Ourano Pointers

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Ourano Pointers

Elite bird dog training and bespoke Wingshooting Experiences in the Highlands of Southern Africa.

04/11/2024

Get your hands on a copy of the current November/December issue of Shooting Sportsman to catch a glimpse of how we do things in our world.

We had the privilege of guiding the team who came out to compile a true Ourano Wingshooting Experience on behalf of the Shooting Sportsman publication. We hunted across two vastly differing areas, allowing the guests to harvest a true mixed bag offering. The cherry on the top however was pursuing the grand Greywing and Redwing Francolin in the Highlands over first class Pointers, which was unanimously the groups favourite part, and as is the usual feedback we receive, the part that they would like to repeat again!

Thank you again to all involved.

Chase your dreams.
Always chasing the horizon.

11/10/2024

Some moments and images of the beautiful and breathtaking places we get to operate in, and make a living out of.

There is an unmistakable beauty in the work no one will ever see. The hours of iteration that culminate in a picture perfect moment, a satisfied client with their dog, or a happy group after a successful hunt.
Something that has slowly but surely come to me whilst working in these places and churning out the hours of iteration is that there is a reward, an ultimate reward even, when you create and live your life’s work - you become the truest version of yourself through that whole process.
When you create things that are a direct extension of who you are they exist effortlessly, and independently. And, sometimes you have to make difficult decisions to go to the next phase and stage of your journey, to really become all that you are meant to be. In a sense, I think we have reached that place (again) now. Standing on the proverbial precipice with the abyss below and in front of us. The funny thing is, each time we’ve been here, and with that decision ultimately resting with me, I take the plunge and free fall right into the unknown, and mid fall, learn that we have wings and can in fact fly…

Always chasing the horizon.

16/09/2024

Incredibly humbled again to be featured in this beautiful publication. The folks at Project Upland Magazine and Hunting Dog Confidential really put together a seminal publication each and every single time, which is truly a coffee table worthy offering that can hold its own in any home.

Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity, and for the exposure, but more importantly for highlighting the conservation aspects that we try and uphold in our little world - it is a very humbling feeling to be recognised globally for something that both the dogs and I truly live and breathe. At the end of the day, it will always be about the dogs. I am merely a vehicle for their endeavours and talents.

When you find what works, but doesn’t feel like work, you’ve won.

Always chasing the horizon.

04/09/2024

Alba and Bianca of Ourano working as a team - how a brace of dogs should work, by ranging far and wide, locating and holding the covey, and then presenting the birds to the gun properly. Training and more importantly knowledgeable training is key in polishing natural, inherent traits that exist within a dog. And a knowledgable eye to work with what is natural and what isn’t natural is a key aspect many overlook. There’s a lot of negative based training methods. I don’t want a dog hunting out of fear, I want it visibly enjoying itself, and harnessing its natural predatory instincts. The oft used idiom comes to mind, “You cannot make a silk purse from a sows ear.”

And for the last time, it’s Pointer, not English Pointer. And a GSP is not a Pointer, it is a GSP.

Always chasing the horizon.

08/08/2024

Whilst we’ve had a quite brilliant season in terms of the action; the sport, the dogs and the birds, another aspect that we take huge pride in, and that we put a large amount of effort into in all of our experiences are our field lunches.

We believe that the field lunch is as much a part of the hunt and the quarry itself. An attraction and event in and of itself. No stone is left unturned with various courses served, and utilising all that is seasonal, as well as connected to the hunt and our heritage here at Ourano Pointers.

It is a coming together of cultures and friends, and one that we take delight and pride in sharing with our guests.

As we say in Greek, ‘Καλή Όρεξη!’

Always chasing the horizon.

12/06/2024

I awoke with a yap. Then a whimper. Then a fully fledged bark. I was up. Albeit earlier than I needed to be, but I was up. One of the dogs needed their toilet break. It was icy outside. Even in the dark early morning I could see the tinge of white frosting all about. The wind was up too. A tough day ahead I thought. The dogs relieved themselves and were queuing to get back into the bus as quickly as they could.

When I finally brought the bus to a halt atop a slope, I could see the carpet like, mercury tinged blanket of clouds covering the surrounding mountains. The wind was firm. It was firm enough to make you sit up and take notice. And cold enough to want that extra layer.

This was a day for the mountains, the days that I yearn for. The colder, the better. It was our day. Ours to perform in. Every group we host is different and comes with their own nuances and of course personalities. It always interests me to unpack this loaded topic.

