Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-10-03
BIRD DOCS" READY
FOR ACTIVE WORK
Pointers and Settlers Ideally
Trained for Short Hunt
ing Season
SPANIEL. IS
A RETRIEVER

Now that the season practically is
open throughout the United States for
upland game and migratory shore
birds and waterfowl, mans best com
panion, the dog, now comes to the
front for the brief hunting season.
The best bird dogs are the point
ors and settlers. These type Of dogs,
when ideally trained will range in
front Of the hunter in wide half cir
Giles and cover all the ground. They
will not go over the same ground
twice. and at the first scent of the
bird will come to a dead point re-
manning steadfast until the hunter
comes up
What more magnificent sight IL
there in the hunting field than the
dogs with their muscles standing out
like whip cords. their heads bent for
ward and the tails straight out? IT
is a picture worth creating in death
less bronze.
sportsman is the incautious dog which
will flush the quail. Sometimes 1t Is
by accident. sometimes by inadveri-
ance. but the careful bird hunter WI
do everything humanity possible L
correct this fault.
Occasionally it happens that
pointer or a setter is so well trained
that if his front foot is raised when
ne comes to a point his whole body
will grow rigid at once. Sometimes q
hind foot will be raised.
Pointers Intelligent.
Pointers and settlers are wonderful
~ intelligent even when the hunter
does not come up promptly. They
have been known TO go back and
round up the hunter and then go for
ward again to the point.
The settlers and pointers used b1
American spOrtsmen are mainly de-
seconded from impOrtations from the
British Isles. Among the English set
tiers the chief Of the family in This
country are the Llewellyn, the Glad
stone and the Blue Belden Other
members of the family are the Gordon
or Scotch setter and the Irish setter
or the two bird dogs the setter
shows a stronger attachment to it's
master and possesses a greater de-
gree OF energy and quickness of mo-
tiou than the pointer. In partridge
and quail shooting the setter is a most
remarkable assistant For duck
shooting the spaniel OF various varie-
ties is used.
When properly trained the wNter
- 4
skill and rapidity. but Il dives well
He is a wonderful retriever in shoot
ing along the margin Of creeks and in
the marshes.
For rough work in icy waters the
Chesapeake Bay dog. supposed to lie
n cross between the Newfoundland
and the water spaniel. is a wonder for
endurance and swimming qualities. In
certain sections of the country gun
ners going out for rabbits use beagles
and other small dogs resembling
hounds in packs in hunting rabbits
Water Spaniel Retriever.
In shooting mallards the game viii
frequently escape by sulking or hiding
in the grass but by having the water
spaniel or the Chesapeake Bay dog In
the boat or blind the gunner NAV BIZ
sure of getting his duck.
Few cripples will escape the Chesa
peake Bay dog So intelligent is tn,
animal that when two birds fall the
dirty sedge colored dog will follow
the wounded bird. Also the dog knows
the live decoy bird
The use OF hounds in following dec
is prohibited in a number of the thir
ty-six States that have an open sea
son for deer this year. SpOrtsmen use
hounds in these days only for bear
couger and bObcat hunting.
Bear dogs are particularly used il
the Southern States and they are o
various sizes and kinds. rough haircC
terriers. hounds and ours A properly
trained pack OF bear dogs are not ex
pected TO attack and kill the bear. bu
70 nip him at his heels. to tree him Of
TO bring him to bay until the hunters
arrive
To follow the cOuger the hound no
only must have great endurance pow
ers. but there must also be in tn,
pack good strong fighting dogs to hi
in at the finish.
Dogs Enjoy the Hunt.
II is hard to say which enjoys bob
ers or the dog. Every coon and ever
bobcat likes to fight, and the dogs arr
keen to get into scrap. Both beinl
accommodating. with none to hole
either side back, both sides mix it NJ
well until the dog wins out.
Bobcat hunting is only a success
however. when the dogs are trained Il
their work Former President Roose
welt, who is a big game hunter. an
who has killed bobcats weighing be
tween 81 and 80 pounds. says tina
hounds that are not perfectly trained
are worse than useless"
That is true Of bird dogs as well
Il is not only trying on the dog bu
trying on the nerves of the hunter al
well. The dog chasing after every
thing that flies comes back exhauste'
and the gunner is in no condition 4
pnfOv tho HINT