Classic SettersWe have been travelling to Wisconsin to grouse and woodcock hunt and meet with fellow Ryman Setter breeders and friends since the 1980’s. In recent years we have combined this trip with a trip to South Dakota to hunt prairie grouse and pheasants. We pack up our setters and our Airstream trailer and hit the road for 3 weeks. Joining us this year in Wisconsin were fellow Ryman-type setter breeder J. C. Smith (Sugar Creek English Setters) and friend Bill Ingraham. Unfortunately, absent this year were Lisa and Cliff Weisse (October Setters). J. C. continued on with us to South Dakota where we also met up with breeders Walt Cottrell and Mike MacDonald. While in Wisconsin we missed the main woodcock flights but managed to find some local birds most days. Grouse numbers were good enough to keep it interesting.
In South Dakota we were able to get the dogs into good numbers of prairie grouse, and this year that was mostly prairie chickens. One of the joys of this trip is to go from the dense grouse and woodcock cover in Wisconsin to the wide-open grasslands of South Dakota and see the dogs adjust to the cover and birds. Frank started bird hunting on grouse and woodcock and it will always be special to him, but seeing our dogs open up and handle birds in these grasslands has become some of our favorite hunting.
With us this year for the first time was Mori, our imported stud dog from Iceland. On this trip we introduced him to 5 new species of gamebirds and we are very impressed with the way he runs, adjusts to cover, and how he is learning to handle these new birds. While in Wisconsin we also had the chance to vist with Liz and Daniel Hafstad and their pup Ida from Mori’s first U.S. litter; to see more about that litter see this post: https://rymansetters.com/hafrafells-mori-x-october-flaming-autumn-litter-a-first-look/
Beau, our stud dog that we produced, continues to amaze us with how well he has learned to handle birds in these vastly different landscapes and the “bird-sense” he has as a 5-year-old.
Beau pointing prairie chickens in South Dakota
Hunting prairie grouse this late in the season is challenging but watching our dogs alongside of J. C.’s Chica and Roxanne work birds for 100’s of yards by making wide casts to relocate running birds until they finally hold and let you get close enough for a shot is thrilling! –Fran and Frank.
Frank and JC working a point by Chica and Beau in South Dakota, Fran is behind the camera.