Youngest bird dogger?

isonychia · Post by **isonychia** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:43 pm

Not including those born into the sport, just for comparison, how old are the "youngest" by virtue of finding this sport on their own? I'm 24 and got my dog at 22, no one in my immediate family hunts at all.

SetterNut · Post by **SetterNut** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:02 pm

Nobody in my family hunted. But I had a neighbor across the street that like to quail hunt but his lab while is was great in the water wasn't much on land. He saw me working my setter on some quail that used to live close to our house.
So he would take me and my setter. I would guess I was about 12.

Luminary Setters · Post by **Luminary Setters** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:03 pm

I am currently working with a 6 teenagers ranging from 13-18. Two of them encouraged their non-fathers to get involved. It's been a lot of fun teaching them how to hunt and work their dogs.

I am encouraged by the numbers of youth that want to get involved with bird hunting. So many are from non-hunting families, and just don't know how to get started. If we want to keep our sport alive, we need to show these youngsters what bird hunting is about.

AzDoggin · Post by **AzDoggin** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:44 pm

Here's a young dogger who does alright. This is a Schutzhund competition - the OB portion. Of course, this young lady's father is a little involved.

whatsnext · Post by **whatsnext** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 10:14 am

I was 13 when i bought my first brittany, trained her myself the with the help of our neighbors homing pigeons and my uncle raised quail and pheasants at the time. Man do i wish i had the kind of time now as i did then to run and train my dogs,as soon as the farmers had the crops out which was usually 2 weeks before the season opened i would come home from school and run her until dusk ,If i could go back and get stuck in time those 2 weeks would have been it.

Springer · Post by **Springer** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 12:00 pm

I was 30 when I got my first dog, just deer hunted before then. Met a guy that pheasant hunted ALL the time (3-5 days a week) my first time out and ended up hunting with him a few times that first year and have hunted with him ever since. I was about 150 from home and he was about 70. I live a little further from the birds than he does. My son is a little luckier, he started coming with me when he was 5 and started shooting at 8 or 9 and started hitting stuff at 10. He is hooked for life i am sure, of course I am fueling the fire with 3 dogs also. He is 16 with his license now and this year is going to be tough as he wants to hunt every weekend and doesn't seem to realize that there is other things I need to do.

dreamerofdreams · Post by **dreamerofdreams** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 12:16 pm

I'm 27, my first dog is 4.5 months old. Never touched a gun until... three years and one month ago.

S&J gsp · Post by **S&J gsp** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 5:21 pm

My daughter on her first bird hunt last year at 3yrs old. Darn dog listens better to her than me most days.... She was only 3 months old at her first field trial.

VizslaGirl · Post by **VizslaGirl** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 6:22 pm

Got my first bird dog (not first Vizsla though) on my 21st birthday, 2 years ago. Best birthday gift I've ever gotten!

Fran Seagren · Post by **Fran Seagren** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:04 pm

My granddaughter will be 18 next month. Although she's been around the training and has run and titled labs in the AKC junior level when she was much younger, this year will be her first "hunting" season. She has been practicing with us and she shoots pretty darn good. She also wants to bear hunt with her grandfather this season (too funny). She also shoots pistols and rifles. We love it. All five of our kids shoot. Three of them also plan to bird hunt this season. I agree that we need to get our kids, or any kids that show an interest, involved in the sport.

Willie Hunter · Post by **Willie Hunter** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:16 pm

I've had dogs all of my life, never got into bird hunting over a dog until I was 42, I'm 56 come September.

trigger1989 · Post by **trigger1989** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:24 pm

I got my gsp when I was 21 and I just turned 23. Some old timers I see that have hunting dogs looks and me and my dog and tell me I'm lucky I'm starting young because I'll have as much energy as my dog!

