Welcome to the August/September issue of Bird Dog & Retriever News. It's time to start preparing for bird season. The most important information I have for you is: the first week in June brought only minor rain storms across the U.S. What does that mean? It means the pheasant, grouse and quail hatch went well and we should have a good number of birds this fall. A record number? NO, but enough for all of us to have a good time this fall. If we have the same weather next June, THEN we are looking at record numbers. The actual numbers are just starting to come in, by September we'll give you the complete picture like no one else in our Oct/Nov issue.
It's damn tough to produce a dog magazine without a dog. The Guldan household has been dogless for almost a month. Both Scooby and Jenny are in the last few days of a month with trainers, and it's just not the same around here. I miss having Scooby at my feet as the red dog is pointing birds out my window... and no one greets us at the door or to wake us up if we sleep past 3 AM. Jenny has spent the month in Idaho at Dave Walkers place with Jerry Jordan of Kojac Kennels of Iowa training on wild birds. Scooby spent the month with Bethann & Tony Roettgers in North Branch, MN. Both dogs are going through training 101. I wrote the first of a two part series of taking your dog to a trainer on page ten.
So what's new in this issue? Dave Duffey looks at how hard we hunt our dogs a good primer with the season about six weeks away. In" 'Old Tricks' For A 'New Puppy'" Jerry Thoms takes a look at puppy training. Gail MacMillan tells us about the hunting dog with the longest name and strangest hunting technique: The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. David Krassler continues his series on working with springers. While Bob and Jody Iler take a look at introducing your dog to guns. Bill Hanus helps us get that gun safe we have always dreamed of. Plus bird counts and seasons and a bunch of interesting stuff.
Stay tuned the next few issues are the bible to owning and hunting upland birds and waterfowl all over the fruited plain. And if that isn't enough I'm just finishing putting all twelve years of back issues on-line for free. And by the time you read this with two or three clicks from Bdarn.com you should be able to read any of hundreds perhaps thousands of articles we have brought to you over the past twelve years. Have fun! And do me a favor, this year take a kid hunting, I'm gonna. We could use a few more voices on our side.

Dennis Guldan
Publisher Bird Dog & Retriever News
publisher@bird-dog-news.com
My Cell Phone 612-868-9169 651-636-8045 fax

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