Bob West The.

Dave Carty Do this quick exam at the end of each hunt. Bird dogs have a tough life. They plow through freezing waves to retrieve ducks, burrow through briars to roust out pheasants and rip themselves open on barbed wire. All of which they’re willing to do. But it’s up to you to see after their well-being, and an easy way to catch small problems before they develop into large ones is with a tailgate checkup.

Tony J. Peterson Rooster Recon There are a couple things that dictate where you’ll find roosters this month, especially if you’re hunting public land. The first is geothermal cover. This might be cattails, a row of pine trees, or anything that blocks the wind and traps in a little extra heat. This type of cover also has the added benefit of extra protection from predators. The other thing is, well, predators.

Jerry Cacchio Photo Credit: Adam Tangsrud Two functional dogs—but which one fits your needs? As I’ve alluded to in previous installments of this column, my relationship with dogs has always centered around Springer spaniels. My personal dogs, and my trial dogs, were English springers—my reputation has been inextricably connected to that breed.