Annual Southern Gentleman® Issue
The age-old bond between a man and his hunting dog is fueled by trust, love, and a mutual passion for the sport. Here, five local gentlemen share what makes their dogs special in the field and at home. As W.R. Pursche wrote, “Everyone thinks their dog is the best dog in the world. And none of them are wrong.”
By Kristen Dee / Photography by Vityl Media
After hunting with a friend’s hunting dog, Grouse, for many years, Tim Kelly decided it was time to get a hunting dog of his own. Grouse was up for the task, and Kelly picked Goose out of the litter of his English Labrador retriever puppies, feeling confident he would have a good bird dog. “Hunting with Grouse has been a fantastic experience, and it’s the reason I adopted Goose. I’ve spent a lot of time hunting with his sire, and I think that dog could do your taxes if he could hold a pen,” he jokes.
Goose is now a year old, and Kelly has been working to get him ready to hunt alongside him. “Since I adopted Goose, I have worked with him daily on training,” he says. “I also enrolled him in a training program. It’s intense and ongoing so it prepares Goose for the hunt.”
Like many hunters, Kelly enjoys watching dogs work as much as the hunt itself. Once Goose is ready, they will primarily hunt ducks together. They also plan to go on a winter excursion to Wyoming, where they will hunt chukars, which are small and round ground-dwelling pheasants. Chukar hunting can be slightly more complicated than duck hunting, as they easily blend in with their surroundings and are very fast movers. Kelly shares, “When duck hunting, the dog simply swims out and retrieves the downed ducks. Chukars are more complicated – he will be looking to spot the birds without flushing them and then retrieving them once they’re down.” Despite the added challenge, Kelly is confident Goose will be ready.
As they continue to train and prepare, both Kelly and Goose are becoming more and more eager to hit the field. “He gets very excited when he sees me pick up a bumper and knows we are going out to train,” says Kelly. “I am looking forward to taking him on his first hunt!”
“He gets very excited when he sees me pick up a bumper and knows we are going out to train.”
At just seven weeks old, Derrick Dishman’s German
wirehaired pointer, Nelli, is already gearing up for her future as a hunting dog. “She already shows a confident, curious nature,” Dishman shares. “She loves exploring, learning new things, and is eager to please. She has playful puppy energy but a natural intensity that makes me excited for the kind of hunting dog she will become.”
When trying to determine which breed felt like the right fit for him, Dishman ultimately decided on a German wirehaired pointer. “They’re versatile, intelligent, and driven in the field,” he explains. “They are known for being excellent upland bird dogs and loyal companions. I wanted a breed that could grow into both a strong working partner and a family dog.”
Nelli has great expectations, filling the paws of Dishman’s former beloved hunting dog Shooter, who passed away. Reflecting on his time with Shooter, Dishman shares, “Once on a hunt, we’d started shooting skeet to pass the time. One lone dove happened to fly over, and someone shot it down into a thick brush area. It looked like it would be impossible to recover, but Shooter worked the cover with determination and came back with the bird. That moment summed up who he was as a hunting dog – steady, reliable, and always willing to go the extra mile for me.” With Nelli, he is excited to make similar memories, saying, “I’m looking forward to building that relationship from the ground up, watching her grow, and carrying on the tradition.”
So far, Nelli fits right in at the Dishman household and will begin her training soon. Dishman will instill in her similar principles as he did while training Shooter. “Shooter went through years of training to become the reliable bird dog he was – from basic obedience to field work, learning to hold a steady point, and retrieving with precision,” he says. “It was a process built on consistency, patience, and trust. I’ll bring Nelli along step by step so she grows into her natural instincts and becomes a steady, dependable partner.”
“She has playful puppy energy but a natural intensity that makes me excited for the kind of hunting dog she will become.”
Alongside his four pups, Yoda, Jake, Ruger, and Finn, James Tyson hunts waterfowl and upland game birds, with each dog contributing to the hunt in a different way. He shares, “Yoda is a 5-year-old black Labrador. She’s my hard-charging duck getter and the most driven dog I have ever had the pleasure to hunt over. Jake is a 2-year-old Boykin on the tail end of his training and showing outstanding promise as a flushing dog. Ruger is a 5-year-old German shorthair. He has an outstanding nose and a solid point, and is also an absolute goofball. Finn is a 4-year-old American Brittany. He’s got a great nose and points with a lot of style, and he’s a happy dog that loves to hunt.”
