Search found 433 matches

by ckirsch
Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:32 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: What pointing breed has the most natural retrieve?
Replies: 136
Views: 37314

Re: What pointing breed has the most natural retrieve?

CKirsch, Do you hunt him on waterfowl? If so, how does he do in November/December? Sounds like a very good dog. We jumped some dams last December while doing some late season pheasant hunting, and I was very happy with my pointer's performance. It was just above zero, and the birds (including a goo...
by ckirsch
Fri Jul 02, 2010 9:18 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: What pointing breed has the most natural retrieve?
Replies: 136
Views: 37314

Re: What pointing breed has the most natural retrieve?

I suspect pointers get a bad rap on retrieving simply because it is often not a priority for their owners, and many don't nurture their dogs' natural retrieving instinct with any significant training. I picked up my first one a few years ago and have been very pleasantly surprised with his retrievin...
by ckirsch
Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:17 pm
Forum: Brags
Topic: fathers day gift
Replies: 5
Views: 2030

Re: fathers day gift

Larue;

Congrats to your son, and also to you for obviously doing a fine job of raising him. Very impressive...

CK
by ckirsch
Sat Jun 19, 2010 9:20 am
Forum: Training
Topic: 2 questions: chances and materials
Replies: 19
Views: 4828

Re: 2 questions: chances and materials

Jump in with both feet. When I started, I learned a great deal on boards like this, where my questions were always answered by those who had been there and done that. NAVHDA is a good organization to join, and their training days will give you a leg up. You'll also meet others with the same interest...
by ckirsch
Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:37 pm
Forum: Guns and Ammo
Topic: youth gun needed
Replies: 32
Views: 13287

Re: youth gun needed

I suppose that's true, but I still prefer a break-action gun for beginners. I know they can keep the chamber open on a pump and accomplish the same thing, but it is not as easy to tell at a glance that they have done that.
by ckirsch
Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:00 pm
Forum: Guns and Ammo
Topic: youth gun needed
Replies: 32
Views: 13287

Re: youth gun needed

No concerns about safety with pumps or semi-autos carried by inexperienced youngsters? I have a Youth 870 in 20 gauge for my daughters, but would prefer a single-shot, s x s, or o/u, so that they could break the gun open when getting in or out of the vehicle, walking back to the truck after a hunt, ...
by ckirsch
Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:41 pm
Forum: Health and Nutrition
Topic: Dog food
Replies: 84
Views: 15209

Re: Dog food

But don't expect us to believe that all that money for advertising, freebies, compensations, and lobbyists is actually going into R&D to make the the cure for cancer. Nope. It's all about pushing the next little blue male enhancement pill because THAT'S where the money is. ;)[/quote] Is that the fau...
by ckirsch
Tue Jun 15, 2010 12:13 pm
Forum: Health and Nutrition
Topic: Dog food
Replies: 84
Views: 15209

Re: Dog food

Why do you think these companies fight so hard to have their patents extended? So that the drugs cannot go generic and thus be manufactured by someone else so that the marketplace will actually decide on the cost and not the drug company. Pax, So let me get this straight. Let's say you are the GM o...
by ckirsch
Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:30 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Cash and the River
Replies: 9
Views: 1762

Re: Cash and the River

Great photos! You have a beautiful dog. Has Cash been turtle-broken? Those guys could take a big chunk out of a dog's nose. My brother earned his Masters in Biology at USD, and had a similar position to yours. He was in charge of a hognose snake study of some type, and spent summer mornings on those...
by ckirsch
Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:57 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Another Snake Bite!
Replies: 25
Views: 10168

Re: Another Snake Bite!

Aline; Does it appear that both your dogs will make full recoveries? What effects, if any, linger on? I recall a Dobe of my brother's that had incontinence problems after being bitten by a prairie rattler. Hoping that things are looking good for all of your dogs. We just built a home in a semi-rural...
by ckirsch
Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:14 pm
Forum: Health and Nutrition
Topic: Dog food
Replies: 84
Views: 15209

Re: Dog food

We're a capitalist profit driven country in the US and right or wrong I can assure you that the consumer is not #1 priority. The FDA and FTC cater to whoever has the deepest pockets, because guess what, they create the most tax revenue. I may sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I'm merely a reali...
by ckirsch
Sun May 30, 2010 9:00 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Thank you
Replies: 5
Views: 1425

Re: Thank you

I just finished watching "Taking Chance" with Kevin Bacon. A great movie about a young Wyoming marine lost in Iraq. Made me even more grateful to those who sacrifice so mush to keep the rest of us safe. To all active and retired military, please accept my very sincere gratitude and respect. God bles...
by ckirsch
Fri May 28, 2010 7:59 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: English Pointers good house dogs, too?
Replies: 44
Views: 26506

Re: English Pointers good house dogs, too?

