Why do you got what you got?

My first hunting dog in 1974 was a Springer, then in 1985 I got a yellow lab followed by another Springer in 1992. In 1996 when my Springer got hip dysplasia a friend in Colorado gave me a Brittany pup. My first pointing dog and I couldn't go back to a flusher. I'm now on my 4th Brittany. As for shotguns I started out with a .410 single shot when I was 10. Graduated to my dad's Model 12 16 ga. a few years later. From there I had numerous 12 gauges in O/U, SxS, Pump and Auto. Also a 20 ga. auto and SXS. And about 15 years ago I went exclusively to a 16 ga. A Browning Citori White Lightning, a 1960 SweetSixteen and a new A5 SweetSixteen.
 
I was the dog for a lot of years when young when hunting with cousin’s. My first personal dog was a lab when I was a teen. After I got out of the service I bought a shorthair. No idea what I had, no training, she was a rockstar! Then after the crp disappeared and so did the pheasant, I got back into labs and waterfowl. Moved to MN and found that there was a ton of public land and competition for the waterfowl. After my lab past I was dog less for a bit. I got an invite to hunt ND for upland and hunted behind a drathair. Remembering the hunts behind a pointer brought me back to a shorthair. And unless something changes I think I’ll stick with them. Shot a 12 gauge fix full 870 for 20 yrs then switched to a SBE shot it for 20 yrs. Bought a Beretta o/v 28 gauge this spring and am loving it!
 
My wife has always told me I could get any color Lab as long as it was yellow. Parker and Brady are numbers 6 and 7 in our string of yellow
male (used to be) labs. Parker is now 11 and sadly, this is his first year of retirement from pheasant hunting. Brady will soon be 8 so it's time to start thinking about an adding a pup. But having just turned 70, I wonder how much longer I'll be doing this. I average about 18 days in the field for pheasants in CO, NE, and SD. The seven have been from seven different breeders, mostly because of timing issues. They are my buddies first, hunters second, and I cannot imagine not having them around our home.
 
PairOfLabs said:
My wife has always told me I could get any color Lab as long as it was yellow. Parker and Brady are numbers 6 and 7 in our string of yellow
male (used to be) labs. Parker is now 11 and sadly, this is his first year of retirement from pheasant hunting. Brady will soon be 8 so it's time to start thinking about an adding a pup. But having just turned 70, I wonder how much longer I'll be doing this. I average about 18 days in the field for pheasants in CO, NE, and SD. The seven have been from seven different breeders, mostly because of timing issues. They are my buddies first, hunters second, and I cannot imagine not having them around our home.
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Sounds like you are doing better then guys 20 years younger then you. I think you are good for another 2 or 3 more dogs!
 
Grew up with Brittany's and have had one all my 53 years.
Jazi - Pointing Chocolate Lab wanted to do more waterfowl and wanted to hunt her with my brittany's, unfortunately had severe hip dysplia she didn't hunt.
Ellie - Yellow Lab, graduation gift for my wife completing her bachelors degree and i wanted a retrieve, 2 birds one stone.....has worked well.
River - English Setter, hunting mostly grouse and woodcock and guiding hunts many want to hunt over a setter in the grouse woods. I have also always like their style and looks.

Since owning the labs and setter I have come to realize I don't like dogs with tails, only because the knock stuff off the table in our house.....all my dogs are family members first and inside most of the time and hunters secondly. Being around brittany's all my life I have just come accustom to their personalities and think they are a very versatile hunter. I have hunted waterfowl, both ducks and geese, and various upland birds with my brittany's and they have handled all of them with no problem. Only water retrieves for geese, they seem to adjust well to various cover quickly, they can handle cattails very well by snaking their way thru the tunnels and have great personalities. I have only owned females and doubt i will ever own a male. They seem to have a great prey drive with natural retrieving abilities and their size makes them almost ideal for all living conditions. Brittany's are my ride or die breed,

Shotguns - well I have three 12 gun, gun cabinets filled with shotguns, typically use either my o/u kassner 20 gauge or Remington 1100 LT 20 ga. but I do like to use all of them during the season from my 410 single shot, 16 ga LC Smith or my 3200. Sometimes it just comes down to which one i'm shooting best. I have a gun bucket list and am working on completing it much to my wifes chagrin.
 
