Been a while........

Wow! I realized this morning that it had been a month since my last post! For this i am sorry.

I have seen alot of activity and thought i had better post something.

Since the Pheasant Derby i have been out hunting quite a bit. I have been out for ducks, geese, pheasant, chukar. I have not taken many photos lately. Concentrating mostly on enjoyment of the hunt and working the dog these days. There is a few months left in the hunting season and breed shows are around the corner not to mention time to start training for tests again. So i wanted to share some VJP and breed show articles as well as refer anyone interested to past posts of the subject.

For past posts on VJP and Breed shows please refer to: http://drahthaaraddiction.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

For some helpful articles go to:http://www.drahthaar.com/articles/index.html

I also put together a website for my chapter in the VDD. Wild West Chapter baby! Check it out. Just some more Drahthaar stuff to do! I love it! It will be a good way to stay updated on all the VDD GNA Chapter happenings........Wild West Chapter Website click here.

As for our past adventures, duck hunting has been fun. More productive than years past along with the pheasants and chukar too. It has been a really fun hunting season so far. Now that i can focus on letting the dog work more and more. And getting that exposure too more and more. I think this exposure will really help out in the upcoming training for VGP. Hessian is still a ball of fire, but calming much more, understanding me alot more as i am him as well.

Took off out west in chase of chukar this weekend, took a couple pics, nothing too fancy but thought i should share. Never did find the birds, saw lots of sign, a few cottontails and some deer. So it wasn't a total waste....then again what day in God's country with family and a Drahthaar is?

Enjoy the pics, Happy holidays. I will post again sooner than a month i promise!

Pheasant Derby 2009

Once again it was time for the annual Pheasant Derby at Wasatch Wings and Clay. Oh what a time it was! Better than last year for sure. Alot more prizes on the table this year. Good ones too. 2 shotguns, lots of Wasatch Wing and Clay Carhartt Jackets, memberships, hunts, clay shoots, gift cards and even a puppy. Mind it was no Drahthaar but a German Shorthair to train and hunt. I tried for it, but it wasn't my name that won. Oh well.. there will be others! There was a great turnout and my father in law and myself along with my trustee Drahthaar, Hessian had a blast!

Once the rooster flew and they yelled "Go", it was off to the races as everyone ran for their vehicle and headed to a spot to hunt. We got to our area quick as I had already planned the area I wanted to hunt. Luckily no one there yet so off we went. Took about a half hour of walking and Hessian searching and then it was Game On! We had our chance at quite a few roosters.

Mark, my father in law did most the shooting......It was my objective to show him a good time and my chance to really work my dog for some one who would enjoy it. I shot 2 birds, gave one to another hunter so i could continue the hunt with Mark. Kept on hunting, alot of shooting went on, birds would get missed and we would chase them down and get em the second time. A couple birds got wounded and then Hessian's tracking skills had to come into play. No problem, point track and retrieve baby!

Ended up that day with 8 roosters and a hen. What a fabulous hunt! Hessian did exactly as he was supposed to. Pointed, stayed steady for us to arrive and flush, steady to 3 shots or more, steady to fall. Took off like at rocket at "fetch", retrieve to hand! Awesome!!!

Can't wait till next year. Had a great time, made Mark happy, had dinner for two nights and shared with my parents and sisters family all the tasty pheasant. Be sure to watch Roughin it Outdoors Channel 2 or KUTV for more Saturday Nov 7th at 11:00 pm

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Went out for a little duck hunting yesterday. Headed out to Ogden Bay with Biz. Got out there, walked for about a half hour - fourty minutes and found a spot to set up. Tossed out a half a dozen decoys and began the waiting game. Got quite a few pass overs, although most of them were just to high. It got a little better toward sundown, more ducks coming in our way, alot more looks and passes and Biz even called a few our way a couple times. We were able to get some shots fired off which always feels good but bagged no ducks this day. Next time, feathered friends, next time!

