Written by Phil Bourjaily, this article was originally published by Free Range American on February 15, 2021. Once you hunt over a dog of your own, hunting birds without a dog, or hunting over anyone else’s dog, doesn’t feel like hunting anymore. It’s just walking around trying to shoot stuff. A gun dog connects you to the unseen world
I love hunting dogs. I’ve been around them my entire life and have had three myself. Unfortunately, I’ve had bad luck with them. My first dog, a beautiful yellow Labrador, would hurl himself into the water with reckless abandon, retrieved decoys, balls, and even brought me live rabbits and grouse from the woods. He was
A well-trained and disciplined hunting dog is an incredible asset. Conversely, a pup conditioned only to beg for table scraps and lounge indoors can quickly become a royal nuisance in the field and may ruin an otherwise enjoyable hunt. I grew up with guys who hunted casually. That’s not to say we weren’t enthusiastic about
