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TIED TO NATURE

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THE UPLAND ISSUE:

CLOWN QUAIL BADLANDS BUCKS ROGUE STEELHEAD ALBERTA UPLANDS MONTANA PHEASANTS POINTERS AND UPLAND ROAD TRIP GEAR DIY DALL’S SHEEP THE PLIGHT OF SAGE GROUSE FIELD TO FLY

FALL 2020 DISPLAY UNTIL NOVEMBER 31, 2020

STRUNG MAGAZINE FALL 2020 1 Pointers and Setters: Where Did They Go? By Tom Keer

When it comes to pulling out my wallet “Because they find all of the birds?” former positions in the top 5. Which was for a pup, my greenbacks go towards over a century ago, between 1900-1910. performance cover setters. A while back “No. To keep the fleas off of my setters.” Yikes. I’d been thinking about getting a , and I still am. As a hardcore man, I I learned two truths. The first is that the The setters’ and pointers’ lack of popularity knew I’d catch some grief. To determine the joke applies to any two breeds. And the isn’t a newsflash to me or my wife Angela. blowback, I dropped a bombshell of a joke on second is that 20 years later my jaw still When we cut our setter loose, the over-50 Peter, a buddy. Like me, he loves all clicks when I chew a piece of steak. crowd immediately recognizes our breed. We bird —but he’s a pointer man. commonly hear, “I haven’t seen an English But Peter and I share a common bond that setter in years and had one as a child.” “Hey, Peter,” I said. “I’m thinking about goes well beyond upland pointing dogs. We The under-50 crowd, by contrast, offers getting a pointer.” both like breeds that used to be popular up, “What nice you have! Are they but have fallen from favor. In 2019, the springers or Brittanys?” Angela fields those “You?” he asked. (AKC) ranked the questions, as she is far more polite than I as a middling 98 in a list of am. “Yup. I think it’s important to have an 193 breeds. The pointer came in a tad lower English pointer in my kennel.” at 115. That’s a freefall from both dogs’

60 STRUNG MAGAZINE FALL 2020 STRUNG MAGAZINE FALL 2020 61 is one organization dedicated to breed Labs and Chessies, versatile dog breeds like HIPSTER HUNTING registration. The United Kennel Club (UKC), Shorthairs and Griffons are also enjoying Many new upland bird hunters and founded in 1898, is another. UKC focuses newfound attention. waterfowlers fall into the “hipster” much of its attention on hunting dogs, with demographic: They have grown up with registrations coming from all 50 American Volmert attributes the shift away from technology, favor alternative lifestyles, states and 25 countries. The Field Dog Stud “single-purpose specialists towards all- and are heavy social-media users. In Book is the oldest purebred registry and purpose dogs” to a number of factors. In the general, hipsters are nonconformists—or dates back to 1874. Beyond the big three past, he says, owners often had “a pointer perhaps we may say that they conform are other clubs and registries such as the or setter for and a Lab for to nonconformity—which may explain the American Purebred Registry, the American waterfowling”—each one time-consuming hipster interest in versatile dog breeds Canine Association, the North American and expensive to train and maintain. like Drahthaars, German Shorthaired Purebred Registry, and many more. With Versatile dogs—good at waterfowling, Pointers, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, so many different registries it’s difficult to upland hunting, and hunt tests—are also and Munsterlanders. The North American scientifically prove one specific trend. As often biddable and therefore excellent Versatile Association (NAVHDA) numbers increase in one registry, they may companion at home. Hunting families recognizes 30 different breeds, which means decrease in another. Add to this the fact that also enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, that young hunters can find a breed that that some breeders don’t maintain accurate trail running, or water sports are pleased reflects their hunting style and of records and others don’t register at all, and with versatile dogs. interest. They’re also able to differentiate the study of breed popularity becomes even themselves from older bird doggers who run more difficult. “Versatile dogs are better than ever,” pointers and setters. continues Volmert. “They are intelligent and Brett Volmert, Pro Development Manager have good bird smarts as well as excellent UKC Vice President Todd Kellam, himself for Eukanuba Sporting Dog, reports that and stamina. If you like to a hunting dog enthusiast for 47 years, bird doggers are increasingly turning to hunt ducks in the morning, hunt birds in suggests that technology helps fuel nontraditional choices: German Shorthaired the afternoon, and then have a family dog the uptick in the popularity of versatile Pointers, Vizlas, Griffons, Spinones, and curl up next to your kids on the couch in the breeds because research on even obscure Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, as well as evening, then a versatile dog represents a breeds is just a click away on the Internet. flushing breeds like English Field cockers and good choice.” “The , , and springers and pointing Labrador . Munsterlander are more prevalent than ever In waterfowling, traditionally dominated by before,” he says. THE EPIDEMIC didn’t take long, and by 1986 Irish setter trend analyses. Herzog confirms that, like No one blinks an eye when I say my first bird registrations dropped 95 percent to just almost everything else, dogs can be trendy. dog arrived in 1972 and was an Irish setter. over 3,000 pups. These days, selective The Irish setter’s popularity soared in the breeding programs have returned the Irish In some cases, movies and books cause a early ‘60s, with the AKC registering about setter to its former glory, and the breed breed’s increase in popularity. In 1962 the a 1500 percent increase from 4,000 pups currently ranks as the 77th most popular Disney film Big Red, about a bird hunter and per year to over 60,000. Those dramatic breed. his Irish setter, made the breed a household numbers moved the Irish setter from a name. Old Yeller’s eponymous dog may have respectable 27th place on the AKC list to My breed myopia began with my next pup— been a , but in the movie the character a whopping 3rd. But there was a hitch, for after a decade of frustration I switched was played by a yellow Lab/ mix. one that made me cuss at a young age: to English setters. I have remained loyal ever Again, yellow Lab numbers swelled. 101 Outcrossing was largely ignored in favor since. Dalmatians made spotted dogs famous; of line breeding from show stock. The goal Lassie led to a boom. High-profile was noble, with a focus on carrying forward BREED POPULARITY AND celebrities affect breed popularity as well. the breed’s best qualities. But those lines TREND ANALYSIS Paris Hilton created a run on Chihuahuas, became way too tight, and the result was Dr. Hal Herzog, Professor Emeritus of and her little dog landed on the cover of painful. The stunningly gorgeous dogs were Psychology at Western Carolina University, is Modern Dog magazine. The cover story all show and no go. one of the world’s leading anthrozoologists, noted that her pup lived in a $325,000, two- which is the study of human–non-human story doghouse. By 1974, the breed’s focus, drive, and interaction. Part of his research focuses on attention spans had weakened so much the impact of pets on human health and Dog registries are one way to chart breed that a crash began. The fall from grace well-being, and that course of study leads to popularity. The AKC, founded in 1876,

