Puppy Season Begins

Sam and Mae mated from January 12-15, so that puts us with another litter around March 15th.  So Sue will whelp around March 1st and Mae will whelp around March 15th.  It will be a busy spring around here!  Sorry to be out of touch as of late, but we are also working on a big development for our family and kennel that we aren’t prepared to announce just yet, but hope to have the news finalized by mid-February.

For those who are looking for a puppy, I do want to be up front that I currently have 14 reservations for the two litters.  I could very well have two large litters and have no problem producing more puppies than that, but there are no guarantees.  We are planning four litters for next spring/summer breeding season, so anyone not getting a pup this year could hold their reservation over to a pup next year.

Sue and Mae are definitely looking pregnant and I will be sure to get belly pictures of them next weekend.

Hunting Season Ends

Charles and Matt have figured out the new game in these parts and had some end-of season success with Sam and BB.  Last weekend Charles got a couple of wild quail, but no pictures, so we had to resort to the picture in the house after dark.  Conveniently, Sam retrieved one and BB the other.

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Charles and the dogs took two male bobwhites the weekend on Jan 19th.

Yesterday they returned to the field for the final push for the year, as wild upland season in Nebraska ends on January 31st.  Charles took one hen quail, with Matt filling the game bag for the day with 2 male bobwhites and the elusive Nebraska rooster pheasant.

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Matt, BB and Sam in the parting shot of 2012-2013

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Can you see the griffs? Matt, Sam and BB take on some quail.

Pupdates

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from Nate and pup Ben, from Sam and Sue’s “B” litter of 2011 from near Palmyra, Nebraska.  Here’s what Nate had to say:

It has been a while since I had given you an update on Ben.  He is doing fine and we really enjoy having him.  He is an excellent family dog and we are starting keeping him in the house more and more so we can spend more time with him.  He does well hunting (I need to work on his retrieving) but our hunting has been very tough this year.  I couldn’t find any birds in my grouse spot this year and pheasants and quail have been very few and far both at my place and in central Nebraska.  Finally had a good half of day of hunting yesterday in central NE that would have been better if I would have shot better but that is the way it goes.  I am going to try to do some things this spring after season to make up for that like participating in hunt tests, buying some birds, and maybe even go to a preserve (which I never thought I would say).   I have attached some pictures of Ben pointing some birds this evening.

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Ben two years old from our “B” litter

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Ben pointing, from behind

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Ben checking out the snow

Of course TracHer up in North Dakota continues to have adventures with her griffon pals Mr. Favor and Zephyr and people, Susan and Tom.  TracHer is also practicing wearing her cross country skiing harness, to join everyone on their next trail adventure.

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 We hope that everyone has had a good beginning of the New Year.  We are looking forward to more griffon adventures ourselves.  Charles is planning on putting on what we’re calling the “Old Bitches Hunt”, where he plants some farm raised quail for the two pregnant females and me to hunt up, since I’ve missed the last part of the season while Matt and Charles figured out the new game for this area.  We’ll take it slow and easy, but we think it is good for the pregnant females to hunt to send the hunting endorphines to the pups.
I’ll get some pictures up of Mae and Sue next weekend, but until then, stay griffy!