Brittanys
An angel at home and a demon in the field, the French Brittany packs maximum ability in minimum volume. In the 30 years or so that I’ve been scribbling about gundogs, the biggest “breed story” has been the renaissance of the cocker spaniel. Finding a...
A Deformed Pup Turns Out To Be A Great Gundog
After pacing the house from room to room, Marshall Skinner’s eight-year-old Labrador retriever abruptly dropped a warm whelp into his hand. He couldn’t imagine where she had gotten it, until she birthed a second pup. “I had no idea she was pregnant,” said Skinner,...
Socrates, Stung & Skunked
I was planting fenceposts. Back then, we coated post bottoms with creosote to preserve the wood from rot. Wise to my dog, Soc’s, ways of drinking things he shouldn’t, I guarded the creosote bucket like Cerberus before hell’s gates and stopped him mid-sally on his way...
Carson Wentz: Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
There are many reasons for sportsmen to place North Dakota on their bucket list. The entire state, or about 90 percent of the territory, is home to large ranches and moderate-sized farms. Agriculture is king in a vast swath of land that stretches from the flat Red...
Pointing Lab: The Do-It-All Dog?
As a card-carrying traditionalist, I’ve always been more than a little skeptical about the pointing Lab. Why fix something that ain’t broke, you know? Then I met hunting and fishing guide John Klus of Lake Waubesa, Wisconsin. Klus is the owner of Oscar, a...
Emy’s First Woodcock
Love of dogs was her entry into hunting, specifically the dogs her father hunted over.
Tess’s Trial
A dog and her owner participate in their first field trial.