Gun Dog

WILDERNESS. The word itself is music. These words hit home to me as I read them laying in my camper with two bird dogs snoring at my feet. I had spent a long day in the wild, chasing mountain gobblers in early spring. My dogs, Lincoln and Jones, were along to enjoy camp and the mountain air—and I was glad to have them to keep me warm on this cool night, high off the beaten path. It means something lost and something still present, something remote and at the same time intimate, something buried in our blood and nerves, something beyond us and without limit. Outside, the wind rustled lightly through the pines, and the darkness blanketed the landscape. The stars provided the only light for miles. It was just how we like…

NOTHING SAYS October like the flush of ruffed grouse from golden aspens. Finding the king of game birds is no easy task, though, as they are well-known for their complex food and shelter preferences. The solution? E-scouting is the most effective way to find these wild birds’ favorite covers. Here is how to find more ruffs for you and your gun dog this October. UTILIZE ACCESS LAYERS By toggling on layers such as Walk-In and Possible Access layers, you’ve just opened up thousands of acres of possible land to hunt. Many states offer walk-in programs—private land opened to the public for hunting—and these can be recognized on the map as plots of land marked with red dots. Additionally, the Possible Access layer is great for grouse hunters who hunt the northwoods. The…

LUCKY DUCK KENNEL COT The Lucky Kennel Cot gives your dog comfort while also being versatile for your needs. It is built in different sizes to fit inside the Lucky Duck Kennels, increasing airflow under your dog to keep them cool and dry them off quickly when wet. It serves as a comfortable bed in the kennel during travel, and is removable so it can be used as a bed or place platform. Made of durable Teslin material with a powder coated steel frame and rubber feet. $80–$100; luckyduck.com WINCHESTER KING BUCK O RING HIGH VISIBILITY REFLECTIVE COLLAR This collar is the perfect crossover between classy and utilitarian. The leather band provides durability and elegance, and the PVC coating makes it easy to clean. The reflective PVC web base makes sure your dog has reflective visibility,…

IF YOU’RE ANYTHING like me, you live out of your truck come fall. Between dogs, hunting and dog gear, first aid and safety equipment, and more, your truck needs the proper organizational system and accessories to safely get you and your pups in and out of the backcountry. Here’s my go-to truck system and kit. GEAR STORAGE I was tired of digging to the bottom of storage bins or crawling in the bed of my truck for a loose piece of gear—the Decked Drawer system came to my rescue. Two full-bed length sliding drawers allow me to store everything from shotguns and ammo to dog collars and dog bowls. Drawer dividers let me section off the drawers for organization, while heavy duty bins help to keep my toolkit and miscellaneous gear locked…

IF YOU’RE a fan of Costco’s chicken bake, then you’ll like this recipe. Lots of melted cheese, meat, bacon, and green onion encased in light pizza crust—what's not to like? In addition to chukar, quail, pheasant, and wild turkey breasts would work, too. Don’t overthink cooking the meat—it just needs to be cooked. Poached in chicken stock, roasted in the oven, or seared in a pan, they all work. Lightly salt the meat, because all the cheese and bacon will provide more than enough sodium. Although you could get away with using the meat off chukar or quail legs for this recipe, I’d caution against using pheasant or wild turkey legs because they will probably be too tough. However, you could slow cook them until tender if you can dedicate the…

IN 1967, Italian Bruno Civolani invented the inertia-operated semiauto shotgun, and in doing so, he revolutionized shotgun design. Benelli utilized the design in their autoloading shot- shotguns, first with their Model 121 shotgun in 1968 and later with guns, their first 20-gauge offering, the SL (Super Luxury) 201, in 1973. In 1983, Benelli’s shotguns took another evolutionary step forward with the release of the Montefeltro, a semiauto inertia-operated shotgun that utilized a rotating bolt head, detachable trigger guard/trigger group, and a wraparound design. Benelli shotguns were first imported to the United States through HK, but that changed in 1997 when Benelli USA was founded in Accokeek, Maryland. Though it hasn’t earned as much press as its Super Black Eagle cousins, the Montefeltro has been a staple for shooters and hunters since…