Ghosted3 · Post by **Ghosted3** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 12:14 am

I have been lucky enough to have 1 or more dogs around me my whole life. I just got my first hunting dog a week ago (ESS) at 33, which is my sons first at 9

Corry

S&J gsp · Post by **S&J gsp** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 6:38 am

I really agree as to getting children involved is our sport but with age restrictions it is hard to keep them intrested I took my 13 year old son to a NSTRA event to handle but when he found out he had to have a gunner till he was 16 he lost intrest. He has handled in akc for years and bird hunted since he was 7. He loves to bird hunt and handle dogs

Stoneface · Post by **Stoneface** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:37 am

When I was 11 my dad brought home a dog he found in an abadnoned room during a welfare check. I woke up to him licking me in the face. He was shy, skiddish and abused. I checked out every book from the school library I could find on dogs and dog training and had him trained after a whole lot of screw ups. I liked it so I started training dogs that belonged to family and friends. I competed in agility, conformation, obedience, etc.

Then, when I was 14 I stayed up every night to watch Zorro, which came on at midnight. Right after Zorro ended one night, as I was getting ready to turn off the TV, a show about a dog came on TV. It as The Biscuit Eater. I'd never had any dealings with birddogs before, but after watching that movie I became obsessed with them and my attention shifted towards studying/learning specifically birddogs.

After two years of pining I finally wore my dad down and got him to let me get a pup. He wouldn't let me work because he thought it would take away from school work and we were poor, so the only stipulation was that the dog be cheap. I started calling about dogs in the Dallas Morning News every week and finally found someone who would take payments. Bought my first birddog - a grandson of Clown - for $400, at $50 bi-weekly payment. Made my first roading harness out of duct tape, bought my first pigeon from an old lady in downtown Dallas and kept him in a pet taxi. Did all my training in the parking lot of the apartment complex we lived in and on the vacant lot in the middle of the city, adjacent to the apartment complex.

As far as not having any family that hunted... well, my grandpa hunted, but he died when I was eight. My dad's not a hunter at all. I grab my dogs and gear and head out the door I have never made it past my dad without getting a head-shake and a, "those pooooooor, poor birds; what did they ever do to you?" I will say, though, that I attribute a ton of my dedication to birddogs to Ronnie Smith. Harley's breeder gave me the puppy edition of PDJ when I picked him up and I noticed the name "Smith" and the town "Big Cabin" in the same ad on the same page and thought it must have been Delmar Smith (I'd read his book). I called him up and he spoke with me for about two hours. about three days later I got a box in the mail with my first check cord, Wonder Lead, collar (1", leather, single-ply, brass hardware, of course), a second copy of the book, one of Delmar's videos and a note with Ronnie's personal number on it. For over a year I'd talk to him weekly and he'd clear up any issues I was having and talk to me about politics of field trialing, etc. He invited me to one of his intro seminars in April of 2003, totally free of charge, and introduced me to a lot of people and taught me a lot of stuff. We only talked one time after that, in January 2004, but I believe he just decided that it was time for me to go it alone. I'll never forget all he did for me. He's a wonderful dog trainer and a wonderful person. I'd do anything to help him in any way I could.

Dieseldog8 · Post by **Dieseldog8** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:22 pm

Well I was born into hunting but my dad never had bird dogs and I got my first lab at 17 and started training and getting into hunt test at 18 been doing it for four years now. Only one I know my age around my area that does it. Wish I had more people my age to enjoy it with.

dezasterous gundogs · Post by **dezasterous gundogs** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:51 pm

my daughter has been field trialing out of the box

codym · Post by **codym** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:55 am

My little girl has been helping me for a couple years now. She is always in charge of the pigeons, and now she has a little pointer of her own and she can't wait to start running her in trials. Hunter safety next year and she will be allowed to shoot for her pup!

CowboyBirdDogs · Post by **CowboyBirdDogs** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:18 am

That is a cool story!

Stoneface wrote:When I was 11 my dad brought home a dog he found in an abadnoned room during a welfare check. I woke up to him licking me in the face. He was shy, skiddish and abused. I checked out every book from the school library I could find on dogs and dog training and had him trained after a whole lot of screw ups. I liked it so I started training dogs that belonged to family and friends. I competed in agility, conformation, obedience, etc.

Then, when I was 14 I stayed up every night to watch Zorro, which came on at midnight. Right after Zorro ended one night, as I was getting ready to turn off the TV, a show about a dog came on TV. It as The Biscuit Eater. I'd never had any dealings with birddogs before, but after watching that movie I became obsessed with them and my attention shifted towards studying/learning specifically birddogs.

