Innehållsförteckning för September 2021 från Gun Dog

IN THE FALL of 1981, the first issue of GUN DOG magazine hit newsstands and 40 years later, the dream and ambition that was this publication is still alive today—and stronger than ever. It was the first Editor in Chief, Dave Meisner, that set GUN DOG apart as the premier sporting dog and upland hunting magazine with these words penned in his first Editor’s Letter: “GUN DOG will devote itself to the entire world of upland and waterfowl dogs, it has set its purpose the enrichment of their lives and those of their human companions. We will provide you with lots of educational and informative offerings, and will entertain you with first rate fiction, humor and nostalgia created exclusively for us by the best outdoor writers in the country. We…

THE MOSSBERG name may always be most closely associated with pump and semiauto shotguns, but Mossberg International is hoping to become a bigger player in the U.S. over/ under market with the release of their new Silver Reserve and Gold Reserve shotguns. These Turkish-made stackbarrels are available in a wide range of configurations that serve waterfowlers, upland hunters, and clay target shooters well. What’s more, with MSRPs starting at just $636, these guns are more affordable than other over/unders. SILVER VS. GOLD The new Silver Reserve Field guns (which are different than the outgoing Silver Reserve II models) are designed with hunters in mind, specifically those who want a more austere field gun at a very modest price point. The receiver comes with either a satin silver or matte blue…

MOST PEOPLE would agree that all first-class bird dogs exhibit some common traits, most notably boldness, intensity and style on point, prey drive, athleticism, conformation, and endurance. However, this list often overlooks one trait that we see as a defining characteristic of a great dog: composure. A dog’s potential for success relies heavily on his ability to maintain a calm demeanor and to keep his mind under control through all of life’s changes, demands, and stresses. A composed dog learns more quickly than an excited, reactive dog, and is therefore easier to train. He is able to evaluate a situation rationally and adapt his behavior appropriately. He can manage his energy while waiting in a crate, and by doing so has more energy to draw on when he sets out…

IN OUR LAST Notes from the Field column (Summer 2021), you were well on your way in “whoa” training of your gun dog. You were past the entry level training, and we were on to the use of a check cord with a dog who was understanding the basics of “whoa.” I had you grabbing the end of the check-rope as your dog ran by, setting your feet and saying "whoa” just as the slack went out. Your training should now be in the field, rather than on your training table. We are now at the point where your dog should know exactly what you are asking of him when you command “whoa,” and moving is no longer acceptable. ADVANCED TRAINING With your check-rope in hand, go to the dog,…

19 81 With the September/October issue, David G. Meisner launches GUN DOG from a cubbyhole office in Adel, Iowa. Meisner serves as the magazine’s first publisher and Editor in Chief. 1982-1987 Five years in a row, GUN DOG is named Special Interest Magazine of the Year by the Dog Writers Association of America. 1985 Douglas Lidster assumes Editor in Chief duties; Meisner remains as publisher. 1985 In March, GUN DOG is sold to Stover Publishing in Des Moines. Carrell Bunn is named publisher. Bob Wilbanks is named Editor in Chief. 1996 Rick Van Etten is named Editor in Chief. 1998 Following the retirement of Carrell Bunn, Dennis Nordell is named publisher. Under Nordell’s direction, the company transitions to electronic publishing. 2000 In April, along with sister publications Wildfowl and Wing…

I CUSS like a sailor when I hunt doves. No other outdoor activity has that kind of effect on me. Doves are quick, obviously, but every year, their Matrix-like moves never cease to amaze. Hitting feathers won’t take down a dove. Coincidentally, this slight, though clever, target is made of more feathers than vital area. Just when I think I’ve hit one, it keeps on sailing to the next county. Still, the same reasons that make doves so frustrating to hunt are also reasons that make them so thrilling to shoot. On good days, when my hunting companions and I could get birds close, there’s no better place to be in the world than standing over a field of sunflowers or hiding near a dead tree in the middle of…

