Fall 2024 was one of the busiest we’ve ever been with hunting travel, testing and hosting events! We started off in September with Obi’s NAVHDA Invitational pass, hunting the Nebraska Sandhills in October, Charles headed up to hunt North Dakota the second part of October, Charity finishing off her National Specialty Chairperson role at the 2024 AWPGA National Specialty North Carolina in November, which was the same weekend that Charles helped spearhead the Saluda River NAVHDA chapter’s first test in Newberry, South Carolina, then right after we hosted our family Thanksgiving at an AirBnB in Atlanta, Georgia, Charles headed back out to Nebraska for pheasant season! Phew! We’ll be staying home and playing with puppies for most of 2025 and we’re looking forward to it.

You can always reach us at bluestemkennels@gmail.com then we can connect via phone from there.

NAVHDA Versatile Champion Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
VC Wyo Plainsman Kenobi NA I, UPT III, UT I x 2 “Obi” and Charles with their NAVHDA Invitational Pass Photo by Ted Wentink
Obi on point at NAVHDA Invitational. Photo by Terry Ann Fernando
Obi retrieves a chukar to Charles with an Iowa skyline in the background. Photo by Terry Ann Fernando

Charles got a grouse and a duck or two, Caleb got two ducks our first day

The one memorable push from the first day was we circled a pond full of ducks. The boys were on the south side and I was on the north. I had the easier walk, so I could have easily ran in and busted up the ducks off of the pond to get my own shots in. But I’ve had plenty of ducks in my time and Caleb had zero. So since I couldn’t see where the guys were at I held back. By the time the ducks were flying and the boys were shooting, I was way out of range and running in at the last minute.

Although I totally got skunked on this trip to the Nebraska Sandhills, the best part was watching Caleb connect with his first sharptailed grouse on our second day. I couldn’t see who was shooting and all that I could see was the grouse getting totally smacked. It was great shooting by Caleb and I was very proud to be there for his first grouse.

Our fifteen year-old son, Caleb, with Obi and his first sharptailed grouse in the Nebraska Sandhills
He also got a duck later on, so we took a photo of that back at his grandma’s
Charles and two grouse from the same day, in my mom’s backyard with the dogs

Caleb really upped his game on the last day with two sharptailed grouse and a duck

Caleb with two grouse and a duck, Charles with two grouse in my mom’s backyard with the dogs

Sorry for the unceremonious photos, most of the time we are just documenting what we can as we are tired and hungry by this point!

While Caleb and I headed back to South Carolina after the third day, Charles stayed on in the Sandhills for a bit longer and then continued on to North Dakota for their pheasant season.

Obi and Duke with the first North Dakota rooster
Belle and Obi with a couple of roosters and a grouse in North Dakota
Briar retrieving a rooster on day two of North Dakota
Duke and a couple of roosters on the last day of North Dakota
The natural beauty of North Dakota never disappoints

Once Charles returned from North Dakota, we were right in the thick of the first NAVHDA test for the Saluda River NAVHDA Chapter, which Charles helped found and Charity was National Specialty Chairperson for the 2024 AWPGA National Specialty North Carolina in Winston-Salem and Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Belle, 19 Griffs Texas Bluebell, earned her NAVHDA Natural Ability Prize II with 102 Points with Caleb as her junior handler. Since Charles was so busy organizing, there is photo of that unfortunately.

Charity with the Best of Breed trophy and other trophies and ribbons at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. Photo by Ann Summerfelt
Briar is now Bluestem’s Carolina Briar Thicket JH after finishing her AKC Junior Hunter title at Nationals. Owner-handled by Charity. Photo by Charles Upchurch.
Judge Michelle Clemens, myself with Sally as the bye dog, then Jessica Frazier with Jewels in AKC Junior Hunter at the Sandhills Pointing Breeds Club. Photo by Jim Clemens.
Jewels and Sally with a double point with their noses right on a quail. Photo by Jim Clemens

All of the “thank yous” for the specialty are in the Griffonnier, the magazine of the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association, but I’d like to most especially thank my husband Charles for putting up with all of this and helping as the field chair.

Once we wrapped up the specialty and the NAVHDA test, we enjoyed a quick Thanksgiving in Atlanta, Georgia with our East Coast family, then Charles was on the road again to return to Nebraska for pheasant season.

Obi and Belle with the first pheasant of the first day in Nebraska
Charles with Obi and Belle and some Nebraska pheasants and quail at the end of the first day
Duke and Sally with a rooster of day three in Nebraska

Charles was pretty worn out in the Nebraska pheasant hunt, so I don’t think that he got good photos of each day.

Nebraska is also about connecting with our folks from home

I really apologize for the four month photo dump and not much writing to go with it, but sometimes it is all I have in me. Especially after all of this activity and organizing, and now we’re going into the last 10 days before Christmas!

I realize that I have photos of hunts from some of our puppies and retired dogs that I have not had a chance to post, but those will have to wait until the new year.

I hope that you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Now that National Specialty is over, I will have more time to communicate with you all.