El Gringo,

I believe a lab or GSP will serve your interests very well-my preference is for a Lab simply based on the fact that you and I are about the same age-and although I visualize myself hunting 60 days a year-my knees are telling me that as time progresses that probably won't happen like it used to. Therefore I am getting a Lab early in 2005 because my limited expience tells me that when I am 56 in a few years and I can't get out and hunt as much as I would like-my dog will be more companion than hunter-Labs tend to mellow a little better strictly in my opinion. I do believe temps and terrain should be taken into account but in the temp range you are looking at neither dog will suffer since both have the same coat characteristics which is why they can retrieve ducks in cold water. If your dog is taught to hunt and force fetch in warm weather with dove and quail then I have found hard mouth is less of a problem since you train it out of them from the beginning. Again just an opinion on my part.

As far as a post you made in Upland game-I would love to trade you a hunt in Venezuela for a hunt in Nebraska. I put a trip together every other year for my friends and we have a wonderful time.