Border to Border Bird Dogs

03/15/2024

Sunday Feb 25 2024. Heavy fog, started at daylight. Challenging dog work, running birds, relocating, flew em all without a fumble. Not warm but hot by 9am. Quit at 11 to end our season. Extremely proud of what this crew accomplished.

02/23/2024

02/23/2024

Puppy instincts. Love it. Yesterday on the Jones Alta Vista Ranch. Pointer getting called “Alta”, setter “Vista”.
Litter pick from our two Males, Kofi and Wibaux.

01/01/2024

Sharing positive thoughts for 2024. Patience, long video. This is the stuff that makes one want to get up in the morning.

12/29/2023

Once again found my water bowl right where I left it

12/14/2023

Questionable bird numbers keeping me apprehensive for the first Quail hunt of the season. All about covey finds and the experienced dogs shine. Half, full, and half day results in the book. Thank you Jones Ranch for the opportunity!

11/22/2023

Slow covey rise, with timing an expert shooter could have dropped a pair in one!

11/22/2023

New kid making his pitch for A squad

11/11/2023

The Traveling Wingshooter
magazine, September 2006.
Familiar to anyone?
Cleaning out our closet and getting sidetracked……

11/06/2023

Learning….Gandy

09/14/2023

The trees are talking

09/09/2023

If wheels could talk

08/07/2023

07/19/2023

Good morning,
Aired and settled. Relaxed, ready to learn. I’ll be forever grateful to Ronnie Smith, Rick Smith, Sonny Piekarz, Greg Fryar…………

07/18/2023

July and August in N Texas, 106 actual temp yesterday, predicting 109 today. Installed a couple 38$ misting lines from Amazon. Video is from yesterday at 106.

06/01/2023

Good morning America!
Thanking the dog world for the opportunities gifted.
(and Greg for knocking down the pesky mosquito population)

05/15/2023

Turning green in North Dakota

04/30/2023

Looks nice but nothing there except for lingering pigeon scent from previous stop to flush work. He was ignored, left to make his own decision to move on.

04/30/2023

Traffic backed up at the Spot

04/17/2023

Just what I needed, a break from my routine, shake out the cobwebs. Spent the weekend at a dog trial watching the pros handle their dogs.
Was a time I wanted absolutely no part of those “outlaw trial dogs”. Times have changed. Watching and listening to the conversations, the encouragement, given to us folk who don’t play the game is special. The hunting Birddog men and women who are doubting or writing off trial dogs as junk are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to observe and learn.
I had many reasons to stay away, lack of time was a big one. But even bigger was a lack of confidence in my abilities to compete. Fear? Intimidation? Foolish on my part. What I’m trying to say to the wild bird dog hunters is you’ll never find “the hunt” that you’re looking for at a dog trial. However you’ll see and meet a few dogs that will take your breath away. The intensity! The focus! The run that looks chaotic but isn’t! And you’ll meet some wonderful folk. Also you’ll leave knowing your own dog will still out hunt the trial dog on your turf?
Monday morning putting the puppies back to work! After two days siting in their desks, watching the horses, the people, Cline’s magic bus, they are exhausted. I had to wake em up this morning.
Favorite quote from my dad “life is worth the effort”. I agree.

03/26/2023

Trey Garza Jenny Wetterstrom
Your pup has some style, and she’s fond of the mechanical dog.

03/05/2023

SLO-MO

02/21/2023

Long weekend we flew 32 coveys for the high bidder, elderly couple, Texas Parks and Wildlife fundraiser.
Crisp dog work, without a fumble. Put the same 4 dogs to work late Monday morning for the couple who arranged the hunt. Rolled a zero……go figure…..

02/01/2023

Thank you…..
Decade ago while attending a Ronnie Smith Kennel seminar, gentleman named Delmar Smith asked if I had thanked my dog as I loaded him into Ronnie’s truck after a decent run. How do you thank a dog? Verbal praise? Hands massaging physically? Slight touch to the shoulders? Delmar’s answer was a smile, eye contact, and “you’ll know what they need. Just a light touch, not to much”.
This video from last week’s exercise run reminded me. Seven year old Llewellin Wibaux with the find. Took a few minutes to walk to him, flush the birds, and we connect. This dog likes eye contact, his eyes melt as I walk to him. My body language is in the zone, relaxed, confident, grateful, humble, he senses the job well done as I thank him and my teacher emotionally. No words or touch necessary.

01/11/2023

Eventually I’ll get to do the flushing………

01/11/2023

Love it

12/24/2022

We have the best pet sitter on the planet. Rebecca Randal thank you for the beautiful photo. Happy holidays to all from South Texas and Minnesota!

12/20/2022

Yearling Jack showing some style……
Kofi and Bella getting it done……