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NW SD is very wet. Hunted two days ago. Grass/clay mix is not fun when it is this wet. I hate dragging 10lbs of clay on each foot for hours. The grouse are also still not concentrated to any degree. Water everywhere. Food galore. I even saw some alfalfa still blooming. Sharptail were also...

This is exactly correct. Dogs quickly learn they are never "out of reach" with an e-collar. It is too late when your dog takes off after a rabbit across a busy road. My dogs know they are on an invisible leash. I haven't used any electric stimulus, other than snake avoidance training...

Tell me it isn't a big deal when your dog is spurting blood and has a major open wound and you've just traveled hundreds of miles to hunt. On the good side, Blaine's early imprint training makes it easy to keep their toenails/dew claws trimmed.

I'm a sucker for new things so I bought 200 rounds of Boss 28ga copper last week. They even charge for putting it in 25 round boxes so it came in a single box with a large, heavy bag to carry it in. Cute but not that practical. I suspect it will shoot fine, pretty much like the bismuth I already...

I've tried Axils. I've tried Walkers, including the newer version that is supposed to filter out wind noise. None worked in the field because of wind noise. They howl like banshees when the volume is up high enough to hear external sounds. I also found with the Axils and the newer Walker that...

I'm on my sixth generation of Labradors. All had their dewclaws removed except this one. Not one of the previous five had issues. Considering where I ask them to work, and having this pup already rip one completely off, I even considered having them removed as an adult dog. Major surgery. $700...

Shotgun World is a good place to list items for sale, or just to give something to an interested shotgunner. I'm guessing that B&P hulls are similar, if not the same as Cheddite hulls, but that needs to be verified if someone wants to use a Cheddite recipe in the B&P hulls. I've got a bunch as...

Brittanies?

I have trained our pup myself. I do use an e-collar once the pup has the basics but truthfully responding to the "tone" function is what I quickly work toward. That keeps things as quiet as possible in the field. I can hunt for an entire day and not have to say (or whistle) a word. I do not...

I'm in NW SD and the same out here. The sharptail have so much feed and water they really aren't forming large flocks. Day length and instinct are about all that is bringing them together. I always have enjoyed the shortgrass of sharptail habitat. This year it is like hunting pheasants in...

That is a terrible way to lose a dog. Another "hanging" potential is dogs tied in the back of pickups on a short lead. The cowboys back home loved to be cute letting their stock dogs loose on their flatbed pickup, but in town, they often tied them. If someone wasn't checking, the results were...

Good choice. We purchased a female yellow from him two years ago. A true British hunting lab. On top of that, Blaine is a great trainer, has a triple AAA facility and knows what he is doing from start to finish. He's become a good friend. A story I like to tell about Blaine. Most of us have had...

The only time those "greaseable hubs" might do some good is on a boat trailer where some of the water might be pushed out. The grease only reaches the front of the bearing, if that. I believe even Dexter doesn't recommend greasing using the zerk fitting. One has to wonder why they put them on then?

That is Colorado for you. Unfortunately I have seen "sign pulling" in multiple states. In Kansas a guide was pulling signs on WIA's that were good hunting. Same with open/closed roads in Federal lands. That is why most Federal lands now open on the "closed unless posted open". Selfish...

My dogs that have been through snake avoidance recoil from a wiggling worm, much less a coiled, real snake. That doesn't mean they won't over-run a snake and get hit. My vet up here had one of his bird dogs do that last year.

I hunt New Mexico quail. My vet down there, that probably deals with more snake bites than any other vet I know, told me that even though the snake vaccine was developed from a specific venom (I believe diamond back?) he had found that a vaccinated dog takes far less antivenom to recover. He...

If you are hunting sharptail in SD you will encounter cactus, primarily prickly pear, but also that little obnoxious sucker that I call "mini-cholla". It has a hook on the spine so it is actually hard to remove. I'm seeing prickly pear growing everywhere on the grasslands. With all the moisture...

I'm in South Dakota. We've only had one day since the season opened that it hasn't gotten over 80F, pretty much by noon or earlier. Dog and I have an agreement: at 70F we start back for the pickup. Quit for the day. So far we haven't run into a snake, but it is possible, for sure. There has been...

Just loaded bismuth hunting rounds for my 28ga. Used RotoMetals bismuth. It may be made in the USA but it is certainly not very "round". I used their #5 and just looking at it you can see the imperfections. Should be good "spreader" loads.

On a warm day in October, the snakes will be out. Snake avoidance is the best. My dogs avoid anything that looks or moves like a snake, regardless of species. I also use the snake vaccine that is back on the market. Even though it was developed from one species, the vets I trust say it reduces...