Innehållsförteckning för November 2019 från Gun Dog

THE MONTHS OF AUTUMN weren’t always special to me—but now they are everything. They are what I long for. I spend half the year planning for October through December. Where will I hunt? What will I hunt? What friends can join me? What started out as an activity attached to my job, has now turned into a hobby—no, a passion. For the past few years, I’ve had to tell my mom “No, I won’t be home for Thanksgiving.” I’ll explain to her, again, how it’s prime hunting season, and I’ll be on the road, chasing something wild behind my bird dog. She mostly understands, because she knows how important it is to me. I’m sure you understand this passion. You’ll have spent all summer prepping your gun dog, getting him…

EVERY SHOTGUN SHOOTER has, at one time or another, been in a slump. The frustration of missing birds or targets and not understanding why can be haunting, but Garmin’s new Xero S1 Trapshooting Trainer offers a sophisticated solution to determining what’s happening once you pull the trigger. And, it has the potential to forever change the way we perform on the trap range and practice for hunting season. The Xero S1 uses radar to capture an image of both a clay target and a shot string, and this provides hunters and shooters with detailed, near real-time feedback on what’s happening with every shot. What’s more, the technology is user-friendly, and data regarding your shotgun performance is displayed immediately after the shot on the Xero S1’s five-inch touch screen. The system…

EACH SEASON, NEW folks are drawn to the sport of hunting; young and old with varied experience around dogs, guns, and the outdoors, yet each hoping to experience and enjoy the sport of hunting. If you’re among this group, safe habits must be part of your learning—even those who have hunted all their life continually refresh and remind themselves of good safety habits. From the start, we must realize that hunting can be dangerous. Generally, birds are in the thick stuff, and if we’re to be successful we will be. Up and down hills; along creek banks; through thick, tangled “set aside;” over fences and ditches; often under rainy, wet, or snow-covered conditions. Not only do we have the possibility of slipping or falling, but fatigue also becomes a real…

GABE SURE DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A TYPICAL GUN DOG. With those long, floppy ears and thick, flappy jowls, he looks more like a hound dog that should be chasing rabbits, treeing raccoons, or tracking mountain lions. But, here we are on a pheasant hunt, where this Bracco Italiano is expected to search, find, point, and retrieve roosters. Not everyone who sees Gabe says this, but most hunters who know gun dogs probably think this—at least on first impression, according to Bob Powers who got Gabe as a 10-week-old puppy. Gabe was a surprise birthday present from his wife, who bought the little dog because he was “so cute.” His wife got the little pup from a person who never provided any pedigree or registration papers, so Powers didn’t know much…

While ScatterGun Lodge has justifiably earned a reputation as a great pheasant-hunting destination, it is clearly, first and foremost, all about the dogs... THE FIRST THING YOU’LL NOTICE WHEN ARRIVING AT SCATTERGUN LODGE, located in the heart of pheasant country near Pierre, South Dakota, is a pair of Labrador retrievers stationed just inside the front entrance. Unlike a lot of lodge dogs, which spend much of their non-hunting time in kennels, these two meet you inside with wagging tails and looks that defy you to pass by without petting them. In my case, it worked, and I soon found myself unashamedly sitting on the floor petting a five-year-old yellow Lab named Sophie, while she pawed at me playfully, forcing others to maneuver around us. ALL ABOUT THE DOGS Apart…

SINCE OPENING ITS doors in 1751, Germany’s J.P. Sauer & Sohn has produced just about every type of firearm imaginable, with one notable exception—the company has never sold a semiauto shotgun. But that’s all changed now thanks to the introduction of the Sauer SL5. THE MECHANICS At the heart of this 12-gauge autoloader is a Breda action that’s based on Bruno Civolani’s inertia-operated design. Simple and extremely robust, the Civolani action uses far fewer parts than traditional gas-operating systems. Like other inertia guns, the Sauer’s action features a rotating bolt head, a bolt, and a return spring that’s mounted within the gun’s stock. Sauer uses a two-piece aluminum receiver that comes with a hard-anodized black finish, and the SL5 is available with either a 28" or 30" chrome-lined barrel with…

In the Bracco Italiano legend, this breed of dog originated in Italy by crossing a Segugio Italiano (coursing hound) with the Asiatic Mastiff, to produce a hunter of feathered game. The Bracco appears noble, self-assured, and intelligent. The breed is athletic and powerful, yet is docile, easy going, and laid-back. Most individuals, although somewhat sensitive to high pressure in training, are natural hunters that are easy to train and eager to please. They have a solid reputation as good personal companions and adaptable home dogs. As with most gun-dog breeds, they do require daily exercise. The standard for the breed is 21 to 27 inches in height, 55 to 80 pounds in weight, with a short, low-maintenance coat that sheds twice a year. The average lifespan of the Bracco Italiano…

When it comes to quail, you could just about knock them down with a well-aimed spitwad. Roosters or prairie chickens? Not so much. When you’re on a multi-species trip, plan your shotgun and shotshell choice around the largest, toughest birds you’re likely to run into in a given spot. This doesn’t mean going overkill in mostly quail country, but rather bumping up to a suitable light rooster load that won’t tear your bobwhites up. You don’t want two barrels stuffed with 2.75” 8-shot when a sharpie gets up at 25 yards, or a long-tailed rooster explodes from a thicket you thought would only hold quail.…

➔ THE BATHTUB WAS EXACTLY THE TYPE OF NEW ENGLAND COVER YOU’D EXPECT ON A GROUSE AND WOODCOCK HUNT. Stacked rock walls indicating the founder’s meager wealth lined the dirt road, and the homestead, a clapboard affair with a cedar-shake roof, was set on the flat a short distance away. The historic marker near the front door said it was built in the late-1700s, and the enormous fireplace and hand-hewn beams suggested that was correct. A long porch wrapped around the front and extended to the side, and board-and-batten shutters kept the winter winds at bay when they were closed with wrought-iron clasps. The house was a short walk from the enormous barn. Bays for cattle and plow horses were below. The theory was that their heat would rise and…

➔ THE IDEA OF QUAIL NEVER REALLY CAUGHT ONWITH ME. As a lifelong resident of Minnesota, it has never been an option to hunt them in my home state—at least not in my lifetime. It wasn’t until I started traveling to Nebraska to bowhunt deer on public land that quail entered my thought process. I flushed coveys multiple times while hiking to my hunting spots, and I learned quickly that if a ruffed grouse blowing up from underfoot will cause you to jump, a full covey of bobwhites will nearly cause a major chest-grabber—every single time. Of course, I didn’t have the benefit of a good dog in front of me to let me know things were about to get interesting. But that would change. After taking a trip to…

This is Dakota John Wayne, “Duke.” He is a five-year-old member of my A-team English setters. They hunt the short-grass prairies, casting far in front of our Tennessee Walkers. —Jeffrey Gillaspie, Pierre, SD  Tommy and Chaga with a few brookies and shrooms for the cast pan. Springers rule! —Chris Cartier, Vermont  Radar is an eight-month-old, field-bred English springer spaniel. He’s birdy and eager, and a sweet companion with the family. —Paige Symons, Courtenay, B.C. PHOTO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES • Please make sure your phone or camera is set on the highest quality jpeg available. • Submit no more than two photos and include your dog’s name, age, breed and any additional interesting details, plus the town and state in which you live. • Submission does not guarantee publication. We reserve the…