Colt Country | Home of The Almighty Colt
Long Guns => Scatterguns => Topic started by: ShotgunDave on December 30, 2020, 04:14:39 PM
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Yessir. The best days afield, do include a shotgun and a dog. I've had a few really good examples of both. Here are my favorites.
This is "Wrecks". He was a German Shorthaired Pointer. He was an excellent quail dog. The gun in my lap was a Winchester 101. That thing was incapable of missing. I lost both in a nasty divorce. The gun because I had to sell it. The dog because my soon to be ex-wife's boyfriend, left the gate open and he was hit by a car. One of the saddest days of my life.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50781273882_66fc61ded0_z.jpg)
And here's "Bagger". So named because I was riding Harley's at the time, and I had an affinity for the big bikes with bags. He was the absolute best bird dog I have ever had. He was a Llewellyn Setter from the "Hunting with Hank" line of dogs, from the Kings in Arkansas. He was fantastic. I had him for 13 years, before he finally went over the bridge. I miss him. The gun in my hand is an L.C.Smith field grade. I loved that gun, but someone else loved it more. A guy I worked with loved it so much, he offered to trade me the gun for his Jeep. I couldn't pass that up!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50781273837_4092efc2f6_z.jpg)
So what about you guys? Any stories or pictures of days afield with your favorite dog and gun? I'd love to hear them!
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No dogs afield for me, though there certainly were dogs! As far as shotguns, yeah. Two of them, both of which I inherited after Dad's untimely passing; and SKB O/U and a Remington 870 that was from the 1950's...or earlier. I used the 870 to hunt pheasants and rabbits in the 1970's...it really did a number on those bunnies and there was more shot than meat on the plate most times! I switched over to a little 20ga single shot H&R after a few lead bunnies. Too much lead and not enough protein! That SKB is the cat's pajamas! I think Richard has one like it. I do miss chasing ringnecks and sure wish I had a good bird dog.
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well, here is mine.. she dont look like much at just under 50lbs and is a mixed up mess.
she tracks and recovers deer
(https://i.postimg.cc/t4XVxbZx/00A6AE79-CF62-4B64-9023-5AEA6D9C1501.jpg)
helps out at the range
(https://i.postimg.cc/SK62kryp/8E0DE614-1F52-41DA-AACC-6A4F880B219A.jpg)
helps digs clams
(https://i.postimg.cc/m2vXz8Xk/467CCFAF-A06E-4C5C-8149-273FD0A6EF51.jpg)
or on bear patrol
(https://i.postimg.cc/Wp7KJvDm/C534036E-6771-43BB-A30D-456055D5A306.jpg)
she is my hunting buddy and trusted protector.
her name is Missy, and she is Alaskan Sturdy. a better dog there is not..
AG
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Missy is quite the dog Mark!
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As with all your hunting equipment, she is a needed tool!
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I don't have any of my hunting dog pictures anymore. Thinks happen and they disappeared, like in a divorce. However, I still have fond memories of all my hunting dogs. I started off in the early 70's with a little mixed beagle mut named Susie. I took her out for the first time when she was just 9 weeks old just to pay in the woods while my cousin and I hunted along. I came to a pile of brush in the woods and as usual, I was jumping up and down on it to try a chase out a rabbit. Low and behold, a rabbit did run out of that pile and ran over my little puppy. Susie rolled and came to her feet, looked at that big white tail getting away and she took chase and barking the whole time. I had one of the best rabbit dogs ever from there on out. But, she even took a liking to ringnecks and had a different bark for those and a strange wagging of the tail. I knew what she was about to kick up. I've had several good beagles since. In the 80's I had a beautiful Weimaraner that I trained and he gave my Dad and I some great bird hunting moments. He was so graceful as he quartered the fields, no wonder they call them the Grey Ghost. Oh how I miss those days.
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Those are great stories Powder Burn! Hunting over a dog is my most favorite thing on the planet.
I had a Springer Spaniel once that was an amazing rabbit dog. If the rabbit got away, he would herd it back to us for a shot. He was great at his job. He would get so excited every time I would open the safe. He just knew I was taking out the shotgun, and he was gonna get to chase rabbits. I miss Ol' Toby.
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I have never had a hunting dog of my own, but hunted a couple of times over a buddie's dog. It is a different experience.
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Old English proverb: Never trust a guy who hasn't got a dog
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I have had several dogs, just not any that I trained to hunt. We are currently without one and we do miss the companionship.
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Yup!
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Oh wow, what a great topic and beautiful pictures.
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Great pics Retreever!
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ROGER THAT! they say that you only get one good DOG, but all of them are our friends!
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ROGER THAT! they say that you only get one good DOG, but all of them are our friends!
How very true.
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ROGER THAT! they say that you only get one good DOG, but all of them are our friends!
I've been lucky to have two exceptional dogs in my day. One was the Llewellyn above, and the other was a Springer named Toby. I doubt I'll ever have another dog as good as either of them were.
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Our closest neighbor, just down the road and around the corner, raises and trains Beagles. He is the secretary of the Beagle Club in Wisconsin. He is also the guy who gave me 25# of bear fat (didn't use a Beagle to get the bear!).
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I've been very fortunate in my life , I've bred, raised, trained , hunted and showed Labrador Retrievers for 45 years. In that time I have had a lot of great dogs - usually with my guys we would finish their show careers fairly quickly getting their Championship title , we'd then move on to compete in Hunt Tests and Field Trials. Most of the dogs liked showing, they all loved hunt tests but their very first opening day in a real blind was always the most amazing.
I have a lot of stories about opening day but the one I tell most often is about Tucson, he was a black Lab , a big lad but very athletic - he's the one in the goose hunt picture and in the painting. His opening day story starts at 5am on a cold , crisp September morning - we had driven as far as we could to the back of a cut over corn field then walked in to a blind we had set up the weekend before in a hedgerow on the far side of the field.
The ducks and geese had been lifting off early in the mornings from a lake about 10 miles away and they would fly in to this field for 'breakfast'. We had our decoys scattered out in front of us and we were expecting the birds to fly in to us. We'd been settled in for about a half hour when we started hearing then coming, I set Tuscon outside the blind in a sit/stay and my buddy started calling for all he was worth.
Suddenly from behind us we hear ducks call they are flying low and coming in from behind the blind , they go right over top of us - bam , bam, bam, bam - we brought down (4) wood ducks , I look over at Tucson and he is just vibrating , waiting to be sent to pick up the birds - I gave him his back command and didn't that dog pick up all four birds, one after another and deliver to my hand at the blind. When I took the last bird from him him the look on his face was one of pure unadulterated joy - his whole body was just vibrating with excitement. When he passed 11 years later I wrote this poem for him.
For Tucson
One More Day by Roger Bannister
Coat black
Once brilliantine
Now dull
Kind eyes
Once bright
Now clouded
Deep sleep
Now holds
Tight
Then, limbs twitch
Long strides
Running?
Breath deepens
Low voiced
Grumble, whine
Does he dream?
Bright, cold fall day
Grass crunching
Nose questing
Hot, red scent
As flyer rises
Breath slows
Limbs still
Sleep holds again
I think
Selfishly
Weve won
One more day!
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That is awesome Retreever!
)l_ Here's to you, and Tucson.