The days melt away into one. The weeks are a blur. And before I know it, we’ve been at it for a full month. What a blessing. As the challenges and difficulties pile up, I’ve learnt to take an extra sip of my coffee, steely faced, staring at them, coaxing them in. Welcoming them even. It’s part of the process. Part of becoming. Part of growing.

I recently quipped;
“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,
I wouldn’t trade this for anything,
Not even at a push.”

And I mean that. I wouldn’t. Come what may, in whatever guise it may take on, we’re here, and we’re in it.

Always chasing the horizon.

Some moments of the season thus far.

03/06/2024

Doing things the Ourano Way…

It’s always a pleasure and blessing making new friends afield, doing what we love. Forever grateful for this life. The dogs have been in their groove, and I let them do all of our talking.

Always chasing the horizon.
⛰️♥️🙏🏼

29/04/2024

Notes from the field of our new 16 000 hectare concession we have exclusive access and rights to:

We’ve evolved so much in such a short space of time. I sometimes have to remind myself how ‘green’ we are. Just this weekend, I thought I was back on the great Masai Mara plains but this time running dogs between Sable, Kudu, Gemsbok and many other plains game species. I love how my dogs completely ignore anything other than the scent of a game bird. I will always love and have a preference for the vast, open plains and the mountains, but every part of Africa has its own unique beauty and appeal. Africa is the ultimate mistress who will tempt you confidently by being herself. Those are the best mistresses. The worst seductresses are the ones who try too hard, and try to be something they are not. Africa just is. And she is sexy in her simplistic allure. Whilst I’m proudly European, Africa just has something about her one cannot explain until you’ve lived it and walked it.
It’s always a privilege to do this. Every day is a blessing. While it’s hard work, and often unforgiving. It is all just so very worth it. All of it. The good, the bad and the beautiful. But it’s all part of the journey. Every last bit of it. We’re here, and we’re in it.

Always chasing the horizon

03/04/2024

We’re hard at work, polishing up dogs for the imminent season. It’s always incredibly humbling to have other people’s beloved companions entrusted with you, and those that know me and the team well, know how hard I work on any clients dog. It’s a pleasure for me to turn a dog around, or improve it from where it was. Like I keep saying, when you find what works, and doesn’t feel like work, you’ve won.

The hunting season is fast approaching, and preparations for all the planned hunts are also steadfastly underway. There are challenges, and stresses even, but I find if I pour myself into the dogs I am developing, it makes it all that much more bearable.

Always chasing the horizon.

26/03/2024

When you find what works, but doesn’t feel like work, you’ve won.

There are limited spaces available for some on the road exposure training.
Please get in touch to book your trusted companions spot soonest in preparation for the rapidly approaching season.

Always chasing the horizon.

04/03/2024

4000km’s driven, thousands more walked and run in the most isolated but beautiful of biomes, immersing ourselves into all that we are obsessed with and all that we know. It’s been a special time. Elevation in any respect requires separation - I believe this tenfold. I have also found that some of the happiest people are combining art, passion, and purpose into one mission that never ends. We are incredibly grateful for all of the trust and support all landowners show us on their lands, but I suppose I must remember that it is earned. It’s been a special period, which has brought on immense creativity and a different approach to certain things too. The season ahead promises to be another memorable one for me and the team, and I hope to connect with many more likeminded individuals, who appreciate far more than the mere trigger pulling moment. This is what we mostly believe in here at Ourano.
There are some challenges, as there forever will be, but when this is your daily office, navigating those challenges just seems that much more doable.

Always chasing the horizon.

09/02/2024

Random Journal Entry:

2570m up with Aera and Baggio of Ourano Pointers.
Behind us is the old Transkei. Just beyond that is Lesotho. It’s a hard slog up, but it is always worth it. Lots of Greywing Francolin. And just plain beauty as far as one can see.
We sat there a while amongst the natural splendour. With various Martins, Swallows and Swifts, gliding around us just above our heads, showing incredible feats of aerial acrobatics in their aerial predation pursuits. Such interesting birds, and so hard to identify each one at times. It’s unreal to think that some of them (the Swifts) sleep on the wing at high altitudes. Interesting birds. Aera found the first covey a couple hundred meters upon being on the top flats, a second a few hundred meters after that, and then Baggio got in on the action too with a third covey, all within 1km of one another. Good start.
A kettle of Cape Vultures circled a bit beyond us, no doubt with some carrion on the ground. Such a pristine, prime, Afromontane biome and environment. The variety of grasses, shrubs, and flowers is magical, and the stretches of vistas and views is bewildering at times.

Do less with more, and more with the less.

Always chasing the horizon.

01/02/2024

When you find what works, and doesn’t feel like work, you’ve won. Block out the world, create your own world, obsess over it, iterate, believe, live.

