Andrew Marshall Wayment's Blog, page 6

RAINEY CREEK RUFF

As a follow up to my last post, I wanted to give you an update on my search for a puppy.   I decided early on that I wanted to get another Epagneul Breton (French Brittany), which was Sunny Girl’s breed.  In short, I want a dog that hunts like a demon in the field and acts like an angel at home.  To start off with, my quest felt like finding the proverbial needle in a hay stack.  I really had no idea where to look or whether I could afford a pup from this breed.  Notwithstanding my doubts, I began the search.

I know that social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram can be a waste of time, but I have met some great people through these sites with whom I have shared outdoor adventures.  On Instagram, I follow @losthighwaygundogs, which is run by Charles G. Guyer (“Grayson”), and on March 21st, he posted a picture of a really good looking tri-color French Brittany.  

On a whim, I commented, “I’m looking for a French Brittany pup right now.”  Grayson responded, “If I’m not mistaken you’re in Idaho.  Lynda Kieres of TopperLyn Kennels in the Missoula area has some of the very best in the U.S.  My ‘once in a lifetime’ bird dog is from there.  I’m pretty sure she has a pup or two right now.  Tell her Grayson sent you.”

In the meantime, a great friend of mine, Troy Justensen, offered that if I could find a good female pup, he would pay half if he could breed her with his French Brittany male.  This was an offer I could not refuse and made obtaining an excellent puppy possible.  

I followed Grayson’s suggestion and immediately looked into TopperLyn Kennels and everything that I read was positive.  I found out that the kennel was expecting a litter on April 15th, which timing was workable. 

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I liked the looks of the parents and was intrigued by the possibility of a tricolor pup from the litter.  I contacted Lynda by email and by phone to see if any pups were available and she said that they were not all spoken for.  I asked about her dogs’ temperament and Lynda responded:

As for temperaments – that’s one area I pride myself on – producing excellent temperaments.  These puppies should be no exception. Fanny’s last litter had an 11 month old pup limiting out on Huns 3 days in a row opening weekend.  So intelligence as well.  That person sent his ex to get another pup (from my last litter – Falon and Ithaca).  So I think they like my dogs.

With such reports, it didn’t take long for me to commit to a female from the litter.  

I asked Lynda to let me know when the puppies were born.  On Thursday, April 13, while at work, I got the awaited email that Fanny’s litter was born and doing well, two males and five females.  The good news brought tears to my eyes as I contemplated that my future bird dog was alive and well.

Each week since their birth, Lynda has posted numerous photos on Facebook of the puppies, which my family and I have eagerly poured over.  While they are all adorable, one pup in particular caught my eye from the start, the pup with the aqua collar, which Lynda called “Aqua.”

[image error]I think it was this close up of Aqua’s face that first grabbed my attention.Lynda had mentioned that one of the puppies was roan and I really had no idea which one it was.  After I expressed an interest in Aqua, she told me that this was the only roan puppy, which piqued my interest even more.

[image error]Aqua at four weeks.  Notice how her muzzle is turning roan as she ages.When Lynda posted Aqua’s picture at four weeks, I was totally smitten and wrote in the comments under her picture, “This little girl is stealing my heart.  I can already see the intelligence in her eyes.” Of course, I was dropping hints that I wanted this pup, but wasn’t sure if this was going to happen.  So I tried not to get my hopes up.

And then, on Mother’s Day, May 13th, I got the best news.  Lynda wrote me in an email: “Aqua it is for you if you want her.  She’s super sweet and loves to be loved and cuddled.  She is usually the first to come to me. . . .  So time to think of a name.”  I responded excitedly, “I accept with all my heart!  I’ve had my eye on her from the beginning. . . . I am a happy camper!”

Under TopperLyn’s system, they name each respective litter after a letter in the alphabet and this was the “R” litter.  I decided to name her “Rainey Creek Ruff,” or Rainey for short, after a beloved fishing creek and my favorite game bird, the ruffed grouse.

We get to bring Rainey home sometime in June and my whole family is excited.  Like the Brittanys who came before her, Sunny and Misty, I plan to make her into a grouse dog and a fishing companion.  What adventures we will have!  Of course, I will share our adventures with you as things progress.

[image error]Rainey is the pup in the left hand corner. This is her first time seeing outside. There’s a whole world out there for her to explore.

 

DREAMIN’ ABOUT BIRD DOGS

It has been a while since I last posted. One of the major reasons is the tragic passing of Misty on March 18, 2017.   Throughout her whole life, Misty was an escape artist who loved to get out of the house and run wild.  I feared this deviant tendency might catch up with her.  Since the pain is still close to the surface, I won’t go into all of the details.  It was super hard to lose her, especially in the prime of her life.  She was the best bird dog I ever had, a bona fide grouse dog.

