This past winter I attended a number of Sportsman Shows throughout the northeast where I performed numerous waterdog retrieving demonstrations, showing the versatility of the English springer spaniel and Labrador Retriever. What amazed me while speaking to the average outdoorsmen was not the fact that they were unaware of a spaniel or the Labrador Retrievers’ versatility, but rather that they were unaware that there was a difference between show and field gundogs.

During the show I was absolutely amazed at the number of avid outdoorsmen who had little, if any, understanding of the qualities that go into breeding world-class gundogs. Throughout the course of these sportsmen shows and meeting tens of thousands of avid outdoorsmen, I would venture to guess that better than 70% of the folks I met were unaware that such a difference existed. Ask those same individuals what gauge or shot size they would use to hunt a species of upland game or waterfowl and they could easily rattle off the pros and cons of each.

So, why do these individuals have such a keen understanding on selecting the appropriate guns and loads but do not demonstrate an understanding in selecting a suitable hunting companion? The answer is a lack of education on the difference between show and field bred gundogs. Manufacturers spend countless dollars each year educating outdoorsmen on why one particular model or brand of shotgun is better than another when hunting their favorite quarry. However, when speaking to breeders about selecting a suitable hunting companion, many will claim their dogs are “bred to hunt”. That simply may not be true! And I am reminded of phrase that echoes in my head from business school, “caveat emptor”, literally translated “Beware Buyer”.

For better than a half-century, the sporting dog breeds have gone in two separate directions when it comes to qualities sought after by professional breeders. With most sporting breeds, the “dual champion”, a dog that has attained the champion title in both the show and the field, is harder and harder to come by. In fact, the last Labrador Retriever to achieve a dual champion title was in 1984, Ch-FC/AFC Highwood Shadow, sired by FC/AFC Highwood Piper. According to 2001 AKC reports only 26 show champion Labrador Retrievers have achieved the Master Hunter title. The first lab to do so was Ch. Topform Edward, MH, owned by Larry Reider of Independence, Missouri and trained by Bobby George of Blackwater Retrievers in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Why, you may ask? Simply put, both areas have become so competitive in recent years that breeders in both the show ring and the field have changed what traits they breed for in order to be competitive. To be successful in the field, professional breeders must focus on breeding traits that are highly desirable during your typical day of shooting. In contrast, a show breeder must focus on traits that relate to the confirmation and structure of their breed. I once heard a gentleman summarize it nicely, “Field breeders are producing the athletes and show breeders are producing the models”.

Champion show or bench breeds must adhere to a strict confirmation standard and are nearly perfect physical specimens. Per the confirmation standard, male show Labrador Retrievers should stand 22 to 24 inches at the withers, 21 to 23 inches for bitches. Males in working condition should weigh approximately 65 to 80 pounds, while females should weigh 55 to 70 pounds. Typically speaking, show Labrador Retrievers’ torso should measure no longer than their height at their withers, giving them a very balanced appearance. Their skull should be wide, well-developed but without exaggeration (a blocky appearance). The show Labrador Retrievers’ upper lip should not be squared off or pendulous, but fall away in a curve toward the throat. Their eyes should be of medium size, well set apart and neither protruding nor deep set. Their lids should be tight with little or no haw showing. In contrast, by breeding strictly for performance over the past 30 plus years, the field-bred Labrador Retriever has resulted in a dog that can look different from their counterpart, the show Labrador Retriever. Simply putting the two side by side can be an education in itself. The field-bred Labrador Retrievers’ physical make-up is athletic and very functional for field activities. They tend to vary in size and structure.

The avid outdoorsmen would be enlightened as to the differences between show and field bred gundogs by simply attending each event. The two events could not be more different and so are the dogs that compete in them. While attending a field trial, it would become immediately apparent that dogs are not judged on physical appearance. They are judged against other dogs for their performance in the field. In contrast, show ring competitors are judged against a confirmation standard, not for hunting ability or trainability.

This past year I had the fortune to attend numerous National Field Trial Championships and saw some of the best dogs in the world compete for both the English and U.S. National Championship honors. Field trials where established to offer breeders a chance to evaluate suitable dogs for the breeding purpose, with the goal of improving the sporting breeds through “selective breeding”. It’s at these field trials, were breeders can compete their dogs, one against another, and make sound breeding decisions that influence their strain of spaniel and the future of the sporting breeds. Reputable breeders are always looking for ways to improve on weaknesses in their breeding program. Every dog has some type of weakness, regardless of the titles he or she holds, whether it’s bird finding ability, mouth, marking ability, intelligence, trainability, or confirmation. There are always areas to improve on, and field trials offer breeders the best opportunity to evaluate these strengths or weaknesses and find suitable breeding stock for future generations.