Why We Own Drahthaars

I wanted to share this story that was e mailed to me by fellow addict Kevin Quast. He received this an email with the same title as this post, from his good friend Dave Swanson.

Kevin had forwarded this on to me and it really caught my attention. Those of you who know and understand my passion for this breed understand I am a firm believer in using this breed for every purpose it was made for. This post will will show, this is why we own Drahthaars. The versatility, the trainability. The pure fact that no game will be left behind. The true nature of ethical hunting done right.

Good Hunting guys, thanks for passing this along Kevin and Dave.

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I thought you might like to hear about the buck Franky & I recovered last night (Monday, Oct. 26, 2009). My friend shot him at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. We started the track at 2 p.m. Monday and found him about 3:30 p.m. Total estimated distance was 1/2 mile. The first 400 yards of the track was through a nice clean oak stand, and we found plenty of blood. The next 300 yards or so was through a swamp with calf-deep water but plenty of swamp grass for scenting. Blood was spotted only about every 20 to 30 yards. Franky took me to the edge of a swollen creek to deep for us to cross, and we found blood where I assumed the buck stood before crossing. We stood at the edge of the water where I took off the leash and gave Franky a fetch command. He swam across went to the east about 10 yards, restarted himself and went to the north about the same distance, came back and restarted himself again -- this time with his nose glued to the ground heading west. Franky was gone for about minute, and I heard a bark. I told my friend Jon he found the buck. We headed to where Jon knew of a bridge to cross and found the buck about another 100 yards from where Franky crossed the creek and right where he had tracked him and barked. The deer weighed 209 lbs and rough scored 153 inches with a 19 1/2 inch inside spread. This was by far the most exciting track I have ever went on.

Dave Swanson
Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Armbruster Video Finally!!

Armbruster video finally is finished. Sorry this took so long everyone, I had alot of pictures to go through and figure out which ones to use and which get set aside. Thanks to Lee and Zac for sharing your photo's. Some of these may look familiar if you have seen Lee's Slideshow on his website. I added a few others and some music, so enjoy the memories and all the pics it is a bit long but i wanted to try and include a little of everything. Sorry on the length i know download times suck for some, but enjoy none the less.

I also put a VIDEO tab on the main site, I have uploaded a few fom the past and recent making them a little easier to fall back on. I was unable to upload this video here. So just click on the link in this post or return to HOME and go to VIDEO from there. I have been getting some harrasment that these are fun to watch but hard to find when lost so check out that page too.

Utah Gambling?

No I am not having a casino party......Although that does sound pretty fun! Or maybe you were thinking Quail when you read the title....But no, I am not talking about that either.

I am actually talking about my recent trip out to Wasatch Wings and Clay. To appease my hunting urge, i decided to drive 45 minutes away from home and bang a couple birds. Little did i forget my shooting skills are not so up to par! Therefore the gambling.... Hessian did his job fine, it was a day on the warm side for sure. High 70's, and it didn't take long for Hess to wear down but in the meantime i had shot one hen and watched 2 roosters fly in to cover down below. We headed back to the truck for a little break and started over.

We headed back out, for the one hen i knew we had not seen yet, and within minutes Hess locked up and watched as i flushed the bird and shot....Down it went..Fetch! Mission 1 complete.

Time to chase down those 2 Roosters i had seen. It is cooling off now, the wind is blowing good now and we are off. Within a few minutes the wind got real gusty and Hessian is acting real birdy. He is tracking alot and stopping, relocating, like he was trying to pin a bird. Then Bam! He's locked hard! I rush over and sure enough theres a Rooster, Kick, Flush, Click.....Click? No Not click.....Bang.... RELOAD! OK......Bang!!!! Fly away...fly away rooster!!!!

That about summed it up. That bird was not landing soon and was gone away now. We looked for a while longer for the last rooster to no avail. Not sure where he went off to, but it wasn't in my game pack.

