This is Deborah's first post to the blog. She is more involved with the activities behind the scenes, but hopes there is something for everyone to learn from our story.
One of the worst feelings I have ever experienced was when our pup, Cooper, went missing for 30 hours. He’s only a pup, despite the fact he’s a hunting dog. I had so many mixed emotions at the time, but the one that stood out the most was fear. Especially due to the frigid temperatures below zero and wind gusts to 35 mph. Cooper has always demonstrated joy with all human interactions; he’s really a social butterfly. But, the oil-delivery man frightened him off. The oil-delivery man has been known to scare us a bit, too, with the bills he leaves behind. We concluded that the loud noise from the truck in addition to the long awkward hose and approaching man spooked Cooper. Coop had been on the porch at the time taking it all in and then in an instant he bolted through the invisible fence and took off
into the deep woods. We diligently went to work by walking in the woods, contacting all of our neighbors, driving around hourly in town and the surrounding towns and neighborhoods, and canvassing the area with lost dog posters. Not to mention all the calls made to local vets, dog pounds, and town halls. After 29 hours, there was still no sight of him. I couldn’t eat, or sleep due to the knot in my stomach over thinking he could have frozen to death, or been eaten by the coyotes that roam our woods from time to time. This outburst of emotion came from someone who has never been a pet-owner, other than a talkative cockatiel, to a relationship I never could have imagined having with a dog. It is truly unexplainable unless you actually experience it for yourself. And I asked myself, “How could I have been led to Cooper for seven wonderful months, and now it’s time to say good-bye?” I wasn’t ready, nor was I giving up just yet. I continued to search by driving the back roads and added recent photos of him to websites for missing pets. We did receive numerous calls from concerned neighbors and local dog wardens, but it wasn’t until the 30th hour that we received the call. The woman, our neighbor, so confidently said, “We have Cooper. He’s in my yard.” There was always uncertainty of course, but we knew we had to have hope. My husband and I rushed to the adjoining neighborhood two miles away. To our relief it was Cooper. He came running toward us so full of life and energy running circles around us both. He did not have a scratch on him. And our joy was reciprocated. Words could not express how I felt knowing that I was given another opportunity for my relationship with Cooper to hopefully continue on for many years before it’s time for us to say good bye to one another. We will never know where Coop spent the night; maybe in a barn, someone’s garage, or even outside, but we do realize how very fortunate we were to have found him and thankful for honest neighbors. The experience, more like an ordeal, has taught me so much—from learning that dogs can survive for days in the cold to allowing myself to depend on others in times of need. I guess in this case, as the saying goes, all’s well that ends well.
Now that the barrels of test guns at the SHOT Show have cooled we find that the trend in shotguns this year is light weight and trap-competition-ready models. 
Illegal border crossings is a hot-button issue this election year but these are the types of border crossings that make a turkey hunters smile. Fifty-five Rio Grande turkeys were introduced to Arizona in January under the AZ Game and Fish Department, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and the Bureau of Land Management. Chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation in Arizona and Utah also assisted. The Rios were released on Bureau land at Black Rock Mountain in the far northwest corner of AZ, about 15 miles south of the UT border; terrain similar to the birds’ native habitat. All 55 birds were given identifying wing tags and eight were fitted with radio tracking collars to help monitor the flock’s movements. The transmitters are much like a backpack. And in New Mexico more than 60 Merriam's turkeys were released onto Pueblo lands near Albuquerque. This part of the trap and transfer program between landowners in northeastern New Mexico and the Santa Ana Pueblo. Wild turkey play a role in the Pueblo culture. If this project proves to be as successful as the ones that occurred here in the northeast, the southwest should be silly with turkey. Back in the lat 20th century (gosh that sounds so long ago) the state of NY gave CT a few birds and from that small flock CT now has a robust flock that supports hunting. BTW - The image in this post is from Stacey Huston at 
Kentucky farmers can earn extra cash in the Dove Field Hunt Program offered by the 
Self described as "a bit fat, a bit lazy, [but] a happy suburban dad" the 
So you have decided you want a hunting dog. You’ve researched the breeds and determined the type suitable for your lifestyle and hunting interests. Now the real search begins. Buying a dog is a lot buying a shotgun. They run from darn cheap to super expensive. They also can ride a wave that causes premium prices at peaks in interest. Have a budget in mind because once you start calling breeders you might have sticker shock not to mention you may loose interest over the wait time for a pup. The shock will come from the dog’s pedigree or bloodlines. And bloodlines is the one thing you want to invest in when buying a dog. Cooper’s family hails from Alabama and lest you think I am Southern agnostic this Yankee does visit the south regularly especially this time of year to flee the snow. Cooper’s mom and dad as well as grandparents have hunting in their blood. Looking at Cooper’s family tree there are field champions (FC) and national field champion (NFC) winners with names like NFC GK's Playing For Keeps and FC LB's Oh! Miss Goodbye. Here’s the part were I say you get what you pay for. You buy a cheap shotgun it performs as a cheap shotgun will. I know a hunter who has hunted with a Fox/Stevens side-by-side since Hector was a pup. He paid less for that gun than he would a Starbucks venti today. It works for him, but that may not be true for you. My recommendation is if you want a real hunter with a nose and desire to hunt look to the bloodlines and peel a few more dead presidents from that wad for the breeder. Bloodlines aren’t the end all and be all—it’s a lot like looking at the past performance of your mutual funds and is more of an indicator of what you might expect. Too bad there isn’t a Morning Star type rating for gun dogs. Enter stage right Quail Ridge Kennel in Stafford Springs, CT. Steve Hopko has been breeding GSPs for over 30 years, he knows a thing or two about these dogs. I spoke with Steve over the phone before making the journey to CT/MA border and once I saw the adult dogs interact with Steve, I had a good feeling. Steve’s dogs love and respect him. I knew he was no pipe man. Not a wince nor flinch from any of the dogs. And the pups—well Cooper is proof I was convinced Quail Ridge Kennels was the way to go. I could have paid more but with Cooper I was looking for a hunting partner. I’m not looking for field trial trophies. Of course you might be lucky and raise a real hunter from a mixed litter. I’ve had luck with mixed litters but the operative word is luck. If you are interested in Quail Ridge Kennel’s GSPs, send an email and I’ll get you in touch with Steve.
If you are like me and partial to 16 gauge shotguns then here's some great news. Browning is offering their BPS, that's their pump gun that shucks the empties toward your toes and not over your right shoulder, in 16 gauge. And I am even more excited since this 