Over the years, selective breeding has done its job; it has created two different types of gundogs, field and show, each the very best at their particular discipline. When clients ask field breeders if their dogs could be shown in the ring, often it would be a mistake for field breeders to proclaim such a possibility. The same could be said for show breeders when asked if their dogs can compete in field trials. However, without proper education, an avid outdoorsman may buy his next hunting companion based simply on the common breed name and end up with a dog that has about as much hunting ability as a Miniature Schnauzer. Remember as my business school professor used to drill into our heads, “Caveat Emptor” — Beware Buyer!

For more information on Hunting Dogs visit GundogsOnline.com, the Internet’s premiere online magazine for the hunting dog enthusiast.

Over the years snow geese have been given a bad rap in the waterfowling world being labeled as Sky Carp and tasting poorly, hopefully after trying this and other recipes we can help change your minds about this.

The first and most important thing everyone needs to remember is safe and proper wild game preparation. Before any cooking can take place you must thaw if frozen and remove any blood that may have been left in or on the game. Also remove any shot, feathers and bone fragments left behind after initial cleaning. This is best accomplished using a salt water brine solution in warm water consisting of two quarts of water and two table spoons of salt.

Dissolve the salt in the water and place meat in solution waiting five minutes, at that time using your hands knead the meat. Doing this will speed in the removal of blood, aid in dislodging of any feathers or other items that must be removed as well as aiding in the tenderizing process. Drain and rinse in cold water, repeat the brine solution again this time using cold water. You may need to do this a few time depending on how well the game meat was cleaned prior to freezing. When you have brined you game meat two or three times, completely rinse with cold water and pat dry. Using a sharp knife remove any and all remaining skin, fat and sinew as well as any feathers that have become dislodged from pellet holes during the brining solution and rinsing steps.

Now we are ready to prepare the goose for a meal, taking the breast meat cut each side in to three pieces cutting across the grain of the meat, then with a Jaccard meat tenderizing machine or a fork if you do not have a tenderizer. Place breast meat on a cutting board press machine or fork prongs threw the meat repeatedly, going across the meat then flip meat over and repeat the Process. The more you do this the better and faster the marinade will work and the better the flavor will be.

Sprinkle Mrs. Dash’s original blend seasons liberally over both sides of the meat, then place meat into a one gallon Ziploc freezer bag and drizzle molasses over meat and knead (Honey may be substituted for the molasses). You will want to knead the meat so that all of the meat has a light coating of molasses on it, at this time pour just enough soy sauce into the Ziploc to cover the meat. For those that like a little more bite try adding a ½;TSP of cayenne pepper and 2 TSP of minced garlic. Remove as much air as possible then seal and refrigerate until the next day, every time some one goes into the refrigerator remove bag and knead.

One hour before cooking remove meat from bag and lightly rinse using cold running water. Wrap meat with a half slice of bacon and place a tooth pick threw the meat to hold bacon in place while cooking on barbeque. As with all waterfowl, the meat should be served on the rare side so do not over cook once the bacon is cooked the goose should be cooked to the proper degree We also recommend serving this meat with a salad, corn on the cob, green beans and a fine bottle of your favorite beer for a well balanced and tasty meal all will enjoy.

Over the years snow geese have been given a bad rap in the waterfowling world being labeled as Sky Carp and tasting poorly, hopefully after trying this and other recipes we can help change your minds about this.

The first and most important thing everyone needs to remember is safe and proper wild game preparation. Before any cooking can take place you must thaw if frozen and remove any blood that may have been left in or on the game. Also remove any shot, feathers and bone fragments left behind after initial cleaning. This is best accomplished using a salt water brine solution in warm water consisting of two quarts of water and two table spoons of salt.

Dissolve the salt in the water and place meat in solution waiting five minutes, at that time using your hands knead the meat. Doing this will speed in the removal of blood, aid in dislodging of any feathers or other items that must be removed as well as aiding in the tenderizing process. Drain and rinse in cold water, repeat the brine solution again this time using cold water. You may need to do this a few time depending on how well the game meat was cleaned prior to freezing. When you have brined you game meat two or three times, completely rinse with cold water and pat dry. Using a sharp knife remove any and all remaining skin, fat and sinew as well as any feathers that have become dislodged from pellet holes during the brining solution and rinsing steps.

