Innehållsförteckning för Summer 2023 från Gun Dog

AFTER A LONG winter — over 800 inches of snow hit Utah this year—I am more than ready for summer. We needed the snow to help quench the thirst of the Great Salt Lake that has been drying up and to help curb the drought that has plagued the state for some time now—but it’s a double-edged sword. The state needs the water, but that type of snowfall can decimate wildlife who can’t dig through that enormous amount of white powder to find feed. Herds of elk made their way down from the mountains to the valley of the city to find food in neighborhoods and golf courses, causing chaos for drivers; while we saw plenty of chukar and Hun tracks on top of snow going from bush to bush…

PYKE TONGASS JACKET This highly technical upland jacket from Pyke will keep you dry in the nastiest weather Mother Nature can throw at you with its three-layer, 100 percent waterproof design that breathes well so you can push confidently to the next cover. The Tongass Jacket is very comfortable with articulated elbows and core venting areas to cool you down when the going gets tough. All four pockets are also strategically placed so you can have access around your strap vest. The Tongass is lightweight, packable, and blaze orange to keep you noticeable in thick cover. Made in the USA. $350; pykegear.com ORVIS TREKKAGE LT ADVENTURE TOTE This classic camo 25L tote is a part of Orvis’ Trekkage series that has a variety of bag options for upland…

RETAY has substantially expanded their footprint in the shotgun market in recent years by offering guns with a long list of features and impressive build quality at an excellent price point. Since the company was founded 17 years ago, Retay has continued to grow rapidly in the States and elsewhere, and each year the company continues to roll out exciting products for shooters and hunters. While the Masai Mara line of shotguns is Retay’s flagship, the Gordion line of guns offer many of the top-end features found on the Masai Mara at a slightly lower price point and may be the best value in the Retay family. In this issue, we’ll look at the Gordion GreyCon 20-gauge—a stylish, lightweight field and target semiauto that manages to slide under the $1,000…

EXERCISE during the summer months is critically important in getting your dog ready for fall. If you expect your dog to hunt hard all day, sometimes for multiple days in a row, starting a crash course in conditioning two weeks before the season opener is not going to get the job done. It’s worth your time to plan how you’re going to keep your dog in shape and build its endurance with exercises both on land and in the water, starting right now. Running and swimming are both forms of endurance training, of course, but let’s take a look at ways to maximize the benefits of these activities during off-season workouts. BUILDING ENDURANCE ON LAND By the time you get to mid-summer, the biggest obstacle to safely exercising your dog…

THE DRONING motor was only partially muted by the earmuffs. The ability to speak to each other using the intercom system was a game changer. My previous experiences on airboats had included hand signs as the only form of communication. The close proximity to the large motor and the wind had always made it next to impossible to hear one another speak. This state of the art craft however was enclosed, eliminating the air movement. The headsets we were all wearing not only protected us from the engine noise, they also allowed us to speak to one another—and we had a lot to talk about. It had been an amazing morning for us. A four man limit of ducks in two hours time! However, as I conversed with my fellow…

LACROSSE AIR GRIP These 18-inch foam insulated waterproof boots have been trusted by outdoorsmen since 1963 and are still made with the same reliable ZXT Rubber from Lacrosse. The ankle support and traction on this booth is excellent and the wool felt midsole helps air flow so you can use this boot in a variety of conditions, but they are best in moderate temperatures. I have used these boots for the better part of six years—from summer dog training, to muddy grouse hunts and shooting ducks over my Lab in late fall. This is a boot you can count on. $120; lacrossefootwear.com LE CHAMEAU MEN’S CHASSEUR Le Chameau got their start in 1927 in a small village in France. Three decades later, the signature Chasseur boot was introduced…

AT MY AGE, there’s an uncomfortable feeling about the idea of meeting someone online—for Noah Parsons, it’s more palatable. A direct message on Instagram in the hopes of finding more out about Parsons and his dogs is how we met. The conversation began slowly right up until the first mentioning of dogs like “Ragweed’s Travel, Beiley’s Aguzannis of Fendawood, Nettle Brae Andy, Delfleet Neon” and more. That took our relationship to the next level, and we settled in like mates over pints at the pub. What took me 20 years to realize what I wanted in a Labrador, I learned in under an hour from this kids’ experience. By the end of the conversation, Parsons and his dogs, progeny of fine British retrievers, had an invite to our camp. They…

LOOKING BACK over a life in gun dogs, I can see a number of instances where I have observed pointing dogs that were unwilling or simply not pre-disposed to retrieve. It has always given me a bit of satisfaction to see a flushing dog, optimally a spaniel , come in after a point-flush-shoot sequence to mop up, and to return to the handler those dead birds or cripples that the pointers were unable, or unwilling, to pursue. I’m a flushing guy at heart, and though I recognize the value and beauty of a good pointing dog at work, the ability for a flushing dog to rout out and then retrieve a downed bird holds a special kind of magic. Moreover, the greater assurance that my dog will be able to…

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TAIWANESE popcorn pheasant are extra crispy, flavor exploration It’s impossible not to pop these addictive bites into your mouth immediately after they’ve come out of the fryer—and burning your tongue in the process. The savory aromas of Chinese five-spice hit you even before the burn, and the crunch is unlike anything the Colonel can offer. As you have probably guessed, the original dish is made with chicken and is a popular street food in the night markets of Taiwan. In the U.S., Taiwanese popcorn chicken is often sold as a snack at Asian boba tea or bubble tea shops. I’ve eaten loads while growing up in Garden Grove, California, and whenever I go back to visit my family, I always have to have a taste. As I’ve recently found out,…

IF YOU TAKE a simplistic view of training, it becomes apparent that pointing dogs really need to be taught three rudimentary principles that can be applied throughout all levels of their training. Those three principles are to stand still, to go with you, and to come to you. The nuances used in training those three behaviors will help you develop a confident and mannerly bird dog. STAND STILL One of the hardest things for an athlete, or a bird dog, to do is to stand still. Bird dogs are best viewed as canine athletes; they are built for movement and action. That said, it is imperative that pointing dogs develop the skill of standing still. This becomes very apparent when they need to undergo veterinary services; have collars, vests, and…

THERE ARE a bunch of training related projects you can and should be working on this time of year. Obviously keeping your dog as active as possible throughout the year is the secret to a real solid training program. Yet, in the real world, we’re faced with family and work priorities while our dog training must take a back seat. So, what if we take a little time to carve out a few areas of our gun dog training that we might work on during the summer and early fall that would support a pleasant, productive partner going into hunting season? Let’s start from the beginning. BASIC OBEDIENCE I’ve often noticed when we begin discussing “sit, heel, and kennel” is when the big guy in the back row booms out,…