About Us/Contact
At this time, all 2018 puppies are spoken for. Please email bluestemkennels@gmail.com to inquire about future litters.
The voice of Bluestem Kennels is Charity Upchurch. I consider myself a full-time mom of dogs and kids and a part-time English teacher and hunter. I am also in charge of the kennel, so I raise and place the pups. My husband Charles is a serious hunter when he isn’t doing his upper management thing in financial services. Our primary hobbies are hunting and training dogs together. We have 3 kids: our sixteen year-old daughter, Cordelia; our thirteen year-old son, Conrad; and our eight year-old son, Caleb. Please see the About Our Dogs page for information regarding our current and retired breeding stock of dogs.
When we aren’t hunting or dog training, we love to travel and have adventures.
The Upchurches are Huskers
The Upchurches remembering the Alamo, one of our many adventures
We are members of the Heartland Chapter of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) http://www.navhda.org/ and the AKC breed parent club, the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association http://awpga.com/. If you are interested in the future of the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon breed, we encourage you to join and get involved with these organizations! We are the only Wirehaired Pointing Griffon kennel inspected and licensed by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and are dedicated to producing quality AKC/NAVHDA registered hunting Wirehaired Pointing Griffon puppies.
Please see our Puppies page for information regarding future litters.
We only breed spring litters for the express purpose of hunting our dogs during the fall and winter. You can follow our puppies, training, and hunting here at bluestemkennels.com. We are also on Facebook as Bluestem Kennels~Wirehaired Pointing Griffons. You can also search Bluestem Kennels on YouTube for our videos.
We are located near the Missouri River, in the Loess Hills of the Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, Nebraska.
I haven’t added the past couple of years of hunting photos, so feel free to peruse our Archived Posts for additional pictures.
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- Cordelia, Sheaf (Brittany), Charles and Sue as a 4 month old pup, Eastern Nebraska prairie chicken 2004
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- Charles, Will, Felix and Adam, South Dakota pheasants 2006
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- Sue and Charles’s second trip for South Dakota pheasant 2006
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- Louie with Murph and Charles with Sue, North Dakota pheasant 2006
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- Charles with Sue and Louie with Murph, North Dakota pheasants 2007
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- Sue and Charles with North Dakota pheasants 2007
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- Sue with North Dakota pheasants 2007
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- Sue and Charles, Eastern Nebraska Prairie Chicken 2007
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- Sam as a 6 month old pup, with Sue, Charles and the first limit of snipe, Eastern Nebraska 2008
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- Sue, Sam, Charles and Conrad with the second limit of snipe, 2008
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- Charles with the camp bird total, North Dakota 2008
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- Sam as a 7 month old pup, with Charles, Sue and the North Dakota bird total 2008
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- Sam, Charles and Sue with the North Dakota bird total 2009
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- Charity and Charles heading out to chase some ducks, Nebraska Sandhills, Oct. 2009
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- The dove total for the day, Nebraska Sandhills, Sept. 2010
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- Sue retrieves a dove to Charles, Nebraska Sandhills, Sept. 2010
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- Sam and Sue with the North Dakota bird total 2010
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- Sam and Sue in the fields of North Dakota 2010
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- 2010 North Dakota trip bird total
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- Sam retrieves a duck during water training
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- Sue retrieves a duck during water training
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- Sam, Sue and Charles’s Eastern Nebraska Prairie Chicken, Sept. 2010
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- Sue and Charles at the Pheasants Forever Heartland Chapter Youth Hunt, Sept. 2010
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- Sam and Charles with two early season Eastern Nebraska teal, 09/11/2010
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- Sam, Charles and Caleb with a limit of snipe, Sept. 2010
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- Sam and Charles with a couple of creek woodducks, Nebraska Sandhills, Oct. 2010
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- Sue and Sam retrieved Charles’s grouse double in the Nebraska Sandhills, Oct. 2010
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- Charles and Sam, Nebraska Pheasant Opener 2010
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- Ira, Charles and Sam with some wild Nebraska pheasant, 01/2011
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- Nate, Charles, Sue and Sam with the rooster of the day, 01/2011
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- Sam and Charles with the bird total on a hunt they guided 12/19/2010
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- A grandfather and grandson walk into Sam’s point 12/19/2010
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- Another great retrieve from Sam 12/19/2010
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- Sam watches the rooster fly over the hill as the hunter attempts a shot
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- Locked up!