Now we are ready to prepare the goose for a meal, taking the breast meat cut each side in to three pieces cutting across the grain of the meat, then with a Jaccard meat tenderizing machine or a fork if you do not have a tenderizer. Place breast meat on a cutting board press machine or fork prongs threw the meat repeatedly, going across the meat then flip meat over and repeat the

Process. The more you do this the better and faster the marinade will work and the better the flavor will be.

Sprinkle Mrs. Dash’s original blend seasons liberally over both sides of the meat, then place meat into a gallon Ziploc freezer bag and drizzle molasses over meat and knead. You will want to knead the meat so that all of the meat has a light coating of molasses on it, at this time pour just enough soy sauce into the Ziploc to cover the meat. For those that like a little more bite try adding a ½;TSP of cayenne pepper and 2 TSP of minced garlic. Remove as much air as possible then seal and refrigerate until the next day, every time some one goes into the refrigerator remove bag and knead.

One hour before cooking remove meat from bag and lightly rinse using cold running water. Wrap meat with a half slice of bacon and place a tooth pick threw the meat to hold bacon in place while cooking on barbeque. As with all waterfowl, the meat should be served on the rare side so do not over cook once the bacon is cooked the goose should be cooked to the proper degree We also recommend serving this meat with a salad, corn on the cob, green beans and a fine bottle of your favorite beer for a well balanced and tasty meal all will enjoy.

The day approaches with a strange mixture of anticipation and dread. Like all hunters, I want the season to begin, but that first day can be crazy. Sometimes in Western Washington opening day of deer season is not just about getting to your favorite hunting spot, it’s about hunting a place to park! However, I’m determined.

Saturday, October 14. It’s here. Rising early, I collect my gear, coffee, and wits two hours before daylight. My destination is just thirty minutes away on the beautiful Skykomish River. I suit up like a camouflage astronaut and spray myself down with an enzyme scent killer that I believe will hide my humanness so long as I don’t breathe, sweat, or succumb to nature’s other call.

The fog is thick. I am as damp as duck’s feet from walking the hundred feet from my porch to the truck. The drive is uneventful but slow going. The intermittent wipers are a must to cut the heavy veil of fog. Twenty miles of my trek is residential. It doesn’t feel like I’m getting ready to experience nature’s best. But right after the DQ and thrift store, I see a bridge. This Skykomish River bridge is the unofficial boundary between a Microsoft/Boeing generated populous, and the nearest, wonderful, shrinking, hunter’s Eden. Does anyone else ever wonder if they were born in the wrong century?

Eight miles from subdivisions I pull off the road. No streetlights in sight. No sounds except the falling of leaves. It is Fall. Things are falling. The bank down to the river is steep, I hope I don’t fall. No need to go to the gym after dragging a prize back up this hill. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

The most important thing is something I do not see, other vehicles. I am the first to arrive! I claim this section of earth as my own for the morning. I get my L.E.D light and trusty .35 caliber sidekick and I’m ready to descend through damp leaves, brush, and cobwebs to a little highway for furry woodland creatures I discovered scouting a week ago with a buddy from Kenya.

I stumbled on what I call ‘Deer Island’ by accident a year ago pursuing my other passion, fishing. I was targeting blue-backs. Salmon were jumping. Flying raptors lined the bank of the river. It was surreal. I love raptors. Eagles and hawks are the greatest and most blessed hunters. Can you imagine being able to just forget about the traffic, gas prices, tree stands, expensive hunting gear, licenses, hunting regulations that require legal counsel to decipher, and just launching out wherever you want to hunt using built-in, God-given weaponry to find and fall your prey? I love raptors and I envy them.

The fish were jumping and the raptors were flying. It was quite a while before I even looked down. But when I did there were tracks in the sand; not just a few, not all the same size. I thought, ‘interesting.’ My commitment came quickly to return God willing, minus a pole, plus a rifle.

So here I am a year later. I take my place on the ground overlooking the smaller tributary of the island and the game trail. I’m hidden by just enough underbrush to seclude, yet afford a somewhat unobstructed shot. I sit still in the darkness, motionless in the dampness. My legs fall asleep: pins and needles. My back starts to ache. It’s cold. It’s wonderful. Images of trees, bushes, rocks, and ‘I wonder if that was a deer’ begin to emerge from the foggy darkness. It won’t be long now. Prophetically I think, “He will appear out of the dark mist. I’ll have to concentrate on breathing normally. I’ll hear the thumping of my own heart in my ears.”

