Pass Along RJ
February 2012

Bird hunters, in general, do not concentrate all their efforts on one particular bird. Unless he has OCD, it's the rare hunter who spends every day he can chasing one species of upland gamebird or duck or goose. Bird hunting offers variety, and that variety is one of its most appealing aspects – I've often said when asked what is my favorite bird to hunt, "Whatever one I’m hunting," and I mean it. When I pull up on a Kansas covey of bobwhites, there's noplace I'd rather be. A rooster pheasant throttling up from a CRP field brings back memories during the long winter. Shooting bluebills with my Lab on a raw, snowy November day is priceless in my book; the same is true tracking a woodcock topping out through yellow aspens over my father's pointer. 

I relish them all... but I wouldn't chase any of them without a dog, and herein lies the problem. A perfect world says we have as many dogs as we do guns for each bird we pursue; but conditions – and I group wives as one of them – only allow most of us one hound at a time. 

Now, owners of the versatile breeds aside, if you're like me and love waterfowl hunting, you've chosen some flavor of retriever to do your dirty work, and retrievers come pre-wired to flush anything that flies. So, if you have one dog, it's a retriever; and if you want to enjoy that variety I mentioned, you’ll end up hunting a lot of birds that are thought of as fodder for one of the pointing breeds only. 

Other articles in the upcoming issue...

"Two Loris and A Glory" by E. Donnall Thomas Jr: ... Above all, remember the central principle: It’s not your dog! You’re not going to correct ingrained faults, nor should you try. A borrowed dog is not a borrowed pair of waders or even a good shotgun, but a member of a friend’s family, as fundamentally irreplaceable as a child....

"Drop! A Quick Fix That Really Works" by Butch Goodwin: When I get questions from readers, mostly about training difficulties, it seems they all have the same or similar problems at about the same time of the year.... It took me several years to realize why I get repeatedly similar questions based on the seasons...

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