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- The hunter walks into the tree to try to flush the bird 12/19/2010
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- Sam found one hiding under a tree 12/19/2010
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- Sam lets you know the bird is there 12/19/2010
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- Sue comes in with another rooster 12/19/2010
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- Sue retrieving a rooster 12/19/2010
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- Sue with her high-style point 12/09/2010
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- Hunters with bird total; hunt guided by Charles and Sam
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- Sam retrieving directly to hand 01/09/2011
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- Sam retrieves a hen pheasant 01/09/2011
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- Sam retrieves a rooster to Charles’s hand
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- A hunter walks in on Sam’s point 01/09/2011
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- Sam with another stylish point 01/09/2011
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- Charles takes a retrieve from Sue while watching Sam work a bird
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- A successful day in the field
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- Charles guided three generations on 02/20/2011
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- Charles shares one of the pheasants with a young hunter
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- Sam points a chukar while guiding a hunt
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- Sue, BB, Sam and Charles with grouse 09/02/11
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- Ryan, Charity and Charles with grouse and doves 09/03/11
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- Charles and Sam walking the dunes, Nebraska Sandhills, 09/04/11
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- Sam retrieves a grouse with Sue watching on, Nebraska Sandhills, 09/04/11
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- Charles takes a retrieve of a grouse from Sam, Nebraska Sandhills, 09/04/11
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- Charity, Ryan and Charles with grouse and doves, Nebraska Sandhills, 09/04/11
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- Sam, Charles, Sue and BB with some snipe and a blue-winged teal 09/09/11
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- Sam water retrieves a pheasant 09/19/11
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- Charles, Sue and Sam guiding 09/19/11
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- BB, Charles and a snipe 09/24/11
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- Charles and Sam guide Heartland Pheasants Forever’s Youth Mentor Hunt 10/01/11
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- Charity, Charles and Ryan with sharptails and prairie chicken, Nebraska Sandhills, 10/7/11
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- Charity proud of her male prairie chicken, Nebraska Sandhills, 10/07/2011
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- Ryan, Charity, Charles and a big pile of ducks, Nebraska Sandhills, 10/08/11
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- Charity’s first wild rooster, North Dakota, 10/15/11
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- Charity and a gadwall duck, North Dakota, 10/16/11
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- Charles and his pheasant limit, North Dakota, 10/16/11
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- Charles and two gadwall ducks, North Dakota,10/16/11
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- Charles, the dogs and a female canvasback duck, North Dakota, 10/17/11
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- Charity, Sam and a pheasant 10/17/11
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- Sam, Charles and his pheasant limit, North Dakota, 10/17/11
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- Charles took this limit in 10 minutes, North Dakota, 10/18/11
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- Charles with the dogs and his pheasant limit 10/19/11
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- Sue retrieves a pheasant to Charles, North Dakota, 10/19/11. Photo by Susan Davy
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- ND trip bird total, we had to eat a few pre-picture to stay under limits
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- Charity, Charles and the dogs, North Dakota, 10/19/2011. Photo by Susan Davy
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- Friends Susan and Tom and their birds over our dogs, North Dakota, 10/19/11
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- Charity and BB on the hunt. Photo courtesy of ultimateupland.com
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- Charles and Charity both take shots at a rooster. Photo courtesy of ultimateupland.com
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- Sam brings Charles the retrieve while Marvin looks on. Photo courtesy of ultimateupland.com
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- Charity and Charles debate who shot the pheasant 10/29/11. Photo courtesy of ultimateupland.com
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- Nebraska Pheasant Opener at the Brinkman Farm with landowner Marvin Brinkman, Charity, Charles and Brian Koch of ultimateupland.com
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- Conrad showing off dad’s two roosters on the day 10/30/11
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- Charles, Sue and Sam guiding 11/23/11
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- Charles, Sue and Sam guiding 11/24/11
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- BB on retrieve 12/09/11
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- The hunters with Charity, Sue and Sam guiding 12/1/11
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- BB pointing 12/09/11
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- BB on retrieve 12/09/11
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- BB on retrieve 12/09/11
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- Charles walks into Mae’s point 12/09/11
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- Mae on retrieve 12/09/11
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- The hunters Charles, Sue and Sam guided 12/10/11
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- The hunters that Charity, Sue and BB guided 12/22/11
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- The hunters that Charity, Sam and Mae guided 12/22/11
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- The bird total on guiding for Charity, Sam and Mae 12/23/11
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- The hunters that Charity, Sue and Mae preserve guided 12/23/11
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- Charles bagged the elusive Sandhills Pheasant 12/24/11
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- Charles and the dogs walk across a frozen pond, Nebraska Sandhills 12/24/11
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- Charles and the dogs, Nebraska Sandhills 12/25/11
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- Mae on retrieve 01/02/12
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- Charles shoots a chukar over Mae 01/02/2012
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- Charles shoots a chukar over Mae 01/02/12
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- A coon and a pheasant 01/21/12
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- BB goes face to face with a raccoon while the pack assists 01/28/12
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- A coon, a rabbit and a quail on the day 01/28/2012
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- BB’s first two AKC JH ribbons, March 2012 (we finished the final two legs two weeks later)
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- Charity practices stacking BB at the Grand Island Kennel Club Dog Show, April 2012
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- The NAVHDA NA judge and Charles walk into BB’s point
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- BB on point for her NAVHDA NA Prize I (perfect score 112), May 2012
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- BB Reserve Winner’s Bitch, Lake Minnetonka (MN) Kennel Club Dog Show, June 2012
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- BB, Sam, and Charles opening weekend Sandhills Sharptailed Grouse September 1, 2012
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- Sue, Mae, and Charity Sandhills Sharptailed Grouse Opener September 1, 2012
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- October 4, 2012 Sandhills Sharptails with Charles, Sue, Mae, and BB.