ATV’s?! I hear ATV’s. I hear yahoos talking about hunting. I ponder the ramifications of shooting their wheels out. Maybe I better not. This is my piece of earth! It’s my island for the morning. I guess they didn’t get the email. “God, if I have to share my island, let them run the deer right over top of me.”

Their noise pollution fades, eventually. I hear nothing but falling leaves again. It’s daylight but still foggy. Something moves: trots. It’s canine: coyote. He’s coming straight at me. Should I shoot? No. It might spook the deer. He’s spooking the deer. I think I’ll shoot. He’s fifty yards away and his head is down. He’s on the hunt. So am I. I raise my gun. He turns into the brush. He’s gone. Several minutes pass. A coyote head rises from a bush eighty yards away. Gun up. Fire! Head ducks. I don’t think I hit him. I better go check. No hair, no blood, and no coyote.

The bank overlooking the tributary is grassy. The game trail is only fifteen feet down. I lay down like a lion in the grass. I can see about fifty yards of streambed. My caffeine is wearing off. It’s pretty comfortable here. I think I’ll rest my eyes. A few minutes pass. I’m jump-started by a hawk’s cry. No deer in sight. I think I’ll just talk to the Nature-maker. After a few minutes of silent communication, my eyes open with my internal ‘amen’ to meet with a little doe’s gaze. She’s on the trail only fifteen feet away, head cocked sideways, big ears erect, wondering what this big alien lump is on the hill in front of her. Her sister appears beside her: twin yearlings: They are tentative but curious. I see more movement to my right. It’s mom. She stops and with deer telepathy calls her daughters to herself. They move away slowly: take a few steps, stop and look back at the lump in the grass: repeat. This process continues until the three become beautiful, ghostly apparitions swallowed by the fog.

It’s time to go home. Civilization still exists (and a) family waits to do family things. That’s O.K. Family is important. My wife will be happy that I get home close to the time I said I’d be back. But I’ll be back. After all, my shrinking paradise is not far from my subdivision.

A Trip From California for 5 Bucks
By Paul Thein
I am not a trophy hunter, but I am a Minnesota native and have been hunting since as far back as I can remember. Deer hunting has always been a family affair, where the cousins and uncles all get together for a long weekend. The cousins now bring their sons, adding to the family environment.
I have lived in California for the past seven years and have not been able to join the family for the deer hunt since moving out west. This year, I specifically made plans to join the family hunt. I had a difficult time paying the out-of-state fees since I am now a California resident. I joked with my cousins that it would be cheaper to go to the butcher shop than pay these high fees. But looking back, I knew it would be worth the money even if I didn’t get a deer at all. There is something about a family hunt that is priceless.
The night before the opening day, we chose our locations and set up our stands. I picked one of my favorite stands from hunts past. It is a little more challenging to get to, but it is near a creek and heavy wood cover. This has proven to be a good stand in the past.
Party hunting is legal in Minnesota and at daybreak on opening morning I shot my first buck. The buck was chasing a doe in heat and crossed the creek right in front of my stand. Since there was plenty of daylight, and I could see the buck lying dead only 10 yards away. I stayed put, hoping another buck would come my way.
Twenty minutes later, I nailed another buck and saw it fall. I thought, “Wow! Two bucks in less than 40 minutes.” I decided to try my luck again, so I stayed in my lucky tree.
In the next hour, another buck came crashing through the woods and started rubbing a tree only 60 yards across the creek. This was unbelievable! I was also able to take that buck and thought that would be it.
I had dressed out all three and drug them close to my stand before I heard a buck splash across the creek at 100 yards away. I thought to myself, “No way! This is a bigger buck than the other three.” I was out of my tree, on the ground, and exhausted from dragging the other three deer through the woods across the creek, but I thought there might still be a chance of getting another one.
I carefully walked to my stand and grabbed by 12-gauge shotgun. I was able to get up two of the stairs on the ladder of my stand when I decided not to go any higher in case the buck came my way. Sure enough, just moments later, the big boy came busting through the thick woods 20 yards in front of my stand! I was able to take him, making my hunt the best opening day of my lifetime.
By 11 a.m. I had 4 nice bucks, all 8-pointers or better. I thought there was no way my cousins would believe this.
The next day I harvested another 8-pointer, so I filled five out of our eight buck tags. The family said, “No more for you,” but that was just fine with me. I never imagined taking five bucks — I thought the time with family was prize enough.
Paul Thein
Quincy, California

Spring and goose hunting are two subjects that up until the last few years were not synonymous with each other. Most waterfowl seasons ended in late January and hunters were forced to wait until the following fall to resume their fanatical obsession.