I have a two-year-old HTA/Miller/Rebel-bred pointer who has been a better house dog than the setter, wirehair, and weims I had in the past. Never needed to be housebroken, doesn't chew, stays where he is asked, and is very laid back while inside. Sheds a little more than I like, but other than that ...
by ckirsch
Wed May 19, 2010 10:46 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: PPs and coat
Replies: 8
Views: 3667

Re: PPs and coat

JKP; Nicely done. You took an unfortunate situation, recognized it as a training opportunity, and changed what could have been a lifelong obsession with attacking porcs into a permanent aversion to them. I had a Weim a few years back who was convinced that he would eventually settle the score with p...
by ckirsch
Mon May 17, 2010 11:06 am
Forum: Training
Topic: Training for duck search
Replies: 13
Views: 4638

Re: Training for duck search

Crackerd and Ruffshooter have both forgotten more about retrieving training than I'll ever know, so pay close attention to what they have to share. I am been gleaning information from them to help me prepare for the Invitational. I had asked Crackerd about using different commands for a search and a...
by ckirsch
Fri May 14, 2010 5:02 pm
Forum: Training
Topic: Training for duck search
Replies: 13
Views: 4638

Re: Training for duck search

I used some dead ducks initially, but what really started a fire in my dog was turning him loose in dams with lots of young wild ducks. He learned pretty quickly where their most likely hiding spots were, and became and expert on finding them. That led to duck chases, which I felt was a good thing a...
by ckirsch
Thu May 13, 2010 9:34 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: wow, that was awful.....
Replies: 30
Views: 7260

Re: wow, that was awful.....

So sorry for your bad fortune. Your story reminds me of the time I took my five-year-old son along to put down our ancient Doberman. Everybody was doing fine, the vet administered the shot, and as the dog began to sink to the floor, my son touched his head and said "Goodbye, Gunther. Thanks for bein...
by ckirsch
Tue Apr 20, 2010 6:32 am
Forum: Training
Topic: Duck Search
Replies: 10
Views: 3828

Re: Duck Search

Sounds like the duck search will be a cinch for your dog. Make sure you work on resending him in case he comes back with the duck early and the judges want to see more.
by ckirsch
Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:57 pm
Forum: Health and Nutrition
Topic: Exceed, now that it's back
Replies: 19
Views: 7914

Re: Exceed, now that it's back

"They are also the parent company of Pedigree, who is well known for their anti-hunting group support."

Good to know. I''ve been thinking about switching to Loyall, and it will be easier to do now that I know that Exceed is manufactured by the enemy......

Thanks for the info!
by ckirsch
Mon Mar 22, 2010 12:48 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Feed Amount/Schedule
Replies: 9
Views: 4877

Re: Feed Amount/Schedule

I'm not so sure about that site. Based on the diagrams provided, 90% of well-conditioned field-bred pointers would be considered malnourished........
by ckirsch
Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:02 pm
Forum: Polls
Topic: Ford, Dodge, chitty
Replies: 65
Views: 77225

Re: Ford, Dodge, chitty

I've always been a Chevy guy, and have an '07 Silverado and a nicely restored '54 3100 five-window, but I'll have a tough time sticking with GM now that they are owned by the government. Never thought I'd say it, but Ford is looking better all the time.
by ckirsch
Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:52 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: The ridiclious use of the term "close working NSTRA lines."
Replies: 241
Views: 81406

Re: The ridiclious use of the term "close working NSTRA lines."

Elkhunter wrote:He is either huscker buckeye or ryan baumann/chukarorbust but the SD version!!! :) Who goes hunting with bird dogs with the SOLE intent to kill birds??
As a South Dakotan I resent that! Husker only comes up here to slaughter birds; Nebraska is his home....
by ckirsch
Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:56 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: The ridiclious use of the term "close working NSTRA lines."
Replies: 241
Views: 81406

Re: The ridiclious use of the term "close working NSTRA lines."

