“We need a name for this place. Every special hunting spot is given a name, and this one is no exception.”

Leaning back on our elbows, the four of us pondered the assignment. It was a cold, gusty November afternoon on the South Dakota prairie, but we had found a perfect resting spot on a leeward slope dotted with junipers. The sun warmed our spirits as we gazed across the expanse and reflected on the day. A lake sparkled under the sunshine in the distance, and thousands of sandhill cranes cackled overhead, punctuating the sky with checkmarks of migrating flocks from one horizon to the other.

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I will say it upfront: I am far from being an expert on bird dogs. But if there is one thing I have become certain of over the years, it is that there is not enough information out there for new people to understand the proper etiquette of hunting over someone else’s bird dog. Now more than ever, the influx of mentoring in the upland community coupled with a real thirst for knowledge from novices begs for some helpful guidance on the etiquette of hunting over someone else’s dog.

I may say this even stronger as a bird dog owner who has had a few bad experiences which I credit to my lack of communication rather than the error of the mentee. These things exist for two main reasons: first and foremost, for the dog’s safety; and second, so that you the hunter actually get invited back.

Here are eight essential rules to follow unless the owner tells you otherwise.

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As any owner of a rare hunting dog knows, the reputation of that breed often rides on your shoulders when you show up for a hunt test or a day afield with friends. Your dog may be the only representative of the breed that your fellow hunters ever encounter, so it’s likely to leave a lasting impression—good or bad.

For Domenick Muoio and his Standard Poodle, this pressure isn’t overwhelming; on the contrary, he enjoys the chance to show what Poodles can accomplish in the field.

“I don’t think that others really expect the level of performance that she has, so they tend to be pleasantly surprised. I get a lot of really positive comments about her, especially from judges who may have seen one or two Poodles in the past and were a little underwhelmed.”

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As a new hunting season approaches, we all begin the process of digging through our upland gear. We check over the vests and chaps for tears and holes from last season’s briars, and if you’re like me, find shotgun shells in various pockets or crevices of my hunting gear containers laying wherever it was that they last fell at the end of the previous season.

Looking these items over it brings to mind how we often tailor our gear to the game we intend to pursue. We were thinking of heading out west to chase sharp-tailed grouse but, never having hunted the species before, I wondered if there was a difference in shotgun gauge, shot size, or choke when out in the prairie chasing sharpies versus the ruffed grouse of the aspen forest. A chance encounter provided the opportunity to pick the brain of long-time sharp-tailed grouse hunter: Tyler Webster. The North Dakota native and host of the Birds, Booze, and Buds podcast has been chasing feathers since he was eight years old and has learned a lot during his time in the uplands.

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What is the difference between a ruffed grouse and a partridge? The answer lies in physics; one is flying, and one is not. 

Jokes aside, ruffed grouse stand as one of the most challenging birds to hit on the wing. I credit this more to do with their habitat than anything else. Ruffed grouse reside in dense foliage, shrubs, young trees, and conifers near water in many forms, whether a river, stream, pond, or bog. 

George Bird Evans said in The Upland Shooting Life, “I know of no bird shooting that offers so few hits for shells fired and, other than turkey hunting, so few chances to shoot as does grouse shooting, unless you indulge in idiot shots.” 

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I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but as best as I could tell, my quail seemed as happy as could be. I’d just moved the young quail that were approaching four weeks of age into their new pen outside – a modest 4’ by 8’ encloser that gave them birds enough space to be happy, plenty of shade to stay cool in the heat of the afternoon, and enough exposure to sunlight to keep them warm and content. I was, however, a little nervous. 

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The Norwegian Hound, also known as the Dunker, is one of the seven Norwegian native dog breed varieties—a scent hound with outstanding hunting qualities. The mottled color and glassy eyes make it quite distinguished and different from other hare hounds.

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“The Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation is very concerned with how some of the BSCA language is being implemented by the Department of Education,” said Taylor Schmitz, the Federal Relations Director for the Foundation. “We are hoping we can get the Administration to reverse course, and that a legislative fix by Congress will not be necessary, but it might come to that.”

The Administration is being pressured by both sides of the political spectrum regarding whether or not it’ll reframe its interpretation of the amendment. If the Administration doesn’t make any changes, states may push for a legislative correction via Congress.

Now is a good time to contact your state senators and representatives to let them know how you feel, as a citizen of their state and of this country, about the Administration’s interpretation of the BSCA language.

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Most waterfowlers have a favorite image, one that captures the essence of the hunt along one of North America’s migratory flyways. It might be sculling boats and rafts of bluebills on the Great Lakes, canvasbacks and sink boxes on Chesapeake Bay’s Susquehanna Flats, or flights of mallards navigating impossibly tight Arkansas timber. In Texas, one of the most endearing images might just be a prairie hunter shooting over a trained steer. 

Inland and coastal Texas hunters first shot ducks over oxen during the late 1800s. The practice originated when farmers and ranchers, who saw their livestock walk to within a few feet of resting birds, began to train steers specifically for the hunt. The idea was simple enough; train the animal so hunters could walk alongside it while the owner controlled it with a halter and stick. As the ox approached resting waterfowl, it allowed one or more hunters to rest their large bore fowling pieces across its back to take the shot. A well-trained animal never stopped grazing. 

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Weatherby’s addition of a new side-by-side shotgun can be viewed as a welcome newcomer or a resurrection story. The original Weatherby Orion side-by-side shotgun was first produced in Spain from 2002-2003. Next came the Athena D’Italia side-by-side shotgun, which was Italian-built. The newcomer is a very exciting play on the entry-level side-by-side Turkish market called the Weatherby Orion SxS. Its $1,099 MSRP makes it a real player in a small line of side-by-sides under $1,200.

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