February 22, 2011
Charity Upchurch
Guiding Hunts, Hunting Tales
Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Pheasant Haven, Pheasant Hunting, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
A cool, moist day for a hunt.
Everyone wondered if we were in for rain or snow as we set out Sunday afternoon in search of pheasants and chukars. For the first time, the owner had completely turned over the reins for this hunt and it was just Charles, Sam and I on the property with the hunters. It was three generations of a family from a rural southeastern Nebraska town by the name of Geneva: a grandfather and great-uncle, the son and the sons-in-law, and most importantly, the grandson.
The flushes all came in singles throughout the property. We hunted for a couple of hours, took a water break back to the cabin, then set out again for more birds for another hour and a half. It was getting up towards supper time when we finally parted ways. The weather cooperated and so did the dog. The best part of the day was to see the anxiousness and timidness of the young lad melt away, turning into joy and excitement for the sport. This was confirmed by his dad, as we all left and shook hands, he stated that his son told him, “Dad, this pheasant hunting is fun!”
A chukar partridge flushes between two hunters.
"Nothing like a good clean kill."
Charles and the youngest hunter.
A hunter walks into Sam's point.
Another chukar goes down.
Sam retrieves a chukar.
A rooster pheasant in flight.
A rooster pheasant upon impact.
The youngest hunter requests to carry a pheasant.
A happy young hunter, what it's all about!
Three generations of hunters: grandfather, grandson, son.
The hunters and their quarry along with Charles and Sam.
February 7, 2011
Charity Upchurch
Kennel Update, Regional Update and/or Misc., Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association, Auglaize County Ohio, Bird Hunting, Chad Love, Dog Training, Field and Stream Magazine, Greg Wagner, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Pete Berthelsen, Pheasant Habitat, Pheasant Hunting, Pheasants Forever, Puppy Training, Quail Habitat, Rudy's Youth Village, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
January 28-30 was a weekend full of upland excitement at the 2011 Pheasant Fest, the national convention of Pheasants Forever. Here are some of the highlights from our weekend spent there:
- As seen in the last post “Bluestem Kennels in the Omaha World-Herald”, Cordelia, Sam and I had a great time at the photo shoot. Cordelia and Sam were on the front page of the Friday, January 28th paper and also featured in an online video and slideshow.
- We were the only Wirehaired Pointing Griffon entry in the Friday afternoon Bird Dog Parade. Visiting with local Nebraska Game and Parks personality, Greg Wagner, was a fun part of the day. He mentioned the possibility of having us on his KFAB radio show to talk dogs at some point in the future.
- While Charles was out in the foyer working out some day job office issues over the phone during the Friday evening banquet, I got to pick the brain of Chad Love, a photojournalist for Field and Stream magazine. He works primarily with upland hunting and bird dog assignments, so it was fun to hear how he went from his political science degree to getting published in outdoor magazines. It was definitely an inspiration for where I want to take my blogging. Here’s his most recent post on the Field and Stream website: http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/hunting/2011/02/jealousy-between-dogs-can-be-powerful-training-tool
- Saturday afternoon turned out to be quite interesting for me, as I ended up helping to lead a seminar that I attended. The 1 PM “Picking your puppy and the First Six Months” seminar was quite full and by 1:15 PM, there was still no presenter. A fellow breeder/trainer and I got up in front of the audience and freestyled the seminar, sharing the wealth of what we know on the subject.
Charity Upchurch of Bluestem Kennels, right, discusses selecting and training a puppy
Thank you to Pheasants Forever photographer Jim Cooper for the use of the photo.
- My children spent Saturday afternoon at Rudy’s Youth Village of Pheasant Fest, where we met some inspirational teenagers, the Illinois Pioneer Chapter #069 “Young Guns”. They raised $6000 for a virtual shooting gallery had it trailered all the way to Omaha for the young people to enjoy. My son, Conrad, couldn’t get enough of it!
Conrad practices his shooting skills
- Charles and I had a great time at the Saturday evening banquet visiting with the members of the Auglaize County, Ohio Pheasants Forever chapter and one of their state wildlife biologists. It was interesting to learn that the pheasant population in Ohio has been decimated to the point where the state game and fish department has a pheasant stocking program. I didn’t realize until attending Pheasant Fest that promoting stocking pheasants in Nebraska is seen as nearly rebellious to the habitat cause. The latest Focus on Pheasant report was sent to me by Nebraska Game and Parks following my post “Focus on Pheasant needs to readjust their sights”. Once I get a chance to read their report, I’ll be revisiting this topic will a full post in the near future.