Cody; It's become very obvious that BirdDogz is indeed Husker Buckeye from the Versatile Dog. ...the constant threads about pointers, in which he initially acts interested in obtaining one, then sneaks in the condescending remarks about their poor coat, lack of versatility, and of course, their inab...
by ckirsch
Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:32 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: The ridiclious use of the term "close working NSTRA lines."
Replies: 241
Views: 81406

Re: The ridiclious use of the term "close working NSTRA lines."

Birddogz; You mentioned that a NAVHDA score is far more important to you than a winning field trial record. Curious as to your experiences with NAVHDA. Which chapter do you belong to, and how many dogs have you tested? What have you found to be the most positive and negative aspects of the organizat...
by ckirsch
Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:05 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Coyote Warning
Replies: 41
Views: 29534

Re: Coyote Warning

I have to admit that I struggle a bit with the story of the Dutch dogs being able to kill coyotes. They just didn't look big enough to get the job done. A big South Dakota yote is probably only 40 pounds, but they'll put a serious beat-down on most dogs. As JKP noted, the greyhound guys typically ru...
by ckirsch
Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:53 pm
Forum: Polls
Topic: What gun dog breed do you currently own and why?
Replies: 199
Views: 209321

Re: What gun dog breed do you currently own and why?

Been through several breeds but eventually found my way to an EP, and doubt I will look back. More natural pointing and backing, athleticism, endurance, and very easy to train. Gets along well with other dogs, never had a dogfight with him yet. Great companion around the house as well. Maintenance-f...
by ckirsch
Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:49 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: All about your dogs.
Replies: 16
Views: 4277

Re: All about your dogs.

BirdDogz; I hunted near Martin, just north of the SD/Nebraska border, between Christmas and New Year's Day, with temps just above zero. We were out for five hours in iced-over sloughs, and while I froze, the dog hunted hard and showed no signs of being uncomfortable. I kept a close eye on him, as he...
by ckirsch
Sun Mar 07, 2010 2:03 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: All about your dogs.
Replies: 16
Views: 4277

Re: All about your dogs.

To be honest, I haven't run across too many pointing breeds that I would not enjoy having around. After a couple of Weims and a GWP, I switched to longtails in hopes of stronger and earlier-developing pointing. Tried a setter and a pointer. Both gave me the pointing I was expecting, and were surpris...
by ckirsch
Fri Mar 05, 2010 6:10 pm
Forum: GDF "Hall of Fame" Posts
Topic: Ivomec ?
Replies: 104
Views: 94754

Re: Ivomec ?

I want to make sure I didn't miss anything on this post. I looked at TSC today and the only Ivomec they had was a 0.27% sterile solution for grower and feeder pigs. Recommended dosage for swine is 2.5 ml for a 50-pound pig. What really caught my eye is the warning that it is approved for swine and f...
by ckirsch
Thu Mar 04, 2010 9:07 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: NAVHDA for a pointer?
Replies: 12
Views: 5562

Re: NAVHDA for a pointer?

If you've no interest in waterwork, you might look into AKC hunt tests rather than NAVHDA. The focus there is on fieldwork, with no water component. That said, I've had a great time with my pointer in NAVHDA. Your dog will need to love water and have a strong desire to retrieve in order to get throu...
by ckirsch
Thu Mar 04, 2010 10:44 am
Forum: Training
Topic: New Weim Pup....How do I get started?
Replies: 30
Views: 10373

Re: New Weim Pup....How do I get started?

My advice would be to get her exposure on wild birds whenever possible. As long as she can't catch them, only good things can happen. Get your pup in the water as soon as it is warm enough. I'm also in the camp that it is never too early to begin simple obedience; my dogs have been pretty well along...
by ckirsch
Thu Feb 25, 2010 3:10 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Miller Bred Pointers
Replies: 54
Views: 26002

Re: Miller Bred Pointers

Ross; As you know, there is indeed some Miller on his pedigree, along with Honkytonk, Rebel, and Elhew. I'm very satisfied with my dog, but being new to pointers, I'm not sure which line should get credit for his attributes, which include excellent retrieving, good nose, decent style, loves water, b...
by ckirsch
Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:33 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Miller Bred Pointers
Replies: 54
Views: 26002

Re: Miller Bred Pointers

Not to hijack the thread, but if Miller-bred dogs stand out in the trials, which lines are known to perform best for foot hunters? Are the two tasks mutually exclusive? I read so many questionable comments about trial-bred dogs having too much run for most hunters, and lacking in the areas of tracki...