Hall of Fame English Setters and the Coefficient of Inbreeding

Hall Of Fame English Setters and Coefficient of Inbreeding

Do the Hall of Fame dogs in her pedigree give Sugar more chance of being a great one? Is she better off with more of them or with fewer ones repeated more often? Is a lower COI better for performance and a higher COI better for production?

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The Breeding of bird dogs has been part art and part science for hundreds of years. Unfortunately a lot of the “science” doesn’t always produce results that are as distinct or repeatable. And the art part seems no more definite.

The Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI) is one of the more scientific tools that a lot of people are starting to look to in order to help predict what they will get from a given litter. The COI is essentially a statistic that has been devised to describe or identify the amount of “inbreeding” present. Out of curiosity I wanted to take a look at COI in some way to determine if it was a good predictor of quality breedings so I could use it to assist in my breeding plan.

I wanted to focus specifically on English Setters as that is my breed. I decided to look at English Setters that have been elected to the Bird Dog Hall Of Fame (HOF). First, this kept the sample size small and easy to work with. In truth it may have been statistically too small to provide meaningful results.

Second, using HOF dogs allowed Setters from multiple venues to be represented. To select winners of one major trial or another would have geared the results toward that particular venue, in my mind.
My intent here is to provide a table I created to give you a look at the COI numbers on most of the English Setters in the HOF. I must give huge credit to the Willie Walker Pedigree database for the information on the COIs (8 generation) that I found on these dogs. If you are a Setter breeder you need to be looking at their database; it is amazingly helpful.

I also included the COI of the sire and dam to see if maybe those would be telling, and whether the sire or dam were a HOF dog or a field trial champion.

Personally, I don’t see that the HOF Setters support COI as an indicator of greatness. However, I honestly feel that it is too small of a sample size to be statistically meaningful. While I had intended to work out a mean and standard deviation, I think the sample size is so small as to make this pointless. With the lowest COI being 1.695 (Flaming Star) and the highest 29.312 (Count Noble) and only 27 dogs in between with COIs spread evenly throughout, there appears to be no telling point.

On a couple of side notes, I did find two interesting (at least to me) points. Only one Setter I found has sired two HOF dogs: CH Grouse Ridge John. He sired Tomoka and Grouse Ridge Will. If you look at their production and for what what he is ultimately responsible, it makes you wonder why Grouse Ridge John isn’t in the HOF.

A second point I found interesting is that Destinare and Hick’s Rising Sun were whelped by dams of the same breeding, Sandhill Sheba and Sandhill Becky. From a breeder’s standpoint, they were on to something with that litter.

So from here, where could we go to find more definitive information on COI and field trial Setters? If we brought in another bird dog breed, we would get more numbers, but then we’re not looking at Setters, and could that change things? I think maybe we could get more numbers if we included winners of the various English Setter Awards, which may be a good place to go next. We would still have a variety of venues represented. I also think more females would then be represented as the HOF process seems to work against females.

But for now, it’s up to those breeding to determine how much COI means to them and to what degree to rely upon it.

Statistics on COI garnered with the help of the Willie Walker Pedigree Program among other sources.

Field Trial Fallacies and Misconceptions

I've owned bird dogs pretty much my whole life. I've bred them since the early 1990's. For years I had friends and trainers that would push me to get into field trialing; but I'd have none of it. I was a hunter, and that was that. I loved (and still do) walking in on a point with a favorite shotgun with great anticipation of the flush of a covey of quail, a raucous rooster pheasant or a thundering ruffed grouse. But my avoidance of trials was also due in part to some fallacies I believed and misconceptions I held about field trials. Nevertheless, about 12 years ago I finally gave in and joined the field trial community, and learned I had been wrong in a lot of my thinking.

Since then I've been involved in a variety of field trial venues including both American Field and AKC sanctioned events. My dogs have competed in walking planted bird trials, cover dog trials run on grouse and woodcock, AKC horseback trials, the major horseback shooting dog circuit, and the all-age circuit.

Recently, I have seen some threads on bird dog sites that have espoused some of those same common misconceptions I held and the fallacies that I had fallen prey to. So I'd like to look at them and why I think I was wrong:

1.Field trial dogs tend to be run-offs. This may be the most common misconception about trials, and one that I believed for a long time. I think I bought into this one, like a lot of people, because I possessed that ever dangerous thing: a little bit of knowledge. I understood that a strong race is a component of a desired field trial performance. However, I didn't understand the underlying reason for a properly run race, or really what a proper race was.

When field trial judges look for a dog that runs, the idea is that they look for dogs that go to the cover that is likely to hold birds and quickly skip over the non-productive areas. The faster they cover the likely areas and more quickly they go past barren places, the more efficient their hunting time will be. So for instance, if a bird dog is hunting and comes to a bare open field, he should cross it quickly since it is unlikely for birds to be there. Also, when he is in good cover, the faster the dog can effectively hunt the good cover, the more good cover he can hunt in a given time, thus giving a higher chance of finding more birds. The "run-off" label can come into play when someone who doesn't understand that the dog is doing what it is supposed to be doing.

Now that is not to say that there are not dogs that are run offs. The other side of the coin is that some field trial people either don't understand or place emphasis on the run ahead of biddability and bird binding. I have heard trainers complain about owners that bring young prospects to them touting them as the next great thing because they turn them loose and the young dog runs off. Isn't that great??? No, not really. I currently have dogs with one horseback shooting dog pro and one all-age pro. They both have told me that they want a dog that wants to be with them, not something they have to go chase down all the time. I've learned that a good trial dog is a dog that goes with its handler, but just does it from whatever range is appropriate for the venue.

