Bluestem Kennels

Sandhills Dove Hunt 2010

September 8, 2010

Charity Upchurch Bird Dog Training, Hunting Tales, Kennel Update, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Bird Hunting, Dove hunting, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Nebraska Sandhills, Valentine Nebraska, Windmills, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

Sandhills Dove Hunt 2010 is on the books. Charles and I were joined by our old friend Mike on our hunt near Valentine, Nebraska. While the morning was cool and we had the energy, we started the day off jump shooting different windmills. If you’re not familiar with jump shooting, you simply walk up and see what jumps up in front of you. In regards to dogs, dove hunting is a little like duck hunting with a blind: we only use them to retrieve the fallen birds when necessary (which it is typically not).

Mike and Charles going to jump shoot for dove at a windmill

First dove on the ground

Charles shooting at some dove in flight

Mike shooting at doves in flight

Mourning doves in flight

Mike, his dove and his Baikal 12 gauge over/under

Once the day heated up, we decided to pick a windmill and set up some decoys. As the windmills are the sole source of water on the open prairie, the doves cannot resist flying in.

Sam and Sue help Charles set up at the windmill

Charles setting up dove decoys on the windmill

Prior to getting settled in our spots, we let Sam and Sue out of the truck for a break.

Sam cools off in the stock tank

Sue cools off in the stock tank

For awhile we had Sue sit with us at the windmill and used her to retrieve our birds for us, just for fun and practice.

Sue retrieves a dove

I was primarily focused on taking pictures, but towards the end of the day I took up Charles’s 12 gauge and was able to take a dove.

Me, my dove and Charles’s SKB 12 gauge over/under

Saturday’s dove total: 13

The birds have since been cleaned and eaten in a corn stuffing.

Charles in Nebraskaland: July 2003

August 24, 2010

Charity Upchurch Bird Dog Training, Kennel Update, Regional Update and/or Misc. Bird Hunting, Nebraska Game and Parks, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Nebraskaland Magazine, Pheasants Forever Leave a comment

I recently scanned a page from the Nebraskaland July 2003 issue which featured Charles as a youth hunting mentor for Heartland Chapter #491 of Pheasants Forever. Here’s a link to the article/photo:

Charles Nebraskaland

Nebraskaland is the monthly outdoor magazine of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Here is the link to the magazine if you would like to check it out:http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/nebland/

Our chapter holds an annual youth hunt for holders of a Nebraska Hunter’s Education certificate.

One more trip to the pond

August 23, 2010

Charity Upchurch Bird Dog Training, Kennel Update, Regional Update and/or Misc., Sire and Dam Ability Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Korthals Griffon, Nebraska Game and Parks, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Teal, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

We had to celebrate our return home with a trip to the pond, possibly our last swimming trip for the year. I think these pictures do a good job of showing what devoted family members our dogs are.

Sue and Sam watch attentively as dad winds up to throw Conrad in the water (by request)

Splashdown!

Caleb and the dogs muck about

Dad, dogs and kids

Sam is neck and neck with Dad, while Sue trails not far behind

Nebraska is more of a river state than a lake state and this time of year our lakes and ponds do something we call “turn over”. My hydrologist friends tell me that it isn’t actually that the water “turns over”, but the warm conditions and runoff create blooms of algae and bacteria. I knew I should have called a “no go” to our trip when I saw the water, but I couldn’t resist the warmth of the sunshine and coolness of the water.

I exchanged e-mails with Greg Wagner of Nebraska Game and Parks and we won’t know if we get an early teal season for Labor Day weekend until August 31st. We are ready!

Some nice Canadian Griffs

August 21, 2010

Charity Upchurch Kennel Update, Regional Update and/or Misc. Korthals Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons Leave a comment

On our summer vacation we paid a visit to a kennel up in Canada to take a look at their Wirehaired Pointing Griffons. Their pups may or may not become a part of our breeding program, but we are shopping around.

Conrad and Cordelia with the dogs, Belle and Cyrano

I have to apologize for my lack of writing lately, my muse has taken an unexpected leave of absence. But hey, hunting season is only a few weeks away, so she should return soon!

