Hunting & Heritage,Bird Dogs & Training  |  06/07/2011

My First Bird Dog


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I grew up in a family that had bird dogs. I’ve had the good fortune to hunt behind the many bird dogs – triple digits for sure – of friends, colleagues and acquaintances. I’ve witnessed a dozen or more breeds work, including pointers, flushers and retrievers. Just one problem: I’ve never had a bird dog to call my own. Well, the times they are a-changin’.
 
Plans to get my first four-legged pheasant hunting machine were recently set in motion, and I’ll be chronicling the experience here at the Pheasant Blog in the special “My First Bird Dog” series. In the coming weeks and months, I invite you to follow along as I choose a breed, breeder, a litter, a pup, take the little he or she home, name it, train it (well, as best I can), and head out pheasant hunting in October 2012. Since I’m starting from square one, dog gear, nutrition and healthcare are topics sure to be covered plenty as well. Whew!
 
To veteran bird dog owners, your shared thoughts and experiences throughout the series in the comments section (also on Twitter @AnthonyHauck) are welcomed not only by me, but similarly circumstanced young, dog-less upland hunters. And to those planning on, or daydreaming, about a future first pup, I hope “My First Bird Dog” is inviting, informative and inspiring. Bird dog ownership, from what I’ve seen, is fun, life changing, and leads to a more committed hunter and wildlife habitat conservationist. And at Pheasants Forever, we can’t have enough of them.
 
Coming up next in the “My First Bird Dog” series: What I’m Looking For
 
Anthony’s Antics Afield is written by Anthony Hauck, Pheasants Forever’s Online Editor. Email Anthony at AHauck@pheasantsforever.org and follow him on Twitter @AnthonyHauck.