August 17th, 2010
Joe and Cheryl spent a week in northern New Hampshire as guests of Tony and Marie Bly. Late spring snow reduced the woodcock population so birds were not as plentiful as most years but still enough to get a good amount of wild bird training done. Neighbor, Field Trial Magazine’s Craig Doherty accompanied Joe and Tony on a few outings. Tony and Craig spend much of the early summer weeks cutting and grooming their training grounds which would otherwise be impenetrable at this time of year. Many thanks to them and to the friendship and hospitality of Tony and Marie!
John Bilodeau’s Teddy has a nice find!
Bob Drew’s Dunkin getting ready to run.
Craig Doherty with Trip, Joe with Chris Mathan’s Hard Driving Rita, Tony Bly.
Joe flushes Rita’s woodcock.
Not yet two, Chris Mathan’s Kit spent the summer with Joe. Broke on pigeons and quail, she still needs some lessons on wild birds!
Bob Drew’s Magic backs a moose lawn ornament giving everyone a chuckle!!
Posted in Grouse & Woodcock Training, Hard Driving Dogs, Summer Training
April 23rd, 2010
Please check our Bird Dog Training page for updates or download this pdf brochure HDK-Summer-Training.pdf for complete details. Joe takes only a limited number of field trial and personal hunting dogs so contact him soon to schedule your dog’s summer training. Also, contact him if you are interested in sending a dog to the Canadian prairies.
Posted in Grouse & Woodcock Training, Summer Training
April 23rd, 2010
Blue Creek Bad Bay, call name “Whiskey” placed second in the hour Dell Todd Open Derby Classic at Gladwin this spring. Whiskey is owned by Mike Coleman from Center Point, Iowa. Congratulations to Mike!
Posted in Field Trial Wins, Hard Driving Dogs, Spring Field Trials
March 30th, 2010
Joe is competing in the Ontario Grouse Championship in Marienville this week with Pal O’ Mine, Montaro’s Rock, Hard Driving Lucy, Allegheny Maybaby, Platinum Pendulum, and Hard Driving Rita.
Following the Ontario, Joe is traveling to Michigan with Bob Drew to run Bob’s derbies in the hour-derby stake at Gladwin.
Then Joe returns for the PA and PA hour Derby Classic, again in Marienville.
Posted in Spring Field Trials
March 30th, 2010
Congrats to Jared Drew who ran his pointer, Dunkin in the Amateur derby. Dunkin didn’t come up with a bird though he hunted hard. Jared did an excellent job handling the big running pointer who was with Joe in Texas this past winter with littermates ‘Peanut’ and ‘Magic’ who were handled in the derby by Jared’s dad, Bob.
Jared Drew with Dunkin
Posted in Spring Field Trials
March 30th, 2010
The Black Ash Grouse Dog Club is pleased to have successfully completed the second annual two-hour endurance Classic on the famed Marienville grounds in western PA. Joe is a long-time member of the club and along with secretary, Russ Richardson, feels this is an important stake for grouse dogs. 16 dogs were entered — many proved strong enough to finish the two hours though some had their opportunity cut short! Joe would like to thank all who continue to support the event by competing and/or through their financial support. Many thanks to this year’s judges, Frank LaNasa and Dave Hawk.
The winner was English setter female, Texas Cherry Bomb, owned by Kevin Klein and handled by Scott Forman. Runner-Up laurels went to five-year-old pointer female, Pal O’ Mine owned by Chris Mathan and handled by Joe. ‘Fin’ has been with Joe since she was a puppy and has spent every winter since with Joe in Texas. She was unable to compete in last spring’s Classic due to illness. She put down a strong two hours with only two very short lapses which she recovered from and finished the two hours with strength to spare. She had a good stylish find on two grouse early in the brace and two unproductives—one a divided find where only the reporter heard the grouse leave from behind a group of white pines where both dogs were pointing. We are very proud of Fin!
Runner-Up in the two-hour Armstrong-Umbel Endurance Classic, Pal O’ Mine, call-name ‘Fin’.
Other Hard Driving dogs that competed were Hard Driving Lucy who was feeling a little too good on a crisp cool morning of the 5th brace and though she had a grouse find early on, it was far off on a limb and not seen by anyone but the scout. Lucy’s casts just kept getting bigger and bigger and Joe finally threw in the towel. He found her with the tracker with a mouth full of quills! Allegheny Maybaby and Hard Driving Rita, two young females, not yet three years old, started off strong but could not hold it together for the two hours. Maybel was picked up and Rita finished but with a stylish back to her credit.