An exceptional trial dog will be biddable as well and will learn from its handler what the desired range is. I have heard some people say they don't want to buy a dog from "field trial lines" because they run too big. If the dog wants to please its handler and is capable of learning, then just because it has the physical ability to run big doesn't mean it always will. If you think about it, there are very few bird dogs out there of any breeding that couldn't outrun their owners if they wanted to.

So, in truth, a truly good bird dog (field trial or otherwise) runs at the range it is taught and listens to its owner/handler.

2.You can't hunt with a trial dog. Somewhat related to the idea that field trial dogs are bred to be run-offs is the feeling that bird dogs that are bred and trained for trials are not able to tone it down for hunting. Another facet of this is that trial dogs require a higher level of training than many hunters require to follow the rules of the specific venue in which they compete. We've covered the range aspect, and the training side may or may not be an issue.

I learned from one of my dogs, Katie, that she was completely smart enough to know the difference between trials and hunting. After she had competed for about three years I went back to hunting with her some. When I was carrying a shotgun, Katie would break at the shot, something not allowed in the trials in which we ran. After I shot a bird or two, she toned down her range to match our normal hunting pattern. But she could go out the next weekend in a trial and run a big race and stand to wing and shot.

Some dogs may not be able to go back and forth between the two with different behavior being expected whether hunting or trialing, but in that case, the owner just has to be diligent when hunting to enforce the rules on his dog that are expected in trials. To be honest, one factor in keeping me from trialing years ago was that I was a little intimidated by the amount of training and level of performance needed to run in field trials. I just didn't have confidence that I could train a dog to that level or even maintain one at that level when hunting. I could not blame my insecurities on field trials.

3.Field trial dogs don't handle wild birds. First, this is completely wrong in some instances. There are many venues that run on wild birds. So called "cover dog" trials run on wild ruffed grouse and woodcock; many All-Age trials are run on wild birds whether sharp tails, huns and pheasants on the prairies, chukars out west, or wild quail in the southern plantations; and several horseback shooting dog events are held on wild birds.

Though somewhat inaccurate, this statement also implies that wild birds are a better test of a bird dog. Wild birds may require a more careful or diligent dog, running on pen raised birds can have its own challenges. For example, a ruffed grouse east of the Mississippi can be a nervous bird that is difficult to get pointed. However, once a point is established, it is not unusual for the grouse to flush without the dog seeing it. On the other hand, a pen raised quail may be "easier" for a dog to get pointed, but may flush and barely clear the ground coming back down 5 feet in front of the dog. That requires a different level of restrain when it comes to holding steady than the grouse that is only heard as it quickly rockets unseen into the distance.

Another good thing about pen raised birds is that they can be placed in specific locations that reward dogs for making the right moves to hunt the right cover. In wild bird hunting and wild bird trials, your dog may make a beautiful cast to cover the right spots, but the birds just aren't home.

4.You have to be rich to afford to field trial. If you want to, you can spend just about as much money on field trialing bird dogs as you want. Paying a pro to run in high level horseback competitions, whether AKC or American Field sanctioned can get a bit pricey. Trying to run your own dogs in amateur versions of those same venues requires about as much just spent on horses, trailers, trucks, tack, etc. However, there are many walking trials where you can run a dog for not much more than a trip for two to the movies, a round of golf, a few rounds of skeet or trap, or even an evening of bowling.

A quick glance at the latest edition of the American Field magazine showed most weekend (non-championship) trials with entry fees ranging form $25 to $50 per stake. If you are a hunter, then you most likely already have all the equipment needed, except maybe a blank gun. And if you don't feel you are able to train a dog to the level required, there are pro trainers that can break a dog to be steady to wing and shot in a relatively short time once they reach the right age. I have seen pro trainers that charge anywhere from $250/month to $1000/month.

5.Field trial people are unfriendly. People are people. There are a ton of the most friendly people I've ever met in the field trial community. I have gotten so much good advice, help, encouragement and friendship from long time field trialers. The truth be told, I have encountered some that are down right unfriendly or poor sportsmen, but no higher percentage than in all other walks of life. One must keep in mind that field trials are competitions and not everyone can keep a real friendly attitude while being serious about winning. That doesn't excuse bad behavior, but just something to keep in mind.

6.Judging is Subjective and that doesn't make it fair. Yes, the judging in field trials is subjective. Does that open it up to sometimes the right dog not winning, well yes. But more often than not, if you have a dog that is consistently good, it will get it's fair share of placements. I have had times when I just knew my dog won and didn't get anything, and times when I figured I was out of the running and got a placement. I was told a long time ago that first and foremost to enjoy field trials, you have to focus on being happy with your dog when it does well and try not to focus on the actual placements.

All those misconceptions I held for a long time. And over the last decade or so, I've been proven wrong.

So now I am involved in trials. The biggest reason I do is to evaluate the dogs my breeding is producing. I get to see them compared to other dogs in my preferred venues and make my own assessment. I also get others' assessments via the judging. This does not just apply to faults being exposed, I fairly recently had a female of good breeding that I was on the fence about whether she was good enough to breed. I then realized she was winning quite a bit, and decided to go ahead and breed her. Her pups are now earning placements of their own.

Trialing may not be for everyone. It wasn't for me for a while, but the misconceptions that were a part of that have been eliminated. Now trialing is an important part of my lifestyle.

Maybe most importantly, the dogs love it. I don't think they care whether they're finding birds on trial grounds or in hunting fields. They're getting to do what they love.

SUMMER CAMP

To many adults, the words summer camp evoke memories of time away from home as a child, gathering around campfires, staying in rustic dorms, canoeing, crafts and outdoor games. To football players, summer camp means two-a-day workouts, learning new plays, and rookies trying to earn a spot on the team.

