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Bella the Black Lab (Black Dogs Matter) ;) and Kaiah the Golden Retriever. I use my dogs for squirrel hunting as I never took up bird hunting.

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Unfortunately, Kaiah left us a year ago in late September when a cancerous tumor on her spleen burst. She loved to hunt, get wet, and find deer legs to chew on (from already dead rotted deer, that is! :) ) She also loved to pull hard field corn off the cob. The deer probably appreciated her doing the work so they could just scarf up the kernals already off the cob! I cannot imagine ever having a finer dog.

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She got two for me out of this tree and apparently still thought there was more up there. Maybe there was, but I couldn't see anything after circling it several more times.

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If there are no dogs in heaven, I'm not sure I want to go there.
 
Brits are great bird dogs. Mine is a year old this month.

Had a male when I was a teenager that was a serious hunter. He would lock up on point while crawling under a log. I never seemed to need to use the whoa command.

Jeff
Yup, love my Brittany. Unfortunately Truro is not good with the whoa command,,, and needs it. I think it is because he knows I'm a terrible windstorm.

But,,,,,20211103_213921.jpg
We did alright this afternoon. He found, pointed, and retrieved very well.
 
Yup, love my Brittany. Unfortunately Truro is not good with the whoa command,,, and needs it. I think it is because he knows I'm a terrible windstorm.

But,,,,,View attachment 102540
We did alright this afternoon. He found, pointed, and retrieved very well.
Nice looking Brittainy and a good bag. Instead of voice commands you should try a whistle. It wan't disturb your ground as much as loud shouts. One of the adjustable one's. Tune it to a note that lifts the dogs ears . 1 "PIP" for stop- look at me. 2 for come in or work, left or right with hand signals. Several quickly for hunt.. Or make up your own signals.. OLD DOG..
 
Shot my last woodcock of the season yesterday with the muzzleloader, now i just yell BANG when they flush from a dogs point.
View attachment 102559
Beautiful dog.

A question about ML double shotguns. Do most of you guys shoot restored originals or replica guns?

Looking to add one to my collection and not sure what to look for.

Jeff
 
Beautiful dog.

A question about ML double shotguns. Do most of you guys shoot restored originals or replica guns?

Looking to add one to my collection and not sure what to look for.

Jeff

You will find originals in shooting condition pretty easily, they have not the collector interest that original rifles have and are in mind are relatively inexpensive.
 
Beautiful dog.

A question about ML double shotguns. Do most of you guys shoot restored originals or replica guns?

Looking to add one to my collection and not sure what to look for.

Jeff
Jetmech, At the very large smokeless gun shows, you will find Damascus ML and cartridge doubles for sale at very reasonable prices unless they’re a fancy grade. Out west many of us pride ourselves on using them at our shotgun events. These large center fire dealers have little use for these older guns and we can normally purchase them for $300 to $800. Check the triggers, feel the outside of the barrels for dents. Very important: check the ringing of the barrels. To check, hang the barrels from a finger, lightly tap the outside of the barrels with a piece of steel up and down both sides. You want to hear a ringing sound. If you do, you’ve got a shooter. If there’s a thud, that means separation. Can it be fixed ? By a qualified gunsmith and expensive. The distressed look of the wood on the gun I normally shoot only adds to its flavor.
Good Luck on finding what you want.
Doc,
 
While I'll never go away from setters...

I think setters are one of the most beautiful of all breeds. When I first met my future wife, her family had an Irish Setter. That dog had an extremely pleasant disposition and is one of the most beautiful dogs I've ever seen. I hardly ever see Irish Setters anymore and I travel frequently and see a lot of different dog breeds. Can't remember the last one I saw.

That said...any of the long-haired hunting breeds have their disadvantage when it comes to collecting burrs of all kinds and getting muddy deep into the fur. When it comes to that, I'll take the short haired breeds any day! My black lab has what I call "teflon fur." If any burrs even stick, they just brush right off and the short coat makes for quick cleanup when wet and muddy! :thumb:
 
I think setters are one of the most beautiful of all breeds. When I first met my future wife, her family had an Irish Setter. That dog had an extremely pleasant disposition and is one of the most beautiful dogs I've ever seen. I hardly ever see Irish Setters anymore and I travel frequently and see a lot of different dog breeds. Can't remember the last one I saw.

