictures of him tomorrow when we go exploring in the mountains!
Proverbs 12:27 The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
Sorry for your loss - buddy of mine is going through that right now as we speak.I hate to be him.My Yella is only 5 .I told him the first thing he needs to do is go get a pup.Thats a nice one you have there.Good looking pup.
Deertracker - thats a pretty good jump from Louisiana to Montana - do you mind me asking how much you paid for the yella..I'm not that far from Louisiana - just curious ??
I dont know how much the one from Louisiana was. My godfather got her for me for my 10th birthday and brought her up when he came to visit us. He lives in Sulphur, LA. I paid $300 for Jaeger but i talked the seller down from $350. Probably could have got him for less since he was the last one and they were about to leave for a week on a trip. Oh well. I was really glad i had him when Belle passed away. He could tell i was upset and he crawled up on the couch with me and licked a few tears away. Sure made the process easier with him to keep me occupied.
Proverbs 12:27 The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
Thats good to hear - 350.00 for a lab with papers is unheard of where I am at.Lot of good bloodlines come out of LA - thats why I was curious what you paid,Keep in touch on his progress.I train them on the side- not professionally - but just for hunting dogs.if you want you can see my latest and greatest on at 107 lbs..I kid you not - the vet say he needs to lose weight -I say he looks good and runs good just like he is. Feel to see him at my personal website -
Pleez do..I will post a video of tazer getting me into trouble with the wife - again !! I dont know why he has waited until he was 4 to start digging etc etc..but he is tearing some stuff up.He just got caught earlier doing the same thing..I will post a video of him -busted .LOL
There ya go DeerTracker - I posted a video of him doing what he does best - getting into my wifes stuff..
You can go to my personal website( on the profile section) and click on "Hunting" - thats 107 lbs of yella right there..gotta run till about 10 pm - c u if your on here later ,.Ed
Here is some i took of Jaeger today. Found a few that i took a few weeks ago that i forgot about also. So here they are. Not to many good pics of him. Every time we go to the mountains, he never stands still. Runs as fast as he can everywhere. These first few are from a few weeks ago when there was still alot of snow down low.
Here is one from today. He found a big old stick to chew on and stayed there long enough to get a pic
Proverbs 12:27 The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
Yep -thats a fine looking yella !! Tazer looked like that until about age 2 and then all the sudden he went from 75 to 105 # at 5 years old as of this Jan -he still holds that weight - He is on Purina Pro Plan.Did you see the video of him on my website ?
Yeah, Had that "uh-oh" look to him lol. Jaeger gets himself in to a fair amount of trouble and in his 11 months has only chewed up one thing......my buddy's flyrod case! As soon as i saw him laying on the floor with the top chewed off i started looking for a chewed up flyrod. Lucky for me the case was empty! Jaeger has a problem with cutting open his feet every once in a while. He cut one of his pads horrible a few months ago and had to have it stitched up. Yesterday he cut himself in between his toes. Its not bad but, is there anything that i can put on it to keep it from getting infected that wont kill him if he licks it? I put a little dab of neosporin on it last night but he was licking the cut maybe 5 mins later.
Proverbs 12:27 The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
Actually him licking it is the best cure - seriously !! Unless its just a big gash and he needs to see a Vet - dont worry about it. I have some pictures of Tazer at that age somewhere and they look alike in the head and face.My Yella came from the school of hard knocks - my school - I train them myself..but I dont do it professionaly or anything - I train Labs for just hunting..not to win ribbons etc etc. Later on today I will try to find a picture of Tazer at the same age.
I just hit your site , Rodngun, I LIKE it! Great looking lab you have there, looks a LOT like one that I have hunted with named Boaz, he's a real PILLAR!( grin) Cat
You guys have some wonderful looking dogs. It sure makes me miss mine.
I have been lucky to own several good quail hunting dogs. All of them have passed.
Here are just three of them. The liver colored pointer was my favorite of all. She was from Riggin's White Knight and Gun Smoke bloodlines. Without a doubt, she was the best dog I have ever hunted with.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke 1795
"Give me liberty or give me death" Patrick Henry 1775
HRCH Superchamp's Pocket Change "PESO" �Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.�-GENESIS 1:28
HRCH Superchamp's Pocket Change "PESO" �Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.�-GENESIS 1:28
I used to have a tri-color, great dog that could run forever. Nothing was too thick for him to bust through. Big broad chest and shoulders. A great companion.
I can remember picking burs out of his coat for hours, it would be so tangled after a hunt. He would get really indignant when I would have to cut them out.
There is no accounting for taste.
Experience is a great thing as long as one survives it.
Generally, there ain't a lot that separates the two however, Barely making it is a whole lot more satisfying than barely not making it.
Wow! Your setters and pointers are pretty. Would you care to share their lineage?
The pointer is "Mississippi Rifle".
Squirt and Bodie Are "Tekoa Mountain/Smith" breeding.
I had a little female pointer years ago out of "Doublecross Slim" and a ale out of Elhew/Hooks Bounty Hunter". Both were beautiful dogs, all were a handfull especially the Mississippi Rifle dogs.
Forgot to put Otis in here. He was "Pork Roll" on top and "Bases Loaded" on the bottom.
My favorite breed of dog is easily the German Shepherd dog. They can and will do anything any breed of dog is capable of. I presently own 2 GSD's. My favorite hunting dog however is also a easy pick. It is the English springer spaniel. I do alot of upland game hunting and I have yet to find the ESP's equal. I hear alot of people talk about their individual dogs and the occasional one thats exceptional, but I've owned alot of Springer's and I have yet to own one that isn't a fantastic bird dog. You do have to be careful and get a puppy from hunting NOT show stock however because the show stock have had almost all of the hunting instincts bred out.(in favor of the looks) Just my opinion your's may vary. Eric
"My German Shepherd is my best friend,but he could be your worst enemy"
me and old reliable.....BUCK. I hunted over him for 12 years. he was a great one.
then I replaced him with this little hunting machine. I was fortunate enough to let buck hunt with her a bit what that did was settle her down a bunch. he was becoming very slow and methodical about finding birds, she picked up onit and has become utterly amazing. I can honestly say that buck was the most pushbutton dog I have ever seen, but cali just does her thing and should never be secnd guessed.....if she points, BE READY
I would not buy something that runs on any kind of primer given the possibility of primer shortages and even regulations. In fact, why not buy a flintlock? Really. Rocks aren't going away anytime soon.