To bird dog people, summer camp can be a lot like football camps, and even a little like the vacations of their youth. Like football players, bird dogs are put through their paces at camp; experienced dogs get conditioning via roading and then time on the ground; young dogs get final touches on whoa breaking, honoring and stop-to-flush, and then the repetition of bird contact after bird contact to reinforce the training.

But largely, as in the days of our youth, summer camp is for the youngsters. Puppies are given time to run and try to experience everything, learning the difference between larks and game birds, learning to go with their handler, and experiencing life on the road.

Those dogs experiencing their second summer are expected to start following the rules and to show an aptitude for handling birds. These dogs, know as derbies, should find birds, get them pointed and start learning the manners expected once on point. And the first year finished dogs, those having gotten all of their training, are given the chance to show that they have come of age and really get it, or are at least getting there. An occasional bobble in the manners department may be tolerated, but it’s really time for them to gel into a finished dog.

When summer camp is mentioned in most bird-dog circles, training on the American and Canadian prairies comes to mind. With the wide expanses, cool temperatures, and availability of wild birds, the prairies have been trod by bird dogs and horse mounted handlers for well over one hundred years. But the prairies aren’t the only place to hold summer camp.

Late in the summer of 2015, I was fortunate to get to spend time with pros from the three main field trial venues: All-Age, Horseback Shooting Dog, and Walking. From the Walking trial arena, I spent time with the Forman brothers, Marc and Scott, from Shady Hills Kennels. My time in the Shooting Dog realm was spent with Jeanette Tracy of Ladywood Farms. And lastly, I visited the All-Age camp of Lee Phillips of Trail South Kennels. Come along and we’ll look at these three camps and how each prepares its canine campers for an arduous field trial season.

JEANETTE TRACY’s LADYWOOD FARMS is located in the once rural, now just outside of suburbia, eastern Pennsylvania. Her training grounds here have been in the Tracy family for almost as long as horseback trainers have been heading to the prairies. Jeanette has established herself as a top pro in the major Shooting Dog circuit, handling many dogs to Champion or Runner-Up titles, as well as other important awards like the Elwin G. Smith top English Setter Shooting Dog award that Pine Straw Black Hawk garnered under Jeanette’s whistle in the 2015-2016 season.

Jeanette is one of several pros that have a preference for staying at home for summer camp and it didn’t take long for me to see why.

THE TERRAIN

This big chunk of rolling eastern Pennsylvania ground contains numerous hedge rows that have been maintained to provide lines and edges that dogs can be directed down. The hedgerows run in different directions in different parts of the property, providing good scenting opportunity regardless of the wind direction on any given day. These lines also allow Jeanette to reinforce the forward race so important in a trial dog.

There are small wood lots scattered throughout and wooded fence lines, both made up of mature trees. These areas provide good escape for the birds, but also give much needed shaded areas that allow the dogs brief respite from the summertime sun.

The water on the property is mostly artificially provided. Water barrels at key intervals allow the dogs a place to cool off and rehydrate when needed, very important on the days when that summer sun flexes its muscle.

THE BIRDS

As for the birds, there are numerous Johnny houses strategically located throughout the property providing quail, chukars and even some pheasants for the dogs to find. The old axiom about needing birds to have bird dogs being as true as any axiom could be, these Johnny houses are key. The birds are typically flown out in advance of training, but can be caught and placed for specific purposes if needed. A close eye is kept on the number of birds in the houses and they are replenished as needed. While not wild, the birds used by Ladywood get a lot of time in and out of the Johnny house and seemed to always fly well. Jeanette told me that not only do they get good recall on their bobwhites, but also on the strong flying chukars as well.

THE EXPERIENCE

Summer temperatures dictated an early start to our days and before the sun broke over the eastern Pennsylvania hills we were turning birds out for the dogs to find. And while Jeanette and I turned out birds, her scout and right hand man, Dillon Schaffer, saddled the horses. Not all of the training occurs off horseback, but the derbies and shooting dogs are run that way, and most puppies once they’ve gotten an introduction to birds and handling.

Most days, young dogs got first dibs on running which meant they enjoyed the cooler temps and better scent conditions. The older, more experienced dogs were given the tougher task of finding birds and lasting longer as the mercury rose.

So we started off with some derby aged dogs and boy were they fired up. I got to see a well muscled orange and white pointer male that was a bit willful in his ground race. Jeanette likes to keep the young dogs fairly close until she knows she can trust them on their birds. This pointer started off hard running, taking edges, and not quite turning every time he was asked. He slammed into a very stylish point along one of the hedgerows, muscles rippling as he was very intense. As Jeanette went in to flush he couldn’t quite stand it and took a hop to the side. Jeanette patiently set him back and then continued with the flush. He stood, but it seemed to be touch and go for a second or two.

Next up was a pretty double masked, lanky, tri-colored English Setter female named Sugar. She was fancy running, with a smooth gait and cracking tail that demanded “Look at me!” She wasn’t as big running as the pointer had been, but the offset was that she seemed to hang on Jeanette’s every word and so Jeanette was able to steer her where she wanted. The sleek Setter was placed on one of the hedgerows and halfway down it, abruptly turned 90 degrees to face the cover. As we rode up, Sugar was locked up tight, nostrils flaring and eyes focussed on some brush 10 feet ahead. Her tail was rigidly straight with the feathering flickering in the wind. The grass still held the Kelly-green hue of summer, but its scent dampening effect didn’t prevent this field trial prospect from nailing the point. At the flush of the bird, and the crack of the blank gun, she held fast, only craning her neck to watch the quail dart around the brush and fly across the field to a far fence row.

Other derbies had their turns and before too long it was warming enough for scent conditions to begin to deteriorate. It was not yet hot, but definitely warm. So it was then that the experienced bird finders were brought out. These runs were kept fairly short, being just practice to ensure the older dogs kept sharp on their manners.

