Trial season starts tomorrow!!!

[jetjockey]

You didn't get it.  I said why would you AKC register any setter, especially the English setters?  What's the point, would it be to win the huge AKC Setter National with a total of 20 dogs?  If I had a setter I would run it in AF where the real setters run.

[GrousePointer]

Most of the serious coverdog guys running setters in Michigan (that I know of) aren't running Llewellins. They don't have enough run/range.The big difference between the Northwest is topography and access to public forest land. Michigan is swimming in state and national forest which makes such events possible. Before I moved our there I had always thought of grouse as birds you sniped with a .22. Out there people will call you unethical and worse for that. Grouse are for dog work our there. It really is a culture.

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[jetjockey]

I'm aware of the Grouse.  The guy I talked to however did run Llew's, and since they are not typically AKC Registered, it made sense that most cover dog trials would be AF sanctioned rather than AKC sanctioned.  If I remember he ran mostly in PA, and I don't even know if he was competitive.  It was just a conversation we had since he ran coverdog and my dog runs HB trials.

My FIL's Llewellin is his house dog and hunting buddy. He specifically wanted a close working slow and methodical dog that would be used only for hunting.

[GrousePointer]

My FIL's Llewellin is his house dog and hunting buddy. He specifically wanted a close working slow and methodical dog that would be used only for hunting.

I understand your FIL's thinking. I bought my last Pointer from a breeding that is closer working for those areas you just don't want a big runner.

Funny thing is, i find myself going back to my runners more often than not. I shoot more birds over them and I think I like the thrill more than I admit.

Nothing better than a hot blooded Pointer that you can control and hunt anywhere...that knows how to adjust to terrain and cover.

Once I get unpacked here we'll see how well that plays in WA.

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[jetjockey]

I don't think that's uncommon.  I think some people are afraid of bigger running dogs.  Garmins have made hunting with big running dogs a lot less stressful.  I spend a lot of time in the NE and upper midwest.  I used to date a girl in Claire MI and I've spent time in Ironwood and Iron Mountain.  I don't know how a hard core grouse guy could hunt with a big ranging dog without some sort of bell or a garmin.  The type of cover you guys hunt is rediculous.  Gentlemanly bob cover spoils us, but I would love to hunt grouse.  I'm just going to make sure I wear body armor and bring a gun I'm not afraid to abuse.

[jetjockey]

Got another crappy draw.  Oh we'll, that's trialing.  Drew a mid to late afternoon brace with winds gusting to 40 and temps in the upper 70's.   No dogs found birds the day my pup ran.  Two more days to run, but my pup is out of it.  Winds and temps were forecast to be by far the worst the day my pup ran.  Bad draws happen, but at the end of the day, the best dogs rise to the top eventually.  Next big trial starts Monday.

[Stilly bay]

I think a variation of coverdog would be more than possible in washington. it would be a lot tougher on the wet side since birds are fewer and farther between  and the brush is ten times more dense, but it would really separate a lot wheat from chaff and end a lot of arguments.

get permission to run it on weyerhauser land where you have thousands of acres and a decent road system for judges to negotiate.

it would be one hell of a party, and whoever won would be entitled to some serious bragging rights. only problem I can see is lack of participants because of many of the western grouse misconceptions rolling around  AND you would lose a few dogs.

really it sounds like a blast, have an hour run and the dog has to find a needle in a haystack, when he does find that needle it should hold pretty tight kinda like a pen raised trial bird - BUT with the possibility for something truly interesting to happen while the dog is holding it... unlike a pen raised quail or chukar.

count me in, I am puppy shopping right now!

[GrousePointer]

Pretty typical early season cover in Michigan with a very nice coverdog Pointer on point.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=DA1Ae5GJfJQ

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[GrousePointer]

Same dog training on quail in Kansas.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=5_ehfXZlWHA

As you can see the dog isn't working very far out and has adjusted to what the handler wants. I've hunted over this dog and seen him top 800 yards in other situations.

When in the woods with a dog like that you learn to toss the whistle in the trash and learn what "singing" to a dog in the woods is about.

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[Stilly bay]

hmm couldn't get either video to work   

[GrousePointer]

hmm couldn't get either video to work   

Stupid mobile links. Try this...

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[Dhoey07]

Got another crappy draw.  Oh we'll, that's trialing.  Drew a mid to late afternoon brace with winds gusting to 40 and temps in the upper 70's.   No dogs found birds the day my pup ran.  Two more days to run, but my pup is out of it.  Winds and temps were forecast to be by far the worst the day my pup ran.  Bad draws happen, but at the end of the day, the best dogs rise to the top eventually.  Next big trial starts Monday.

So do you run your dog or does a trainer?

[jetjockey]

Both.  I run her in the occasional weekend AAA trial and he runs her in 90% of the other trials. Typically, she doesn't run weekend trials, so it makes it tough for me to get enough time off to run her in the Open trials during the week.  Plus she runs all over the Midwest and east coast, so getting to the trials can be tough.  The "circuit" is a little different out here since there are more breed Pros, and championships, than in the NW.  In the Chicken Championship last week, there were 52 dogs entered.  All but 2 were handled by Pro's. 

[jetjockey]

What a difference not having a chitty draw makes.  But I'll let my dog do the talking. ;-)