Puppy Update: Whiskey in Nevada

August 16, 2010

Charity Upchurch Puppy Update Leave a comment

While I was on sabbatical from the blog, Pete sent me an exciting update on Whiskey’s (Alpha Male of our 2010 litter) development as a hunting dog:

“Just a little update on Whiskey. At 13 or so weeks Whiskey is really becoming an exceptional bird dog. Bird work started about 4 weeks ago, gun work started about 2 weeks ago. Since then I have never seen a more enthusiastic dog, he is bird crazy. I shoot planted birds over him almost every night and he just keeps getting better and better. I thought my older Griff had an excellent nose but Whiskey is taking my older dog to school on tracking and recovery. He swims like an otter and loves the water. We water train every weekend and I can’t wait till October 15^th (Nevada Waterfowl opener). I was kind of dreading this hunting season breaking in a new pup but after seeing how fast Whiskey is coming along I can’t wait. This dog absolutely LOVES to hunt. His first real hunting trip will be the Oregon Chukar opener for a tune up then October 9^th the Nevada Chukar opener. I took the week off for that. I should have over 100 birds shot over him by then. Training on Pigeons and Pen raised chukar right now can’t wait to get him on wild birds. More important than that he is a great family dog and the funniest dog that I have ever owned (I hope he grows into his feet) Thanks for the great pup. Everybody that sees him loves him. You might have a few customers from Northern Nevada next year. sorry about the pics it is hard to train and shoot pictures but I will keep working on it.”

Whiskey and his older "brother" Basco (also a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon) on the dunes of Nevada.

Whiskey and Basco in the water

Whiskey and Basco on the bank

So exciting!!! Thanks Pete! I look forward to more updates from my owners come fall hunting season!

Pupdate: Winston at 3 months

July 25, 2010

Charity Upchurch Puppy Update Korthals Griffon, Puppies, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Leave a comment

I received a cute picture of Winston from Nancy and Kelvin in Minnesota that I couldn’t resist sharing!

Winston at 3 months

Book Review: Gun Dog by Richard A. Wolters

July 22, 2010

Charity Upchurch Bird Dog Training, Book Reviews Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, NAVHDA, North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, Richard Wolters, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon 7 Comments

“From his prehistoric beginnings man has possessed two things: woman and dog.”

The humorous (if slightly misogynistic and outdated) first sentence of Wolters’ iconic training manual gives you a hint as to what lies in store in its concise 148 pages. It is a starting point. It is basic.

For Wolters, a hunting pup’s training life begins at 7 weeks. Based on my experience with a litter of pups this year, I would agree. I actually began working on crate conditioning and other basic commands at 5 1/2 weeks.

These are not advanced techniques. Wolters takes you through the beginnings of the basic commands of sit, stay, come, and whoa. There are other techniques provided to assist in bringing out the dog’s natural pointing and retrieving instincts. The book has as many instructional photographs as words taking you through the process.

He then covers the second phase of training: quartering a field, the use of hand signals, fetch on command, introduction of the gun, water retrieve and honoring another dog’s point.

If you plan on training your own dog and need a place to begin, this is it. I would estimate that his process takes you through the first 6-12 months of yard/close field work. The time frame depends on how much time you put into it: the more time spent, the shorter the process.

Random aside: Turning to the advice of your local chapter of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association chapter is something that I also recommend. This is a resource that we did not take advantage of in the past, but plan to utilize to the fullest extent with any new dogs in the future. Here is the list of chapters and contacts: http://www.navhda.us/chapterinfo.aspx)

Wolters was not a professional dog trainer. He was educated as a chemist but had a passion for hunting dogs that shows in his writing. His goal was to produce a text enabling the amateur with limited time to effectively work with his or her dog, and I believe that Gun Dog succeeds in achieving that goal.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Gun+Dog+by+Richard+Wolters&x=0&y=0

Introducing AKC California Fortune Sweetgrass

July 20, 2010

Charity Upchurch Puppy Update Alexander Valley Vineyards, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Puppies, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Leave a comment

I received some great photos of Female 2.2 (our 2010 litter) yesterday from Hank and Linda. The pup is almost 3 months old, now known as Cali and registered with the AKC as California Fortune Sweetgrass.

Cali, Linda, a great potato crop, and the yellow lab

Having a rest

Cali and Harry relaxing at the vineyard

If you ever desire a vineyard experience in Sonoma wine country in California, the Wetzel family has the beautiful Alexander Valley Vineyards to accommodate your needs. You can find them on the web at http://www.avvwine.com/ ( Which reminds me, I need to order some wine from them). We plan on paying them a visit ourselves next summer.