That said...any of the long-haired hunting breeds have their disadvantage when it comes to collecting burrs of all kinds and getting muddy deep into the fur. When it comes to that, I'll take the short haired breeds any day! My black lab has what I call "teflon fur." If any burrs even stick, they just brush right off and the short coat makes for quick cleanup when wet and muddy! :thumb:
Spike buck, I will agree with you 100%. My wife and I have a German Shorthair Pointer which needs almost no brushing out at all. While Irish Setters without doubt are a beautiful dog , I have seen one standing on a stand after hunting with a person on each side trying to get all the burrs and stickers out. Personally I’m just to lazy.
Doc,
63DD6E47-0F8B-4650-B09B-12CA8E2844A1.jpeg
 
I think setters are one of the most beautiful of all breeds. When I first met my future wife, her family had an Irish Setter. That dog had an extremely pleasant disposition and is one of the most beautiful dogs I've ever seen. I hardly ever see Irish Setters anymore and I travel frequently and see a lot of different dog breeds. Can't remember the last one I saw.

That said...any of the long-haired hunting breeds have their disadvantage when it comes to collecting burrs of all kinds and getting muddy deep into the fur. When it comes to that, I'll take the short haired breeds any day! My black lab has what I call "teflon fur." If any burrs even stick, they just brush right off and the short coat makes for quick cleanup when wet and muddy! :thumb:
Here in AZ, we have every manner of sticker and foxtail imaginable. The worst is jumping cactus. My Clarabelle Brittany who's gone now would stop and look all around if I gave the command "careful". In spite of it, she would get stuck pretty much every trip and got really good at letting me take them out without growling or nipping.
 
My first bird dog was an Irish setter. We still had wild pheasants back them and he would come home full of burrs until i kept him trimmed short. Hunting my E setters in the grouse woods there is very little to attach to them.......except ticks.
 
Spike buck, I will agree with you 100%. My wife and I have a German Shorthair Pointer which needs almost no brushing out at all. While Irish Setters without doubt are a beautiful dog , I have seen one standing on a stand after hunting with a person on each side trying to get all the burrs and stickers out. Personally I’m just to lazy.
Doc,View attachment 102603
Yup. I love my Brittany, but, may go back to GSP after this. Maybe even the Viszla
I've always wanted. Brittany hair certainly isn't Setter hair, but, I've had my fill of getting burrs, hitch-hikers, thorns, mud and blood out of it

Thing is, I may feel the GSP's we hunted over before held a point better and we're a little easier to keep clean,,, none were as sweet and loving as this Brittany.
 
Bella the Black Lab (Black Dogs Matter) ;) and Kaiah the Golden Retriever. I use my dogs for squirrel hunting as I never took up bird hunting.

34960340861_7d01c9d71e.jpg


Unfortunately, Kaiah left us a year ago in late September when a cancerous tumor on her spleen burst. She loved to hunt, get wet, and find deer legs to chew on (from already dead rotted deer, that is! :) ) She also loved to pull hard field corn off the cob. The deer probably appreciated her doing the work so they could just scarf up the kernals already off the cob! I cannot imagine ever having a finer dog.

34704068140_9e4fcdd897.jpg


34247208994_1e912eef95.jpg


34960346851_d915c11552.jpg


34704064310_c3313e2637.jpg


34704063670_9ceb44b9e6.jpg


She got two for me out of this tree and apparently still thought there was more up there. Maybe there was, but I couldn't see anything after circling it several more times.

46932354281_8791071f0e_b.jpg


If there are no dogs in heaven, I'm not sure I want to go there.
chewing on the deer leg- remember that the closer to the bone the sweeter the meat!!
 
We used to have GORDON,RED, RED & WHITE & ENGLISH(dappled grey)..GOLDIES & CURLIES.(See bottom of Avatar,Curlew over Greenswylde).And a few Britt's and Clumbers. Try to find a Working strain in UK these days is like looking for Rocking Horse EX..... The Show ring has spoiled most of our old stock, In UK there are 2 different LABS. One show (Logs with a stick at each corner, a FAT head AND NO brains) and some few good ones( the rest in the frame), in the Shooting world .The Lockdown puppy boom has not helped. Puppy Farmers breeding anything crossed wih a Poodle. Cockerpoo's, Labredooles. I dispare.. OLD DOG..
 
Paul Ober had Celtic Kennels near Reading, PA. Don't know if he is still at it, BUT:

He bred red setter sprites. They were like half sized Irish setters. Show breeders pretty much destroyed the Irish setter. Lots of big pretty dogs dumb enough to walk into walls. The sprites that Paul Ober bred were a different matter. Smart as whips and eager hunters. Paul was an older man when I met him maybe ten years ago. I hope there is someone to continue his work.
 
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