how did you guys get into hunting and bird dogs?

[sjkennels]

i got into hunting from my grandpa and i got into dogs from dan hendrickson from him giving me two pups out CH WHIPPOORWILL WIZARD and i think the dam was Phantom's Miss Santo


so how did you guys and gals get into hunting and bird dogs??

[twofeathers]

Grew up a hunter in a hunting family, I used to be the "dog" but I didn't point very well. So I got one to do it for me now.

[EddieF]

When I was growing up, my Dad was a huge outdoorsman/marksman/hunter/camper/fisherman/beer drinker. He died young (42) but I remember several years before than he got a Brittany Spaniel (back then I think they still used the 'spaniel' in the name). And I remember it was a big deal, like it was something he had always wanted. I think he'd go bird hunting with his buddies and watch their dogs work and just always wanted that.

Then after he died I got away from all of that for a few decades, but I guess it was always in the back of my mind. Then a few years ago I met two friends who were upland bird hunters. Spending time with them and their dogs, and the fact I had just lost a dog and was in the market for my next one, made me choose a breed that - if I wanted to - I could go hunting with.

Well, a year and a half in, the journey is still at the beginning but it's already been one of most enjoyable, rewarding pursuits I've ever partaken in.

[RayGubernat]

I started walking with my dad and my brother and my uncle in the fields after birds when I was eight. For the first two years I was the "designated flusher" since I was walking without a gun. We always hunted behind my uncle's dogs. We didn't have a dog at the time.

At age ten(1958) I passed my hunter Ed. course, got my Dad's old LC Smith double and started hunting with them. I was still the designated flusher, for the most part, but now I had something to push through the briers with besides my face. Both my dad and my uncle were quick on the draw(wild quail) and deadly gameshots, but I managed to get one, here and there.

At age 15 my brother brought a year old pup back from my uncle's place. He had too many and gave us one he didn't really want and couldn't sell. I hunted over that dog for the next fifteen years, killed over a thousand pheasant(over 100 a year for ten years starting when the dog was 2) and gosh knows how many quail and never looked back.

Got into field trialing about ten years ago and really enjoy it, especially since the bird situation in my area is pretty lousy and the cost to hunt quality ground with quality birds is prohibitive. No complaints though, I really enjoy working with the dogs and watching them perform. The horse does most of the walking and that is a very nice thing.

Doesn't seem like such a long time ago, but that ain't what my joints tell me.

RayG

[windswept]

Been involved in dogs all my life but the birddogs came about 12 years ago when I began hunting.
It all started in a strange way. I live in South Dakota and a friend of mine is in the video production business. He was hired to produce a promotional video for a shooting preserve and he needed about a dozen "actors". He asked me to go along and the rest is history. Can't get enough of it now. In fact, I'm playing hookey from work today to go out and chase a few ringnecks.

[bobman]

When I was a kid I was given a bird dog that was so gunshy the sight of a gun would cause it to run under a parked car and shake. I lived in an area full of pheasants scads of them also lots of huns in Southern Wisconsin this was probably 1964 and I didn't even own a gun other than my pellet rifle. The dog while gun shy was also extremely birdy. So I did what can naturally I worked him on birds everyday, wild birds, and always had my quiet trusty air rifle with me on our jaunts. Soon he had a stanch point and was a hunting fanatic, and the sigth of my pellet rifle was ignored. Two years later I convinced my parents to let me get a shotgun and luckily shooting thousands of pellets per year I was also a great shot. I took my shotgun when my pup went on point the bird flushed and "boom" I dropped him the dog was caught by surprise, but the pheasant fell right in front of him and the light went on.

I had a great bird dog from that time on and many more over the past 40 years.

AS an aside the guy that gave me the dog found out he was now a great dog and tried to take him back from me and my dad told me to give him back.

Like a kids does I was considering running away with my dog, but luckily for me fate continued to be on my side. This guy was stupid enough to come to our house and threaten me and my mom before I had the chance to give him back. My dad (in his eighties now) but back then he worked for the same people that made Chicago and Thompson submachine guns famous.

He was not a man to threaten to put it mildly.

I dont know what else transpired ( my dad would not tell me to this day) but I lived in that town for another 12 years and whenever that guy saw me coming down the sidewalk he would cross the street.

