New to UPH from PA

macstevej

macstevej

New member
Hello All,
I guess I better give some info because from the looks of the previous Newbie posts, you are going to ask any way. I'm originally from upstate New York and hunted quite a bit. Joined the Navy and hunted some. I got out, moved to PA, bought a house with some land, started family, and got away from hunting over the years (I have three daughters none of which likes to hunt.)
I now have a son-in-law that likes to hunt. The year before last he would make the nearly 2 hr drive here to hunt deer and I started to get the urge to hunt again.
My kids bought me a trail-cam last year and we got a picture of a monster buck. The fever hit. I won an O/U 12ga at a gun raffle and took it as a sign it was time to return to the woods.
I enjoy hunting birds more than deer, but I just don't see numbers I used to. So now I'm looking to purchase a pup and hope to learn more about training a gun dog from some of you folks.
Favorite Gun- CZ Mallard 12ga O/U, 'cus it got me back into the birds.
Favorite dog- Looking at a Deutsch Drahthaar
 
Hey there and welcome.:) Have you heard anything on how PA's pheasant program coming along out there? --1pheas4
 
Good Write-up Mac. You are very Welcome here at UPH. We are a fun group that loves Upland hunting. We tease each other but no harm done. So join right in post and have some fun........Bob
 
Welcome.

BTW, do you know those Drahthaars are ugly?;):)
 
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Welcome to the site! You will find lots of good input here on training a dog.

I was just out in your neck of the woods to buy a pup from Celtic Farms in Reading.

I hope you like the site.
 
Wow, you guys don't take long to welcome a guy!!
Drahthaars ugly? Boy I hope you never see a picture of me.
I like Hardpoint Wires motto: "Any female with a beard that hunts, has to be good"
PA's Pheasant Program- When I moved to my 60 acre farm in western PA in 1992 I could kick up the fence rows and flush some stocked birds pretty regularly. There were always some hold-overs left in the spring to remind me pheasant can make it through a PA winter. Over the years the stocking program has been reduced to just State Game Lands and I haven't seen a ringneck around my neck of the woods for years. In central PA Pheasants Forever, PA Game Commission, and some other conservation organizations have recently started a stocking program where they are bringing in wild pheasants from out west. I have not followed their progress so I don't know how it has been going.
I read a lot about habitat being the primary reason we cannot sustain a "native" population (understanding they are not actually native to the US.) Having raised chickens and turkeys, I believe predators may be a bigger factor. After suffering major fowl losses I went on a serious trapping crusade. I caught 35 raccoons and opossums in 30 days on the perimeter of a 2 acre paddock. Now, I'm no scientist (just a pissed off chicken rancher:mad:) but I have to believe that since around here there is little incentive to trap, our predator numbers are up.
Interestingly, grouse still seem to do relatively well in this area.
We have a new State Game Land near hear and a local rod and gun club is stocking pheasant with "Surrogators" (http://wildlifemanagementtechnologies.com/Home) It will be interesting to see how that turns out.
Sorry so long winded.
 
Welcome and one of the best intro/first post's I have seen and then a good follow up post. Think you'll fit in good here. Good group of guys with a lot of knowledge. Enjoy!

Matt D
 
Welcome, nice to see another hunter from PA sign up. I don't post much, but these guys provide some excellent info, as well as an occasional good story. To expand on PA pheasants, I read a report this summer. They have two, maybe three areas where they are stocking wild pheasants. If my memory serves me correctly, the reproduction rates were not as expected. But, research is continuing. I also think I read where the Game Commission is going to add another area. Looking forward to reading your posts. Steve
 
Welcome to the site. I agree that Drathaars are ugly dogs, but it was between that and a lab for me before I decided on a lab, now just figuring out bloodlines. Good luck on the dog search. Good first and second posts as well.
 
Welcome

German wire hair may not be the best looking dog out there but its close.i enjoy the versatility and the personality of the breed.i do not live where it is warm all the time.i need a dog to hunt in frozen conditions and make a cold water retrieve without putting 50 lbs of hair on everything i own.let me know when you are ready for a pup i can help you out.when a buddy lets starts talking about your dogs looks they wish they could have one.:cheers:
 
Thanks Hardpoint

Thanks Hardpoint. I was starting to doubt my eye for beauty. I then went back and looked at some online pictures of GWH's and DD's and realized, not everybody has the ability to see true canine beauty. I can only feel sorry for those poor tortured souls. Now I feel I must do my part and support and show-off the breed. I may have to become a picture posting fool once I bring home my new hunting partner.
I am looking at a couple of PA breeders and am leaning towards one who hunts and trains near me. I hope to develop more than just a buyer/seller relationship if possible. This being my first gun dog I want to avoid as many rookie mistakes as possible. I will be joining NAVHDA and hope to meet some versatile gun dog owners in the area.
 
Sorry for the late Welcome.
But Welcome. I shoot a CZ SxS myself and like it. Good luck with the new pup.
 
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