airedale

As mentioned several times the methods many use to hunt Deer are dictated by the land they have to hunt on. Small land holdings take away most still hunting, tracking techniques so stands whatever type one prefers is the way to go. Personally I get wicked bored sitting on or in a stand for long periods of time, I love still hunting and tracking, for me it is all about the chase and pitting woodsmanship skill against superior senses, I guess that is why I am addicted to small game, getting after the quarry. Al

After checking out a bunch of online videos about stumping (and there are many!) as it is called, I did not realize that it is quite popular among archers that shoot with fingers. It is something that I am going to participate in a lot more as I find it quite enjoyable and laid back, just sent for some points that I may like better than my bludgeon type. What is great about this is that all of my archery equipment is suitable for this type of shooting. Al

All were taken with a shotgun, Airedales are flushing dogs for the most part, TJ was a good track dog with a pretty fair nose, he also was an accurate tree locator and would bark on the tree, which made him decent on Coons, Squirrels and Possums. Al

I have had some pretty fun days in the field hunting during my lifetime but one stands out above all, hunting with one of my Airedales named TJ. It was a combination of this remarkable dog's game finding ability and the sheer non stop action and game variety taken that made the day unforgettable. The photo shows what game we did take, a grouse, a pheasant, a cottontail rabbit, a coon and a fox, had I not missed two Woodcocks he flushed and a squirrel he treed i would have been even better. Al

This is the time of year I start doing deep cleaning and any seasonal maintenance on my firearms, also gives me a chance to play around with and inspect them. Did all of my lever action rifles this week, the lever rifles are some of my favorites and I have done quite a bit of hunting with them with good success. Had a friend of mine here while I was playing with the lever rifles and he asked me which one was my favorite, it is a very hard choice but if I had to pick one it would be the 99 Savage, it is a timeless proven design, What puts it over the top is it offers cartridges that have a bit more range in open country which gives it a bit more versatility, it is a rifle in my opinion that should still be in production today. Marlin 45-70 model 95 Marling 44 mag model 94 Marlin 357 mag model 94 Winchester 284 model 88 Savage 250-3000 model 99A Marlin Levermatic 256 Winchester mag Al

I have had my cookstove in the kitchen fired up for about a month now, on top of my refrigerator I have a quiet but high CFM Vornado fan blowing toward the living-dining room. I do not have a big house but it is heated pretty well with just this setup circulating and mixing the air. I have been using this setup for years now and it works fairly well. What you want to stay away from is one of those stove top fans that generate their power from heat, expensive, low CFMs and they do not last. Al

Actually, I still pretty much hunt many of the ways described above, I am a ground hunter so there are no stands for me, I have piled brush to make a ground blind on good runs if I am in the mood for a sit. No phones either, I have a cell phone but it sits here on my desk and use it if I do any traveling, when I do use a phone it is an old conventional cordless house phone. I do have a pocket camera that I use quite a bit these days. Never checked one in at a country store either. Al

The number one lesson a Coyote dog has to learn is recall, this step is taught with the use of an electronic collar with a tone button. When that tone button is hit the dog must return to the hunter-handler without hesitation. There is a method to the madness, part one is when the Coyotes come into the call the dog is released and goes to the Coyote and gives chase. The tone button is then hit and the dog comes back to the hunter with the Coyotes tolling in pursuit shortly after. The Dog will stay close to the hunter keep the Coyote's attention focused giving the hunter a chance for a good shot. Once the shot is taken the dog is released and will clean things up if necessary. I use my dogs in a modified version of the above method I learned from an old veteran hunter on the Airedale message board named Bob McClellan from California who has since passed away. He would never send his dogs out to toll, they were trained to stay close to him at all times. The scenario would be much the same as after the dog was recalled in the above video. Hunting mostly woods this method has worked best for me. The Coyote's attention will be focused on my dog long enough for me to get a shot. I have had a bit of success with Foxes using that method also. Old "Slick" below was the last dog I had trained for varmints as I don't hunt them anywhere near as much as I once did.

