Gun Dog Forum

Tuesday 10/17 I was inline hunting for doe at my cabin in Central PA while my dog was at home recovering from a cut on his leg. I decided to hike back to a gap where I wanted to take him for grouse this week (first time we'd ever pursued them). Shortly into the hunt I heard one drum in the distance....

As I sit at work I'm letting my mind drift and dream about the coming fall. New goals, old accomplishments, upcoming challenges, etc. This year I will be faced with a much more limited time in the woods and fields, as my wife and I are expecting twins in September. Last season my ESS Rico and I surp...

Growing up I had a step pap who hunted but wouldn't take me ("because he's not my grandkid") and an uncle who hunted at a camp that didn't allow guests. I finally got my hunters safety at 17 years old, took my first deer freshman year of college from my best friends stand as his dad mentored me. The...

Curious if members do meet ups or how to go about that. I'm trying to talk the wife into going to Iowa for a football game (GO HAWKEYES!!), we're from central PA (45 min from PSU). My hopes eventually would be to plan out a vacation of football and pheasants. Or a Maine vacation with sight seeing an...

Thanks for the advice. My goal for next season is to have a better kit in the vehicle than I currently do (and hopefully never have to use it). As well as a more organized small kit for my vest.

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Well it's been a few weeks since the youth hunt. Rico has been out quite a few times. He's had more flushes than I can remember, I've missed more birds than I want to admit. But he's hooked. Still working on retrieving, and quartering/zigzagging at times. For his first season he's come miles from wh...

Forgot to update, a few days later Rico got more birds up. I managed to down two. Missed a few before them. My wife and I decided to let the taxidermist decide which bird would be mounted, now we wait in excitement to get it back. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211116/5b86e47951768441a9d0752f296...

Thanks, we are enjoying it very much. I'm excited to see him develop the rest of the season and begin some new training in the off season.

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Rico, my ESS, just turned 7 months old the other day. I've managed to shoot 4 over him. He's flushed more birds than I've kept track of, unfortunately my shooting hasn't been up to par. Here in PA they're all put and take (stocked) birds. I have one of his roosters at the taxidermist now being mount...

Yesterday my 6 month old ESS flushed 3 roosters. And I failed to connect on any of them. Today he flushed the same cock bird twice. And I connected on the 2nd flush. Unfortunately I creamed him good and can't get him mounted. So tomorrow after work we'll try again. I love watching him work. I still ...

I let him sniff the dead birds. Wasn't too keen on them at first but wasn't skittish just not interested at first. I did not throw one in the cover. I would have but my friend and his son werent sure if they were mounting one or both birds. Then right before we went out separate ways at the parking ...

This past Saturday I took Rico (6month old ESS) out on his first hunt for the opener of the Youth Pheasant season in PA. He mostly stayed on my heels. Grass/cover was high and thick. He had one hen flush about 8 feet from him while on the edge of a corn row, I think coincidence not intentional. A co...

Thanks I really appreciate the input. My little man shows no fear with exploring so far. So I just want to be as prepared as I can for whatever he may get into.

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Ever since I was in the scouts I've carried a small first aid kit in my vehicle. As I got older and started solo hunting I carry small essentials that would hold me over until I get to the truck. But now having a bird dog what do I/you do? Carry a small essentials pack in your vest and a larger kit ...

So we ended up getting a golden retriever because I couldn't make my mind up and my fiance decided on a golden from a friend's litter. Fast forward a couple months, we decided he needed a friend to learn, play, and adventure with. I ended up finding a pup ready to come home on memorial day. We broug...

Central Pennsylvania:
40 minutes north of Harrisburg
2.5 hrs from Philadelphia
3.5-4 hrs from Pittsburgh

We’ve already discussed the possibility of traveling up to 8-9 hr hours for the right dog and just making it a mini vacation as well.


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Thank you for the responses. I’m excited to start that next chapter of life even if it isn’t for a little while. Some day I hope to find myself in the pointing crowd, but not just yet I suppose. Thanks again. If anyone has other recommendations for breeds to consider please let me know. Sent from my...

Hopefully a little more info will help get the ball rolling: Most of my hunting partners have English Springer Spaniels or Labs. As I would like to continue hunting with them I feel that it dismissed a Brittany from my choice at this time. I’ve looked at the ESS clubs near me, I think the Mid-Penn i...

I’m hoping to be in a position by the end of summer to get my first true hunting dog. My girlfriend and I have talked it over for more than a year about what dog(s) we will have. In the past I had a mutt/rescue that was a decent untrained upland dog. She never did great but we always had fun. At thi...

New to the group, names Tim, 32, currently no dog. I’m trying to accomplish all my research so as soon as I can have a pup I make the right decision.


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So I have the opportunity to invest in a puppy from a well bred drahthaar line, the pup would be ready for pick up by the end of February/start of march. And since the breeder is local, he will help me train the dog. I love my current hunting companion, but she makes a better house dog. I guess what...

Current dog is a 4 year old mutt that I got from a pound when she was a puppy. It was before I really started getting into bird hunting. I dont regret getting her bt any means but I think its time she retires to the couch and yard, while I get a 2nd dog specific for the field. Thanks for the input e...

Relatively new to pheasant hunting, been figuring it out for a couple seasons now. My question is about hunting standing corn. The game lands where I hunt (in PA), keep rows of standing corn up a majority of the season and dont begin cutting it until bear and deer season. My dog (mostly just a house...

Hello everyone, new to the boards and enjoying absorbing all the info floating around. Right now my hunting companion is a 4 year old mutt I brought home from the pound when I was in college. According to the vet she is beagle, husky, spaniel, lab, shepard. Unfortunately I never had the time to trai...