Terminology in different areas of the country

SetterNut

SetterNut

New member
One thing that I have noticed is that in different areas of the county some words and terms have different meaning.

For example:
Bird Dog where I have grown up means a pointing dog.
Gun Dog would mean a flushing dog or retreiver.
Bird hunting would mean upland birds.
If you were hunting other species like duck, goose, dove, turkey, ... you would say duck hunting for example.

Is it the same in the areas that you live?
 
SetterNut said:
One thing that I have noticed is that in different areas of the county some words and terms have different meaning.

For example:
Bird Dog where I have grown up means a pointing dog.
Gun Dog would mean a flushing dog or retreiver.
Bird hunting would mean upland birds.
If you were hunting other species like duck, goose, dove, turkey, ... you would say duck hunting for example.

Is it the same in the areas that you live?
Click to expand...

Here, if someone says "bird dog" it's open to all bird hunting breeds.

It does seem if someone has a pointer they'll often say "pointer" instead of bird dog. This is not the case for someone with a flushing dog.

"I'm going bird hunting" tends to mean upland birds as it is where you're from. Everything else is specific or has a nick name.
 
Over here, to have a gundog covers every gundog breed from Labrador to Spinone, Spaniel to a Chessie, Munsterlander to Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Dog. It would be a fair guess that the most common of the gundog breeds hunted here are the Labrador, GSP, GWP, Vizsla and English Springer Spaniel. Recognised gundog breeds are also used for hunting deer, chamois, thar, wallabies, wild sheep. Pigdogs are not labelled gundogs...they are always pigdogs, are rarely if ever hunted on deer and are bred from different breeds to get a dog with speed (often greyhound),voice and strength. Rarely are any of the hound breeds used for pighunting or as in Australia where teams of hounds are used on deer principally Samba. A rabbiter will generally have a whippet or two, any of the terriers, and maybe a Springer or Cocker in his team.
Gamebird is what we call pheasants, chukor etc. There is no distinction as to upland etc.
Duckshooting and gooseshooting.
 
"Bird hunting" tends to be Uplands here in the NW. "Hunting Dog" pretty much covers the whole spectrum.
 
I've always used 'bird hunting' to be upland, either quail or pheasant for me.

'Bird dog' is a pointing breed for hunting in the uplands, for me a GSP.

Duck hunting is just 'duck hunting' with a 'duck dog' or 'retriever'.
 
Here, birdhunting once was ruffed grouse and now it is likely turkey to most....or they cock their head, blink their eyes and say, "bird...hunting?"
But birddogs, coonhounds, rabbit dogs, duck dogs would catch the majority remaining....all independent of breed for the masses.
The capital Bs, Cs, Rs and Ds would answer more closely as britts or setters, blueticks or redbones, small or large beetles, lab or "yes, one of those tuff chessies"...never heard many birddogs referred to as pointers tho.
The term "Upland" is disappearing and to many likely means deerhunting the ridge.
"Hunting" as a word = deer, turkey in the Spring.
Sad, very sad.

What may be just as interesting are the new words and phrases that have sprouted here.
Greenfields, G2s, trail cameras, feeder spin schedules, SS&S, snares, management buck and the ever popular..."get out, it's leased."
 
Bird Dog, all breeds upland.
Retriever would be a waterfowl dog.
To me, bird hunting would be 100% upland.:)
 
Not sure of the terminology here in Colorado; but growing up in Virginia, I guess we had our own way of saying things. Retrievers were any dog used for ducks, be they labs, chessies, boykins, etc... . Bird dogs (usually pronounced BUD Dawg) were any dog used for upland birds GSP, GWP, springer, brittany. Going upland hunting meant Bobs 90% of the time, but could also mean grouse or bunnies.

Any kind of waterfowl hunting (snipe and woodcock were included in this group) was held in high reverance in my house as it had been passed down several generations on both sides of the family and was spoke of in hushed tones, so I'm not sure what we called it. When dad spoke of the opener it was always ducks and never anything else. Odd though because we never owned a retriever.


Have a Good 'Urn,
bones
 
When talking with non-hunters, I will simply say of my Brittany, "He's a bird dog." I clarify what birds if asked.

What about "gun dog" vs. "field dog?" Is there a distinction in some parts of the country? In hunting literature, I have not detected separate meanings, but I have only read a fraction of what is out there.

I would say where I am from and where I hunt, "bird hunting" means upland. If you're going waterfowl hunting, one would say
"I am going [duck or goose] hunting."
 
Last edited:
funny topic.

When I moved from WI to IN I met a guy who was a good ol' boy from SW Indiana who wasked me if I bird hunted. I said " of course! I hunt pheasants, ducks, geese, grouse and huns."

He said, "what about birds?"

I gave him a funny look and said, "Yes, pheasants, ducks, geese...."

He gave me a funny look and got real close and said, "Birds! Do you hunt BIRDS???"

Of course he meant bobwhite quail but I had never even seen one in my life and only knew that there was a whole protocol around the hunting of them. he invited me to go and I did. We hunted in a group of 7 people, one of which was Bob Knight and that's a whole other story!
 
In my circle, "bird" always means quail exclusively. Any other type of hunting would be the nickname or actual name of the bird being discussed. Pheasant hunting, turkey hunting, etc,. But I bet you are right that it is probably regional.

I never hear anybody use the terms bird dog, duck dog, waterdog, gun dog, or anything like that, although I read them all the time in older books or books written by my parents' or grandparents' generation.

Everybody I know personally is fairly proud and loyal to whatever breed their dog is. Whenever I meet somebody who hunts, they say, "I have a shorthair and a lab (or whatever breed)." They are ALWAYS specific about what breed the dog is. Maybe that's partly due to the wide variety of dog breeds we have here and just for clarity, but it's probably also due to breed loyalty and pride.

That's my personal experience anyway.:cheers:
 
On the dog thing It's either a bird dog or a hunting dog around here. In WI where I grew up it was a hunting dog and that was it. Could have been anything. In IN if it's a bird dog it's an upland dog. If it's a hunting dog it is probably a lab, hound, beagle or something else.
 
AtTheMurph said:
funny topic.

When I moved from WI to IN I met a guy who was a good ol' boy from SW Indiana who wasked me if I bird hunted. I said " of course! I hunt pheasants, ducks, geese, grouse and huns."

He said, "what about birds?"

I gave him a funny look and said, "Yes, pheasants, ducks, geese...."

He gave me a funny look and got real close and said, "Birds! Do you hunt BIRDS???"

Of course he meant bobwhite quail but I had never even seen one in my life and only knew that there was a whole protocol around the hunting of them. he invited me to go and I did. We hunted in a group of 7 people, one of which was Bob Knight and that's a whole other story!
Click to expand...

That is a cool story!!!
 
Wait until I get the time to write up the Bobby Knight part of that story! Everything you've ever heard about him is true but more so.
 
Old school

Bird dog = English Pointer
Bird hunting = quail hunting

Not too many regular guys hunting quail these days, as the cost is very high and vey little public land.

Now, the use of "bird hunting" also will refer to dove hunting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top