Allegheny Maybaby, call-name ‘Mabel’ owned by Doug Kepler.
Hard Driving ‘Rita’ owned by Chris Mathan.
Posted in Field Trial Wins, Spring Field Trials
December 6th, 2009
Joe has one empty box for his Texas training trip. If you are interested in sending a dog with Joe after Christmas, please contact him by email or by calling:
Kennel: 814-789-3715
Cell: 814-547-2153
Posted in Texas Training
December 6th, 2009
R-U Champion Montaro’s Rock is for sale under the condition that he stays in Joe’s field trial string. The reason is simply that his owner is not interested in field trials.
His particulars are:
Sire: High Definition (same sire as 2009 National FT Champion contender, Jetsetter)
Dam: Keystone’s Red Ryder (multiple champion and producer)
Whelped: 5.30.05
Derby and Shooting Dog placements, R-U 2008 National Amateur Grouse Championship
Rock is an attractive, white and orange, setter male who has been developed by his former owner, Bill Henke and Joe exclusively. He is a strong, very biddable, easy-going bird dog who has been trained in the grouse woods, Texas and on the prairie for the past several seasons hunting and handling many different species of game birds. He has been consistent throughout his young career and, with maturity, has shown continued strength as a field trial contender.
Please contact Joe if you are interested in owning Montaro’s Rock. You can reach him at the kennel: 814-789-3715 or on his cell: 814-547-2153
Montaro’s Rock, August 2007, North Dakota
Posted in Dogs For Sale, Hard Driving Dogs
December 4th, 2009
Here’s a quick synopsis of how the dogs did this fall. Joe was generally very pleased with their performances and their consistent, strong forward races, handling well on most occasions. Birds were at a premium at most trials they competed in.
Region 19 Amateur Walking Shooting Dog Championship
(Thanks to all those who handled the dogs)
• Lucy had a strong, reaching race in the heat with a huge forward finish, unfortunately she was not able to connect with a bird.
• Fin was strong but picked up under a bird at 31.
• Rock had a strong race but moved on his own after a stop to flush at 55.
• Rita had a forward race with a good find on a covey of sharptail at 30. She finished the hour strong with a medium race.
Hard Driving Lucy
Wisconsin Coverdog Championship
• Fin had a strong forward race with a stylish back on the only bird seen on the course.
• Lucy had a great race with a beautiful relocation on a running grouse at 58.
• Casey had a grouse and 2 woodcock finds with an acceptable race.
• Rock pointed a grouse and woodcock. His race was also acceptable.
Minnesota Grouse Championship
• Fin ran in the first brace in the morning in fresh snow — under very difficult conditions. She was picked up after three attempts to get grouse pointed.
• Lucy had one grouse find on a running bird but snowy conditions made it impossible to keep track of her.
Pennsylvania Grouse Championship
• Fin had a spectacular race in the first brace that got under way at 7 am. Unfortunately she went birdless.
• Lucy’s race was erratic and she was lost at time.
• Rock had a grouse find at 55 with a good race.
• Rita was doing a great job on the ground but the grouse she got pointed in the open proved to be her undoing! Rita, an off-age dog, turned 2 in August is finding birds consistently.
Pal O’ Mine
Grand National Grouse Championship
• Rock did an exceptional job with a strong, forward and intelligent race throughout. He pointed a grouse early on. The birds flushed just prior to the dog being found. Rock’s style was high and lofty. At 30 minutes, he was found pointed some 300 yards to the front. A hen pheasant was flushed in front of the stylish dog.
• Fin started strong and handling well but was lost to the front at 40 minutes when Joe thought she was stopped. She was picked up on the road, looking for him.
• Lucy had a huge race but was not returned at time.
Montaro’s Rock
Rich Tuttle Memorial Grouse Dog Classic
• All three females, Lucy, Fin and Rita had strong forward races but did not connect with birds.
• Rock was picked up early when he was injured by running into a stick.
Hard Driving Rita
Posted in Fall Field Trials
September 15th, 2009
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Posted in HDK Slideshows
