Bluestem Kennels

With all of the holiday and end-of-year activity, Charles has only had a chance to get out hunting once on November 30th, for the first time since my birthday hunt.  They did manage to bag a few birds and we all hope to get out for a few more before the season ends at the end of January.

Charles and Matt each bagged a rooster on November 30th

Breeding season is upon us!  Sam and BB mated on Friday and Saturday, so we are looking at puppy whelping around Valentine’s Day (February 14) and homegoing in mid-April as long as everything goes as planned.  I am checking Mae every few days and we are getting closer, pro-estrous (bleeding) could be any day now, or it could be a few weeks out.  Having some space between the two litters is a good thing!  We are also waiting on Velma, but she has until mid-March to cycle within our cutoff time.

Right now I have 18 reservations for this breeding season and have already have a reservation for 2015.  I am really flattered by all of the attention and positive feedback that we are getting on our puppies.  We have so much fun raising them and love sending them to great families!  Feel free to call me at (402) 682-9802 or e-mail bluestemkennels@cox.net if you have any questions about our breeding program.

Speaking of our breeding program, our new male is just over 6 weeks old and looks like a fat little dude!  Renee says that he is very active and inquisitive.  We can’t wait to meet him.  It sounds like his registered name might be Bourg-Royal FC Hector and we would call him “Tor”.  A tor is a medieval pagan/early Christian holy hill in England.  Here he is with his littermates

Tor at 6 weeks up at the very top of this photo on the left

Cordelia and I will be flying up to Quebec City on the Friday after Christmas and will bring him back on the Monday before New Year’s Eve.  Of course, we will enjoy lots of great food, sightseeing and good friends while we are there.

Pupdate time.  Roxy is from our 2011 “B” litter from Sam/Sue and lives out in Utah with Randy and Pam.  Sounds like Roxy and Randy had a great time in North Dakota.  Randy said:

Wanted to send a few photo’s of the results in North Dakota this year with some of my buddies. Bird counts were a little over the limit with what the picture shows but it took more people to run the cameras so they couldn’t all be in the picture. Over all another excellent trip in the Dakota’s even though the bird numbers were down.

 Roxy done an amazing job and has lived up to everything an owner could ever expect. Again,,thanks for the ability for me to experience life like this with her by giving me the opportunity to get her as a pup from you. Griffs forever.

Randy and Roxy on the left

Another great day for Roxy and Randy in ND with the gang

Frankie from our Sam/Mae 2012 “C” litter is having a great life out in Colorado too.  Her owner Mike said:

Frankie had a great year last year with several good wild hunts and a LOT of preserve training (82 successful points last year ).    Not as many preserve hunts preseason but my oldest helped me gear her up a few times with some planted chukar.   Opening day in Kansas we limited out.   And we took a Wednesday last week into eastern Colorado.  Very few birds and It took all day but me and a buddy both got our birds.   Fetching is really coming in this year, was sketchy last year.

She is doing great, just thought I would say hi.

Mike and 20 month old Frankie with CO roosters

18-month old Abby is from our Sam/Sue 2012 “D” litter and lives with Rob down in Western Illinois.  Rob said:

Abby was wonderfully today. Took her by herself for a few hours today trying to get more range.  She was stretching out farther and covering ground methodically leaving nothing untouched. She worked for over an hour with no bird contact.  Then she got birdie and tracked for about 150 yards. Then stopped on a dime. I was not sure she had it the it erupted from the switch grass a rooster. One shot later it was in her mouth and on its way back to my hand. She dropped it out about twenty yards and started tracking and up came number two. Hit it but not real hard she was on it and caught up to it. Two roosters in less than five minutes.  She was great.

Thanks 

Rob, 18 mo old Abby and roosters

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and most prosperous New Year!  I will be sure to post a report when I get back from Canada with Tor and hopefully we’ll have some breeding news on Mae too.  Sorry, I don’t get the dogs dressed up in elf garb or make them sit in front of the Christmas tree.  May your days be filled with family, friends and some late season hunting too!