Gun Dog Magazine is the best magazine for hunting enthusiasts who are owners of retrieving breeds. Each issue is guaranteed to be filled with useful information devoted to you, your dog and the sport of upland bird and waterfowl hunters.
AT TIMES, when I’m out hunting behind my bird dogs, I pause to stare in awe at the sprawling landscapes before me. From rocky mountain peaks to sage brush flats, from red rock ridges to mountainsides covered in aspens and pines—miles and miles of untamed wild. Often, I’ve thought to myself about how some of these lands, formed over millions of years ago, have never seen a human foot trek upon their sacred beauty. And that’s the way I want it to always be. It’s in these wild places where I find solace. Being surrounded by nature’s vastness fills my soul with a sense of adventure and is both exhilarating and profoundly peaceful. I live for the moments that I get to traverse across these untamed landscapes that are not…
RUFFLAND CHOWBOX The ChowBox is the perfect way to carry dog food for your up coming upland adventures. Made of durable polyethylene, the storage unit features an airtight lid to keep food fresh and dry. A built-in bowl rest keeps your dog bowls with the unit for convenience, while the included measuring scoop ensures accurate portions while on the go. Available in two sizes: Standard (30 lbs.) or Mini (15 lbs.). $51–$76; rufflandkennels.com MEINDL AIR REVOLUTION ALPINE 4.1 A lightweight, yet rugged boot goes a long way in the harsh terrain of the uplands. The Alpine 4.1 is built with Air Revolution technology that allows warm air out and cool air in to keep you comfortable in all weather conditions. A waterproof Gore-Tex liner helps to keep your feet dry…
AS BIRD HUNTERS with versatile gun dogs, it’s not uncommon for us to be hunting greenheads in the morning and roosters in the afternoon. For pursuits between flooded timber and WMAs, you must ensure you’ve swapped your lead shot for non-toxic before hitting the field. That can be a task when all you want to do is drop the tailgate and go. To ensure your vest is always filled with non-toxic shot, opting for a hard-hitting Bismuth is a great choice, not only for your wallet, but to ensure you’re always following the law. UNDERSTANDING BISMUTH Steel was the answer when lead shot was banned for waterfowl hunting in 1991. However, Steel is less dense than lead (7.86 g/cc compared to 11.1 g/cc), meaning steel pellets do not retain velocity…
CHIMICHURRI is a fresh, herby sauce that originated in Argentina. It is widely used in Latin American cooking for basting and marinating meats, from red meat to fish, and as an accompaniment to spoon over food at the table. When kissed by a coal or wood fire, the verdant herbs and spices bloom, and the aromas will make you salivate. The sauce is brilliant with wild game. I’ve tried it with venison, squirrel, and rabbit with success—and dove is no exception. In many ways, dove is a perfect pairing. Argentina has become a popular destination for dove hunters in recent decades, and these dark-meat birds lend themselves well to the Argentinian style of asado cooking, which is the tradition of grilling copious amounts of meat outdoors. While a typical asado…
WEATHERBY doesn’t rest on their laurels, and for evidence of this you need look no further than their new Element 2. It’s an upgrade over what was already a pretty good shotgun, but the upgrades are warranted and worthwhile. Those upgrades include larger controls and a competition cut that makes stuffing shells into the magazine tube faster and easier. The choke tubes have been switched from an IMC pattern to the more common and widely available CRIO Plus pattern, the same used on Weatherby’s Sorix and 18i shotguns. Weatherby also upgraded the stock geometry. In particular, the pistol grip curves more steeply down, providing enough space for large hands and allowing for complete control of the gun. It’s similar to the steep grip angles found on some sporting shotguns, the…
WE ENDED OUR last discussion at the stage where we had completed the Whoa Post series and were introducing the remote cue of the e-collar to a known point of contact on the flank to stop the dog. While there are many ways to teach whoa and to steady a dog on game, we rely on the e-collar as a training tool because it keeps cues simple and easy for dogs to understand, allowing them to master the skill and be successful, no matter what their prior training has been. Confusion and indecision are the biggest challenges in dog training, and this stair-stepped process—with multiple safety checks along the way—has helped people from all walks of life be successful training dogs of a variety of backgrounds and behaviors. WHY USE…