[image error]Misty was a bona fide grouse dog.And this was on top of having to put down my French Brittany, Sunny Girl, last October.  So I am without a bird dog for the first time in seventeen years.  Our bird dogs become such a significant part of our lives that when they are gone, there is a huge hole in our hearts.

[image error]My girls, Sunny and Misty.As you may already know, I am a religious person.  From the beginning of this blog, I have never hid my faith.  I’ve written before that I believe all animals, including bird dogs, have souls, though this is apparently not something that every Christian believes.  Shortly after Misty’s death, I found the following comforting passage of scripture in the book of Job:

Job 12:7-10

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

There you have it, biblical proof of what I have believed all along: Animals have souls.  They are not just simply gone forever when they pass.  Their spirits live on.

Around the first of April, I was considering whether to get another bird dog and was having some doubts.  The morning of Monday, April 3rd, I told my wife and daughter Emma my reservations.  Emma then told me of a dream she had the night before of Sunny Girl, my favorite companion bird dog who passed last October.  I wanted to share this in her own words:

I had a dream that I was traveling down a long white road. I remember wishing that I had a companion to join me on my journey. I remember then seeing Sunny, my beloved childhood dog, come running towards me. She was happy and healthy, and she seemed to be smiling at me. I couldn’t help but break into a grin as I knelt down to her level. I asked her if she was the companion I had wished for. In response, Sunny ran ahead of me, looking back to see if I was following. I beamed wide as I watched her spin in little circles eagerly as she waited for me to catch up, something she would do in moments of excitement. I happily ran after her before the dream faded.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I heard her recount this dream.  I took it not only as a sign that my bird dogs live on, but also that I need to get another one.  They make our lives so much fuller and richer.  I can’t imagine life without such a faithful friend.

[image error]Man’s best friend is not just a cliche. I am happy to report that I decided to get another French Brittany, like Sunny Girl, and the litter was born April 13th.  My family and I are getting excited to see which little bundle of joy we get to take home.

Canine Hip Dysplasia and PennHip

Ron Boehme, the host of the awesome Hunting Dog Podcast, asked if I ‘d contribute some veterinary specific advice to his Blog on the Hunting Dog Podcast…which I gladly accepted the challenge.  Here’s the link to my latest contribution http://thehuntingdogpodcast.com/2017/04/canine-hip-dysplasia-and-pennhip/.

Spring turkeys here we come!   The caddis are hatching on the Ark as well.

Setter Feathers…

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Alpha Dog Nutrition: birddogdoc Interview on Bird Dog Arthritis

Osteoarthritis Blog Interview

Clays & Birds Podcast Interview

Andrew Schatz from Clays & Birds recently (and graciously) interviewed me for his rapidly growing podcast this past week.  Check out Andrew’s podcasts directly at his website and they can also be found on iTunes.   The link is below.

birddogdoc’s Interview

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Muggins by Havilah Babcock on Sporting Classics Daily

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Havilah Babcock’s Muggins

“First published in the September 1937 issue of Field & Stream under the title “Old Muggins” and subsequently in The Best of Babcock (1974), this wonderful story now appears in The Greatest Quail Hunting Book Ever, new from Sporting Classics.”

Sporting Classics Daily posted recently a chapter out of their Greatest Quail Hunting Book Ever (which I strongly recommend for you upland library) a reprint of one of my favorite Babcock stories.  Babcock wrote with great flair and captured the voice of the South when a bird was a gentleman and a dog was used to pursue said birds.   Babcock will always remain one of my top 5 favorite writers.

TELL YOUR CONGRESSMAN TO VOTE NO ON H.R. 622

“Common sense will nearly always stand you in better stead than a slavish adherence to the conventions.”

~M.M. Kaye, Shadow of the Moon

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It was so awesome to see sportsmen come together to defeat H.R. 621, but the fight to protect our public lands is far from over.

Another pending bill, H.R. 622, would remove any law enforcement capacity of the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service on our public lands and leave it solely in the hands of local law enforcement. I believe this is a terrible idea for a number of reasons.  

First, this could very well result in more poaching and lawlessness on our public lands. The simple fact of the matter is that local law enforcement does not have the resources to monitor, manage and protect our public lands, let alone the knowledge of all the federal laws in place that are meant to protect our public resources.  That is not really their area of focus.

Appropriations to the states from the federal government could alleviate some of the concern because the states would then have more resources to manage these lands, but to me, there is more to it than this.