- Sunday we met renowned wildlife artist Carl J. Melichar, who was a Federal Duck Stamp finalist and has taken on bird dogs as the focus of his painting. He does not yet have a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon in his catalog, so we’ll be getting him some photographs in the near future and possibly commission a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon original painting. Here are some examples of his work: http://www.artbarbarians.com/gallery2/main.asp?artist=48
- We closed out our visit to Pheasant Fest on Sunday by attending Pheasants Forever Field Coordinator Pete Berthelsen’s talk on creating quail habitat on his 160 acres near Elba, Nebraska. It was amazing to see how quickly habitat adjustments can restore bird populations. In a matter of a few years, he went from one covey of quail to fifteen coveys!
The weekend was a complete success and really fired us up to increase our involvement in Pheasants Forever, habitat restoration and sharing our love of not only the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon breed, but raising, training and hunting versatile dogs.
January 25, 2011
Charity Upchurch
Bird Dog Training, Hunting Tales, Kennel Update, Sire and Dam Ability, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Focus on Pheasants, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Lancaster County Nebraska, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Nebraska Pheasant Hunting, Pheasant Hunting, Pheasants Forever, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
It isn’t very often that we get to enjoy a pheasant hunt in well-established native tallgrass prairie in Southeastern Nebraska. We’re not the only ones. In the 1960’s 140,000 hunters bagged about 1.4 million pheasants annually in Nebraska. These days, the annual count is around 50,000 hunters and 200,000 birds (Hendee, Omaha World-Herald, 01/23/11). Speaking to other Nebraska hunters this year from across the state, pheasant numbers this year have been up from recent years past, but obviously nowhere near the level of the mid-20th century.
Our hunt last Saturday was in some amazing habitat on private ground east of Lincoln. It was a cold, windless winter morning, ideal for keeping the roosters held tight in the thick grass. The air was moist and slightly foggy, perfect scenting conditions for the dogs.
The SE Nebraska combination of windbreaks, crop fields and a smattering of prairie.
Nate, the landowner, begins working the fields
Sam and Charles make their way through the big bluestem
We headed east, away from the farmstead, pushing through some thick cover towards a small cattle feedlot. As we neared the break between the prairie ground and the feedlot, Nate saw a flock of hens flush to the north. I saw one rooster fly into a windbreak at least 40 yards out, then Charles and I both saw another rooster spook way out of range. I’ll admit that we were all probably a little too chatty about what we had already seen and not focused on keeping quiet for any other roosters nearby.
The guys thought they had seen a rooster land to the south in a bit of a marshy area, so we pivoted as we came to the feedlot and began to work our way through some tough swamp weeds.
Busting through some weeds
Walking down a waterway
Sam running on the left, Sue visibly pregnant on the right
As we worked our way back west out of the swampy area and into the grassland, the dogs both started acting birdy: retracing their paths with their noses to the ground, Sam sneaking lower to the ground, Sue holding her head high, circling and searching. Finally, Sam’s beeper collar starts to make the loud, sharp beep, telling us that he’s on point. Charles walks right in for a close flush and takes the rooster.
Stay focused! The rooster takes the impact, but unfortunately my auto-focus thought I was taking a picture of that piece of grass
Sam presents the gift
The rooster!
We continued to push southward into the corner of the property, then made our way west, working a treeline on our way.
Checking back in: that’s pregnant Sue on the left with the frosty face
Following the take of the rooster, we worked the field for another hour or so, with no further sightings of pheasant.
Arriving back to the farm
The pose: Nate with Sue, Charles, Sam and the rooster
January 11, 2011
Charity Upchurch
Bird Dog Training, Guiding Hunts, Hunting Tales, Kennel Update, Sire and Dam Ability, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Pheasant Haven, Pheasant Hunting, Pheasants Forever, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
The snow began to fall on Sunday morning, but it wasn’t enough to deter the hunters of Pheasant Haven Hunting Acres in Elk City, Nebraska (www.pheasanthavenlodge.com). Charles and the dogs guided their third hunt on the preserve, with myself on hand as co-handler of the dogs, guide assistant and photographer.
We began the day running both Sam and Sue, which led to some very fast shooting and more retrieves than we could keep up with at times. There were points where we had to stop to let the dogs catch up on picking up the shot pheasants on the ground.
Charles takes a retrieve from Sue while looking out for Sam working a bird
Sam on retrieve
Sue happily checks back in
We stopped around 11 for a lunch of pheasant breast and mushroom stew, then went back out with Sam for a second sweep of the property.
Walking the fields at Pheasant Haven
Sam brings in a rooster
Sam on point
Hunter walks in on Sam’s point
Sam gives Charles another perfect retrieve
The hunters, 24 pheasant, Sam and Charles
Your reporter in the field, posing with the birds
In 2011 litter news, Sam and Sue completed breeding at Christmas and she is showing obvious signs of pregnancy. We anticipate whelping towards the end of February. The puppy application is ready and has been sent out to the 30+ individuals expressing interest, with more calling and e-mailing every day. I am excited to raise these pups and get them into some excellent hunting homes!