On those days that the sun and humidity conspire to side line the action, Jeanette and her scout Dillon take young puppies into an area they call “The Orchard” where there is shade all day long. Here, Jeanette has a small Johnny house and check cords the little guys into birds. Or sometimes Jeanette will have them point pigeons, while she styles them and holds on and Dillon throws birds for them to ogle as the birds make a raucous escape.

Typically, by early afternoon the dogs are being put back in their kennels, the horses are un-saddled and turned out, and equipment is being put away. If you happen to be visiting when there is a litter of little puppies at Ladywood, this is the time when momma gets a break and you get to play with the little bundles of bird-dog potential. I got to mess with a litter of 4 week old English Setter babies, and there isn’t much cuter than that!

A lot of work gets done at Ladywood in the summer time. The convenience of having all the tools, the kennels, the stables, and a reliable number of birds makes staying at home well worth it for Jeanette and her string.


MARC and SCOTT FORMAN run SHADY HILLS KENNELS in Western New York, but they travel to Northern Wisconsin for their sumer camp. This team of brothers has become a top contender in the grouse and woodcock trials known as “Coverdog" trials, and not only can be counted on to have multiple titles won each year, but also to regularly appear at the Grand National Grouse and Woodcock Invitational. The Invitational includes the top 14 cover dogs from grouse and woodcock trials, and the Formans won it in early 2015 with an English Setter named Uppercove Billy Babe.

THE TERRAIN

Thick stands of young aspen, mixed with other hardwoods and borders of alder swamps are the haunts frequented by the Forman brothers in late summer. Thanks to the forestry management of public land in Wisconsin, many acres of regrowing harvested timber are in the proper stages of growth to support both woodcock and grouse populations. These areas of previously harvested timber, often referred to as “cuts” are the primary focus of the Formans’ summer training days.

The density of the upland jungle is further thickened by ferns that often grow tall enough to completely obscure a full sized pointing dog. The cover is so very thick this time of year, the dogs wear both bells and GPS collars on their training runs and even then finding a dog on point can take several minutes of diligent searching.

THE BIRDS

Wild Birds. Those words stir something special in every bird hunter’s heart. Heated debates ignite like five-year-old kindling when wild bird trials are compared to planted bird trials. While we’ll dodge that debate, there is no doubt the birds the Formans target at summer camp are wild birds. Ruffed Grouse, at least those east of the plains, may very well be the most wild bird in the good old U.S. of A. And woodcock have plenty of wily tricks up their sleeves, if they had sleeves that is. The dogs that run successfully on grouse must learn to point with just the right amount of scent without getting too close and woodcock, while not as touchy as grouse, will often run if pressured too much.

THE EXPERIENCE

Days start early in the Northwoods. Marc and Scott load up the dogs into the trucks and head down the small dirt roads that meander through the aspen and pine forests. If you’re lucky enough to tag along you’ll hear the brothers discussing the cuts they want to hit, in what order; often planning out an entire day's worth of spots as they bump down the road.

The first dog out of the box was a young half masked tricolor Setter male called Petey. He was fired up and tore into the cover with his bell quickly becoming the only evidence of his movements through the young aspen jungle. The Setter swung back close at Scott’s call and went crashing off through the cut again. If you’ve never followed a dog with a bell, especially in the thick cover where you have to listen intently, then you don’t realize how loud silence can be. But that is just what happened when Petey slammed to a point after about 5 minutes. Once a dog points, especially a young one, there is a hurried search in the direction where the bell was last detected. We plowed through the aspens, wet with dew, to find Petey, buried in ferns and locked up tight. As Scott eased past, a woodcock vaulted out of the ferns and zig zagged over the tops of the little trees. In the next twenty minutes, the young Setter had four more finds, with mostly good behavior, requiring minor correcting on just two occasions. But, those corrections are what we were there for anyway, it was training camp.

A quick drive a half mile down the road put us at the opposite side of the big cut. A pair of Setters were put down next, one a first year shooting dog, the other an old hand and field trial champion. As they coursed that end of the thick aspen grove, the two different bells darted this way and that, making it difficult for this writer to keep track of which dog was where, but the Formans not only knew who was where, but also could tell what they were up to. As it turned out, this end of the cut held fewer birds, but the old hand had two finds on woodcock, as well mannered as you could want. The young girl had one find that eluded all flushing attempts, but then rocketed away as she was sent on to relocate. A situation that can be a bit frustrating for the trainers.

At the next cut a handsome orange and white Setter male, DJ, was given the chance and he didn’t disappoint. Just two minutes into his run and he locked up beautifully, head and tail high. Marc stepped in front and a woodcock spiraled up and up; DJ stood like a statue. Ten minutes later, DJ pegged another woodcock in some very thick aspens. As we neared the edge of the cut we entered an area where the trees were a little bigger and a little more spread apart. The ground undulated with little humps and valleys. And that is where DJ found the grouse. He pointed, gorgeous in the leaf filtered light, intensity in his eyes, high on both ends, his muscles quaking and his nostrils flaring. Scott saw the grouse run, and we could tell DJ did too, but he didn’t move a muscle. When the grouse finally thundered away, and the shot was fired, we knew we’d seen a quality run.

Not all the dogs were as polished as DJ. Many were very young, but I was able to witness the learning occur. One little Setter female, a derby aged dog in its second year, relocated three times on a running woodcock and finally got it pinned. I felt sure she gained much from that experience.

At the end of a day spent with the Formans, you’re plenty tired. From just after sun-up until about supper time, you’re walking, and it’s not a stroll through the park. Busting through the thick cover, stepping over or around logs, trying to hurry when the aspens seem determined to keep you from finding the dogs, will wear you out. At least it does this aging bird dog lover. And when the stars shine again the cool nights and clean air of the Northwoods team up with all that walking to help you sleep the sleep of the innocent.




