New to Forum
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 2:57 pm
Hi all:
I'm new to the forum ... but not new to gun dogs. I have been hunting and training them since age twelve. That would be ... uh, let's see ... fifty-four years. Presently I have three dogs: Opal (black Lab soon to be twelve), Coral (aka "Puppy" French Brittany, age eight), and Ellie (aka "Spinelle" black Lab, age four next week). Originally from Montana, I have kept my US citizenship though living in NW Ontario (mostly) since 1989. I retired from the US Park Service after losing my wife and son nine years ago. The dogs and I hunt waterfowl here until they're gone (usually third week in October) and then return to Montana every fall for six weeks to hunt uplands (and a muley buck). I am an old guy who hunts the same old way (HARD!) with the same old guns and dogs. With the exception of Puppy, I have been a dedicated Lab man my entire life. My goose gun (which doubles as trap/skeet/clays gun) is a well worn 1976 Browning A-5 Magnum (with Invector chokes) and my rooster killer is a similar fixed modified Light Twelve purchased new in June 1972 during my tour in Korea. Have never owned an e-collar or check cord or whoa barrel. Mostly I attribute that to good Lord providing me with exceptional dogs ... and the ability to know how to pick good pups. Living with them in the home has something to do with it too. I have never spent a lot of money buying dogs (except Puppy = $800) but they have all been extraordinary. The best of the lot was a small half-breed Lab/Golden that I paid $35 for back in 1977. She was truly a guided missile and a lovely dog. That doesn't mean I won't spend money on them. During the last two years of her life I spent more than $15,000 on the late great Black Pearl (passed four years ago tomorrow). I'm not into competition (don't care for crowds) but have had a couple of dogs that could have been contenders. My latest acquisition, Ellie, is a late bloomer but this past season finally developed into something very special. She's become a pointing dog! And VERY good at it. And very consistent. Only catch is she has to work alone. Otherwise she just wants to play with the other dogs. She may yet grow out of it. A ridiculously happy dog.
Well, that's it in a nutshell. A big nutshell.
I'm new to the forum ... but not new to gun dogs. I have been hunting and training them since age twelve. That would be ... uh, let's see ... fifty-four years. Presently I have three dogs: Opal (black Lab soon to be twelve), Coral (aka "Puppy" French Brittany, age eight), and Ellie (aka "Spinelle" black Lab, age four next week). Originally from Montana, I have kept my US citizenship though living in NW Ontario (mostly) since 1989. I retired from the US Park Service after losing my wife and son nine years ago. The dogs and I hunt waterfowl here until they're gone (usually third week in October) and then return to Montana every fall for six weeks to hunt uplands (and a muley buck). I am an old guy who hunts the same old way (HARD!) with the same old guns and dogs. With the exception of Puppy, I have been a dedicated Lab man my entire life. My goose gun (which doubles as trap/skeet/clays gun) is a well worn 1976 Browning A-5 Magnum (with Invector chokes) and my rooster killer is a similar fixed modified Light Twelve purchased new in June 1972 during my tour in Korea. Have never owned an e-collar or check cord or whoa barrel. Mostly I attribute that to good Lord providing me with exceptional dogs ... and the ability to know how to pick good pups. Living with them in the home has something to do with it too. I have never spent a lot of money buying dogs (except Puppy = $800) but they have all been extraordinary. The best of the lot was a small half-breed Lab/Golden that I paid $35 for back in 1977. She was truly a guided missile and a lovely dog. That doesn't mean I won't spend money on them. During the last two years of her life I spent more than $15,000 on the late great Black Pearl (passed four years ago tomorrow). I'm not into competition (don't care for crowds) but have had a couple of dogs that could have been contenders. My latest acquisition, Ellie, is a late bloomer but this past season finally developed into something very special. She's become a pointing dog! And VERY good at it. And very consistent. Only catch is she has to work alone. Otherwise she just wants to play with the other dogs. She may yet grow out of it. A ridiculously happy dog.
Well, that's it in a nutshell. A big nutshell.