Tyson lives on a small farm, allowing him plenty of room to run and train his dogs. He trained Ruger and Finn himself, using books for guidance and practicing often with birds. “They really had good natural ability, so they hunted as they were training very early in their lives,” he says. “Yoda and Jake had extensive two-year training with a local trainer. I’ve hunted with all four of my dogs since they were about a year old.”
For Tyson, the dogs undoubtedly play an invaluable role in the success of the hunt. “With upland hunting, I would never know the birds are there if not for the dogs,” he says. “With waterfowl, it’s much more than making my life easier not having to walk into a flooded marsh to retrieve game. There are countless times that a wounded bird would have been lost if not for the dogs.”
His love of hunting coupled with his dogs’ enthusiasm and talents make a great match, and together they hunt as often as possible, All he has to do is start the engine of his truck, and the dogs know it’s time to go. “They love it as much as I do,” he says. “We’re a team and they always do their part.”
“There is a special bond between a man doing what he loves and a dog doing what it was born and bred to do.”
William Smith and his German shorthaired pointer, Joe, hunt upland birds together, including bobwhite quail and pheasants. Smith and Joe have been hunting together for a year and a half, after Smith inherited Joe from a dear friend and fellow hunter, Colonel, who passed away. “Colonel could sit down over a cup of coffee and tell you dozens of hunting adventures that he and Joe had taken. He could tell you exactly how many birds were shot over Joe on any given day,” says Smith.
Honoring Colonel’s legacy, Smith continues to hunt regularly with Joe, fondly nicknamed “Houdini” for his frequent escape attempts from kennels and fences. Despite his ornery side, Joe is a talented and seasoned bird dog, determined to retrieve no matter the circumstance. Smith shares, “I enjoy watching Joe work, seeing him put his nose into the air and working the wind. One of my favorite memories of watching Joe hunt is when he retrieved a pheasant that was shot over the middle of a pond. Joe does not like water, but on this day, he saw no water – only a dead pheasant. He swam into the pond not knowing where exactly the pheasant had fallen. I watched him lift his nose into the wind and he found that floating pheasant.”
Over the past year and half, Smith has gotten to know Joe in and out of the field, enjoying watching him work and play and discovering more about his personality. “When Joe gets excited, he spins in circles until he gets dizzy,” he says. “I’ve only heard him bark once since I’ve had him. He also hates a cat!” As the two continue to bond, there’s no question about when it’s time to hunt. Smith puts on a specific shirt, signaling to Joe that it’s “game time,” and the two are off once again to catch birds and enjoy nature together.
“When Joe gets excited, he spins in circles until he gets dizzy. I’ve only heard him bark once since I’ve had him.”
Austin Stephens has been hunting his whole life, and he has spent the last three years hunting with his French Brittany spaniel, Tuck, who began hunting with him at just six months old. “Tuck has a natural itch for birds,” Stephens says. “He was pointing and fired up over birds at three months old. I trained him on pigeons in the yard as well as wild grouse during bird season out west.”
Today, Tuck has been on countless hunts, including helping guide quail hunts, and Stephens continues to utilize the off-season for practice. “I put him on released quail as often as I can, but the real work comes from working him on pigeons, which gives us a controlled environment to really hone in and polish his skills,” he shares.
The training efforts have paid off, impressing many seasoned hunters as Tuck effortlessly points and retrieves. Stephens shares, “On Tuck’s very first guided quail hunt in Georgia, he had pointed a single quail on the edge of a creek. He held point pretty perfectly for a 1-year-old dog, and the two shooters moved up and the bird flushed. They emptied their guns and the bird fell on the other side of the deep and steep creek. Tuck was ready when I called his name, and then was gone for five minutes. The others lacked confidence, but I knew if Tuck was gone for that long, he had the bird. Two minutes later, he appeared and his black-and-white fur was covered in creek mud, but he had the quail in his mouth, and boy was he proud! I’ll never forget it.”
Between the training, hunting, and time spent together, the two have developed a special bond. “Tuck really understands me,” Stephens says. “We spend a ton of time doing day-to-day things, and he is really my best buddy. He’s a smart and enthusiastic dog with more personality than most people. He never has a dull moment and is a staple in my friend group. He’s a good dog.”
“He really is my best buddy. He’s a smart enthusiastic dog with more personality than most people.”
