My new grouse dog

[Tom Flanigan]

My new grouse dog arrived today from Ohio. A field trial reject a year and a half old. I've been hunting grouse with my retriever using him as a flush dog. We've gotten some birds but it's not the same. I need a setter. I'll start working her on grouse when she has a week to acclimate. The dog didn't have the range for field trialing so I'm hoping she works out as a grouse dog. You never know but I'll get her into many birds and she will pick up the caution needed for grouse if she is smart. But it will take many birds. My grandfather used to tell me you had to kill about 30 birds before a dog became a true grouse dog. I can't disagree. That's been about my experience too. So we'll see but its great to have a setter again. I really can't live without a good setter bird dog.