After two years of pining I finally wore my dad down and got him to let me get a pup. He wouldn't let me work because he thought it would take away from school work and we were poor, so the only stipulation was that the dog be cheap. I started calling about dogs in the Dallas Morning News every week and finally found someone who would take payments. Bought my first birddog - a grandson of Clown - for $400, at $50 bi-weekly payment. Made my first roading harness out of duct tape, bought my first pigeon from an old lady in downtown Dallas and kept him in a pet taxi. Did all my training in the parking lot of the apartment complex we lived in and on the vacant lot in the middle of the city, adjacent to the apartment complex.

As far as not having any family that hunted... well, my grandpa hunted, but he died when I was eight. My dad's not a hunter at all. I grab my dogs and gear and head out the door I have never made it past my dad without getting a head-shake and a, "those pooooooor, poor birds; what did they ever do to you?" I will say, though, that I attribute a ton of my dedication to birddogs to Ronnie Smith. Harley's breeder gave me the puppy edition of PDJ when I picked him up and I noticed the name "Smith" and the town "Big Cabin" in the same ad on the same page and thought it must have been Delmar Smith (I'd read his book). I called him up and he spoke with me for about two hours. about three days later I got a box in the mail with my first check cord, Wonder Lead, collar (1", leather, single-ply, brass hardware, of course), a second copy of the book, one of Delmar's videos and a note with Ronnie's personal number on it. For over a year I'd talk to him weekly and he'd clear up any issues I was having and talk to me about politics of field trialing, etc. He invited me to one of his intro seminars in April of 2003, totally free of charge, and introduced me to a lot of people and taught me a lot of stuff. We only talked one time after that, in January 2004, but I believe he just decided that it was time for me to go it alone. I'll never forget all he did for me. He's a wonderful dog trainer and a wonderful person. I'd do anything to help him in any way I could.

CowboyBirdDogs · Post by **CowboyBirdDogs** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:21 am

I went on my first bird hunt when I was 8. Nobody in myfamily bird hunts or has bird dogs at all. I had "my" first bird dog at 9, and then I got my real first dog 5 years ago when I was a senior in HS.

rkappes · Post by **rkappes** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 3:30 pm

This little lady, Cora, my youngest niece is 5 months old.

deke · Post by **deke** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 10:44 am

Started hunting when I was 10, with my grandpa across the street. My dad never hunted, although he would go with me down the street to shoot ducks some mornings. Got my first lab when I was 12, spent hours and hours training her with no knowledge about training. Started pheasant hunting at 13 with my dads friends, and as soon as I turned 16 started driving hours to go pheasant hunting. Got my second lab at 17, not much of a bird dog. Finally got a good pup when i was 22, now almost a year and a half later I finally got the dog I want.

quackerjack · Post by **quackerjack** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 1:51 pm

Some great stories!

I have yet to meet a bird hunter in my family, including at reunions. But in HS (15) I was fortunate to meet a friend that bird hunted a lot with his father. They graciously invited and showed me the ropes. Unfortunately, 11 years later, none of us have a bird dog. I have hunted over 7 or 8 different dogs, on single hunts, over the years. Some professionally trained guide dogs, others that were great weekend-hunter dogs, and then a couple that, well let's just say they are still learning about birds. My buddy and I are planning on getting ourselves each a dog in a little over a year. I finish up grad school next summer, so that should give me time to find a job, get settled and then make the purchase. I have been talking to a lot of breeders and am excited to work with the one I've chosen. January 2014 baby!!! Can't come soon enough!

tfbirddog2 · Post by **tfbirddog2** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:58 pm

I started hunting when I was 8, Dad was not a big hunter but my great Uncle and his 2 boys my cousins were and are they showed me most everything that got me started.Got my first birddog when I was 25, but had been around them all my years hunting. My oldest is 10, bought her first dog 4 years ago for her 6th Bday.For my youngest 5th she got to keep, and pick a pup from her sisters dogs first litter.They both help raise and train these dogs and they love the outdoors!

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