Hey folks,

I have been casually researching the pointing lab as my first hunting dog over the past couple of months and thought I'd log on to Hunting.net to post an inquiry about them. Intrigued by this string I clicked, and having now read through the string, may I offer a few observations?

At some point I read that you should never talk poorly of your buddy's hunting dog. This string hints at a bit of condescension on the part of a few of you. I love it that a lab nearly 4 yrs old is beginning to point, or 'hold game'. That's so cool! And what's wrong with the trait appearing now? May wonders never cease.

Say what you want, you can teach a cat to point. Or retrieve. Or howl at the moon. I agree with Dale that there's a certain beauty to that locked, quivering <insert favorite upland breed here> on point, but who's to say that's the tradition, the only tradition, that matters? I've shot more quail WITHOUT a dog than over one, but I cannot WAIT to get a pointing lab over which I hope to harvest hundreds of birds. Will that make me subject to Dale's ridicule? (Just get a REAL pointing dog!) Will my experience be 'untraditional'? Shall I relinquish myself to posting on the 'other' message board, cast out by the 'true bird dog enthusiasts' from this forum?

You get the point (pun intended).

I wish I had Sproulman's problems...trying to figure out which dog I should raise to chase soooooo many grouse. I wish I was nearly too old to chase chukar and had to settle for a honker, mallard, rooster, and knothead in 20 minutes. And I really, really wish I had Dale's problems. 25,000 acres and all that game Dale, seriously, does it matter what kind of dog(s) you have, as long as your clients are enjoying the heck out of chasing game on your property? I'll trade you a 1,020 square foot, $650,000 house on a 6,000 square foot lot, a mere 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean here in West Los Angeles, for a small slice of your heaven.

And I'll even hunt over your treasured pointers. Yes, I'll suffer through it. With my Benelli Nova pump. Or my 870. Maybe my beat up BPS in Camo. I might even pull out the Model 12. Somehow, this country boy would survive.

But until then, I've enjoyed reading the posts and have learned a lot. Doc E, I'm meeting with John Greer at Tiger Mtn in Ellensburg Feb 3rd and would appreciate any feedback on what you know of his PLs.

Oh, one last thing:
Dale, I'll trade you a weekend hog hunt for my proof-reading expertise. Y'all got a couple uh mis-spellins on your website

Have fun y'all, and go shoot something!
David