w$, ffi

lii. ,rt

iiSlj

W:t$

r$F ffi

;r d

#Mffiffit

t''.r*t'-"

storybyelorkee Jcnes b*y my construction business. Everyone has I,lhen gone global now;' he countered. "Good or bad, things j*t arert't the way they used to considering be." j'"'n#' ";' ,d ,f ell, what do you think of As I headed home in my less-thanJuxu- nnut) dogfo, '.rr''" t my friend asked as rious pickup, I thought about what my friend r"' .,,,'i'o her?" ''..'l we srood in his driveway said and how things have changed in this u)frterfo*l admiring his new luxury vehicle. country, not just in car selecdon, but in so "Arent you the traditionalist who always many other ways, including bird and water- orbirdhunting, says,'Buy American'?" I responded. fowl hunting. Loss of habitat has certainly lookntyour "You are right," he replied somewhat pl"y.d some role in the selection of we sheepishly, "but the Cadillac and Lincoln j*t use to hunt. But it is not the only factor. dorit have the same cachet they used to have. It did not seem so long ago that a fullrnnge Besides, this car is made in Americpit j*t Labrador or Chesapeake was the of options. didnt origiratein Ame rica." only you considered when hunting ducls "\7hen did you start using words like and an English or English seffer was 'cached in a sentence?" I inquired, all you would want for bird hunting. About "Ever since a French comPany agreed to 25 yars aryro,I stamed to notice a felv.r conti-

I8 VIRGINIAWILDLIFE O www.HuntFishVA.com Left, Flat-Coated Retriever, and above, Vizsla. @Dwight Dyke

ss F$

Hill IV'ellford, who lives on the R"pp"- TheYtzsla hannock River near Caret, says this about flatcoats: "My wife and I have owned both Imponed fromHungary, the vtzsla is a medi- Iabs and flat-coats over the years and both um-built, short-coated and rust-colored breeds have wonderful and loving disposi- whose breed history goes back nental imports, like brimanys or the occasion- tions. Our experience with flat-coats is they over 1,000 years.Thq are known to be clean, al German shonhaired pointer, in the field. are relatively easy to train, absolut Ly love to light-shedding dogs. The vizsLais consi dered a \$[hether you shoot pheasant on a preserve or hunt waterfowl and upland game, and have versatile hunting breed and it will hunt fur as waterFowl in a marsh, it's wonh looking at a errcellent noses. thry are gteat at finding a well as feather. It put its stamp on the term few different hunting breeds that are no\ / cripple in a marsh and at uarhng a bird that uersatilewhen it became the first dog breed to available but may not rise to the forefront of has crawledaway," added Hill. become an AKC Quintuple Champion, discussions when considering a bird dog. It is \Tellford's opinion that fatcoats, meaning that one vtzslawon championships though full of energt, are alimle calmer than in five differen t categories. Iabs in a duck blind. If you have errer been I had the opportunity to watch Darin The Flat-Coated Retriever bowled over by an eagff Chesapeake or Srickland work his vizsla at Blandfield Plan- ktt surt with a dog that many consider one Iabradorwhile in the close confines of aduck tation near Tappahannock, anLl'ake it of the best looking of all dog breeds, the fat- blind, youknow how imporant a quiet, calm from me-this dog did not mess around. It coated retriever. This longhaired, rayen beau- retriever c:rrt be. Who should not o\Mn a flav cAn @ver aLotof ground in ashort period of ty could be the Flizarbe& Thylor or Kim Kar- coat? Vefiford caution ed, "Flavcoats arc very time andseefirs to do so effordes sly andwith dashian ofthe dogworld and looks verysmart energetic and require walks and daily ell.ev sryle. Strickland has been hundngwith vlzslas trotting around the show ring. However, the cise... I would not recommend them ta a for a dozrn ye:trs now |rsnrding to Darin, flavcoated reffiever can perForm in the field fanrly that doesnt have the dme to grrr them not only are vtzslas good hunting dogs, thry as well. *golat exercise oppoffunities." areaffeqionate farnily dogs as well.

NOVEMBER z91r } 19 "Vizslas do not make good kennel-run dogs. Th.y want to be with you in your house and near you. Th.y are excellent Pets for peo- ple with an active lifesryle." Darin advises those who may be interested in acquiring a vizsla: "If you intend to hunt, get your vizsla from known field stock. The best come from field trial stock. You will not find a well-bred vizsla waiting for you in the classifieds ofyour news- paper."

The

The Italians have been making firearms for over 400 years. Th.y have been using hunting dogs for over 1,000 years and boast of two of the oldest hunting breeds in the world: fie bracco and the spinone Italiano. The spinone (pton. spee-NO-t"y) is a muscular, versatile hunting dog, often confused at first glance with German wirehaired pointers. Unlike the German wirehaired pointer, the spinone does not have an undercoat. Th.y are a close-hunt- ing dog, making them ideal for upland hunts. Breeder and hunter Ron Rosinski ofPowhatan has hunted over spinoni (plural) since 1996 on grouse, woodcock, and pheasant. Although Ron has hunted over brinanys in the past, and believes them to be a close-wotkitg dog, it is his opinion the spinone is "more atnrned to the hunter." The spinone also has the reputation of being a friendly and loyal f"-ily companion.