I've owned English Setters, a Visla, and for the past 30 years Labs.
I like the lab's biddability and "whatever you say boss",
yet "never give up" attitude.

I can hunt a lab at 200 yards in open country, and whistle sit once he gets birdy.
Or hunt very close in tough hawthorn/blackberry patches and root out roosters.
Or release the lab in a sea of cattails and run to block the exit.

I like the drip-dry oily coat that does not accumulate weed seeds like longer coated breeds.
 
PairOfLabs said:
But having just turned 70, I wonder how much longer I'll be doing this.
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I'm your age; I understand the wondering. We just had a litter in April of '21. We kept one. She's sitting right next to me at the moment; glad we made the decision to go for it. Working with her has just been so much fun. What the heck....go for it!
 
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Chestle said:
I'm your age; I understand the wondering. We just had a litter in April of '21. We kept one. She's sitting right next to me at the moment; glad we made the decision to go for it. Working with her has just been so much fun. What the heck....go for it!
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I wondered if some of you guys were around my age, just by the way you talk and the time of day you post!
 
PairOfLabs said:
But having just turned 70, I wonder how much longer I'll be doing this.
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I'm 75, will be 76 in a few months. I got my last dog when I was 70. She, in all likelihood, will be my last. While I consider myself in excellent physical condition for someone my age I certainly don't have the "go" I had even 5 years ago. I tire out faster and a couple of hours in the field is generally enough for me. And while I do still enjoy being in the field with my dog the desire to hunt has certainly decreased over the years. I seem to do less hunting every year. There is little doubt in my mind that when my current dog is done I will also be done.
 
I’m running a Fox Red (yellow) pointing lab that comes from a really long line of pointing retrievers. I wanted a pointing lab to be able to hunt upland birds and waterfowl without skipping a beat. He is titled in both AKC and APLA events and I plan on running him more this year.

I am shooting either an LC Smith in 12b or 16b depending on my mood. They are my backup guns to my 12b Thomas W. Perkes that’s about 135 years old.

“CPR HPK’s Whisky Makes Me Frisky JH”
 

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Kismet said:
For me, it was German Wirehaired Pointers that drew me in, years before I could have one (busy life, two kids, city dweller, restricted income), but four months after I bought an old farm house in Wisconsin, I was getting acquainted with the breeders who would provide me with Button and Young Bert, the not-right, dog. I love the enthusiasm, prey drive, and sense of humor that GWPs have. Of course, I also adopted Mick, an ;undocked stray field Springer Spaniel, who locked himself in my heart forever, Early days hunting was squirrels, rabbits, jump shooting ducks, and pheasants--many, many pheasants.

But shining through all those hunts was not the game we shot, but the dance of dogs and birds, scent cones, and re-doubled efforts to lock down a runner, or catch a winged bird..

I like the wirehairs' coats, and loved the full feathering of the un-docked Springer, like a 2/3rds setter dog.

But, really, I haven't met a bird dog I didn't like.

Best wishes.
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I like all dogs of course, but any bird dog is highly thought of by us.
 
LC Smith said:
I’m running a Fox Red (yellow) pointing lab that comes from a really long line of pointing retrievers. I wanted a pointing lab to be able to hunt upland birds and waterfowl without skipping a beat. He is titled in both AKC and APLA events and I plan on running him more this year.

I am shooting either an LC Smith in 12b or 16b depending on my mood. They are my backup guns to my 12b Thomas W. Perkes that’s about 135 years old.

“CPR HPK’s Whisky Makes Me Frisky JH”
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Those are sweet side by sides.
 
I’ve got 3 fox red pointing lab females—10, 6, 2; most of the time I shoot a 12 gauge bennelli ultra light, but at times I may be carrying one of my S x S’s…mostly Spanish—AYA & Ugartechea…a few 20’s, 4 16’s, and a 12. When hunting Sharpies and Huns I usually carry a 28 gauge…Parker Repro, Ugartechea boxlock, Ruger Red Label. Most of the time it’s my Uggie…had it longest, comes up nicely. When I need non-tox, my Betetta AL 391 20 gauge.
 
