DOG DAYS
DOG DAYS
The glory of dogs ... But who owns who ?
“ Old gun dogs have stood the test of time and event and circumstance . They come now , slowly , and lay at foot or close to side , jowls flat , eyes faded with the fog of cataracts , muzzles and paws white or speckled salt and pepper . But they come . They want to be close . They are great treasures , these old dogs . They are us .”
-- Bill Tarrant , Field & Stream , 1983
T by Bill Mitzel
here ’ s a dog story in most of us . In fact , all of us I suspect .
When I was a young hunter a hunting dog seemed far-removed from our pedestrian lifestyle . Field and Stream and Outdoor Life in those days ran regular features on hunting dogs . I didn ’ t pay much attention to them simply because those publications treated hunting dogs as a luxury , something only wealthy “ hunters ”
The conclusion of a long walk was always rewarding , especially with birds in hand . Dogs , by nature ( and we ’ re happy for that ) are so eager to please , asking so little in return . owned , folks who wore knee-high boots and hunted woodcock in chestnut woods in northern Maine , pants that puffed out at the thighs , neatly-pressed checkered shirts , hats ( not caps ) with one side bent toward the center , the gunner often seen with a tobacco pipe in his mouth . We didn ’ t identify with that . Nor did most plains folks . I ’ m not sure those guys even wore ordinary underwear , maybe no underwear .
The Hunting Master Manual
I grew into hunting in primitive fashion , like most kids . Dad , his brothers and friends “ winged ” it , no pun intended . They walked , played their hunches , trudged through cattails , heavy brush and slough bottoms . They sneaked , they crawled , they got dirty , wet and tired . All
Page 50 , Dakota Country , September 2024 www . dakotacountrymagazine . com