LEE PHILLIPS is TRAIL SOUTH KENNELS. And Trail South Kennels is located in the small town of Boston, deep in the storied bird dog country of Southwestern Georgia. But living in historic bird dog country isn't Lee’s only connection to the bird dog days of yore; every summer he makes the traditional pilgrimage to the prairies of the American West. Like decades of pros before him and many of his contemporaries, mid-July finds Lee packing up dogs, horses and all the gear and heading North.

THE TERRAIN

At first glance, it feels like you can see forever. Spend time following birds dogs across it, and you realize you just about can. The slow rolling land covered with auburn colored native grasses, interspersed with patches of brush, hayfields and the occasional yellow sunflower field lays out a huge network of objectives to challenge the even the biggest running dogs. People talk about “big country”, this is big country, and you really can’t appreciate what that means until you get on a horse and ride it.

Lee spends his time near the South Dakota town of Mobridge. Training grounds here are often passed down from trainer to trainer as one retires. Lee was introduced to these grounds by Fred DiLeo, who was a mentor to Lee as a field trial trainer.

THE BIRDS

Wild birds. Sometimes lots of wild birds. Those are the nuggets that feed the fervor for the raw boned Pointers and rangy Setters that are tested here every summer. The country provides the opportunity for the dog to develop his independence, to show he has the confidence to go big. But it’s the sharp tailed grouse, “chickens” to most of the bird dog guys, and ring-necked pheasants that provide the motivation to go. The need to drink in the sweet feathered scent, hidden out there, way out there, is what fuels the drive and elicits the all-age prairie race.

And those same birds both teach and test the dogs. Young dogs that crowd these birds soon learn that it results in them flying away. When pointed, the birds will show if your prospect is broke when they’re out a half mile or more from the handler. Once a dog goes on point, a seemingly short distance can take forever to cross on horseback. With a young or inexperienced dog, you find yourself holding your breath the entire way, at least as much as you can as your horse canters the rough ground.

THE EXPERIENCE

The days start long before the sun rises. Horses and dogs have to be trailered to the area, or “pasture” that is going to be worked. As daylight breaks, horses are pulled out and saddled. This country, this life, demands horses. Getting them there and ready before the sun is up allows more dogs to be run before the day gets too warm.

Lee and his brother Roger finished saddling the horses as the sun broke over the eastern horizon. A short time later they were turning a pair of derby dogs loose. A white Pointer and tricolored Setter raced away. The handlers guided the dogs through the grass toward a large swale that opened into still green hay field. The young dogs raced ahead, but checked back in for security as young dogs often do. The right edge of the field broke 90 degrees right, then back straight and repeated that pattern several times. The hay was green with alfalfa and clover mixed thoroughly throughout.

On the first right hand bend both dogs got birdy, almost pointed and then moved excitedly on, both with tails cracking so hard they looked like over wound wind-up toys. Thoughts of keeping in touch with their handlers obviously fading from their minds they pushed out farther. The Setter went over a hill, and when she didn’t come back Lee cantered up the rise. Just as Lee crested the hill, a chicken was in the air and the Setter starting after it. He was able to stop her with a hearty “Whoa whoa whoa”. A brief stop to set her back and stroke her up, then it was off again.

The Setter caught the pointer again as they took another right hand bend in the hay field. Just as the Setter was completing her pass of the pointer, she followed her nose into a hard right turn and locked up tight. The Pointer slammed on the brakes, either in a back or from his own tasting of the sharp tail scent on the wind. Handlers dismounted and Lee went to flush. And then the air was full of flapping, chuckling chickens. The Setter only moved a step and then stood firm on Lee’s caution. The Pointer took a few hops, but Roger got him stopped. As the handlers moved toward the dogs, a sleeper bird burst up at Lee’s feet. Both dogs stared wide-eyed and seemed to puff up, but neither moved an inch.

The dogs were turned loose again and we decided to head back toward the truck. It was then that I realized the importance of horses in this country. When we made the turn I looked to see the truck and was amazed how far we had come. In the excitement of watching the dogs and seeing the birds, I hadn’t realized how much ground we had covered. The truck and horse trailer were tiny specks on the horizon, and these were just derby dogs that we had followed, not the big time all age contenders.

We did two more braces of young dogs. One of the derbies Lee ran was a lively little liver marked pointer named Penny that wowed us all. She was fast and fancy and found her share of the birds. That little girl showed a lot of potential. When you see a dog that makes you watch them, you know they have a shot at winning. And this little girl went big in the open terrain.

As the day warmed, we switched from derbies to broke dogs; the broke dogs needing less practice at finding birds and more practice handling way out there. With me being new to the All-Age game, Lee explained that he likes to see dogs that want to be with him early on. He taught me that a great All-Age dog wants to go with you, but just go with you from out there. It’s kind of like having a string that connects you to the dog to help guide it, and the All-Age dog’s string is just really long. This wide open country, with birds to find, encourages those dogs to develop independence to be out there, and provides the opportunity for the handler to be able to see them that far away and encourage them to handle; strengthening that imaginary string.

I got to see a couple of All-Age champions and an up and coming contender. The distance at which those dogs handled was amazing. As we rode the rolling terrain, often on ridge lines, we could see the dogs as small white specks way out there (the traditional comparison is that the dogs look to be the size of an aspirin). And when Lee would sing to them, they would turn. Shoot, I was amazed that they could even hear him at that distance much less respond to his commands.

The old timers found birds too, as you would expect. While the derbies did a good job locating birds, you could tell the experienced dogs knew where to look and how to handle the often touchy wild birds. They knew to look in the patches of waist high green bushes tinged yellow in anticipation of the coming fall, and near the springs and seeps where there was shade from the warming sun and water for the birds to drink.

