October Setters
 

Curious if anyone owns one of their dogs? Interested in firsthand knowledge/ experience of their dogs in the field.

I recently sent a puppy deposit and am on the end of a long list. I like what I’ve seen and read and intend to visit soon to see them in action.

My trusty buddy, Rusty, will be turning 14 in March and I’m just now almost able to keep up with him in the field, lol.

I can’t imagine not having a dog to train, hunt and fawn over. Hoping for something that still actively seeks objective and maintains contact while not ranging as far as the field trial setters that attracted me as a younger man. An older gentleman’s hunting companion, if you will.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

Thrive!

John I've heard nothing but great things. I am on a wait list, and I turned up the past two litters. First one was a pup that would have been ready while I was in Italy and no way to time it right as they wouldn't fly her. Second one last year was a litter that Lisa told me were very wide ranging hard running parents more suited for Western hunting and I'm an eastern grouse and woodcock dude. So hopefully soon another girls joins my Ryman out of DeCoverly. Raisin is now 6 years old. She's my avatar photo.

Thank you, Andy! It’s nice to have my instincts validated,

Raisin is adorable! !

I have heard good things about October Setters as well. I’ve talked to Lisa on the phone a few times and she’s very willing to take time and talk to you about their breeding program. I think this is evidence of a solid breeder. They seem very interested about educating the buyer rather than just making a sale. I definitely appreciate this.

My wife and I have had success since 1996 with DeCoverly. I am actually on the way home today from picking up the future. Here we go again! Blue Belton female. You can reach out to me if you have any questions regarding Rymans that I have had. Mine have been as you describe “maintaining contact, etc” I do think October setters is a very reputable choice.

We PGGA folks love our pictures so here’s one!

Rick

Beautiful Rick. I am not a fan of very large setters. 50 pounds is my max. I think they’ll last longer and run better but that’s just me. I know Decoverly is trying to go a little bit smaller lately because I’ve gotten too damn big. I’m in line for a 45 to 50 pound female from October setters. They’re only less than a dozen ryman breeders in the country. I do recommend getting their book and reading it written in part by Lisa.

Yeah. I think 40 to 50 pounds is about right but I love them all!

Looks like trouble to me, the fun kind!! Nice looking pup you've got there. Best of luck with her. I've posted some pics of my old man in my album if anyone is curious.

And thank you all for your comments

The book Andy is talking about is " THE REAL RYMAN SETTER", written by fellow West Virginian Walt Lesser and Lisa Weisse.., My first setter was from Walt's. kennel, a male I called Thicket. I have had several Ryman setters, but now all are field bred. Some of my Ryman setters were some of my biggest ranging dogs, none were " big" dogs, but around 50 lbs for the males, Betty, the dog in my avatar, was a small Ryman female, one of my most beloved setters.
My current three field bred setters , mom and two litter mates, all hunt differently, from big running to close working. Thicket, a Ryman would push the limit of my comfort zone. I guess what I'm trying to say is that despite breeding/bloodlines ya just never what you'll get. I am a setter guy and hopefully have a few more in my future.
Just pulled the book out of my bookcase, worth a re-read.

We have a new Parker member who joined last year at Pheasant fest. He owns Thorn Plum kennels and he’s good friends with Walt. I’ll see if Bob can chime into this thread.

I have also talked with Bob. Seems like another good breeder.

Well, here's the book. Pulled it out this morning and finished it. I personally knew or met many of the people in this book. Guess that means Im getting old. Also has me hankering for another WV bred Ryman setter.

I'm with you John, I like close hunting Setters. Unless you hunt out West there's no need for a field trial dog that needs you to be a track star to keep up.
We breed Ryman-type Setters and have used DeCoverly too. They are about 1/2 hour from us. They are starting to breed larger dogs again. Not many breeders were doing the larger Ryman-type like we do and they shifted gears again. We have no litters planned as our breeder bitch has been retired. DeCoverly is a very good choice. We were just there a few weeks ago to kennel the dogs that we didn't take to SC. They had definitely two litters and maybe a third on the ground.

If you are near CT, BJ Cassio of Flymaster Kennels has Ryman-type Setter pups right now. I can get you his contact info if you are interested.

Thanks Mike, I live out west and hunt WA, OR, ID and MT. I ran field trial dogs in the past (Weimaraners)and my current setter is field bred (and geriatric). I want a dog to apply itself to the cover and seek likely objectives, not a plodder. I’m looking for middle ground as I age. I’m speaking with Lisa at October Setters later today. I appreciate your recommendations and advice.

No problem. I wish you luck in your search for a Setter.

Harold...you have impeccable taste in books. Very nice.

I love the bookends (I guess that’s what they are?)…

Just to throw this in, but I have had great luck with two Llewelin setters, brothers from different litters, from Jornada Setters in Anthony, NM. Both great bird dogs for here in NH where I hunt.

Thought I’d follow up after having spoken to Lisa at October Setters yesterday. I’m very confident that I’ll be happy with my decision to source my next field companion from Cliff and Lisa.

She was very generous with her time and we spoke for about an hour. She answered all of my questions and educated me about the breed, and their objectives as breeders.

Being used to smaller, field bred setters I harbored some apprehension about range. Those concerns were addressed to my satisfaction. Im not a young man anymore, and I think this will be a much better fit given my age and intention.

So now…. I wait.

Thank you all for your input and comments. It’s nice to see so many beautiful and adored Setters amongst the Parker clan.

I have always believed in breeder before breed. You do the research, check referrals, study other dogs from that breeder or even get to see a couple, and match to your hunting style and needs.

If you feel comfortable, then you made the right choice. Enjoy. It's always an exciting time.

Good advice

I'm a Lab guy. I looked for breeding from Field Trial stock . However there are differnt field trials. American trials and British trials are not the same thing. British trials are more demanding for brains, where American trials focus on speed. My first British import had over 1,000 retrieves and 80 trips as a therapy dog to Detroit's Children's Hospital. A typical American dog would have had a hard time with the hospital job.

John:

Congratulations! You made a great decision. October Setters has a reputation for breeding skilled hunters, but more important, their setters are beautiful.

Pick a setter like you pick a woman. Take the most beautiful one you can get. Everything else can be taught.

-Victor