In the Army Infantry, all soldiers, regardless of rank, are taught from the beginning to be leaders. The “Follow Me” mantra means that as a leader we are expected to lead from the front. Wildrose Law #1- Dogs are looking for a leader. Wildrose Law #2- If they can’t find one, they will attempt to become one. Our job as the trainer and handler is to be the leader- the pack leader! As the leader you set the task, condition and standard for training and what is expected both in the home and afield. But what does all that entail? On page 44 of Sporting Dog and Retriever Training the Wildrose Way, t ..read more

SITFFR is looking for new board members. If you’re interested in joining, please contact Kuni Smith at 860-318-5365 ..read more

According to legend, ghosts, ghouls, and other mythical creatures that sneak through the early-morning gloom will inevitably cross paths with those who spend time in their secluded haunts. As waterfowl hunters, we find ourselves in foggy, damp, sometimes eerie conditions that can play tricks on already heightened senses. As a service to Ducks Unlimited members, we looked into reports of paranormal activity in some of the nation’s top waterfowl hunting destinations, so you’ll be better informed about what might be waiting in the predawn darkness and possibly even verify the unexplained. The Pin ..read more

It is expected that a properly trained gundog brings back birds, preferably uneaten, and delivers them to hand. Game recovery remains a high priority of the retriever and making solid deliveries is a requirement. Delivery Desirables: ·   No occasional dropping of the bird. ·   No dropping to shake at the water’s edge. ·   No playing with the bumper or bird. ·   No chewing, mouthing, chomping, or crushing of any retrieved object. ·   No plucking of a bird afield. ·   No dropping at the handler’s feet. Delivery Expectations: ·   A clean, fast pickup of the obje ..read more

A book by LAURIE BOGART WILES and John Wiles – buy in Amazon >> Whether they’re beginners or seasoned shooters, women need to know some subtle (and not so subtle) differences to excel in—and enjoy—the shotgun sports. Ladies are not built like men. They don’t think like men. Women don’t react, move, or process life like men. And they don’t shoot like men. Firearms writer and shooter Laurie Bogart Wiles now offers a comprehensive guide to shotgunning targeted at the female shooter and covering target shooting, trap, skeet, five stand, FITASC, and wingshooting. Shotgun Sports for Women incl ..read more

Does your gundog independently hunt on his own turning a deaf ear to commands and directions? Is he or she not stopping to the whistle thinking they “got this,” capable of locating and making the retrieve without any assistance from you, the handler? The cause of dysfunctional independence in retrievers is their lack of trust in the handler’s communications or the dog has had the ability to run around locating birds with no real clear sense of direction from the handler. All the communication that’s going on from the handler has been lots of yelling, profanity and angry emotions which only dam ..read more

Ingredients: For the fried pheasant breast: 4 pheasant breast fillets 2 cups buttermilk 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder Vegetable oil, for frying For the grits: 1 cup stone-ground grits 4 cups water 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper, to taste Instructions: Place the pheasant breast fillets in a shallow dish and pour the buttermilk over them. Ensure the fillets are fully submerged in the buttermilk. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best re ..read more

Now that we have had our first heat index over 100 degrees in Texas, it’s time to talk about water. If you are raising a future duck-hunting companion, this is a very important step in the life of your future duck dog. Decisions here can mean the difference between a dog that practically lives in the water or a dog that you spend its lifetime encouraging it to do what hundreds of years of breeding meant for it to do. If you are going to do this right, be patient and enjoy the process. If you don’t like getting wet or dirty, raising a pup that likes water and mud is going to be that much harder ..read more

Having been in the booking business for quite a while now, my key to a successful career was always great hunts in foreign countries, not just Canada (and a brief stint in Mexico) either, but really wonderful wingshooting places like Argentina, Bolivia, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, England, France, and Scotland, plus South Africa. Covid put the kibosh on that for the past two years as most anybody knows, and the current state of the world, which is following the Ukraine/Russia conflict on an hourly basis, is not good, so travel has been down to say the least. With Covid restrictions coming dow ..read more

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