That all changed several years ago when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) initiated a special hunting season designed to reduce the population of “light” geese. The term “light” goose is used to describe Snow, Blue, or the Ross goose. These species of geese are literally eating themselves out of house and home by their prolific breeding success and their habit of decimating the habitat in their nesting grounds on the tundra of Canada and points farther north. They nest there in huge colonies in June and July and simply devour all the vegetation in sight, causing irreparable harm to the tundra. The fear was unless something drastic was done to significantly reduce the population of these geese; the entire ecosystem could possibly crash, causing profound consequences such as disease and starvation affecting not only light geese but other species as well.

Therefore this special hunting season, called the Conservation Order was instituted with the hope of bringing the population within reasonable expectations. It coincides with the annual spring migration of the geese from the wintering grounds of the southern and Midwestern states back to the tundra. During this special season hunters can use unplugged shotguns, employ electronic callers, and hunt from thirty minutes before sunrise until thirty minutes after sunset. Furthermore, no limits are imposed, with the express purpose being harvesting as many light geese as humanly possible.

Being the civic minded and conscientious hunter that I am, I felt that it would only be right and noble for me to do my part to help save the tundra. Yeah right, I just wanted to kill the heck out of some snow geese and shoot enough shotgun shells to make my shoulder really sore. I made arrangements to hunt with Jon Eaton, an outfitter who hunts in the southeast Missouri area. I arrived in Kennett, Missouri in early February for a five-day hunt. One thing I was quick to discover was February in Missouri and February in Florida are two distinct worlds and vastly different. Way, way different, especially temperature wise. No Bermuda shorts, no trees budding out, no warblers or other song birds singing or doing their spring rituals. We hunted out of layout style blinds, which pretty much means you’re lying flat on your back in a camouflaged canvas “coffin-like” apparatus with your upper body supported somewhat with only your head exposed. Flap doors open to allow shooting when the geese approach.

Successfully decoying snow geese requires huge decoy spreads consisting of several hundred windsocks, and some full body decoys strategically placed around the perimeter of the windsocks. These geese are considered the wariest of all waterfowl, being incredibly cautious, relying on safety in numbers and very difficult to decoy thereby necessitating the big decoy spreads.
Being the incredibly lucky individual that I am (If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all), I arrived right behind a freak snowstorm and the ground was completely frozen the first morning. The hunting was slow for the first couple of days, but we still managed to bag sixteen geese in our party on Monday and Tuesday. The following two days were really great as the weather warmed up to a steamy 35 degrees with a gentle southwesterly breeze, err I mean gale force of 25 mph. Looking at the weather channel the previous night at the motel, I assumed that with the wind direction changing, I could expect warmer conditions as is typical here in northwest Florida. No so in Missouri. It makes absolutely no difference which direction the wind happens to be coming from, it’s still cold as a well digger’s posterior. However, I did succumb to some rare good luck the next two days as the geese moved back in, and the other scheduled hunters cancelled out (fair weather wimps), leaving just myself and the guide to hunt. We had a ball making some difficult shots as well as missing some easy ones. The Ross were my favorite geese, as they were slightly smaller than the snow geese and displayed some amazing acrobatic flying antics, weaving and dipping often times near tree top height. Another trait I liked about them was they were slightly dumber than the snows. Sometimes after unloading into a flock of geese, the Ross would turn right back around and try to land in the decoys. It was an amazing and unbelievable sight to just observe and enjoy the thousands of geese migrating northward as the hours went by. Many times there would be several hundred geese in a formation flying very high when three of four geese would decide our spread looked inviting and they would break away from the others making a slow gradual descent that seemed to take forever, eventually locking up with wings cupped and feet down gliding into the decoys.

We were also treated to the sight of thousands upon thousands of ducks of all varieties as well as other species of geese too. Of course we could only enjoy looking at these as their seasons had ended in January. We were also lucky to see some bald eagles that follow the migration as well, feeding on weak and wounded birds.

