Blog

Once Upon a Time

December 18, 2024 | Field Trial Recollections | Comments

Once upon a time, about 1990, a young man from Albany, Georgia, had a great job. He was dog trainer and hunt manager on one of the south’s largest Yankee Quail Plantations. His father was manager of the plantation, his brother the manager of its pecan orchards and other agricultural operations. He had won two years in a row the Yankee Trial, the Owner’s Trial of the Georgia-Florida Field Trial Club, composed of the multimillionaire owners of the quail plantations between Albany and Tallahassee. The Club has since 1916 sponsored each President’s Day (except in war years) a one-day trial for wagon dogs from the plantations. Read more

A New Grouse Hunter

December 9, 2024 | Grouse Hunting, Short Stories | Comments

Sam Scales had just sold his AI Startup to a consortium of Private Equity firms for $1 Billion (his share) and embraced a new-to-him sport: Ruffed Grouse Hunting. He brought to it the same intensity he had to the Startup. He was a math genius with a photographic memory and a control freak, traits that did not equip him for easy companionship. But one trip into Maine abandoned-farm country, where he saw one grouse rise and fall to the shot of his host, hooked him. Read more

A Misunderstanding

November 29, 2024 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments

Misunderstandings destroy understandings, parent-child bonds, sibling affections, business deals. Among the most fragile of business relationships is bird dog field trial handler partnerships, known as ‘helpin’ each other.” With the wisdom only age brings, Ben and Sam often worked to heal misunderstandings among their acquaintances. Misunderstandings often arose during pointing dog field trials, an arcane world Ben had long inhabited and Sam viewed from afar through Ben’s eyes and stories Read more

My Thanksgiving

November 27, 2024 | Ferrel Miller, Poetry | Comments

This Thanksgiving I give thanks For the opportunities To watch great all-age dogs Looking back on those years I give thanks for the chances God gave me to write up The best dogs of those days Read more

Rosco and Meg

November 22, 2024 | Poetry | Comments

Rosco said he’d scout for me No one else would, so I said thanks He led Meg out and cut her loose She grabbed an edge and took it, out of sight Rosco swung up on his ugly mare Reined her into woods on right Next thing I know Meg popped out on the left Took that edge forward, happy, fast, to my delight Read more

Opening Day

November 15, 2024 | Poetry | Comments

Opening Day On your way With your bird dogs It’s the best life can be Another season you’ve made To go forth behind them As they surge before you Seeking scent on the breeze Read more

The Surest Way

November 6, 2024 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments

Ben Reach seemed to spend more time on fights among siblings these days than any other problem. And the leading cause of the disputes was joint ownership of real estate inherited from a parent. “Don’t leave your children property to own together. It’s a sure recipe for an ugly fight,” Ben would say. His father had had a saying forty years earlier, “Surest way to destroy brotherly love is to leave brothers shared ownership of a farm — or anything else.” Read more

Abandoned Churches of North Dakota

October 24, 2024 | Poetry | Comments

Have you driven North Dakota Seen the churches long abandoned Standing unpainted off the highways Still standing tall as when erected by Homesteaders Just off ships from Norway, Sweden, Germany? Families hauled here by the railroads The Great Northern and the Soo Line In their immigrant cars filled with Man, wife, children, team, cow, shoat, ewe and goose Read more

No Thrill

October 19, 2024 | Poetry | Comments

There is no thrill so fine As to release a derby you Have bred and raised from a pup In its first field trial stake Watch it cast to the front Hunt in yonder to a ridge Turn to see you here behind Then cast on in glee to find Birds to point and hold — For an instant Then as fall falls away Into winter as it grows Into a muscled real bird dog And stays longer at its finds Lets you walk in front to flush Finally watches birds fly away Stays put to get your praise Earned by learning what you want How long will it take You never know until it’s done But when it is you can take pride In your journey with your pup Read more

No Chance

October 11, 2024 | Poetry | Comments

I was sitting on a bar stool In a dark beer joint With a long neck Bud And a pickled pig's foot I was alone Nursin' a grudge 'Gainst a field trial judge Just throwed out my dog For flaggin' on point Read more