For three days I got to chase dogs on the prairies. Early mornings were the best; starting in the pink predawn light, with late summer grass smells on the cool air, and the wild birds plentiful and wonderfully driven bird dogs. I don’t have much experience with the All-Age game, but I’ll tell you what; I think I had as much fun in those three days as I’ve ever had.


SUMMER CAMP often ends somewhat abruptly. Field trials start in early fall in the northern latitudes, and often those trials bring a halt to training. The first All-Age trials actually start on the prairies before the trainers leave, and the grouse and woodcock trials usually start only weeks after the Formans return from Wisconsin. Jeanette gets rolling before the heat of summer is completely gone too, as the shooting dog circuit starts as early as September.

As the trial season takes off, it is time to see just who paid attention, and maybe who had a little too much fun at summer camp.




Sincere thanks to Jeanette, Marc, Scott and Lee for letting me tag along and experience their respective versions of summer camp.

If you're looking for top notch handlers for shooting dog, cover dog, or all-age dogs, see the contact numbers below to contact one of these great pros.

Jeanette Tracy - Ladywood Farms (717) 227-4773

Marc and Scott Forman - Shady Hills Kennels (585) 233-8349

Lee Phillips - Trail South Kennels (229) 516-0365

Classic Shotguns, Collect AND Use Them!

The word "Classic" is thrown around a lot these days. You can find just about classic anything now from classic burgers to classic computer programs. But to me, there are three big classics: classic cars, classic rock, and classic firearms. While I am in no way a motor head, classic cars mean 1969 Camaros, '57 Chevys or an old Mustang. Classic rock means The Beatles, The 'Stones, CCR, and maybe Jimi or Janis. And when I think of classic firearms, I think of shotguns.

I grew up in a midwest state where centerfire rifles for hunting were legally limited to use only on varmints. The vast majority of the hunting that occurred was done with shotguns. Being a very versatile implement, the shotgun filled a lot of roles. Rabbits, ducks, squirrels, quail, foxes and deer were all hunted with smoothbores of one type or another, or as often as not, the same gun. Several shotguns came to be known as being up to the task and survived to become classics.

So what makes a classic a classic? First, to me, age is inherent in qualifying a gun as a classic. A model that has lasted over half a century most likely has a design that is durable, or chances are it wouldn't have lasted that long. Many of those guns were made back when quality products were the norm. Hand engraving was fairly common on many of those classic shotguns Also, there is something neat about carrying a gun that is older than me (unfortunately any more that is saying something).

But to me, age alone isn't enough to qualify a gun as a classic. A needed validation is wide spread acceptance as a quality firearm in its day. I am fortunate to own an old Remington model 32, that is a lot older than me. It holds sentimental value for me, and is a design that has lasted, having been purchased by Krieghoff and still produced by them today. But to me, the Model 32 just isn't a classic as it didn't have a big enough following at the time.

The Remington Model 32 didn't quite reach the popularity to be a classic.










So, the second requirement to qualify for my definition of a classic is that it had to be widely accepted. That is not to say that if there weren't millions sold, like the Winchester Model 12, it isn't a classic; but I want a gun that had a good reputation and was common enough to have been proven.

Another thing that can add to a gun being a classic is a particular connection with a mentor or family member. When I was little my dad was a Browning Superposed fan. I spent a lot of time staring at a pigeon grade Browning in the big wooden gun case long before I was old enough to carry a gun. I'm pretty darn sure that is why my favorite shotgun is the Superposed. I'm not alone in having a family connection to a particular classic shotgun. I have a friend whose father loved the Ithaca model 37, and owned several. Years ago I told my buddy about an ultralight Model 37 had found in a gun store in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He bought it and gave it as birthday present to his dad to add to his collection of Model 37s. The Model 37 now has special meaning to my buddy. There are also those out there that want to carry a Fox like Nash Buckingham's famous Bo Whoop, or emulate other heroes of the uplands.

Another of my requirements is that a classic gun has to be "collectible". I suppose one can collect anything, and reality T.V. has brought hoarders obsessed with holding on to everything to notoriety. But to me collectible means that due to age, quality, or demand, something has a good chance of increasing in value. This is not to say that to be collectible, a shotgun has to be particularly expensive.

I'd summarize my criteria by saying I look for older model shotguns that had a reputation for quality, will likely increase in value and may have a connection to family or icon. My list includes the Browning Superposed and A-5; the Remington 1100 and older 870s; the Ithaca Model 37; the Winchester Model 12, Model 21, Model 37, and Model 23; L.C. Smiths; Parkers; several models of Fox shotguns; and the venerable H&R single shot.

So now that I have my list, and you probably have yours, its time to talk about the collecting AND the using of them. In my mind, the fact that I want to be able to take my classic shotguns out to the field guides me in my quest to purchase/collect them. If you look to purchase a collectible shotgun, condition of the gun helps dictate the value/price. A gun that is 99%-100% is going to command the highest price, and may increase in value quickest. However, even if I can afford the premium, I hate to think about taking a 50 year old shotgun hunting and putting the first ding on a pristine stock or the first scratch in flawless bluing.

So I don't shoot for the 99%-100%. I also don't want to pick a shotgun that is not graded as high as at least 93%-94%. In my experience, guns in less condition than that generally don't increase in value as quickly and are not popular with other collectors to whom you may be hoping to sell the gun down the road. An exception to this might be if you plan on paying for a professional or factory refurbishing.

