Firelight SettersKnowing that in the past I had judged dozens of AKC Hunt Tests (HTs) as well as trained and ran numerous dogs through all levels, I recently had some folks ask me to talk a bit about HTs relative to ryman-type setters. HTs were developed by the AKC about 30 years ago and…
The following was written by Dr. Cristina Arrigoni Martelli, who grew up with gundogs and hunting in Europe but for many years now has been a grouse/woodcock guide and hunter in Maine. She has always run Brittanys but now has her first ryman-type setter puppy, “Frank”, and wrote this to me in a…
Rum Creek Setters
Life with English Setters for me was prompted by an article in the 1980’s by long-time outdoors writer Tom Opre. His description of the traits of English Setters still make them a special breed today. My first setter, Sadie, was from Jagerlust Setters in Holly, Michigan and she set the bar for the…
Founders“Do all dysplastic dogs have pain?” This question cannot be answered with absolute certainty. However it can be said with confidence that hip dysplasia does cause pain for most, if not all, dogs that are affected by it. In our last post on hip dysplasia (HD) we pointed out how the severity of…
Walt LesserI will be at West Virginia’s Elk Spring’s Resort on May 20, joining authors Tom Carney (“Among the Aspens”) and Bob DeMott (“Angling Days”), along with Fly Fishing Artist, Andrea Larko. This is located on the headwaters of the Elk River during the peak time of year for the popular Sulphur hatch. Walt Lesser
October Setters
We’ve finally settled in at home and got ourselves caught up so we thought we’d post our assessment of the first Ryman Setters .com breeder’s gathering in Kansas back in January. We were quite impressed with the turnout, both in terms of the number of breeders and their dedication/commitment to producing healthy first…
Woodcock are currently returning north from their wintering grounds in the southeast, presenting an ideal opportunity for those of us interested in training or exercising our setters. Working our dogs on returning woodcocks without a gun, practicing a “catch and release” form of hunting, is a great way to get exercise and extend…