The bottom line is that when dealing with public lands, there are competing interests. On the one hand is the public’s interests to protect and use public land and on the other is the local populations’ interest in using this land for their own commercial purposes. Don’t misunderstand me, I am for multiple use of public lands as long as they are managed for sustainability and access to the public. However, when we say “public” we mean that everyone in the nation has an interest in these lands, not just Idahoans in Idaho, Utahns in Utah, etc. As an Idahoan, I can’t expect the local or state governments of Montana to look out for my interest in public land in Montana. Their representatives don’t represent me. And its the same for Montanans (or citizens of other states) on Idaho public land. The federal government on the other hand represents (or should represent) the public in this process and can look out for the good of the public. 

This morning, I got an email from Mike Simpson, my congressman, on this issue and I liked what he had to say: “[A]s a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Interior and the Environment, which oversees funding for federal land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service, I am constantly encouraging these agencies to work with state and local officials and private individuals when making land management decisions in Idaho. I strongly believe that Idahoans should have a say in how the land on which they work and live is managed, and I will continue to advocate for a strong partnership between federal, state, and local land management agencies.” This approach makes the most sense to me because it takes into account everyone’s interests. I have no problem with States having a say in the process.  However, I don’t think it is in the public’s interest for the Federal government to be cut out of the picture altogether. There is a balancing act that has to be done here.

This should not be a matter of party politics, but of simple common sense.  I see no reason why the federal, state and local agencies cannot work together to make sure the law is enforced on our public lands and to allow multiple and sustainable use.  Please write your congressman and tell him to vote no on HR 622.

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Strideaway.com Article: Hunting Dog Hypoglycemia

Hunting Dog Hypoglycemia Article

PROTECT OUR PUBLIC LANDS!

“This land was made for you and me.”

~Woody Guthrie

“Land is a man’s very own soul.”

~quote from the movie, “Far and Away”

We don’t typically post political content on Upland Ways, but on this issue we will make an exception.  There is currently a push in Washington D.C. to start selling off our public lands.  I have felt this was a terrible idea from its inception!

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One of the things that makes our great nation unique is our abundant public lands and the opportunities they afford for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, etc.  As the great Woody Guthrie wrote: “This land is your land, this land is my land…” Our public lands are our collective birthright.  I’m not a wealthy man by any means, but my life has been richly blessed by our public lands.  They should be protected in perpetuity, not sold off to the highest bidder!  We are not talking about a little trim here people: 3.3 million acres, 110,000 acres in Idaho alone.  That’s a full-on scalping!

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This is a slippery slope.  Once the land is out of the public’s hands, it’s gone! We could lose access to the places we love, our sacred waters and coverts.  I can’t speak for all, but my personal pursuit of happiness is, to a large degree, inextricably tied to our public lands. 

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So, here’s my impassioned plea to the followers of Upland Ways: Step up to protect our public lands.  Call or write your congressman and senators.  Let your voice be heard!  Please sign the petition at http://sportsmensaccess.org/. Get all your friends and family to sign the petition.  Pass the word along in social media!  The future of our great sports depend upon it.

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Pilgrims & a Great Adventure

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(In)Famous Gary Thompson from snowbound Wyoming and myself (& our 6 canine-cohorts) just returned from an adventurous pilgrimage on the Kansas and Colorado prairies.   We met up in Colorado last week and headed over to the Kansas grasslands to hunt wild birds before the predicted ice storms wreaked havoc on us.  We found some pretty decent coveys of scaled and bobwhite quail in great country with amazing dog work.  My two favorite memories in the field were Gary’s double over his pointer Lilly and my 7 month old setter pup Cinder making her very first stand on birds.  Dueling cockers is one of Gary and I’s favorite games to play…as we both have FB English cockers that are incredible bird dogs and a pleasure to hunt birds with.

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We worked hard all day saturday and moved an honest 10 coveys of wild birds before deciding to escape out of Kansas and into Colorado to avoid the approaching ice storm.  We navigated down the first road west to get out of Dodge…rutted as hell too….the sun setting in the West as a bevy of scalies sailed over my Tacoma.  In Springfield, Colorado my tire sensor went off indicating loss of tire pressure from the left rear tire.   Gary and I changed the tire in a Walmart parking lot before heading to our final destination for the night.  We spent a day and a half chasing scaled quail on the Colorado prairie moving a total of 10 coveys enjoying specatular dog work.  Every time Gary and I get together it’s truly an adventure and I can’t wait til the next one.

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Until our next adventure…

Setters Feathers…