Jon and his crew are skilled, knowledgeable hunters and outdoorsmen who will do everything possible to put you on snow geese and make your trip enjoyable. Their website has all the information necessary at www.shomesnowgeese.com. I’m planning to go back next February, with an increased emphasis on cold weather clothing and a really good thermos bottle.

Small game hunting is a sport that pursues small animals to kill them for food or for prestige. Weapons usually used to hunt small game are guns, bow and arrows, or even the crossbow. Also called projectile weapons, it has had its fair share of accidents in the wilderness so rules have been set up for the safety of its enthusiasts.

A misfired weapon has a good chance of injuring or even killing the shooter and becomes a danger to his companions near him. Here are a few suggestions of how to practice safety in the wilderness:

1. Always assume a gun is loaded. Treat your weapons with the respect they deserve; even when the weapon is unloaded.

2. Never point your gun at anything you don’t intend to shoot. Make this a habit even when the weapon isn’t loaded.

3. An unused weapon must always be pointed in a safe direction.

4. Safeties that prevent the weapon from firing must be engaged until right before use, for an added level of safety.

5. Keep calm in all circumstances. Panicking or even unnecessarily hurrying increases the chances of an accident. An emotional person has no business handling a weapon. During times of high stress and anxiety they have greater chance of causing an accident.

6. Keep your target in front of you when stalking or lying in wait: this increases the chances of killing the game with minimal risk. Keep members of your party at your side or behind you.

7. See then shoot. Don’t shoot at anything you’re not sure of: you never know, you might be shooting at another human being. The recent accident caused by Dick Cheney to his hunting partner serves as a reminder to this rule.

8. Before attempting to climb, rappel, or dig, always unload your weapon; remove the cartridges or magazine from the weapon and check for rounds in the chamber.

9. Be aware of your weapon’s capability. Always know how far and how powerful your weapon is. This reduces the chances of shooting through a target into something you have no desire of hitting.

10. Wear ear plugs if needed to protect your hearing.

11. Before and after a hunt, always check and clean your weapon. Neglecting to do this may cause an accident due to worn or unclean parts; misfires and/or backfires can occur due to stoppages, rust, loose parts, etc. If necessary, carry tools to maintain your weapon in the field: remember to unload the weapon first.

This past winter I attended a number of Sportsman Shows throughout the northeast where I performed numerous waterdog retrieving demonstrations, showing the versatility of the English springer spaniel and Labrador Retriever. What amazed me while speaking to the average outdoorsmen was not the fact that they were unaware of a spaniel or the Labrador Retrievers’ versatility, but rather that they were unaware that there was a difference between show and field gundogs.

During the show I was absolutely amazed at the number of avid outdoorsmen who had little, if any, understanding of the qualities that go into breeding world-class gundogs. Throughout the course of these sportsmen shows and meeting tens of thousands of avid outdoorsmen, I would venture to guess that better than 70% of the folks I met were unaware that such a difference existed. Ask those same individuals what gauge or shot size they would use to hunt a species of upland game or waterfowl and they could easily rattle off the pros and cons of each.

So, why do these individuals have such a keen understanding on selecting the appropriate guns and loads but do not demonstrate an understanding in selecting a suitable hunting companion? The answer is a lack of education on the difference between show and field bred gundogs. Manufacturers spend countless dollars each year educating outdoorsmen on why one particular model or brand of shotgun is better than another when hunting their favorite quarry. However, when speaking to breeders about selecting a suitable hunting companion, many will claim their dogs are “bred to hunt”. That simply may not be true! And I am reminded of phrase that echoes in my head from business school, “caveat emptor”, literally translated “Beware Buyer”.

For better than a half-century, the sporting dog breeds have gone in two separate directions when it comes to qualities sought after by professional breeders. With most sporting breeds, the “dual champion”, a dog that has attained the champion title in both the show and the field, is harder and harder to come by. In fact, the last Labrador Retriever to achieve a dual champion title was in 1984, Ch-FC/AFC Highwood Shadow, sired by FC/AFC Highwood Piper. According to 2001 AKC reports only 26 show champion Labrador Retrievers have achieved the Master Hunter title. The first lab to do so was Ch. Topform Edward, MH, owned by Larry Reider of Independence, Missouri and trained by Bobby George of Blackwater Retrievers in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Why, you may ask? Simply put, both areas have become so competitive in recent years that breeders in both the show ring and the field have changed what traits they breed for in order to be competitive. To be successful in the field, professional breeders must focus on breeding traits that are highly desirable during your typical day of shooting. In contrast, a show breeder must focus on traits that relate to the confirmation and structure of their breed. I once heard a gentleman summarize it nicely, “Field breeders are producing the athletes and show breeders are producing the models”.