[tommyboy72]

I was fortunate enough to move to Oklahoma from Louisiana when I was a freshman in high school. Quail have always been here as well as pheasant so I hung out with kids at school who hunted and just kind of fell into it. None of those kids ever had a dog though, we just walked and shot what jumped up. After high school while taking a 2 year hiatus from school I started hanging out with a friend of mine who owned some German Shorthairs so I thought I needed a bird dog and ended up driving down to Altus to pick up my first real bird dog, an Irish Setter. I had owned Springers before that but nothing you could term a "bird dog" mostly just pets. I had that Setter for about 2 years and while moving around ended up giving him to a nice couple in Mississippi. Years later while living in North Carolina I thought once again that I needed a bird dog so I bought the English Setter I own now, that was 8 years ago and she is still going strong. Fast forward about 4 or 5 years and many miles and while back in Oklahoma I saw an add for a free Pointer with good bloodlines, went and checked him out and bought him and that is the male I have now. Then while accompanying a friend down to Amarillo to pick up his dog from the trainer I happened to buy another Pointer, my female. Then this year I decided I wanted a litter out of my 2 proven wild bird dogs and so I bred my own and am keeping a female for myself. I just sort of fell into hunting with friends. Dad was always an outdoorsman but being in the military and then after getting out he was just too busy to hunt. We did some occasional prairie chicken and pheasant hunting while he was stationed up in Kansas but it was mostly fishing and no dogs. My brother and I were the dogs.

[EddieF]

When I was a kid I was given a bird dog that was so gunshy the sight of a gun would cause it to run under a parked car and shake. I lived in an area full of pheasants scads of them also lots of huns in Southern Wisconsin this was probably 1964 and I didn't even own a gun other than my pellet rifle. The dog while gun shy was also extremely birdy. So I did what can naturally I worked him on birds everyday, wild birds, and always had my quiet trusty air rifle with me on our jaunts. Soon he had a stanch point and was a hunting fanatic, and the sigth of my pellet rifle was ignored. Two years later I convinced my parents to let me get a shotgun and luckily shooting thousands of pellets per year I was also a great shot. I took my shotgun when my pup went on point the bird flushed and "boom" I dropped him the dog was caught by surprise, but the pheasant fell right in front of him and the light went on.

I had a great bird dog from that time on and many more over the past 40 years.

AS an aside the guy that gave me the dog found out he was now a great dog and tried to take him back from me and my dad told me to give him back.

Like a kids does I was considering running away with my dog, but luckily for me fate continued to be on my side. This guy was stupid enough to come to our house and threaten me and my mom before I had the chance to give him back. My dad (in his eighties now) but back then he worked for the same people that made Chicago and Thompson submachine guns famous.

He was not a man to threaten to put it mildly.

I dont know what else transpired ( my dad would not tell me to this day) but I lived in that town for another 12 years and whenever that guy saw me coming down the sidewalk he would cross the street.

Bobman, that is one helluva great story. Thank you for sharing.

[Sharon]

It all started with a wonderful heritage. ( See pic. below.)
My Dad and I bred and "trained" beagles for many years.
When my Dad died I lost interest in dogs.

One day 12 years ago I was driving through a conservation area and saw DOGS, trailers, chain gangs , horses......
I stopped the car, went in and spent the day learning about pointers, setters and trialing.
( I thought when they said you had to pick up your dog , that you had to carry it all the way back to the car! )

I was hooked now on the pointing breed , trialing and hunting with a setter.


1939 My Dad and a friend just before he went overseas for 6 years.




PS We must have the same kind of Dad, Bobman. I was kidnapped when I was 7. When I got older, I asked my dad what happened to the guy. He'd only say, "We took care of it."

[tommyboy72]

Sounds like Canadian rules apply here in Oklahoma when it comes to kidnapping kids as well.

[sjkennels]

great stories thanks for sharing i know what you guys mean i was the flusher and the retriever and i had to start out carring a stick and then went to an empty bb gun and then moved up to a bb gun with bbs then after i passed my saftey course my dad and grandpa bought me a youth 20 gauge 870 pump i still have that gun and that was a little over 11 years ago

[birddogger]

Really great stories. I really enjoyed your story, bobman.

I love that old photograph, Sharon, and also enjoyed and was surprised by your story. Fortunately, in those days, people took care of their families, in more ways than one.

Charlie

[bobman]

Bobman- you accomplished what most pro's can only dream of. Breaking a dog of gunshyness to the extent that yours was takes a ton of patience and a ton of birds and most people don't have enough of either. You get an A+++ in my book. I hate to see a good dog go to waste. Only thing worse would be the jackoff that ruined it in the first place wanting it back after you fixed it. I'm a little more hard core than most people though so I won't write here what should happen to a guy that tries to steal a kids dog. I think your dad went easy on him though!