December 20, 2010
Charity Upchurch
Guiding Hunts, Hunting Tales, Kennel Update, Sire and Dam Ability, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Elk City Nebraska, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, Pheasant Haven, Pheasant Hunting, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
The hunting cabin and pond of Pheasant Haven
Yesterday was the perfect day for a hunt: not too cold or windy, with moist air; perfect scenting conditions for the dogs. As some of the hunters had brought their dogs, Charles worked Sue with the large group of gentlemen in the morning.
The orange army departs
Sue with her high-style point
Sue retrieves a colorful pheasant
The orange army on the move
I wish I had gotten a better photograph on the next shot because it was some incredible dog work. One of the hunter’s white Spinone Italiano is on point along with Sue, followed by the preserve’s yellow lab coming in for the flush.
Amazing dog teamwork!
I now understand the value of the flushing dog in these situations. As foot hunters, Charles and I typically do our own flushing by walking up into the dog’s point. At the preserve, the hunters would rather not walk in to flush and it isn’t safe for the human guide to do the flushing, therefore the flushing dog is needed. It looks like in the near future we’re going to be shopping for a female AKC Cocker Spaniel to take on that job!
After a successful morning well-spent on the hunt, we took a break for cheeseburgers at the bar in Elk City, then returned to Pheasant Haven for an afternoon hunt with Sam and a grandfather/father/son trio.
Sam with his low-style point
Another solid point from Sam
The father-hunter walks in on Sam's point
I was thrilled to finally take my first hunter/dog/bird photo yesterday. They are terribly difficult to set up and take. The pheasant is difficult to see, as it is flying away near the top of the frame and camouflaged by the grass.
My first hunter/dog/bird photo
Sam on retrieve to Charles
Grandfather and grandson walk into Sam's point
Charles and Sam with the bird total
In hindsight, I should have organized the large group and their dogs to pose with the bird total, because Sam and Charles certainly can’t take all of the credit! It is a learning process for both the dogs and the people to take on this guiding business, but it gives us great pride and joy to be able to share our passion for hunting with great dogs!!
http://www.pheasanthavenlodge.com
December 18, 2010
Charity Upchurch
Guiding Hunts, Hunting Tales, Kennel Update, Sire and Dam Ability, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Bird Hunting, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Korthals Griffon, National Shoot to Retrieve Association, NSTRA, Pheasant Haven, Pheasant Hunting, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Bird Total from Day Two of guiding at Pheasant Haven
Charles, Sam and Sue were recruited at the end of November by Scott Bruhn of Pheasant Haven hunting preserve (http://www.pheasanthavenlodge.com/) in Elkhorn, Nebraska as guides. As the dogs were strictly wild bird hunters prior to this experience, I was a little nervous that they would “trap” the cage-raised birds (this is when the dog catches the bird in its mouth following the point). For this particular two day outing, chukkars were used. The birds were of a good quality and did not allow the dogs to get sloppy. They also ran across a number of “scratch” (previously released) pheasant which made for some added fun and action. The dogs are used to locking up on unforgiving wild grouse and pheasant, which made for some stylish points on the slower-moving planted birds. Sam and Sue were run separately to give the gunners plenty of time to walk up on the point and prepare for the shot. This event was a lot of fun for the dogs, as it isn’t everyday where a dog get to point 100+ birds. They also did a terrific job of retrieving for the two days they were on the job, November 30th and December 1st. Scott runs a nice operation and is talented at releasing birds in way that simulates wild bird hunts.
There was a second guide on the hunt running a Vizla, who is active in the National Shoot to Retrieve Association (http://www.nstra.org/), which is essentially a competitive field trial organization. Doing a side-by-side comparison of Sam and the NSTRA Vizla, Charles feels that this may be another dog sport organization that we would like to investigate and potentially participate in.
Charles and the dogs will be back guiding at Pheasant Haven tomorrow, with me joining them as blogger/photographer, so I’m looking forward to getting some good shots and stories to post next week.
December 13, 2010
Charity Upchurch
Hunting Tales, Puppy Update
Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Hunting Minnesota, Korthals Griffon, Pheasant Hunting, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Sounds like Winston (Male 3 2010 litter) has been enjoying the big snows up in Minnesota. I received this cute letter from him, along with a video and some stills from the video.
Winston on point, with Kelvin
Winston and pheasant
Winston reporting in as promised – it might be a little slow in coming, but that seems to be part of my new family (Dad at least). I have been having a great time since getting to my new home in Minnesota back in June you saw some pictures with me and my new sister Stella (German Wirehair) everyone thinks we look a lot alike. Living on 20 acres and having lots of run time is wonderful. I did go through a little obedience class that Mom took me to -what a snap that was – just doing what they ask and there were treats at the end.