Champion show or bench breeds must adhere to a strict confirmation standard and are nearly perfect physical specimens. Per the confirmation standard, male show Labrador Retrievers should stand 22 ½; to 24 ½; inches at the withers, 21 ½; to 23 ½; inches for bitches. Males in working condition should weigh approximately 65 to 80 pounds, while females should weigh 55 to 70 pounds. Typically speaking, show Labrador Retrievers’ torso should measure no longer than their height at their withers, giving them a very balanced appearance. Their skull should be wide, well-developed but without exaggeration (a “blocky” appearance). The show Labrador Retrievers’ upper lip should not be squared off or pendulous, but fall away in a curve toward the throat. Their eyes should be of medium size, well set apart and neither protruding nor deep set. Their lids should be tight with little or no haw showing. In contrast, by breeding strictly for performance over the past 30 plus years, the field-bred Labrador Retriever has resulted in a dog that can look different from their counterpart, the show Labrador Retriever. Simply putting the two side by side can be an education in itself. The field-bred Labrador Retrievers’ physical make-up is athletic and very functional for field activities. They tend to vary in size and structure.

The avid outdoorsmen would be enlightened as to the differences between show and field bred gundogs by simply attending each event. The two events could not be more different and so are the dogs that compete in them. While attending a field trial, it would become immediately apparent that dogs are not judged on physical appearance. They are judged against other dogs for their performance in the field. In contrast, show ring competitors are judged against a confirmation standard, not for hunting ability or trainability.

This past year I had the fortune to attend numerous National Field Trial Championships and saw some of the best dogs in the world compete for both the English and U.S. National Championship honors. Field trials where established to offer breeders a chance to evaluate suitable dogs for the breeding purpose, with the goal of improving the sporting breeds through “selective breeding”. It’s at these field trials, were breeders can compete their dogs, one against another, and make sound breeding decisions that influence their strain of spaniel and the future of the sporting breeds. Reputable breeders are always looking for ways to improve on weaknesses in their breeding program. Every dog has some type of weakness, regardless of the titles he or she holds, whether it’s bird finding ability, mouth, marking ability, intelligence, trainability, or confirmation. There are always areas to improve on, and field trials offer breeders the best opportunity to evaluate these strengths or weaknesses and find suitable breeding stock for future generations.

Over the years, selective breeding has done its job; it has created two different types of gundogs, field and show, each the very best at their particular discipline. When clients ask field breeders if their dogs could be shown in the ring, often it would be a mistake for field breeders to proclaim such a possibility. The same could be said for show breeders when asked if their dogs can compete in field trials. However, without proper education, an avid outdoorsman may buy his next hunting companion based simply on the common breed name and end up with a dog that has about as much hunting ability as a Miniature Schnauzer. Remember as my business school professor used to drill into our heads, “Caveat Emptor” — Beware Buyer!

For more information on Hunting Dogs and Bird Dogs visit GundogsOnline.com, the internets premiere online magazine for the hunting dog enthusiast.

The elk were there we just had to find them, but how? Hunting is not like fishing. It is not as easy to get help in finding the hot spots from a bait shop or game warden. They hear the same questions from every hunter they see, so they pretty much give the same answer to everyone,”The elk are up high and they are not vocal yet.” Well this year I didn’t get much scouting in but it only took two days to figure the elk out. Don’t get me wrong, every year brings a diferent senario, but I will give you my best advice on figuring them out. The truth is about everywhere elk are hunted there is private land close by. Every year elk in Colorado anyway are starting to stay on the private land all year long. Although this creates a problem because you can’t hunt them on private land, the truth is you can learn alot by watching the elk on the private land. This year I watched a herd of over 100 elk on private land and noticed that every one of them were either a cow, a calf, or a spike. Not a shooter bull in the bunch!

So the question that needed to be answered was, where are the shooter bulls? Well by reading articles and reading books i have learned that during calving season and througout the summer the cows will not let the bulls near the calves. So the bulls group up in what they call bachelor groups and spend the summer months together at higher elevations to get away from the bugs and heat. Well when I noticed the shooter bulls where not with the cows yet I checked the high elevations and in one afternoon I found three diferent groups of bulls together.