Another consideration that affects what gun you choose to collect is the use for which you are purchasing it. For example, if I am buying a classic shotgun to use in shooting sports (trap, skeet, sporting clays, etc.) I may purchase a gun in almost mint condition because I can take pains to baby it. If I plan on chasing blue quail through the thorny, prickly, sandy Brush Country of South Texas, I'm looking for one that shows at least some signs of prior use. And sometime you may come across a sweet deal on somebody's safe queen that is in fine condition but you can't pass it up. That's when you force yourself to give the old girl limited use and only on blue bird days or taking a round or two Five-stand. Most of the time it's somewhere in between.

On a recent trip to Kansas, I followed my typical protocol of taking two guns, just in case. The first day started with a wintry mix of rain and sleet which turned gradually to heavy snow. That day, my good old Remington Light weight 870 Wingmaster 20 gauge got the duty. We got some good points in the winter weather and the 870 did its job at least when I did. The following day was blue bird sunny and cold. That was when I was comfortable carrying a recently acquired Browning Superposed, also in 20 gauge. I actually shot a little better with the Browning, but not so much as my English Setters would notice.

The weather on the first day of the Kansas trip called for the less expensive classic shotgun.

A blue bird day, agricultural fields and grassy draws are just right for pulling out your best classic shotgun.








In looking to purchase your Classic shotgun, there are often small details that may reduce the price making it a better bargain, but not so much that it will eliminate it as a collectible. Fixed chokes that have been changed, shorter than standard stocks (which benefits me), reblued or refinished wood, or slightly less desirable variant of the model can all work to put that classic shotgun in your price range. I remember that was the case with the old Browning Superposed Pigeon Grade of my dad's that held my attention all those years ago. It had belonged to old Doc something or other. (A lot of the higher grade Brownings belonged to Old Doc this or that back then) Doc's eye sight had faded and his reflexes slowed so he had the chokes opened to skeet and skeet. Some time later old Doc had left the gun uncased in his station wagon, along with his bird dogs; a mistake requiring an extensive refinish of the scratched up stock. And so it came to be affordable enough to end up in the possession of my father.

For most of us, finding the right gun is greatly influenced by price. But as I mentioned before, Classic shotguns don't have to break the bank. The Winchester Model 37, a true Classic shotgun, can be purchased for under $500 in most gauges. A Model 12 can be had for $800 or less if you look hard. If you have $1500 or just a tad more, you can start looking for a Browning Superposed, a Parker or and L.C. Smith. And the search can be a big part of the fun. There are several gun classified sites and gun auction sites where classic shotguns can be found. I recommend that you spend some time there learning what the going prices are for whichever classic shotgun you desire.

I know that modern technology has enabled guns to be made with more precision, more cost effective and with certain conveniences, like screw-in choke tubes. But I like the character and the feel of those old classic shotguns. On those slow days hunting or sitting around the the trap club, I enjoy admiring an old classic shotgun and imagining where it had been before it came to me.

Two classics, the Browning Superposed and the Remington 870

The Beginning.....The Bird Dog and Field Trial Blog!

Welcome! This is the initial post of the Bird dog and Field Trial Blog. In this post I hope to introduce myself and my experience with bird dogs and field trials, talk about my goals for this blog and what I hope it will be, and then give some teasers about topics which you can expect to see in future posts.


My name is Mike and I grew up with bird dogs (Some good, some not so good) in the Midwest. One of the first memories I have is that of standing on my tip toes looking into a television box (they were a lot bigger back then) at a little English Setter puppy. We called him Mac, as my dad was fond of short names for hunting dogs. He was white with two orange ears and a spot in the middle of his back. I watched my dad train him, using Richard Wolters' book Gun Dog. His first year or two I was too small to go along, but I used to wait anxiously to see if my dad brought home any of the pretty bobwhite quail from the farms he hunted in the area around our small hometown. I was fascinated with the birds, like all wild animals.

Eventually I grew old enough to tag along and it seemed as if I spent more time falling down than observing as I tried to keep up. The most memorable hunt in those early years happened on a farm owned by a family friend. The farmer had just finished combining corn ("shelling corn" we called it) and called my dad to say they had bumped a covey of quail and maybe he should take Mac over. My dad let me go along, but I was still years away from being old enough to carry a gun.

The farmer had seen the birds fly from the picked corn into the corner of a small, 4 or 5 acre, woodlot in the middle of a large field. When we arrived and got out of my dad's Chevy Blazer, he got his gun, a 20 gauge browning superposed, and then let Mac out. The corn was so freshly cut that the mellow smell of fresh corn cobs hung in the fall air. My dad told me to stay on the outside in the edge of the corn field as we walked along as he ran Mac in the edge of the woodlot. As we neared the southeast corner of the woods, Mac kept popping out and running out into the corn. My dad called him back in a few times and started to become a little annoyed. Mac darted out one last time to circle a car sized patch of beige fox tails in the yellow gold knee high corn stubble. As he came around the weeds, he slammed into a point, head and eyes focused intently on the fox tail, tail slightly above straight out behind him.

I yelled to Dad that Mac was on point, awed by having seen him lock up. As he arrived, my dad told me to kneel down so as not to be in the way when the birds started flying. When he walked in front of Mac, the sound of the birds all taking flight at once thrilled me and left an indelible impression. I saw a bird fall when my dad shot, and heard him command the fired up Setter to fetch. Having tried innumerable times to get him to fetch a ball in the yard, with no success, I told my dad "Mac won't fetch", and no sooner had the words left my lips than here came Mac with a quail in his mouth.

That was the day that I became a bird hunter. I didn't fire a shot, didn't carry a gun, didn't blow a whistle, or give a single command to the dog. I did see a bird dog slam into point, and I did hear the thunderous wings of a covey rise. For me, that is quail hunting. Walking along a picked field, corn, milo, maybe even a weedy soybean field. Following edges of woodlots, creek bottoms or old pastures gone to seed. I know there are other storied types of quail hunting and I've done them; Georgia horseback plantation hunts steeped in tradition, Texas hunts where you follow raw boned pointers from a seat on the front of a brush busting truck, and hunting the seeps and springs in the arid west for those beautiful valley quail.

