SC, That old Setter in the picture above, is actually 13 years old, almost compleatly deaf, and has cloudy eyes to boot, although he was a stud muffin, in his day. And I would conservatively guess he easily has had 100 grouse a season shot at, over him for 11 plus years,I hunted him, so he certainly has made the "1000 Grouse" club; during his years with us. Of course he could not stay at it long on warm days, and has trouble keeping track of us because he can't hear me, but an old client that has hunted with us for years Just loves him from his many trips hunting over him, insisted we take him out for a morning last fall. I agreed to his plan, and we drove out for one last hunt for them. I went to a couple of my "better private covers" where no one but us hunts , where I knew there were some younger first year birds, to give him the best chance for success......... and this perticular chap, is a champion wing shot, that shoots his 20 ga Purdy, amazingly, so that certainly figures into this hunt heavily. So when the old dog wound up pointing 7 Grouse in the two covers we hunted that beautiful crisp October morning; Gary expertly shot the dog; 4 of them, for him. Well you have never seen a prouder dog in your life! He was prancing around like a 2 year old, lifting his paws higher than I have seen him lift them in years, and if a dog could smile he was beaming. I think just for a moment he was 2 again and life couldn't have been better! Of course at 13 years old when we got back to the truck he tryed his damedest to jump up into the bed of the truck and he just couldn't do it. So I had to actually pick him up, and put him on the tailgate, ( which he actually loves it, when I baby him like that) he then looked his birds over and spun around a few times to show off in front of the other dogs now tearing at the doors of their boxes, as if to say " and that's how it's done boys" then walked into his box and flopped down, totally exhausted. His stud book official name is " Twin Lakes Bandit" but I always have just called him Bandy; however the girls all call him "Bandy Boo" and always give him extra everything.......
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The beauty of the 2nd amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it" - Thomas Jefferson
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