Rest asssured my dad was one and still is one of the kindest most gentle people I've ever known and I'm almost 60.

I dont think he was too upset about the guy giving me a hard time but even in his eighties I wouldnt want to be the guy that threatened my mom in his presence. Thats was my good luck she was crying and scared when he got home and then she was a lot more scared when he went out the door 10 minutes later. He came home in a couple hours and calmly told me I could keep the dog, and then told me and my three brothers to take the dog and go straight to my room and dont come out until morning, it was only around 7Pm I remember this like it was yesterday, my brothers and I did just that without any hesitation.


I am the smallest of four brothers and I'm 6'4" 260 if I miss a meal, we never ever sassed mom around him, we had seen him in action a couple times and knew better.

I could tell some real stories about my grandfather, his house had marks on the bricks where is was sprayed with a tommy gun by some guys having a shoot out with some of his friends in the street. He was a "bill collector" for "them" and my dad always told us NEVER lip off to grandpa.

We didn't either

[mikebill11]

I started hunting with my family when I was 13. My dad my brother and I would go hunting with my uncle and two cousins every pheasant and quail opener. We still go except my uncle has passed away. One of my cousins who happens to be Bryce Flaming would bring his dogs. So I can honestly say I started hunting behind some of the best hunting/field trial dogs around. I remember shooting my first pheasant ever while hunting with Bryce and his dogs. In fact his great producing female Hanna's Elhew Lou was pointing that pheasant of mine. Hunting behind Lou and the rest of Bryce's dogs got me hooked on hunting with dogs. So 4 yrs ago I got my first dog from Bryce. I was able to train him myself along with the help of Nitrex(a member of this forum). I am hoping to get another pup in a year or two. I would have gotten one this year, but with a 14month old daughter, going back to school and another baby in the oven I didn't think I would be able to find time for a pup. I am just hoping I can make time to hunt this winter. I do know I will being doing the traditional pheasant and quail opener with the family.

[Shadow]

Dad did a lot of skeet shooting as the shells/clays were free where he was stationed- after the war they purchased a fish camp in N Minn. and built it into a nice resort over the years- he trapped the river and grouse and duck hunted- seems about as soon as I could get arround and use a slingshot I got to go along-
remember when we would be dads bird dogs off to the side 20 yards for grouse- then our uncle trained a female Golden Retriever and gave it to dad-

we progressed to pellet guns and actually did hit a couple sitting grouse- dad taught hunters safety and at 13 he picked up two 20 guage auto's after we put in a summers work- that started our hunting for real- deer, grouse, ducks with those 20's

I moved to Kansas and my brother-in-law took me quail hunting with his Brittany- 71- that convinced me I wanted a pointing dog

[cheetome]

I like many others came from a hunting family and got started quite young 3-4 years of age. I started out with a bb-gun. I would spend countless hours at my grandparents farm shooting mice and sparrows in and around the barns or under an old bridge by the river picking off swallows. As I got older the game and guns gradually got bigger. I now hunt all kinds of game not just birds. I grew up and still live in North Dakota and have been fortunate enough to always have wild birds to hunt and in most years good numbers as well. I managed to get in good with a friend of my dads who owns about 2700 or so acres of land. I put in my time working cattle, fixing fence and helping out where I could. In exchange over the last 15 years I have had exclusive hunting rights for upland game. My dad brother in law and myself are the only ones who hunt game birds on the property. My dad and I have even been given the keys to the gates and never have to ask before we go out. We have become quite close over the years and now we deer hunt together ect.. As for how I got started with bird dogs --- well we never had bird dogs when I was growing up but as a junior in high school I received my first pointer as a birthday gift from my godfather. I put my heart into training that dog and she turned out to be a bird finding machine. I made my mistakes with her like most do with their first dog but to me she was the greatest. Since her I have gone through several dogs that just weren't quite what I was looking for. I currently have 2 gsp's 2 and 3.5 years old. I love these dogs. Not as hot as the pointer was and great with the kids and really anyone for that matter. This was the first year I hunted two dogs at the same time and all I can say is wow!! There is no greater pride than seeing all a guys hard work come together in the field. Seeing the dogs honor each other or both lock up on separate birds ect. was so much fun.I enjoyed it so much I am planning on adding a third dog to the mix. I have a son who is now just over 1 year old and I can't wait to get him in the field with me and to someday give him his first bird dog and walk him through the training process. I only hope he enjoys it as much as I do.