Finding them still in these groups told me that they were probably still in their summer patterns. All summmer they are trying to put on weight and usually fall into a routine. So I watched two days in a row and sure enough they all did the same thing everyday.

Although they were not bugling or trying to gather cows yet like they usually are at the begining of archery season, they were still very huntable because they were very patternable. So the moral of the story is that instead of cursing the private land elk herds, they are a very helpful tool in figureing out the public elk in the area. So watch them and be observant and you can learn as much from them in a day as you can in a week of scouting.

The heat-wave from Indian summer had finally broken. It was a perfect, cool, late-August morning with an unmistakable hint of the change of seasons to come. The first thermos with strong black coffee had been sealed. As the second was topped off with hot chocolate, a wave of nostalgia overcame me as we prepared to leave for the woods.

As a boy, I associated days like this with two things: school starting and opening day of squirrel season. Volunteer fans everywhere associate the third Saturday of October with the traditional Tennessee-Alabama football rivalry. Squirrel hunters in Tennessee renew their tradition each year on the fourth Saturday of August. This Saturday morning was special as it would not only renew that tradition but also begin a tradition for a new generation.

Anticipation is at least half the thrill of any hunt. The night before this particular squirrel hunt had been no exception. In fact, the anticipation for both Andy and me was extraordinary. His excitement was unbridled.

Before his normal bedtime, he laid out his camouflage outfit. In his bathroom he placed the little jars of face paint nearest his sink. Immediately preceding his “now-I-lay-me-down-to-sleep” routine, he repeated his instructions: watch were you step, be quiet, don’t sit down or put your hands on anything without first looking, look for rustling leaves, always stay behind when daddy’s ready to shoot, let dad pick the squirrel up first so we’re sure its dead.

His first trip into my bedroom came less than thirty minutes after I turned out his light. The second came about thirty minutes after I turned off my light. He finally fell asleep just after midnight.

Realizing the importance in showing a new hunter some initial success, I admit I was a bit nervous. Hunting was such a big part of my relationship with my dad during my boyhood years. I surely wanted Andy to have an enjoyable experience fueling his desire to do it again with the old man. But, the attention span of a six year old is limited. I new we’d need to move from tree to tree. There would be no sitting and waiting as usual. We wouldn’t stay out long least he become bored. So we needed to see a few bushy tails in short order.

With his delayed bedtime, I had to balance my inclination to be in the woods just before daybreak with Andy’s biological clock. The late start would diminish our chances for taking a squirrel or two but it would also aid his satisfaction more than would an early awakening.

In the woods by 8 A.M., we made our way from walnut to hickory to oak. In less than two hours, we had three squirrels — two gray and one red. Following his instructions to perfection, he waiting until I retrieved the first one. Then he wanted to inspect the animal. Thankfully, there wasn’t much blood. He was most impressed with those front teeth.

I expected there might be a need for some a deep discussion about life and death. I was wrong. He wanted to play with the squirrel like the stuffed animals decorating his bedroom.

True to form, I missed the second squirrel I fired on as it ran around the backside of a limb. I’ll never forget those big blue eyes as he looked up at me. It was the exact same look I get from Jack the black lab when I miss a duck though it was tougher disappointing the little guy than old Jack. Oddly, I worried about his observing, first hand, that Pops isn’t perfect — at least not a perfect shot.

He watched with only minor disgust as I cleaned the first squirrel. I’ll never forget watching dad do the same thing. I ran inside to mom to tattle on my dad for “taking the squirrel’s britches off!”

I quartered the squirrels, put them in a stoneware bowl, covered them with salted water, and refrigerated them for the rest of the afternoon. After parboiling, the quarters were de-boned and the meat returned to fresh water where it was brought to a rolling boil. Opening a small can, I pinched each of the biscuits into pieces and added them to the boiling water to make dumplings. While he wasn’t all that impressed with the food, he was satisfied and ate a six-year old sized bowl of squirrel and dumplings.

With the meal completed, I, too, was sated. The anticipation before our hunt was outstanding. We had a good time together. He enjoyed being with me in the woods. Andy learned several things. We had success. We ate what we killed. We each felt the satisfaction that comes from hunting — an acknowledgement that within our genes is this desire and need.

Just as importantly, opening day tradition had been passed on. Even though died twelve days after Andy’s birth, Dad’s presence was with us all day long. I felt his smile.