Other than that it has been some simple stuff for training, just being a real puppy for a while. Boy did that change last weekend as now I know what Stella has been telling me about. Just because I have out grown her at 7 months and she has about 5 years on me she really knows this hunting game well.
Dad took us both to southern Minnesota for some pheasant hunting with friends John and Jeff and we were joined there by Ken and Scot Dad explained I was along for the experience and he wasn’t expecting much since I did not have much specific training to date, but everyone was excited none the less.
Stella and I started out in the field by ourselves since we knew each other best. They dressed her up in some orange cloths to protect her chest as she is a girl so I just chased her around for a little while trying to check out her orange vest. Dad thought enough was enough as there were birds to hunt and he hooked a silly cord to my collar. After dragging that around and getting tugged on a couple of times I started thinking I should pay a little more attention. By this time we were joined by Poker (English Springer), now things started getting exciting as he and Stella were getting down to business.
I was eager to see what they were doing but knew well enough not to get in there way when they would stop and point – which usually meant bird, flush, shot and a chase. As Stella and Poker went about their business I decided to do a little hunting of my own and found that was the way things were to be done, we were all working on our own but still hunting together and helping out. I also got to lose that silly check cord. We all had our own way of telling everyone when we knew there was a bird to be shot and sometimes we would all 3 point the same bird – that was fun.
Seeing those birds fly and fall I figured out real quick a good way for praise was to get to the bird quick and find it, mind you I was not as quick as they were most of the time, but they let me have some fun too. Poker wasn’t as willing to let me help retrieve as sis was, but she has learned to put up with me and seems real willing to help teach me along the way.
Dad was especially pleased when I pointed a bird that the other dogs had gone by but they hung around to see what was up and beat me to the down bird (Dad actually caught some of that action on video).
Not sure what to expect, but Dad was mentioning a little E training in my future. Something about very happy with what I showed on my first trip but needed to work on a few details that he thought would come with more specific training on his part. I guess that is how Stella got to be so good in the field and I think I will be real lucky if I get to keep hunting with her.
Got home in time to beat the snow and it really snowed filling up our kennel run so Stella and I stayed inside except when Dad was out shoveling the snow – I really like playing in the snow.
I will check in later.
Winston
December 1, 2010
Charity Upchurch
Bird Dog Training, Hunting Tales, Puppy Update, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Ducks, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Hunting Nevada, Korthals Griffon, Pheasant Haven, Pheasant Hunting, Water Retrieve, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Pete, Whiskey and some Nevada ducks
Looks like Pete and Whiskey (Alpha Male 2010 litter) had another great hunt!! According to Pete, “We are wet and cold but Whiskey put the hurt on the ducks today several water retrieves in nasty conditions and even dove after a cripple (I need to shoot better).”
November 2, 2010
Charity Upchurch
Bird Dog Training, Hunting Tales, Kennel Update, Sire and Dam Ability
Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Gun Dog, Hunting Dogs, Johnson County Nebraska, Korthals Griffon, Nebraska Pheasant Hunting, Pheasant Hunting, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Sue retrieved the lone pheasant of the morning
The morning of Saturday, October 30th was spent by Charles and the dogs on the Brinkman farm in Johnson County, Nebraska. Mid-morning, Sam pointed this rooster, it flushed and Charles shot it. The bird came down between the two dogs and began to run. Fortunately, Sue was there to cut his run very short, about 5 yards. She made a good retrieve in thick cover.
All but two of the birds sighted that morning were hens, with nine pheasants seen in total. I thought that sounded like a good number, but Charles considered it down from previous years. They also got into a couple of coveys of quail, both pointed but none bagged. Last winter was a rough one for quail. Charles and the landowner’s son were both concerned about working the quail over and hope to let the quail population recover adequately before they focus on hunting them.
All in all the hunt was considered a success. Every bird that was put up was worked by the dogs and flushed in range. An accomplishment when hunting wild pheasant.
Thank you to our friend, Marvin Brinkman, for hosting the hunt and providing the picture!
October 25, 2010
Charity Upchurch
Bird Dog Training, Hunting Tales, Sire and Dam Ability
Bird Hunting, Dog Training, Hunting Dogs, Hunting North Dakota, Korthals Griffon, Pheasant Hunting, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Well, folks I’m going to make this one short and sweet, just like my phone conversation with Charles tonight. The kids were fighting, the sink was overflowing with dirty dishes and I was trying to cook supper. I’ll give you the pictures for now and wait to take dictation of the stories when Charles returns.
I know that he got a limit of pheasant today and he met a cool German fellow (like actually from the country of Germany, not just Kraut-American like me) and his German Shorthair Pointer. There is a whole story about meeting this chap, but we’ll have to wait for it until he gets home. So, enjoy the pictures for now and we’ll get the scoop later. (I need to complain to the photographer, we need some pics of the dogs)
The game bag thus far
A German Shorthair Pointer with a real German:)
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