62 STRUNG MAGAZINE FALL 2020 STRUNG MAGAZINE FALL 2020 63 Over the past two decades two versatile SEMPER FI Versatility was also a factor for Priest, who rising stars are the Epagneul Breton and the For half a century, retired Marine Corps wanted one dog that could perform in both Boykin . “The Bretons,” says Kellam, Capt. Bob Priest, nobody’s idea of a hipster, uplands and marshes: “I now live in the “excel at both field trials and stayed true to English setters and pointers western foothills of Maryland where I hunt hunt tests. Boykins are so well represented for grouse and woodcock hunting and Labs quail and flight woodcock—but I also travel at the UKC/Hunting Club Grand for waterfowl. Last year he switched to a to the Eastern Shore for waterfowl.” Priest Hunts,” continues Kellam, “they are now versatile Spinone. Why? “My hunting style did his research and found that Spinones surpassing Chessies and are quickly closing changed as I aged,” Priest explains. “Running “hunt close, work at a moderate speed, are in on the number of Golden Retrievers. through heavy grouse cover, stepping over easy to train, and are good on both upland Ironically (or maybe not) both of these up- logs, bending under conifers, and mucking birds and waterfowl. I’ve had Tosca for a few and-coming breeds are talented, big-hearted through swamp bogs is for younger men. years now and couldn’t be happier.” hunting dogs in a small package.” At my age I walk carefully, cautiously, and silently, all of which requires a cautious, closer-.”

POINTER NATION CONSIDERING PREFERENCE “Consider,” Kellam reminds us, “that the Jerry Havel, owner of Minnesota’s Pineridge The UKC’s Todd Kellam believes that all United Kennel Club recognizes more than Grouse Camp, has owned a lot of setters; hunting dog owners (upland and waterfowl) 60 breeds of hunting dogs in the these days he’s a card-carrying member can be classified into one of three groups: group alone.” of Pointer Nation. “I started bird hunting “First, you have the hunter who chooses about 40 years ago,” he says, “and we what he or she believes will be the most PARTING SHOT founded Pineridge Grouse Camp in 1988. productive breed possible for his or her In days gone by, Madison Avenue ad men My dad was a Lab man, but when he saw chosen sport.” Included in this group are used English pointers and setters to hawk I was more into upland hunting than hunters who keep more than one breed of everything from peaches and tires to soda waterfowl he bought me a setter. I stayed dog because they place more importance on pop and cellophane. For some, there remains with setters for 20 years, with a preference individual talent than breed parameters. This no greater thrill than to ride a walking for performance cover dog setters. I loved group may well include owners of rare breeds. through an endless prairie, arrive at a everything about those dogs, but when I higher elevation, and see a brace of pointers started guiding professionally, I wanted the The next group are those who prefer one locked up. Others praise the athleticism of ultimate upland dog: athletic, bird smarts, breed over another for what Kellam calls a performance setter zigzagging through biddable, light on its feet, and fast. I wanted “personal or sentimental reasons.” Perhaps a tangled mess of primary- and secondary- dogs that were easy to break all the way it’s looks or biddability. Perhaps it’s a growth forests and pinning a grouse. through, to retrieve to hand, and to adjust childhood familiarity with a particular breed. Nevertheless, times change and breeds fall to terrain ranging from the Minnesota In addition, says Kellam, needs change as in and out of favor. Pointers and setters are grouse woods to the Montana prairies to older hunters acknowledge that they can no considered passé by some; new versatile the South Georgia quail fields. The search longer keep up with a certain breed. breeds are enjoying their heyday. for the ultimate bird dog led me to English pointers.” Havel insists that he doesn’t In the third group are the nonconformists, Hunt the breed you prefer, so long as you snub other breeds: “In fact, we’re having drawn to the oddball dog. These hunters ensure that your dogs are properly trained a NAVHDA testing program at the camp enjoy working with a dog that “others might and cared for. Then when you cut them in a few weeks, and you won’t see a single view as unique,” Kellam says. Of course, loose for a run, you will appreciate the truth pointer.” In the final analysis, though, Havel breeds that are unusual in the United in the words of the late George Bird Evans: says, “I’m a pointer man.” States might be plentiful elsewhere. Still, “Only men who have given their souls to gun the trendsetter has a lot of research to do: dogs can know the fullness of this moment.”

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