THE EXCITEMENT of the impending season does a couple of things to us retriever owners. The first is that it tends to cause us to ramp up the training with our dogs as the opening bell looms ever close. The second is that it often prompts us to outdrive our headlights when it comes to the skills our dogs are working on and the ones they have actually mastered. What this does is confuse us as to how to proceed with the immediate pre-season training. When you see only green lights, you tend to hit the gas so to speak. But this time of year isn’t about taking things as far as possible with your dog. It’s about evaluation and honesty about not only the level your retriever is currently…

PROBLEM: A seven-year-old Griffon just bit its sixth person. The victim, an adult male, well known to the dog in field situations, reached over the fence to pet the dog who was home alone. The bite was serious enough to require surgery. The first time the dog had shown aggressive behavior was three years earlier when the dog was four. In that situation, a neighbor was in the dog’s yard talking to the dog’s owner when the dog ran from the house to attack. Three of the four bites occurred in the dog’s yard—all young men. The remaining one was an adult man inside the house. The man picked up a parcel left for him—again there was no one home. The common thread is that all bite victims were men,…

Editor’s Note: In September 1981, the first issue of GUN DOG magazine was published. Its creator, David G. Meisner, believed there was a market for a first-class periodical featuring hunting dogs, and he was right. In 1985, Roger Stover purchased the magazine from Meisner and maintained its standards of excellence. The following editorials reflect the personalities and philosophies of the two men who built GUN DOG into the magazine it is today. Ours is a simple editorial philosophy, but one which may have complex implications in this runaway world. We are upland bird and waterfowl hunters, whose passion for our dogs, and whose passion for the uplands and marshes we hunt, is a major part of our sanity. The core of our editorial philosophy, or the foundation upon which it…

RETRIEVERS retrieve and a flusher will flush. It is in the dog, plain and simple. Where things get more complex is exactly how, and to what degree we require them to do those things. That answer varies based on several factors including genetics, training, and the handler’s personal preference. As a retriever, some are more than happy with a dog that simply gives chase and brings things back. Others need steadiness, the ability to line, handle with precision, and ultimately deliver to hand. When it comes to flushers, a quick Google search, “what’s the definition of a flushing dog” gave me two different answers, neither of which I think is right, wrong, or complete. 1. “Flushers are designed to locate birds and put them in the air hard and fast.”…

RECENTLY, I was thinking back on my younger years, when training days were spent in preparation for something—a big trial or opening day of the hunting season. Back then, training was just that—training. The big event was something altogether different, some sort of test or performance, and I kept the two well separated in my head. With age, however, I have gained a little bit of perspective. When I think about training these days, I see it as a part of a continuous process that is interspersed with hunting and trialing, and I realize that as a younger man, my eagerness often outweighed my better judgment. Often, I think that in my enthusiasm, I may have at times done more harm to my dogs than good. This reflection came about…

“OURS IS a simple editorial philosophy, but one which may have complex implications in this runaway world. We are upland bird and waterfowl hunters, whose passion for our dogs, and whose passion for the uplands and marshes we hunt, is a major part of our sanity.” I can’t help wondering if David G. Meisner, founder and original editor and publisher of GUN DOG, had any inkling of how prophetic those words would be when he wrote them to open his editorial column in the magazine’s inaugural issue. That issue was datelined September/October 1981, and now, 40 years later, Meisner’s words seem every bit as relevant as they did back then—maybe even more so. Ours is indeed a “runaway world” and there’s no doubt that many of us rely on an…

Editor’s Note: In the history of GUN DOG magazine, we have never reprinted an article or story that’s appeared in a previous issue. This is an exception—a very worthy one, we feel. "Where to Bury a Dog," by Ben Hur Lampman, appeared in the very first issue of GUN DOG magazine. That was in September of 1981, exactly 40 years ago. At the time, we had approximately 7,500 subscribers. Today, over 43,000 gun dog owners subscribe to this magazine. That means that roughly 35,500 of you may never have had the opportunity—the incredible experience—to absorb this brief, but timeless and very significant message. Therefore, we felt it appropriate to repeat Mr. Lamp-man’s thoughts in this, our 40th anniversary issue. This article originally appeared as an editorial in the Portland Oregonian on…