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- Ryan, Charles, and Charity with Mae and Sam. Sharptailed Grouse, October 5, 2012
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- Charity, Charles and Ryan with Sam and a mixed bag of ducks and grouse. October 6, 2012
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- Charles in North Dakota with Sam and BB, October 21, 2012
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- Charles in North Dakota with Sam and BB, October 22, 2012
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- Charles’s bird total from North Dakota trip 2012 with Sam and BB.
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- Charity and Mae take 2nd Place in the Hunting Bitch Class at AWPGA National Specialty Dog Show in Sioux Falls, SD October 26, 2012
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- Charles and Sam, Nebraska Pheasant on November 2, 2012
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- Charles, Sam, and BB, Nebraska Quail, December 30, 2012
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- Sam retrieving a rabbit, January 5, 2012
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- Charles, Sam, and BB with rabbits and quail, Nebraska, January 5, 2012
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- Charles and 2 Nebraska quail, January 20, 2013
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- Matt Stratman with 3 Nebraska quail and a rooster with Sam and BB, January 26, 2013
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- Charles and BB take 3rd Place in the Amateur Walking Derby at the Heart of America German Shorthaired Pointer Club outside of St. Joseph, Missouri, February 9, 2013
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- 2013 opening day of sharptailed grouse in the Nebraska Sandhills with Sam, Charles, and BB
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- Charles and Charity each with a dove September 1, 2013
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- Early Teal near Mound City, Missouri September 21, 2013
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- Close-up of sora rail harvest, September 21, 2013
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- Sam caught himself an opposum while we were in Missouri
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- Jump hunting ducks in the Sandhills on October 5, 2013
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- Woodduck with BB October 6, 2013
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- Snipe with BB on October 6, 2013
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- Nebraska pheasants with BB and Sam, November 9, 2013
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- Charles and Matt, Nebraska pheasants with Sam and BB, November 30, 2013
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- Sharptailed Grouse North Dakota 2013
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- Charles showing off a pheasant from the 2013 North Dakota trip
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- Sam retrieves a pheasant on the 2013 North Dakota trip
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- Sam retrieving a sharptailed grouse on the 2013 North Dakota trip
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- BB finds a downed snipe 09/14/2014
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- BB retrieves a sora rail 09/14/2014
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- Charles releases Fire on the track at her NAVHDA Natural Ability Test 10/12/2014
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- Charity and Charles, Sandhills Duck Opener 10/04/2014 with BB, Sam and Fire
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- Charity, BB and Fire with quail 2015
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- Charles, BB and Sam with a couple of Nebraska roosters 11/09/2014
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- Charity, Fire and a North Dakota rooster 2016
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- Charles with Fire, BB and Chief with ducks and snipe, Sandhills 2016
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- BB with another retrieve 09/14/2014
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- Lou, Aaron, Charity and Charles with the dogs and roosters in North Dakota 2016
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- Charity with BB, Fire and a couple of Nebraska roosters 11/09/2014
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- BB and Charles with some more Sandhills ducks and snipe 10/05/2014
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- Lou, Charles, Charity and the dogs with the first day’s birds, North Dakota 2016
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- Charles, BB, and Fire with a mixed bag of teal, snipe and sora 09/14/2014
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- Charles BB and Chief with sharptailed grouse Sandhills 2016
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- Charles with a day’s limit of roosters in North Dakota 2016
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- Charles and Fire with Eastern Nebraska snipe 2016
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- Charles takes the snipe from BB 09/14/2014
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- Charity, BB and a sora rail 2016
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- Charles and Matt quail hunting 2015
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- Charles, Fire, Chief and BB with ducks and snipe, Sandhills 2016
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- Charity, Early Teal 2015
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- Charity, North Dakota rooster 2015
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- Charity, sharptailed grouse in North Dakota 2015
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- Charles, Early Teal and Snipe 2015
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- Charles and the dogs, ND 2015
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- Dogs and roosters, North Dakota 2015
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- Charles taking a retrieve, North Dakota 2015
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- Charles with a duck, North Dakota 2015
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- Fire, Charles and rooster, North Dakota 2015
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- Charles and Fire, North Dakota 2015
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- Charles, the dogs and a rooster, North Dakota 2015
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- Charles and a wood duck, North Dakota 2015
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- The dogs and some roosters, North Dakota 2015
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