The grouse woods will never be the same.

[setterguy]

On Sunday October 16th the grouse in MN just got a little luckier. Southern Comfort Teal, a 12 year old female setter made her last hunt. She had developed liver cancer and while not showing any pain yet, she had bloated up and gained over 10 pounds in the last three weeks. Her condition was terminal.

Teal was the best grouse dog I have had the privilige to hunt behind. She was born for the grouse woods, and thus that's where she will spend eternity. While she was not my dog, I sure feel like I lost one of my own. She was a close friends dog and the mother of my 5 year old female setter. I had the privilige to hunt behind Teal on countless occasions and I can directly credit her for my interest in grouse and the wonderful animals we use to find them. So if you are ever in Solona State forest and hear a faint bell in the distance that suddenly stops, you can bet that Teals on point.

[LABS4ME]

Nice post S.G., Sorry to hear of Teal's passing... I'm sure you can see a little of her in your dog everytime out.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Ranger Rick]

My last Setter, Molly, was a Ryman/Old Hemlock. I probably shot 600-700 birds over that dog. We lost her 1-1/2 years ago at age 14. I have a picture on my desk taken after one of our last hunts.

In her first season, she was bumping a lot of birds, but holding her share and I was killing a few. I took one of my brothers with me one Saturday in October. That darned dog must have flushed at least a dozen each grouse and woodcock that morning. Finally coming to the end of the last cover we were to hunt, she locked tight, I walked in and flushed a woodcock, which fell with one shot.

We ate some lunch, with our wives expecting us back home. But being dissapointed at the mornings hunt I convinced my brother to try one more area.

We now call that stand Woodcock Hill. One of the biggest migration flights of timber doodles I've ever seen had settled in that stand of young aspen. Molly performed like a champ and mopped them up. We shot our limit, almost running out of shells and losing sense of direction due to the cloudy day. She did not bump one bird.

After that day it all seemed to click and I had on hell of a bird dog. In February of 2003 my wife, daughters and I went to that spot and spread her ashes.

Now I have another setter that came to me from Decoverly Kennels in Pennsylavaina. He's 1-1/2 years and is starting to catch on. Sunday he held point on three woodcock, two of which went into the bag and I missed the third. He also busted 4 others and a grouse. So he's making plenty of mistakes, but also doing his job right on occassion. On Wednesday I took some time from work and went out. He held staunch point on all three bird contacts and I shot my first limit of 3 woodcock over him. He and I are both excited. I can see him catching on to the realization that he's bird dog and not just a big oaf!

While I'm having fun with the new pup, it's also a little bittersweet to hunt some of those same places where I shot so many birds over Molly.

Take care and good hunting to you.

[setterguy]

Nice story Rick, I know exactly the instant that you are talking about when they finally "get it". Here is to many more fallen birds and even more enjoyable miles for you and your dog.