The Boykin

The all-American boykin is the state dog of South Carolina, and compared to some breeds in this article, it is a relative newcomer to the hunting scene. This brown, or chocolate-col- ored, dog of medium height has a wavy outer coat ofmedium length as well as an undercoat. It can hunt most feathered game where arly is number of Virginians fushing dog used. A Top, Spinone, and above, Boykin. have already discovered the flexibiliry of this breed. Carson Quarles, near Roanoke, believes the boykin to be afine turkeydog, while Harri- ett Clark, from Sutherlin, field trials her boykins and believes ,h.y are excellent dogs The Deutsch Drahthaar "I was looking for aversadle hunting dog when hunting pheasant. Other owners believe that I could take both upland and waterFowl this 30- to 40-lb. canine is the perfect dog for The Deuthsch drahthaar (pton. dra-thar) hunting," said Ben Adamson of Richmond. "I've dogs duck hunting when in a boat. Ifyou have ever originated in Germanyand, like so manyEu- hunted upland game with flushing tried to pull a 901b. I^ab back into your jot- ropean hunting dogs, it was expected to hunt and a number of them range so far out and boat after it has made a retrieve, you czln cer- both fur and feather. In the U.S., however, a often fush game before you are close enough tainly appreciate having one of these little pointing dog that is srurdy enough for water- for a good shot. This can be extremely ftus- brorvn, d)-*o boykins do the retrieving fot fowl hunting might be the answer to a wing trating

20 uRGlNlA WILDLIFE I www.HuntFishVA.com Drahthaar Toller

drahthaar can be a good ft-ily dog that likes who has hunted over all rypes ofrerievers, ex- so do your research. "Ifyou want agteathunt- being around its owners. plains his desire to hunt over tollers. "I want- ing companion, a superb family dog that will recom- Deuthsch-drahthaar breeder Whit John- ed a smaller retriever. While a toller can make you laugh at least once a day,I ston from Spout Spring points out that the compete in a 200aard retrieve, most of my mend a toller," said Ed. drahthaar is bred through very strict guide- 'real world' shots in hunting are rarcly longer lines. "To know you have a true drahthaar, in- than 30 yads. The toller has a great nose, a spect the underside of the dog's right ear for a desire to retrieve, and enery to spare, but it The reader should be mindful that this green tattoo," cautioned \Wrhit. "This green also knows when to turn it 'off at home. The magazine is not endorsing any particular tattoo number is issued from Germany to the toller personaliry fits my We of hundng and breed here and that a number of quotes come breeder after the breeder registers his or her my personality. They are not like labs and from breeders and owners who may have a puppies." According to Johnston, this is to goldens, where they are everybodys friend. natural bias toward the breed they owlt. Every guarantee that you are getting a puppy whose They know who their f*-ily is and that is dog breed comes with its own issues, and any' entire line comes from hunting stock. generallywhere thq'will seek attention. They one interested in any breed should do his re- "W'hen you get the certification that are not mean or vicious to strangers but can search before purchasing one. Most hunting your puppy is an actual deuthsch-drahthaar, be doofto them." breeds require dejily or regular,vigorous exer- you arc prctty much assured that both its par- Ed Callender, from'Woodbridge, has cise. M*y breeds have their own organiza- ents have passed at least two versatile hunting been huntingwith a toller for over seven years tions, which offer good resources for learning tests, had their hips *rayedand blood tested, and wanted a smaller hunting companion. A the specifics of a particular dogt character. and im teeth, €f€s' coat, and confirmation are male toller will run about 45-55 pounds, Good breeders areparticular about their breed all within the breed standard," he added. which works a lot better when hunting out of ofchoice, and the last thing thqwant to see is his 12-footpirogue. According to Callender, a client buying a pup based on how cute it is tollers are highly adapable but cautious, so if TheNovaScotia and not making a knowledgeable seleffion. you plan to hunt them they will need access DuckTolling Retriever Too many dogs wind up with rescue organiz'a' to water and open areas where rhry can train tions or in shelters because a new This medium -siznd, double coated dog loves and get used to field conditions and be e:(- PuPPy owner didnt do his homework. ?n to retriwe and is the smdlest of the retri etrer posed to awide variety ofnew environments. class, though it does resemble a small golden "Trtry need e>rercise and contact with Clnrke C. Jones is afeeknce writer who spends his people, so leaving them inacratealldayis not retriever. It is far more active than a golden, spare tirne huntingup good stories whh his blach Lab, howgver. a good opdon. Tollers from hunting stock Luhe, You can contact Ckrke or Luke by going to Hunter and full-time trainer Paul Kartes, may be difficult to find, cautions Callender, their we bsite at www, c krkecj ones. coFn,

NOVEMBER 2011 . 2I