I can see where this type of taxidermy is pricey as a lot of works goes into that kind of mount, can't tell you if those prices are the going rates but I can see why you are looking to have it done, a crossbow bear is an exceptional accomplishment in my view. Al

I put up a hi quality video I think is one of the best explaining Coyote hunting using decoy dogs, some hunters use the word tolling. The Airedale in this video is well trained and doing exactly what is needed to bring the Coyotes to the gun. Al

Way to go!! Al

A quick note on a tool I have used recently for the first time. I am a big fan of turn in style rings and bases formerly by Redfield and still made by Leupold and Burris. I forever used a screw driver handle made from either wood or plastic to turn in and square up the front ring. Was gifted a Leupold ring wrench for my birthday and got to use it a couple of time recently, works great and a big thumbs up. Slips over the front ring and makes squaring it up easy. This would be great for anyone that does a lot of scope mounting work, for the casual guy a screwdriver handles works. Al

I find it interesting the way hunters come up with way to keep on hunting even with choking restrictions like not being able to own and use firearms. In Britain about the only hunting the common folks can still legally do without jumping through too many hoops is for Rats and Rabbits. Dogs and Ferrets are the methods commonly used. There is a lot of work and planning and prep that go into these hunts but the folks do not seem to mind and have fun doing it. The setup in the video is small scale but some of the setup cover big acreage and use coursing type dogs called Luchers. I have several contacts over in that part of the world and get a kick out of hearing about their hunting adventures. Al

Congrats, nice high rack. Al

I have had just two Setters and from that experience I would say they make some of the nicest house dogs and pets for kids, they absolutely love people and are lap dogs their whole adult life. A large fenced yard is a must in my opinion, they have what seems to be unlimited energy and need to run. Like Daveboone mentioned above they have hunting on the brain and will be long gone searching out game if left to their own. They are very much like Hounds I find, I know Hounds are not looked opon as great pets but that is false, if the time is taken to do some obedience and have a large fenced in yard I don't think you can find a nicer dog. My old Eli English Coonhound was a house dog and loved to play and fetch like most family dogs. He had to be under supervision when loose because he would take off hunting if not watched. I never hunted with a better Coon dog than Eli. Al

I am thinking he was probably hit back behind the diaphragm, if there was no exit wound there will not be much blood. Laying down as much as he is I suspect he has a bad wound internally, give him some time and keep after him. You might have to jump him up and kill him. Al

Happened to see this video of a girl playing a harp near a wooded area, as one can see a Deer was very interested in the sound and came quite close to the girl who was in plain sight. Got me thinking on what would happen if one got a harp recording put on to an electronic caller like a foxpro. Al

As I try to bring myself up to speed on crossbows just about everything I read and in the videos I have watched a very large portion of crossbow shooters seem to favor lighted nocks for all sorts of various reasons and why I posed the question about them. Thanks to all who took time to reply. Al

You did one heck of a nice job, congrats. Al

Yea or Nay? Al

Hey Don I am far from being any kind of authority on the English Setters, my expertise is with Airedale Terriers along with in depth knowledge of the English Coonhound breed, these two breeds I have been hunting for over 50 yrs. I have always found it interesting to try out and hunt with other breeds just for the experience. What I can say unequivocally, with hunting dogs it is all about their breeding when it comes to how they perform in the field. When I decided I wanted to try out an English Setter I did a lot of investigating. Gouse Ridge kennel in Oxford NY kept coming to the forefront for me. The Flanagans have well over 50 years of experience invested in some of the best hunting English Setters in the US, and in competition they have done it all. My two Setters have backed up everything I have heard and read about Grouse Ridge Setters, my instincts were correct, I am totally pleased with how they did and have performed. Al

Nice shooting. Al

I found an old block target in one of my sheds that I think will work. I never cared for it because it was so had getting the arrows out. I was looking at some youtube videos of some commercial hanging bag types and they worked real well and the arrows were easy to remove, also they were not overpriced. Al

Well the FedEx truck pulled in with the Excalibur, spent a bit of time putting everything together, just have to sight this thing in now. I am liking what I see. All my regular bows do not have a lot of speed so I probably should pick up a better target that is suitable for a crossbow. Al

Basically nothing but subtle personal attacks, you bring zero to this site, hit the road Jack!!!!