dog tagged posts

Okay remember my post about fall fishing and camping in Shenandoah and how excited I was? Well it turned into quite the adventure! First, it was Columbus Day and near impossible to find a camping spot. After getting recs from the great folks of Mossy Creek Fly Shop, my husband Dan and I ended up in George Washington National Forest about three and half hours from DC. We couldn’t believe our luck – this public land is just a stones throw from James Madison University is absolutely beautiful. We fished for a few hours and then headed to set up camp.

Our campsite appeared perfect… at first.  A creek nearby, lots of space and a flat spot near the fire pit perfect for our tent...

By Hannah J. Ryan

The morning sunlight seeps across Wyoming’s sky and into a corn stubble field near the river. Friends and family are tucked to either side of me in layout blinds. My feet are reaching that freezing point that would soon drive me from my hiding place, but a dark cloud lifts off the river as a few hundred Canada geese leave their night’s resting place.

As their ruckus reaches us, our adrenaline-levels spike and my numb feet are eitherwarmed or forgotten. Our decoy spread forms an open-ended triangle and we are stationed in the V’s crook. Four geese break from the flock and head for the open ground we left in the spread directly before our blinds.

When the birds come in range, someone calls out, “Take ‘em!” and we pop up from our prone positions, shotguns singing...

Brandon Butler is back on CITNB to share another story – this one on how hunting dogs have a sneaky way of becoming family. Read his first post here.

Brandon Butler and Junior

Junior was born the son of Bocephus. He was destined for greatness. Having a renowned retriever for a father sets expectations high. Junior may have never won a world title, but he was a champion. The tears of two little girls prove it.

From the first time I read Where the Red Fern Grows over 20 years ago, I dreamt of owning a well-trained, highly-functional hunting dog. Time and attention kept that dream from becoming a reality for too long. Opportunity struck when I was presented the chance to buy Junior as a three-year-old field trial washout.

Finished retrievers aren’t cheap...