[Shadow]

Seems like we all have one thing in common. Good dads that started us out right. I especially like how your dad had you work for your first gun. guns are always a great gift to our kids however there's no better gift than teaching the value of earning something. Big thumps up for your dad!

thanks- dad passed away two years ago at 94- he was a 20 guy and a good shot- he tried to tell us to hold off and make the shot count- well- we had these auto's and figure heck- we'd get em on the last shot- funny thing- grouse hunting we'd walk alondside him figuring he had an edge- crap- one shot is what he usually took- I never did the hang of duck calling and about the only time I really sat still and was quiet was when he was talking one into the decoys- practically crying to let me shoot as the wings would set

heard mom and dad talking one evening- Dan, you know you'll never get the boys the work that hard unless you promise something- wise dad said- the way they go thru shells I figure they'll be doing their chores

[Sharon]

When I went rabbit hunting , I was given three shells and I'd better come back with 3 rabbits or a lecture would begin.

[Shadow]

I would say you probably are still a good shot

[sjkennels]

thanks for posting all of your stories keep them coming

[outdrguyjr]

As a newbie...(just started hunting in February)...it started by moving from the suburbs of Chicago out to a small farming community 14 years ago. I have always been a nature lover, Eagle Scout, passionate hiker, and fisherman, but never was exposed to hunting. As our daughters started to get involved in school and sports I met neighbors, and parents of other children who shared with me their love of the outdoors and hunting. Finally one asked me to come along pheasant hunting, and I have been hooked. So much so that we got our first Brittany this summer and the whole family has been involved in her training. In am very much looking forward to bird season in Illinois, starts November 7, so we can go out in the field and start to apply what we have been working on.

[Sharon]

I would say you probably are still a good shot

Dad taught sharpshooting during World War 2 so his standards were VERY high.
The farm boys who went over had done a lot of hunting/shooting during their youth so were far ahead of the city boys. They became the shooting instructors.

[slistoe]

Hunting? I think I was born hunting.
Bird Dogs? In Grade 6 I read Big Red.

[big steve46]

Hunting? I think I was born hunting.
Bird Dogs? In Grade 6 I read Big Red.

I read Big Red over 50 years ago. The boy's father's first name was Ross as I recall. What was the boy's first name?

I started carrying and using a .22 when I was eight. I started carrying and using a shotgun when I was eleven.

[ezzy333]

No one in our immediate family hunted. My Dad had a 22 Remington that we used for varmit control and to knock down a steer or a pig when we butchered. I borrowed an old single shot 16 guage from an uncle that never used it and started hunting around the farm. We had quite a few rabbits and a few pheasants and quail back then. Most of the shooting was cottontails and they were used by my mom for our meals after I cleaned them. My parents bought me a 12 guage Stevens double barrel with a plastic stock for Christmas when I was 14 or 15. But all of my hunting was alone for several years. Later after returning from the Air Force and getting a job, I traded the Stevens for a 20 guage Wingmaster and started hunting with some friends but we were still in an area with mostly rabbits.

We moved to Iowa and while there we had more pheasants in our backyard that I had ever seen. My neighbor asked if I would like to go hunting with him on opening day and it was a wonderful but humbling experience as we had seven in our group and we walked about 200 acres of a farm and had our 21 birds by 10 o'clock. I think we must have moved a hundred birds but the wind was so strong it was hard to get close. I bought a box of shells before going and came home with 1 shell left and never got a bird, just some tail feathers. Those were the first pheasants I had shot at in 10 years or so and they made me look like a fool which really wasn't that hard.

Think we hunted every weekend from there out and my shooting came back pretty good by the end of the season. During the summer I met a young man that lived just east of us that had some well bred Brits. I would just drool when I saw them work and would stop quite often to see them. He had two litters of pups that year and had one pup that was really shy that he was having trouble with and ended up giving it to me to see what I could do with it. That is where I got started with the bird dogs and have had them ever since. That was almost 50 years ago and now that area of Iowa is almost as birdless as here in Illinois. Just can't have birds when there is no winter feed or winter and nesting cover. And acres of corn and beans doesn't provide much of either.

Ezzy

[Sharon]

Excellent article on "Pheasants:The Beginning of a Depression " ( Iowa) the Pointing Dog Journal mag. this month.New encouraging plans ready to go.