Tabla de contenidos para October 2022 en Gun Dog

THERE'S A CHILL in the air—a welcome reprieve from the past few months where daily temperatures hit the high 90s all summer long here in Utah. That meant many mornings of early wake up calls to be in the training field as the sun was peaking over the horizon and heading to higher elevations to hunt grouse to beat the heat in the foothills. September is the true season kick-off, but there is just something special about October. The air is crisp, leaves start to crunch under foot, and fires back at camp welcome you with a crackle and welcoming warmth. The change in weather puts not only a pep in my step, but also that of my dogs. They know hunting season is here, and for the next few…

PYKE DAKOTA PANT Serious grouse hunters find themselves in the nastiest of covers through the course of a season, and that can wear on a pant. Enter Pyke’s Dakota Pant: Made for grouse hunters, by grouse hunters. It is built using a tough nylon base layer with an outer 3-layer stretch nylon that is incredibly waterproof, while still maintaining good breathability. At 20 ounces, the Dakota pant is relatively light given its ruggedness, and provides a good, comfortable fit with features such as articulated knees, a gusseted crotch, and an elastic stretch waist band. $270; pykegear.com ORVIS UPLAND HUNTING SOFTSHELL PANTS These ultra-technical upland pants from Orvis provide a ton of versatility for hunters who like to pursue a range of species in different climates. The tightly woven ripstop…

YOU FIND, point, hold birds…in that order. Training bird dogs has been explained to me as being that simple. But as the saying goes, “The road to hell was paved with good intentions.” A WEEKEND OF (S)MILES A rainy weekend made for close quarters in our little red cabin. Checking a trail camera was a chance to get outside, and a lesson on moving quietly in the woods and listening to what nature had to say. A grouse had laid claim to its cut the entire walk-in, and the camera shows it exited from the pine log stage at 10:28 a.m. I lost sight of Maquina, then the bird let me know where it was. The thunder of a flushing grouse from under balsams, then a streak of a mostly…

WITHIN DOG training circles, a few debates seem to stand the test of time: pointing dog or flushing dog, English setter or English pointer, e-collar as a training tool or no. Only a step behind these perennial favorites is the argument over whether a gun dog should be allowed to chase after the flush. There are established trainers and handlers who advocate for each school of thought, and they make their respective cases with sound reasoning, or at least conviction. But, like all good dog trainers, I am not one to waffle on my opinions. I have a clear position on whether a dog should chase, one I’ve arrived at after years of training, observing, and handling flushing dogs. But before I share my opinions, a little background first. When…

The REMNANTS of an early season snowstorm blanketed the north slopes of the rolling mountains. A cold wind prodded us as we strode down an old logging road that descended into the forest. Ahead, our dogs worked the edges of the timber, burning off energy from the long morning drive. We came to a steep draw lined with young aspen trees. We left the road and climbed up through the white trunks, reaching for their smooth, cool waists to avoid slipping in the loose snow. We topped out on a grassy bench between the aspens and hilltop ponderosa. Dan paused at a snow bank. “Look at this.” I joined him. There in the snow was a single track—the telltale imprint of a gallinaceous bird. It was opening week of pheasant…

WHEN I THINK “smothered chicken,” my imagination immediately spins an unfortunate, yet comical, scene. Thankfully, this southern dish has nothing to do with goose-down pillows and unsuspecting poultry. It’s rather a cooking technique of Cajun and Creole origin. You might know the famous Louisiana dish called étouffée, which translates to “muffled” or “smothered.” Étouffée is essentially smothered seafood, except that chefs take the extra time to create a nutty brown roux. There’s no need for that in smothering chicken or pork chops—you’re looking for a lighter gravy. Smothering is simple: Meat and vegetables are browned, liquid is added to make a gravy, and the whole thing is covered and gently cooked until tender over the stovetop. It’s basically a stovetop braise, and the method works just as well with pheasant…

PROFESSIONAL TRAINERS have a distinct advantage when it comes to handling animals. Over a career, a pro works with a multitude of canine personalities and spends countless hours watching different training scenarios unfold. This experience affords pro trainers unique perspective on how dogs see things and how they react to the environment and stimuli around them. Pros have to become adept at recognizing and applying specific personal traits and personalized training techniques to bring out the best in each animal. There are, however, broad traits and general techniques that professional trainers tend to exhibit that amateur handlers and bird hunters can incorporate into their handling repertoire to increase their successes with their dog. BE A DOG WHISPERER Most trainers tend to approach interactions with their animals with consistent, composed, and…

THE SPORT of horseback field trials has always captivated me. The back of a horse has always been one of my favorite places to be. In horseback field trials, the dog is required to stand stationary through the flush of the bird and the shot of the gun. Because the birds are not shot in this event, the dog also must stand until the handler returns to him and takes him by the collar. Performed at its best, the dog happily stands without any cautioning from the handler. I recall the first time I ever attempted to reach this level of performance with a dog. The dog was a couple of years old and I had shot a fair number of birds over him. He was standing steady for me…

CCZ-USA HAS BEEN in the shotgun game for many years, and the company’s current list of shotguns includes a lengthy list of side-by-sides, over/unders, semiautos, and pumps. However, the most noteworthy addition to CZ’s shotgun line in the last couple years has been the introduction of their All-Terrain family of shotguns. When CZ launched the All-Terrain line it didn’t truly add new firearm models. Rather, the company gave existing product lines, including the Upland Ultralight, Redhead Premier, and Drake over/unders, the Bobwhite G2 side-by-side, and semiauto 1012 an upgrade—and made these firearms even more versatile and functional. GREEN AND RED My All-Terrain test gun was a Redhead Premier in 12-gauge with 28-inch barrels. The Redhead is the flagship of CZ’s over/under line, and as such it comes with a lengthy…

ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL things about retrievers is how versatile they are. This is one of the biggest reasons why those of us who live for both upland and waterfowl hunting tend to lean pretty heavily on retrievers for our outdoor pursuits. Of course, being versatile in description is a far cry from an actual dog that knows how to perform in both types of settings. Getting to that point takes a lot of training and an understanding of how different the ask is for both types of hunts. They are, essentially, opposites to one another. An upland retriever will be cut loose to range its way through the right cover in search of hot scent, and hopefully, some close flushes. That same dog in the duck blind is supposed…