“The ideal life would be one where you had a hobby that as a byproduct made you money, you had a hobby that as a byproduct kept you healthy, you had a hobby that as a byproduct made you smarter and more creative.” - Naval Ravikant

For all enquiries please visit www.ouranopointers.com or send us an email to plan your very own bespoke wingshooting Experience at [email protected]

Always chasing the horizon.

30/01/2024

Something that’s been the theme of late:

“When you find what works, and doesn’t feel like work, you’ve won.”

There’s always a sense of excitement and giddiness when prepping for a new season. You just know that there are new memories to be made, beautiful landscapes to drink in, and new people to meet and become friends with. We’ve been on the road for 3000km dropping dogs off, visiting new concessions and planning new possibilities, and ultimately landing up back in some familiar territory. I’ll always specialise in Greywing Francolin Experiences, it was a promise I made to myself years ago, and thus to have worked this grand game bird in every area, biome and habitat it exists in South Africa is a small accomplishment for me and the team.

After having our hands full for December and much of January with lots of dogs to board, train and oversee. I can now really put my efforts into the new projects and additions in our offering. There are new concessions across the country being added, completely new areas. Whilst at the same time, bolstering older concessions too.

It’s a privilege to get to do this every day. Sometimes it can feel like the most thankless work in the world; you train a dog for someone and never hear from them again, or you have a tough hunt where Mother Nature dishes out some curveballs (hunting is fair chase no?) but more often than not, those that do appreciate your hard work and efforts with their dog, or with how a hunt plays out, are worth all the hard yards.

The 2024 season promises to be a special one: Greywing in the Karoo, Greywing in the Eastern Cape Highlands, Greywing in the Eastern Free State/KZN hills, and Greywing in Mpumalanga.
Smatterings of mixed bag day shoots, and lots of help and knowledge imparted on many dogs along the way too.

Thank you to all of our regulars, we look forward to sharing more moments afield with you, and to the new clients and friends that lie ahead, we look forward to welcoming you the Ourano way.

Get in touch to enquire for any availability at:

[email protected]
www.ouranopointers.com

Always chasing the horizon.

17/01/2024

This is my response 99% of the time to people.
Yes you need a knack. Yes you need good genetics. Yes you need birds. Yes you need the passion. Yes you need many things, but there’s one variable that nothing can replicate nor substitute, and that’s good ol’ boot mileage. You will walk, and climb, and walk a whole lot more, and you will probably need to walk a bit more still after that.

Clients always know I put in the mileage, because certain telltales, or giveaways, just don’t lie.
“Look how fit Chris is, you can see how much he walks and works with the dogs, unlike others.”
“Chris your boots are always in ‘work mode’. “
And my personal favourite, how every single dog prefers my vehicle to their owners, especially if I pick them up, they clammer and jump, going looney to try and get in (much to my insurance excess dismay for all the scratches I keep having to remove. I must start factoring this into my pricing I think 😆).

I will work with your dog every single day that it is with me, this is a guarantee, and a promise I not only make to a client, but most importantly to myself.

This season is going to be another special one. The boot mileage is accruing nicely… 🥾⛰️

31/12/2023

Happy New Year to all our friends and family, from far and wide, across the globe. May the year ahead be one of success, happiness, health and prosperity.

Thank you to all those wonderful individuals who have been a part of this journey, who have shared memories afield with us, and who have become friends through this wonderful canine world of ours.

It is humbling to close another chapter, with a successful year behind us, looking eagerly and optimistically ahead, just like Aera and Alba are doing in the accompanying photo.

Always chasing the horizon,
Ourano Pointers.

09/10/2023

An excerpt from ‘Mountain Meditations’:

“I usually hunt a brace of dogs per session, with the rest of the pack off their paws in their crates resting for when they are called upon to enter the fray. This particular afternoon I had full sisters from different litters, Aera and Bianca of Ourano with me. These two females can hunt as hard as any male dog I have seen and known. Bianca being younger has been getting to grips with these sort of harsh mountains still. Aera is a seasoned veteran. It was hard going. Even my conditioned body took a beating this day, I remember it vividly. We stopped often along our journey to drink from the liquid staircase like waterfalls and creaks that litter the beautiful Barkly Wartrail mountains. We covered plenty of ground. More than I had initially planned on doing. But something kept telling me to keep going, teasing us along. So we did. And we were rewarded with something beautiful. Aera breasted a small shoulder rise on the massive peak we were ascending. It was around 50m from the top of the 2700m peak. She stayed there, not reporting back. I knew what that meant. I made my way up hurriedly but safely. I found her standing proud on a find. As I caught my breath to take it all in (and snap a photo or two as I usually do), the peace turned into pandemonium. There were screeching Greywing everywhere. I’ve never seen Greywing Francolin flush like this in so many different directions and from so many varied places. I was convinced it couldn’t be one covey because they were flushing from so far apart, and there were so many birds. I lost count at 38 birds, before I gathered myself to realise that I was actually hunting now and not guiding. It was chaos. Beautiful chaos. Birds were flying in every direction I looked; up, down, left, right, around the bend of the shoulder we were on, everywhere! But such is the beauty of loving this entire picture more than the mere trigger pulling moment. You get lost in it all. In the dog work, your surroundings, and of course, the majestic Greywing Francolin doing her thing too.