That was the beginning, and from there it has been a wonderful journey. I have lived in quail and pheasant country, as well as in the West where I also hunted high desert, rimrock and mountain drainages for valley quail, chukar, sharptails, blue grouse, ruffed grouse, sage grouse, and hungarian partridge. I have traveled to hunt golden aspen stands for woodcock and grouse in the Great Lakes states and to Texas brush country where the number of coveys we found in a day was limited only by our ability or lack thereof to shoot a limit. Then I ended up in the Southeast. Home of the "gentleman bob" and the quail plantation with all of the pomp and circumstance involved.

But the years have not been full of bevies of wild birds around every oak mott, sagebrush draw, or stubble field. I have lived in or near major metropolitan areas and locales that were virtually devoid of wild birds. In fact, when I was just about old enough to carry a gun, my home area was hit with a blizzard, which our Department of Natural Resources later said had killed 95% of our quail. There have been a lot of years that my hunting was limited to "put-and-take" preserves or clubs where I belonged. Although at times it was a bit expensive, I still got excited about seeing my bird dogs do what they, and their ancestors were bred to do. In my opinion, there is no greater service we can do for our bird dogs than to let them experience the culmination of that innate drive.

And when I couldn't do it, I read about it. I vicariously went on hunts with George Bird Evans, shooting woodcock in the Barrens over Briar or Bliss. Gene Hill told me (and thousands of others) his often amusing and heartfelt stories. And then a guy named Dave Meisner published a magazine called Pointing Dog Journal, and I was elated. To be honest I remember worrying that there may not be enough readers to keep it in business, but thankfully it has lasted. Another periodical that influenced me was the Quail Unlimited monthly magazine. As a gift, my dad had signed me up as a charter member of QU when I was a teenager. The magazines didn't have a lot of hunting stories which were my favorites, but there were enough to keep me interested. Another topic that would appear on occasion was field trials run on quail. One of the articles I remember the most (because I'm a Setter fan) was about the great Tomoka from the Smith Setters famous kennel.

For many years, I did not want to compete in field trials; I turned down many invitations. To be completely honest, I was a little intimidated by the level of training which is required in some. Also, I mistakenly thought, as do many, that field trial dogs had to be run-offs. But I was always impressed when one of my dogs had Champions in its pedigree. Ultimately, it was the pedigrees and breedings of one of my dogs that got me started in trials.

I had been looking for a new Setter Pup after the second failed attempt to breed my female setter. There is almost no greater excitement than looking for just the right breeding. I had owned a dog out of grouse lines and was so impressed that I looked for something similarly bred. I found a pup out of good parents and was excited about it. The breeder was in Pennsylvania and I was in southeast Georgia, but I spoke to him by phone on a regular basis. He told me that both parents were field trial dogs that competed in grouse and woodcock trials. The dam had won some prestigious trials and the sire, he thought, had a lot of potential. Incidentally, he was correct as the sire went on to win the Grand National Grouse Championship. Hearing about the thought, planning and effort that had gone into the breeding I felt almost obligated to at least try to see if the little tricolored female I took home had field trial potential.

Well, you can probably see where my story was headed. That little Setter won a ribbon or two with a trainer. Then I brought her home and ran her in a few myself. I was going through a bit of a tough time in my life, and working with her was a great diversion from the stress. At the end of a very stressful week, I took her to a trial a few hours away where she was entered in a derby stake. She ran a great race and had two nice, not quite broke finds; earning a second place trophy that I couldn't stop glancing at all the way home. I don't know if it was the trophy itself, the pride in her performance, or the uplifting feeling at a low point in my life, but I was hooked.

So now, a decade later, I have handled and owned dogs run in grouse and woodcock (cover dog) trials, walking planted bird trials and horseback trials. I have owned and bred dogs that compete on the major shooting dog circuit and open All Age trials. I have been to the Northwoods of Wisconsin in the summer to watch dogs trained on woodcock and young grouse and I have ridden the rolling prairies behind big running Pointers and Setters where generations of bird dog men have developed field trial legends.

And I know how lucky I am. We are all fortunate to have so many different opportunities for our bird dogs in this great nation of ours. And we don't all have to agree. You can think the ruffed grouse is the king of the uplands while I love the numbers of points that a flight of woodcock gives. I can love the sound of an exploding covey of quail while you live for the cackle of a long tailed rooster. I can think there's no tougher competition than a grouse trial at Marienville, while you know in your heart that only three grueling hours at Ames decides the best bird dog in the country.

As I've already introduced myself, it is time to explain my goal for this blog, and the gamut of opportunities we all share provides the paint for my palette. I plan to share stories of hunts, trials, or litters whelped; current news or trends; and sometimes even (gasp) my opinions about issues either in hunting, breeding or trialing venues. I am no expert, but I have been so blessed to experience all I have within the bird dog realm. I hope that maybe I can fuel the fire in some as I had done for me by my father, by those writers I mentioned before and by so many wonderful people I've been associated with along the way.

Looking forward, I hope to post as often as I am able. Weekly, monthly, maybe, I don't know for sure. But some topics I have banging around in my head sound something like these: Summer on the Prairies; When Good Dogs happen to Bad People; Ruffed Grouse East vs West; Classic Shotguns Collect AND Use Them; Field Trial Judges - the Good, the Bad and the WTH?

Thank you for reading this blog. I hope that you'll come back again. Comments are welcome. Good luck, good hunting and give your four legged hunting partner an extra pat on the head.