3goldens said:
Goldens and benellis for me, why everybody in my area along lake erie has labs due to all the large marshes. I wanted something different. Since my first golden 25 plus years ago i am glad of my choice. To me they can due anything a lab can do except the extreme ice breaking/ cold water duck hunting we do in December. Their personality and style are perfect for me.
As far as there coats and burrs ect. with a quick trim before season i spend no more than a few minutes at days end on clean up.
If i was ever to get another breed i do have special spot in my heart for English springer spaniels
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I saw you mentioned lake Erie. Where are you located? I spent some time on Erie in New York. Beautiful country.
 
I have my first pointer, a female GWP. She has a wonderful personality and has been an eye opening experience. I have friends who have English Setters and Pointers and they are wonderful dogs also. It is just a different experience when it is your dog finding the birds. I used to only carry a 12 gauge but now I carry a 28 gauge citori or one of my 20 gauges-citori, 1187, 1100 or a Tristar side by side. All is good.
 
When I was very young my father had Brittanys. Before I was really able to hunt, but I would go along and carry my pellet gun in case one need to be put out of it's misery. I'm not sure that I ever got the chance to do that, but I do remember the hunting and birds and dogs.

Didn't have a chance to have my own dog until I as 30. My friend had a litter of Weims. He had gotten both parents from a friend of his and his bitch was a fantastic bird dog. The father, not so much but he was a big horse. My female was 80 lbs and really smart. Beautiful dog too. She was OK as a upland dog but was the best water retriever I ever encountered. That dog out swam, out ran and out retrieved every Lab any of my friends had.

Second dog I got was a Vizsla. He too was BIG 70lbs! And a 70lb velcro dog is something. Super high energy, could run all day and very good in the field. Not nearly as good water retrieving and didn't like hanging in the blind. He needed to GO.

Third and current dog is a Braque Francais. Was the only breed i could convince my wife to get because of her lack of enthusiasm for a high energy bird dog living in the house. BFs are advertised as being mellow inside and good hunting dogs outside. I would say they certainly come as advertised. The BF is versatile, he swims like a fish and has no aversion to water. He shocked me when out running on a hot day he made a bee-line to a pond on dove in and completely submerged himself. Other dogs would never have done that. Super pheasant dog and has the best nose of any of my three. And he's 50lbs. We like short haired dogs that shed little or not at all.

Probably my last dog and he's 12 now. All my hunting friends are older than I am and they are losing the drive. I still love it but a young dog needs more work than i can probably give it.

My gun of choice for all my game hunting is a 20ga Beretta 686 that I have had for over 25 years. I've killed quail, pheasants, rabbits, squirrel, ducks, geese, and grouse with it. (and a few other things too) Never one issue with that gun. It's well worn, just like me.
 
I have had a GSP, which was a great Pheasant dog. But, mainly I have had American and French Brits. I turned 69 in December. My time remaining hunting birds is short due to age. Due to this fact I hunted the hell out of birds this fall. First went to ND, then to WI, then to KS. As long as I can go I am going to hunt a bunch. My desire is as great as when I was very young. That being said I typically hunt 4-5 hours per day at a slow pace. I did have one 8 hour day in Wisconsin when I was after the King. Wow that was a day, 21 flushes. Had shots on 5-7, and got two. I really like Brits because typically they like to hunt close and can adapt to different birds quickly. If I was mainly hunting Roosters, my choice would be GSPs for sure. But I really like to hunt Grouse, Quail, Huns, and Pheasants, and Doodles Also.

When hunting Grouse and Quail I like to use my 16ga. A. H. Fox Sterlingworth, weighs in at a light 6 pounds. When hunting Roosters I have been using a 12 ga. Silver Pigeon for years. I do have a 20 ga. Silver Pigeon with 30" Barrels, I may try that this fall on Roosters.
 
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