All in a few hours we had enjoyed ourselves and the time outdoors. Shot a couple birds and got dinner for one night.Not bad. Wasatch Wings has always been a fun little place, Its alot closer than Wendover if ya need a gamble!

New Puppy

Oh no.....someone has themselves a new pup! Zac's friend ,Loren, was looking for a hunting dog and liked what he had seen in Lola and Hessian and began his search for a Drahthaar. Starting doing his research and with Zac's help was on his way to Vernal to pick up a pup from Jon Davis at vom Red Rock. He has only had her a few weeks now but Greta ( Bella) vom Red Rock seems very comfortable. The new owners seem delighted as well. Hessian and Lola didn't seem to be too bothered by her either. They pretty much just went on about there business, curious but uninvolved. I can't wait to continue my addiction with this pup. I'm sure we will be spending alot of time with giving lots of exposure and preparing her for her journey as a hunting and family companion.

I am still planning to put together some training days for all the new puppy owners and owners of new puppies. Lets get together and help each other out, so the breed can continue to develop and be the best it can be. Contact me if you are interested and have not yet heard from me, and as for all the other guys that i know, real well, that have puppies, lets get rolling, i have heard your interest in doing something like this so don't back out now, lets set some dates. lLet me know what works or doesn't work for you.

Armbruster 2009 slide show is coming.....

Armbruster photo's are coming I promise! I have alot of photos and have been sorting through trying to put them together without making an hour long video. I am still waiting to see if a few more come in from the other cameras that were out and about. If you have some photo's you would like to share of the Armbruster, please click here to send them in.
Also in the meantime, here's a few links to see some Armbruster pics:
Lee Root of Vom Okanogan-Flusstal Drahthaars has a nice Armbruster Slide show and an interesting site so check that out. As well the VDD-GNA site has a few pages dedicated to pictures of the Armbruster, also being worked on so keep checking back to see the updates. As of now the Best Of pictures are up as well as the Armbruster Ranking List. In the meantime i will post up some pictures of our recent trip to Wasatch Wings and Clay.As well as our recent excursion with a new Drahthaar puppy owner. Ah the fun is beginning again! Cant wait for another VJP Spring!
I want to put some training days together this winter and on from there leading to the VJP. If you have any interest in doing this with your puppy you can email me for more information as i develop a plan.

Duck Hunt Opener 2009

So upset i missed the actual opening morning as i had to work that day, I suppose we all know that pain, but life goes on!
Made it out on Sunday for what was my duck opener. Went out to the Mac's duck club and what a time we had!
First i must say i have never shot so much on a duck hunt! That was real. There were so many ducks around i had to play like a statue most the time to keep from scaring them away. I must not be very good at staying still cuz they saw me or the dog move a few times and changed their flight path. Hunted out of a sink box style blind for my first time. That was interesting. A little,maybe 5x5 concrete bunker permanently built into the swamp that sits about 10 inches above the water. Talk about weird. Out in the middle of the water, waiting, dog laying on top with a camo hoodie draped over him. Even Hessian didn't know what to think.
That was the morning hunt. Then it was time for lunch and cocktails at the local bar. Yes there is a bar nearby, duh. Ha good times good food, got warm and dry and headed back to the club. Rested up another hour or so and hit it again. This time in an above water blind. More good times, just not so great shooting. Man i need some practice on ducks. Either trying to shoot too far out of range, or not leading them enough. Either way i need practice.....
All in all Hessian did well. We need to hunt like this more so he can get the hang of it. Had a few hang ups in the retrieves through decoys but we worked it out. I think he enjoyed it, I know i did.
Thanks Mac, I had a BLAST!
Now it is off to Wyoming for the Armbruster. Going to watch some Drahthaars in action from all over the country and meet some Germans. In the meantime doing some hunting in Nebraska!!
Ya Nebraska!
Next post will be full of Armbruster and Nebraska!