Chestle
Well-known member
I've been reading the board for a while and posting a bit. Interesting place. About time I introduced myself.
I'm probably one of the older folks on here; been chasing the wiley rooster since 1970. Started out hunting central KS while in college and kept going back no matter where I moved ever since. Been hunting with the same small group of 4-5 folks for the last 35 years or so; we've gained a bit of pheasant hunting experience/knowledge. About 10 years ago we lucked into a SD connection and have been hunting there ever since. Seems to be <cough> a few </cough> more birds in SD than KS.
The group has developed its own line of Labradors over the last 25 years, starting with a naturally pointing male I had. Never taught him to point, he just did it and did it very well. He was half English and we've bred primarily to English stock when outcrossing since then. I know you can easily get an English Lab / US Lab argument going. That's not my intent. Just telling you how we developed the line. Still today the descendants of that dog point naturally; some better than others of course. So, we're pretty happy with the dogs. Somebody in the group breeds now and then so we have kept it going. We're really only breeding for ourselves, not commercially or anything.
Guns: Most everyone in the group primarily uses O/Us. Mostly SKB with a Beretta here and there. 12s and 20s, using the 20s early season and the 12s late or in real high wind.
Trucks: Fords. F250s mostly although one newer F150 has crept in.
We usually make a trip of it. Some years we stayed a month but mostly it's around 2-3 weeks.
Looking forward to this year although the latest bird reports from our area are essentially dismal.
It's not the birds though. It's the old friends, getting out with the dogs and just being free to stroll the countryside with a shotgun, a Labrador and a good pair of boots.
I'm probably one of the older folks on here; been chasing the wiley rooster since 1970. Started out hunting central KS while in college and kept going back no matter where I moved ever since. Been hunting with the same small group of 4-5 folks for the last 35 years or so; we've gained a bit of pheasant hunting experience/knowledge. About 10 years ago we lucked into a SD connection and have been hunting there ever since. Seems to be <cough> a few </cough> more birds in SD than KS.
The group has developed its own line of Labradors over the last 25 years, starting with a naturally pointing male I had. Never taught him to point, he just did it and did it very well. He was half English and we've bred primarily to English stock when outcrossing since then. I know you can easily get an English Lab / US Lab argument going. That's not my intent. Just telling you how we developed the line. Still today the descendants of that dog point naturally; some better than others of course. So, we're pretty happy with the dogs. Somebody in the group breeds now and then so we have kept it going. We're really only breeding for ourselves, not commercially or anything.
Guns: Most everyone in the group primarily uses O/Us. Mostly SKB with a Beretta here and there. 12s and 20s, using the 20s early season and the 12s late or in real high wind.
Trucks: Fords. F250s mostly although one newer F150 has crept in.
We usually make a trip of it. Some years we stayed a month but mostly it's around 2-3 weeks.
Looking forward to this year although the latest bird reports from our area are essentially dismal.
It's not the birds though. It's the old friends, getting out with the dogs and just being free to stroll the countryside with a shotgun, a Labrador and a good pair of boots.