In what was well over 45 birds (I surmised) I took a moment to collect myself amidst the chaos. I love unpacking everything about a particular moment of action and of course ultimately the find. What was the wind like, how did the dogs work and find the birds, where did we find the birds, taking note of particular shrubs, grasses, and rock outcrops. Was there water around, and what time of day was it. The mountains are an extension of me at times. In these times in particular. In the least conceited sense, I know no one holds a candle to me or my dogs in these sorts of moments and our surroundings, no one loves it and lives it more than we do. And this is why I think I am able to make a living from this, because that love and passion translates into anything I do within these realms. I have no time for competition, for gossip, and hearsay lies, I only know this world with my dogs when we are in this mode and mindset. All of the mindless worlds chatter is drowned out by this enamouring quietude. You only hear your beating heart, the panting of a passing dog, and occasionally the kick of a small rock from your tired feet. It is medicinal.

The accompanying photo is from our descent down on this particular afternoon described above. We all needed a moment. Probably me more than the dogs. The iridescent light was meditative and restorative. Like plumes of ash shooting off a flickering camp fire in the still, pure afternoon dusk. There wasn’t a breath of wind. It was just us and these mountains. But it felt like we weren’t alone either. These mountains are very much alive. Alive with energy and a silent power. And it charges me.”

Always chasing the horizon,
Chris.

27/09/2023

Our 2023 upland season wasn’t only fast paced and frenetic, but it was also a huge success. Having time on our hands now to recoup, recharge, take stock, and catch up on all other areas of life that is otherwise overlooked, I received a wonderful ‘cherry on the top’ to it all.

I was fortunate enough to contribute a second article to the beautiful Hunting Dog Confidential run by the talented folks at Project Upland Magazine. It is always incredibly humbling to have anything featured, let alone in a publication that is nothing short of a work of art. Having contributed to the inaugural publication in 2021, I have been just as flattered and humbled to have contributed a further article to this fourth volume, which is held together by two hard covers and just oozes artistic expression and the kind of look and feel our dog and hunting community should be striving for always.

Thank you to all involved for recognising our passion and way of life, but more importantly, for giving our entire community a voice and platform to express ourselves as true conservationists.

Always chasing the horizon.

Address

Johannesburg

Telephone

+27848943950

Website

http://www.ouranopointers.com/

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Videos

Alba and Bianca of Ourano working as a team - how a brace of dogs should work, by ranging far and wide, locating and holding the covey, and then presenting the birds to the gun properly. Training and more importantly knowledgeable training is key in polishing natural, inherent traits that exist within a dog. And a knowledgable eye to work with what is natural and what isn’t natural is a key aspect many overlook. There’s a lot of negative based training methods. I don’t want a dog hunting out of fear, I want it visibly enjoying itself, and harnessing its natural predatory instincts. The oft used idiom comes to mind, “You cannot make a silk purse from a sows ear.” And for the last time, it’s Pointer, not English Pointer. And a GSP is not a Pointer, it is a GSP. Always chasing the horizon.

In what could easily be mistaken for the Scottish Highlands, Baggio of Ourano is exhibiting patience and composure for such a young male. These were second phase birds from a larger covey of Greywing Francolin that he initially found, and he held this pair for about 5 minutes for the client to get there. Adverse conditions for the day made it that much tougher too. The birds screech off to greet another day, and maybe even teach another dog when training and developing. Always chasing the horizon.

Alba of Ourano. Sequence of videos on singles from a subsequent covey of Greywing Francolin she found. She picked off singles systematically. What a blessing you have been. A welcome gift back. We’ve forged a beautiful relationship you and I. It’s important to have steady dogs even for hunting - mainly for safety, and of course it just looks better to the trained eye. Although admittedly after so many birds retrieved, some of the manners slip a bit, but they earn it and deserve it too.