Looking for a grouse dog for a beginner.
 

I hunt the Southern Tier in New York.There are alot of pine's where I hunt and it's thick.I'm looking for a pointer or a dog that will let me know that grouse are close by.
My only experience hunting with dogs are with beagles rabbit hunting.Any advice and opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Take a look at the Versatile Pointing breeds and contact the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Assoc. Look at breeds from german shorthairs to german wirehairs to brittanies, to wirehaired pointing griffons to English setters to small or large munsterlandeers and several others. I am sure there is a breed there that will catch your eye. They all will hunt grouse.
JW

English Setters are the 'old standby', but in thick cover, it's very hard to beat a good Pointing Lab.



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Oh, I could beat one. :p

Close working seems to be the way to go here. German gun dogs are bred for the walking hunter. Which means they'll work close for you.

NAVHDA http://www.southerntier-navhda.org/ Should be your first stop. Look at the various dogs while they go through their paces. Talk to the other handlers. (Then get yourself a Drahthaar.;)) But train with NAVHDA. You'll be amazed at what a versatile dog can do. Working with the other handlers as you prepare for the various versatile tests. Will give you priceless insight.

Good hunting!

I wouldn't even start thinking about a kind of dog at this time. There are way too many dogs that will do what you're asking. No idea where the southern tier of ny is. Anything below Saratoga Springs is south for me. That said, there are a ton of NAVHDA chapters around for you to scope out the versatile breeds. I would definately look up a guy on Long Island named Steve Anker who will show you some other breeds.

Find some that range far. Some that range close. Slow dogs and fast dogs. Pointers and flushers. Then start forming an opinion of what you like. Do you even want a pointing dog or a flushing dog? I think you have a really awesome journey ahead of you. Take the time and figure out what you like before going any direction.

At the end of the day though, we all know you'd get a "Insert Dog Breed Name Here."

Good luck.

A DD for a beginner :confused:
You MUST be joking.



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Why would you say that?

I'd like to understand this comment too!

JW

I have 6 springer pups avaiable, look in the classified. they should work ok as a flushing dog, otherwise they are just great companions.

I was raised behind a pointing chocolate lab. He was a great family and hunting dog. The labs tend to work better than the shorthairs in the -20 wind chills during late season pheasants. Not to say shorthairs are bad dogs, but we needed a dog that could sit in duck blind in the morning and flush pheasants in the afternoon.