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Joined: 15 Dec 2016 Posts: 29 Location: Down East Maine

Thanks, Little Creek. (You aren't x-Navy by any chance? I spent quite a bit of my career at NAB Little Creek).

I met Jim Keller years ago when I was looking for my previous dog. When his bitch failed to come into heat, he directed my to another local source that worked out well. Will look into Wildwind. I didn't know that was Jim's kennel until yesterday.

If my Gus knew I typed his name Bus in my above post he would NEVER pick up another mallard, I am sure!

There are some pics of him on Blueriver's website.

Sorry Gus!

Rooster

Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 1187 Location: Twin Cities, MN

Springers are popular here in the upper midwest because they are the ultimate dog for killing pheasants. That's not an opinion, just a statement of fact.
Jeff

Joined: 15 Dec 2016 Posts: 29 Location: Down East Maine

There is no question in my mind that Springers are highly effective -- even magical -- when it comes to pheasants. Why magical? Early one cold morning my spaniel and I walked from the house down to a nearby blueberry field that had an excellent woodcock covert on its edge. He flushed three ruffed grouse together, from a spot I normally would not have expected a grouse, and I hit one as they got into the nearby woods. When we got to the spot where the bird had gone down there was no bird. Undeterred Mr. Murdo hit the scent. A minute later he was back -- with a hen pheasant (legal here). He had turned a grouse into a pheasant!

Statistically Springers turn up more birds per hour than other breeds.

While stationed in Michigan a while back, I was able to do quite a bit of pheasant hunting over a variety of dogs. It was my observation that the pointing breeds did quite well during the first few days of the season. As the season advanced however the roosters figured out pretty quick that something was up, so they frequently decided not to stick around when the dog locked up. The flushing breeds don't have that issue.

I love Springers.