North Bound to South Dakota

[Bruce Day]

Here's a photo of Charlie's setter Shea. Both Shea and my setter Triple are 8 months old and just recently began to be worked on live birds and be shot over. There is nothing like getting a young dog on wild birds and next week they will be there. I once had a pointer that was hopelessly gunshy and so I approach the first times being shot over with trepidation, but both these dogs have done well so far and show the makings of being good gundogs. And they are very lovable pets.

We hunt a little west of Huron, and the lady is Sue, the ranchhouse wife, chief cook and she who must be obeyed. We hunt as a group because of the huge land to be covered and plan tactics to cover a given piece of ground. Sometimes we get an older hunter who can't walk as hard and we can position those fellows where they can cut off escape routes and get shots. Our oldest hunter in the past has been 83. We suspect that John will not be able to keep up with me (62) or Charlie ( 67) so we'll likely have to bring a chair for him and use him as a blocker.

We are always outwitted by birdbrains but everyone will have an opportunity for their limit of three pheasant each. We generally see some prairie chicken. I've been hunting SoDak since the 1950's when we lived in Rapid City. I had relatives at SoDak State U at Brookings and I have memories of hunting with my father, Gov. Joe Foss and the university dean, a relative.

The helmet liner is just one of those military articles you collect over the years of service, 23 for dad, and 25 for me. The only gun I carried in Vietnam was a S&W Mod 10...they were afraid we Air Force pilots would hurt ourselves or others if they gave us something more effective.

[John D.]

Hey Francis..!

Actually - you may find that Bruce has little time for frivolities of the Forum as he has now hired a Professional trainer for his puppy... After a bit of research, I stumbled upon his contact information and asked him about his training techniques...???... His reply:

"...This afternoon we took two hundred pheasant and set them out across the county.. I had my whole neighborhood do the setting & shooting and I handled the setter.. She is now 7 days old.. The weather was snowing with heavy sunshine and the wind was calm at about 45 mph with gusts up to 80 nots or so. Her performance was outstanding – pointing and holding from 30-40 yards out, upwind, eyes closed, blindfolded, lying down, rolling over and muzzled 50 yards from any particular pheasant… This was her very first exposure to neighborhood peasants, and them shooting at her.. She did not make anything of the shooting at her and I was glad for that – cuz’ you never know how a young dog will respond to them pheasants, peasants and guns..

Well, off to help train Bruce’s dog up as well. Ought to be ready for S.D. in a day or two...."

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

....The helmet liner is just one of those military articles you collect over the years of service, 23 for dad, and 25 for me. ....

You have 48 helmet liners???



JD